glow starter
 

I have had to put cox heads on my Norvel because I cant fit the glow driver on the "plug"...has anyone had to modify a glow driver to fit a norvel plug? can I just grind a little off the end of the glow driver?I have a clip somewhere for the cox heads, and I know there is an adapter to use on a glow driver, is it just a glow plug with the leads soldered to the plug? can I make one like that?......Rog

RE: glow starter
 

Rog,

That is weird stuff. A Cox glow head clip will work with a Norvel head.


LAter,
Tim

RE: glow starter
 

Hi Rog --

I have been using this Sullivan/Model Products adapter for some time and have had good success with it. If allows me to use the standard glow driver with COX or NORVEL engines. Go to Tower Hobbies and search for product No. LXBWL9. On the Sullivan home page, it is listed under the Model Products group, part No. M058

the "other" Andrew

RE: glow starter
 

That's kind of weird ROG, my DuBro driver fits the norvel plugs w/no problem. I don't use it howver because it's a piece of CRAP. Hardly lights the norvels off even on a full charge. Two D bateries and a DuBro quick-clip get me started with just a couple of flips. Sory this is off subject. Had to vent.

Darren

RE: glow starter
 

I've fretty much gone to the Cox glow heads. But not because of the clips. The original heads, as Darren pointed out, don't work well, if at all, with a 1.2v battery. With the Cox glow head it's connect, flip, fly.

Bill.

RE: glow starter
 

I have an ancient, clothes pin like glow plug clip that I think was made by Perfect way back when. It seems to fit just about any engine/plug combination and you can hook it up to any sort of battery you wish. I dont know why they aren't made anymore.

jess

RE: glow starter
 

Jess:

If I'm not mistaken, a very similar one can be gotten from Brodak. I have one that came from DuBro.

Bill.

RE: glow starter
 

Sullivan makes em'. Part #SUL181.

RE: glow starter
 

No, I didnt explain correctly,, I have several cox and norvel engines,,and many glow heads norvel and cox,, on some of the norvel heads there is a large round ball on others there is a much smaller flat topped piece,,, the height difference is enough the the glow starter (dubro) touches one but not the other or the actual head is a smaller diameter and the glow starter wont fit down in the hole,,I have seen the glow clip made from an actual clothespin( I think its in the SPAD forum), and I have the cox glow clip but no battery for it,, I know there is an adapter to use a dubro type glow starter and hook a fake glow plug in it that inturn powers the cox glow clip, ...so depending on what engine I use, I sometimes have to put a cox head on a norvel engine so I can use the glow starter I have with me so the engine runs,,,right now, my glow starter works on my .061, but not on my .049 because of the different glow heads.,,so I am asking if anyone has ground off a bit of the dubro starter to use with the smaller glow heads...hope that clears things up......Tim,,I'll show you at the fly in.....Rog


Thanks Larry D, but what is yours hooked too?

RE: glow starter
 

Thanks Larry D, but what is yours hooked too?
[/quote]


On the plug end it is hooked to a Nelson plug.

On the other end there are two 2.5 amp lead gel cells that are wired parallel and have a resistor and switch that allows 1.5 or 2.0 volts.

RE: glow starter
 

Rog,


Go to Radio Shack and get a battery holder for 2 D cells. I think it will cost a couple of bucks. Wire your Cox glow clip to it. Your Norvels will start better with it too!!!! Looking forward to the weekend! Boy do I have something to show you guys:D


Later,
Tim

RE: glow starter
 

Norvell engines have two styles of glow heads.One is the older version that is to small for a glow starter,the other is called a freedom plug,this one you can get a glow starter on, but the glow starter has to be held on, it will not lock because the plug is round.Still it is a pain to use so i use the dubro 1/2A clip.Chris.

RE: glow starter
 

I,ve never seen one of these. It looks like it will work on just about anything. Thanks for the part #.

Darren

RE: glow starter
 

norvel has something new out now...it's plug that you can screw a standard glow plug into...i saw them at the LHS last friday...i don't have a norvel,but if i did i would have to have one in all my norvels...

(to the nc flyers) let me know if you want one...i'll try to bring them to the fly-in for you...

john

RE: glow starter
 

I have a couple of these things that I have had for some tome. I have not checked personally, but others report lower rpm. The new ones may be different.

jess

RE: glow starter
 

why do I need 2 D batteries, if one is 1.5 volts ,,is it not enough mah in a regular off the shelf battery or do you guys use rechargable....? Rog

RE: glow starter
 

You just do Rog...gees stop asking all these questions:D

Can't wait till Saturday!!!

Later,Tim

RE: glow starter
 

Two wired parallell will last longer.

jess

RE: glow starter
 

Hello Rog, Ya know I had the same question a long time ago and never got a good answer. I then got 2D batteries and first hooked up one to the glow plug, then two. I dont know why but two cells turned the element a bright ,blinding red where as one cell only made it glow weakly. I then checked each cell with my multimeter and the were both esentially putting out 1.51 volts. I'm no electronics wiz mabee it has to do with amps or somthing. Ya got me! all I know is two is the magic number.

