Please tell me about on-board glow plug heaters. What works and what doesn't? Are the fancy ones that plug into the receiver worth the money or do all I really need is a simple microswitch activated by my throttle servo? (Of course, both systems use a separate battery for the glow heater.) I'll be running an inverted Saito 4-stroke in a Kangke Monocoupe.

Thanks!

This isn't exactally the answer you wanted , but if it were me, I would avoid running an onboard glo unless I absolutely, positively needed it. And that would be in, say, a twin, where an engine out would be very critical. Saito's are fairly tolerant of upside down mounting, yes, it can be a little troublesome to get them tuned but once you do they're pretty much spot on. IMHO, onboard glow is just one more thing to go wrong, and when it does go wrong it will be at the worst possible time.

And in no case would I plug it into the receiver, a microswitch is all you need.

Andy

I agree with Phrog Phixer. Don't fix it if it ain't broke. Onboard glow lighters are a wonderful thing, IF you can keep them working properly. Everyone I've seen with one has to tinker with it a lot. If the thing slips on the plug and shorts out, when you activate it, you'll light up more than the plug.

Adjust your engine for a clean, lean idle, and use a hotter than normal plug, and it will probably be ok.

And that's good to know about Saitos. I have a Saito 80 that I'm considering mounting inverted in a giant old-timer.

Dr.1

I've got to agree with both posts so far. Most Saito's run great inverted and you shouldn't need a glow driver. The more complicated you make something the easier it will be for it to break.

Ken

I had a glow plug heater installed on a 1/4 Scale Aeronca Champ, with a 1.20 O.S. 4 stroke. It was very simple, when the throttle servo went to low, it bumped a micro- switch and turned on a single cell Ni-Cad battery and heated the glow plug. The engine always had a very reliable idle with it and I could start the engine just by turning the system on and proping the engine or by using my starter. It unit came with a little charger and I mounted the charge jack in the cockpit. Overall, I was happy with the system and might do it again just for a safety factor on a plane I was wanting to protect from engine flameout, if I was concerned. I know they have expensive electronic systems now, however what I had was as simple and as reliable as you could ask and it was relatively cheap.

Mode, how did you attach the wire to the plug? That's where most of the problems I've seen originate.

Dr.1

I have tried two differnt glo-drivers on a plane that just wouldn't run without glo heat at idle no matter what I tried. None worked so I ended up making my own with an old servo and a micro switch hooked up to the throtle channell with a y-cable. This worked great and gave me reliable idle when ajusted to come on at about 1/3 throtle. It was the only way I could get it to run good enough to fly it saftley without a flameout every time I cut back to idle.I just glued a micro switch to an old servo and used a wheel on it that I ground down to a cam shaped arm that rubed against the micro switch to operate. Simply mount it on the servo so it contacts the switch at the proper point to turn it on at the desired throtle position.It could be operated on a seperate switch[gear switch] from the tx by pluging it into the gear channell of the rx instead of the Y-harness.

For myself i have one on board glow driver in an inverted supertiger 91. I also have remote glow drivers for in cowl plugs and they all use a twisst on cap that locks on the glow plug like a glow driver. I get them from sullivan.
http://www.sullivanproducts.com/Mode...sMainFrame.htm
it is called head lock remote

Dr1, While this is not the exact product I used, it is the same principal. It locks onto the glow plug and even if it fell off, the connection is still covered with the protective boot.

Got to www.Maxxprod.com go to accessories and the part number is ACC133. it costs $5.00

I'll throw my hat in the ring (how do you like that WWI reference, DR-1?); I've got three planes with inverted Saitos, and none of them really need it for running. I've got enough time on the engines and they're tuned well enough that they run like well-oiled machines (DUH). That said, I have on-board glow drivers on two of them. I did it because both of them do a lot of air time at low throttle settings (1/3 or less); I have a lot of build time in one and wanted utmost reliability, and I fly the other one over water, and I wanted utmost reliability (do I hear an echo?). I've pretty much resorted to just using them for start-up, as the glow plug is inaccessible because of its position on the inverted head, and fully cowled installations.

If you need easier access to your plug, you can get by with just a remote glow plug attachment. The MPI one mentioned is a great one, it's what I use and I like it. If you do decide on a remote driver and don't want to make your own, MPI makes a really nice one (Super-Glo) for as cheap as $45.

"I'll throw my hat in the ring"

Ach! You are mine enemy! Verdamnit Amerikaner swinehund! You vill die unter my guns tomorrow morning in the cold dawn air! Mine Flying Circus ist clearly superior German piloting! Korrekt?

"Ve haf you vere ve vant you, Amerikan!"
"Oh no, PLEASE don't have me THERE, Hun!"



Dr.1

Not sure where my loyalties lie; so far, my only finished WWI plane is a DR-1. Oh, and your Deutch needs a little work. Verdamnit sounds like Larry the Cable Guy, and I am a SHWEINhund, thankyouverymuch !

. The MPI one mentioned is a great one, it's what I use and I like it. If you do decide on a remote driver and don't want to make your own, MPI makes a really nice one (Super-Glo) for as cheap as $45.[quote]ORIGINAL: khodges

Hi I 'm interested in an onboard but couldn't find a MPI on google[X(]; any help??

Paul S.

I found the link for MPI in case others couldn't either.
MPI http://www.maxxprod.com/mpi/mpi-27.html

Here's two others I found; Ram makes one. http://www.ramrcandramtrack.com/
and Thomson makes another;http://www.thomson-automation.com/

Hope it helps somebody