When I built my LT-40, I installed the radio switch so that it was OFF toward the front and ON toward the tail of the plane. A good friend of mine told be that was not KOOL because everyone knew front was ON. So I switched.

Went flying the other day and on landing I accidently swerved off the edge of the paved part of the field and through some new but relatively big green weeds. The little engine went to full throttle and it seemed I no longer had any control. The plane headed on and continued to mow green weeds until it found one too big even for the mighty .46. Still didn't kill the engine till we snuck up on it and pinched the fuel line.

Upon a quickly convened local NTSB investigation, we determined that the first green weed hit the switch and cause the radio to go dead. The question is: Should all planes with the switch in the position where OFF is toward the tail be grounded and the second question is: should my friend (initials RV) be banned from giving advice in a field (electrical) he obviously does not know a lot about?

LOL... I've seen that happen before! Yup, all my planes are ON when the switch is toward the back, for just that reason!

Where the screws go to hold the switch on I have eye bolts. My theory is that they will block anything that is heading for the switch.

now THAT is a good idea.

Maybe I should submit it to Airplane news. I'd be famous I tell ya!

I thought you were already famous Billy!?

Why not just stay out of the weeds?

I'm mentioned in a country song or two but that's about it.
Kev
I'm might try this whole, "staying out of the weeds" theory of yours.

Well, some of us just can't stay out of the weeds.

I have always set my on/off switch to where on is toward the tail of the airplane.

I use to have (notice the word use) a fun fly which had one large wheel and piano wire for landing gear. It was the most effective mowing machine I have ever seen. Nothing stoped it. It would just keep on cutting until it reached the runway.

My real name is famous. I have seen it on the movie screen. Unfortunately it belongs to an old British actor. Oh well.

Liked the idea about the eyebolts. That would also prevent the switch from accidentally getting turned on in the car. Might try it out on my next project.

Sounds like some of you LIKE playing in the weeds..

Personally, I always go with one of those Switch holder/charging jacks. I think Sullivan makes them. Here's a pic of one made by Great Planes

I've used those charge jacks as well, When I use one, I always set the switch to where "in" is off. This prevents it from accidentally getting turned on in the car.

I didn't really mean to play in the weeds. It just sort-of, you-know, happened. (I figured I would use one of my 9 year old sons excuses.)

Yea, I do the same... "IN" is "OFF"

MinnFlyer... You're absolutely right... I've been using those for years and nobody else likes them...

I thought I was the only one buying 'em...hehe

I use the charging jacks in all of my planes, and in is off. I was "warned off" the switches for the very reasons mentioned above. I place the switch under the wing (or over it) as the plane demands. Loren

To me, they just make so much sense. In many cases (with 60 size planes and smaller) I don't have to remove the wing for transport. That means no unbolting the wing, no unhooking the Aileron wires (or flaps, or retracts), and no having to re-do it all again at the field. So why have to take the wing off at home to charge it up?

The switch in the charging jack has the same problem -- if IN is ON, it's too easy for it to turn itself on in the car. if OUT is ON, it's too easy to turn off the radio when launching the plane.

Some people do use those with IN being ON and just clip a clothes pin on the thing to keep it from being turned on accidentally.

Reading this thread, it occurred to me that you could put a balsa spacer inside the plane for a standard switch mount method. Then get slightly longer screws and viola, the top of the switch will be flush with the side of the plane. It is then no problem to use your finger tip to turn the plane on and off. I like the in and out switch but in some of the smaller planes space can be an issue. On my current plane the side wall was too thick so I used an in and out. Problem is that I will have to remove it each time I want to remove my receiver for whatever reason. On the other hand, with my few brushes with the "tall grass", switch position would have been the least of my problems.

Jeff

I usually separate the switch and charge jack mounting, and use an Ernst charge jack mount together with various switch mounting methods.

I have been thinking about other ways to mount that charge jack, as the Ernst method and other methods always leave something to be desired in terms of expense and usefulness.

Does anyone have a clever method of mounting the charge jack?

I still think the Sullivan/Great Planes jack is the way to go. It's so easy and it's almost fool proof. But as you know, they are always inventing better fools.

Al Stein suggested it's too easy to turn off the radio when launching the plane, but I haven't hand-launched a plane since the 60's, with the exception of my Sig Wonder. In that case, you just mount the switch where your big fat fingers won't squeeze it.

I mean, jeeze, if you're holding the plane and you feel yourself hit the switch, DON'T THROW IT!

I have "switched" most of my planes over to the MPI MAXX Products charge switch. It has a slide cover to protect the charge plug, which is already installed. I also mount the switch with "back is on" ... and always opposite side of the fuse from the engine exhaust.

TX

Fo my planes "In" is on, or "Back" is on. I'd WAY rather have an accidental switch in the car (where no one will get hurt) than on the runway or in the pits (where someone could get hurt or killed). I don't make tons of money, but I can afford to buy a battery if I accidentally kill one by bumping a switch. I couldn't live with myself if I hurt someone because I was concerned about buying a new battery pack.

Just a few weeks ago I pulled my Fun51 out of the truck, gassed her up, turned on my Tx and my surfaces all glitched. "Crap". Back to the pits and on the quick charger for a fresh charge. No harm, no foul. Conversely, a few weeks before that a guy was running up his Extra in the pits, had his Tx in one hand and was holding his plane on the ground with the other. He unhooked the hold-back and slid his hand along the fuse to get the tail so he could walk it to the line. Somewhere along the line he bumped the switch and the engine went Huevos to the Wall. He didn't have a firm grip on it and it went zooming toward the pilot stations. Fortunately there was a chair right behind the pilot that the plane was homing in on and it caught the prop. There was a nasty nick on the chair, but no damage to life or limb. The post-mortem showed that he had his switch set to Out=on. After that there was no doubt in my mind which was was safer, and safety is the cornerstone that allows us to continue doing what we love.

I use the same switch as the TEXAN, either Jr or MAX products with the charging jack built in. I usually have to mount the switch where the writing is upside down, I always mount the switch where forward is on and reaward is off. It just seems normal to me that toward the front of the plane is on and toward the rear of the plane is off. My $.02 worth.
Lee

JetSD claimed that his friend "bumped the switch" and the engine went to full throttle. Something smells fishy here... When you turn off your Tx the servos can do whatever they feel like doing, but when you turn off your Rx, don't the servos all freeze in their last position?

Minnflyer is right.

If you turn off the switch to the Rx, the servos no longer have power. Without power the Rx will not respond to inputs from the Tx and the servos cannot move (because the servos don't have power either). Unless the switch is faulty and would allow for the receiver to still have power.

My suggestion would be to check the switch or replace it. If the switch is OK, could someone have accidentally turned on a Tx on the same channel???