Rrragman

RE: glow starter
 

it is also a stronger 1.5V than a single cell...it's like putting two 12V car batteries together...you still have 12V but it will turn the starter faster...

john

RE: glow starter
 

okay,okay so I went out last night to radio shack and bought the 1 cell holder just to prove it would work and it wont, so this morning I take my hard head to the other radio shack and I find the 2 battery holder($1.69) plug in 2 batteries hook it to the glow head and I get a little wisp pf smoke...moral to the story, don't use batteries from the Dollar store[:@]...they were the problem all along.....hardheadedRog

RE: glow starter
 

Yeah, make sure you're using alkaline cells -- mine are still going strong after at least 30 starts -- and don't connect them in series -- only in parallel.

RE: glow starter
 

Larry-

I've been hearing about those 2.5 amp lead gel cells a lot lately, there was a long thread about them on the SAM email list.

Where do you get yours and are the re-chargeable or not.

I took a little time and figured out the circuit to get a 2.0Vout or 1.5Vout, pretty simple little thing, 3 resistors and a switch. If you have a drawing of the way yours is wired up I'd love to check my work.

I really need to try another avenue for right now. I had a Du-Bro Kwik Klip that worked alright till I lost it at one of the NC SMALLS Fly-Ins, then I got the Sullivan/Model Products one with the meter (thinking that the glow clip they make is so great the rest of their stuff must be alright to). The first battery died after the first re-charge and the second one puts out 1.0V and has a hard time lighting ANYTHING!

I have a double D cell holder that works good and I also have one of those Hobbico 2.0V Cells with the terminals on top. That works pretty great too.

was just hoping for something that wasn't disposable


thanks-
timothy

RE: glow starter
 

Tim:

To the best of my knowledge, all cells that develop 2 volts nominal open circuit, are lead acid cells.

Whether a liquid electrolyte or a "Gel" cell, they are all rechargeable.

"Officially," they are 2.2v per cell, an automotive lead acid battery being a 13.2v battery even though normally referred to as 12v.

When fresh off the charger the lead acid cells can show up to 2.5v per cell, this surface charge will disappear quickly under a light load, and you'll see the 2,2v per cell. This will then drop slowly as the charge is exhausted. They are useale down to roughly 1.8v per cell.

Any single lead acid cell, if high enough current capacity, can be used to light any glow plug. If you select the "Right" cell, it will be safe on either a 1.5v or 2v plug, as the internal cell resistance will limit the current, the plug wont blow from overvoltage.

A safer method, rather than a series resistor or a switchable voltage regulator, is a current limiter. If the circuit is set for a maximum of 4 amps it will then be safe for any plug, and you wont have to worry about picking the "Right" cell. Most power panels are current limiting devices.

The Radio South glow starter uses four NiCd cells with a current limiting circuit.

A single NiCd cell, being 1.2 or 1.25 v/cell, often wont work on the 2v plugs, as you have found.

Carbon/manganese or alkaline cells, flashlight batteries, will work for either, again observing the current capacity. A single "Dry cell," the big cell that weighs a pound and a half, works fine but it is too expensive these days. Two "D" cels parallelled work fine. A local friend uses four "AA" cells in parallel, he gets good life and it's not too expensive.

Charging lead acid is simple if you have a liquid electrolyte in yours. Do not add any water unless the levwel is below the plates, until it's charged. If it's low, add water just to cover the plates. So long as you don't overheat it, just about any charging current works. Just watch the cell, if it starts gassing off (bubbling) lower the charge rate. When it gasses at a low rate, 2A or so, let it bubble far 15 or 20 more minutes, it's fully charged. As the battery charges the electrolyte level will rise. Top the cells after it's charged, not when its charge is low.

A gel cell has no visible indication of charge level, and voltage is not a good indicator. A gel cell will gas at full charge too, but you can't see it. And if left on charge you will dry it out, and ruin it. Use your 500ma charger, leave it on overnight, and see how the charge lasts. If it's dead too soon, increase the charge time, if it lasts for your full flying session, decrease the charge time. Generally speaking, you can leave a gel cell on a 50ma rate indefinitely.

Which brings us to "My Way" of charging gel cells. After flying, they go on a trickle, and stay there until the next weekend. I'm running 50ma, my power panel battery is still going, it's about seven years old now.

If you "Cook" a starter type gel cell, often the top can be pried off exposing the cell caps. Opening the cells, and taking a few hours to do it, you can add water until the white felt looking separators are once again looking damp. This will take a while, you'll add water and they will look wet, look again 20 minutes later, they're dry again. When they stay wet for a half hour or so, add just a little more water, so the cells look like there's just a little excess water. Now put the battery on slow charge, and so long as the caps are off you will be able to see it gassing. Provided you got enough water in it. About seven times out of ten, you can rejuvenate a gel cell this way. Your failed starter battery? Give it a try. You might lose some time, but you might not need a new battery, either.

I've run on here, but hopefully there are some good ideas for you and others.

Bill.

RE: glow starter
 

Prole, They are, as William said, lead gel cells and rechargeable. I got mine from a friend who got the from a medical supply outfit. They were apparently a time-change item and were used, but free and good as new.

I would Google "Gates Batteries" and "2 volt gel cell". I have seen them somewhere.

I use a simple resistor that came with a 2 volt wet cell made (marketed) by Royal. . . maybe 25 years ago. I also use a long lead, maybe 4 feet long, made of good flexible extension cord.