I am looking for a field box for my equip. It seems there are 2 avaiable the Hobbico Ultra tote and the Master caddy by Great Planes. Anybody have any of these boxes and could you post a like or dislike about the two boxes?

Thanks!! in advance----------------Stash

There are WAY more than two available. Sig makes one that I think is really nice, or you could make your own.

This is very true. Also, you don't have to stick to the flight boxes sold by the hobby industry. A lot of pilots in my area have quit using "traditional" flight boxes and use tool boxes from Lowe's. These are larger tool boxes with handles and wheels on them so they don't have to be carried to the flight line. I too am guilty of using one like this. I have done this because it's a lot easier on my back. I have had back surgery and I found that carrying a heavy box to the flight line was hard on my back. So now I use this arraingment and it's a lot easier on my back. In the tool tray I keep what I need for just the flight line. Tie down stake and rope, fuel pump, glow starter, electric starter, chicken stick, voltmeter, and field charger. In the bottom of the box I have a 12v lawn mower battery and 2 one gallon fuel containers. For the rest of the tools I take to the field I have a smaller tool box that I keep in the truck. But I don't take a bunch of tools to the field anyway. I had field repairs, so if it's not a quick fix I just take the plane home and repair it there.

Hope this helps

Ken

This the best box I've ever owned. I hate the purpose flight boxes since so much space is wasted in them. Got this at walmart for like 20 bucks. FIts fuel starter, paper towels and cleaner in the bottom. Radios trainer cords and tools up top. Course I've gone wireless on the starter and igniter. I just don't like the power panel, if your not careful you'll pop a plug from over-voltage, they get dirty after a season ot two and allot of the function start becoming finicky, I forgot haw many times the solder joints would come undone on the banana plugs, then cease to hold good contact inside the panel. After awhile any strech at all on the cord the damn thing come flying at ya out of the panel. I see this happening to guys at the feild all day. I just laugh. Start my stuff and go fly. I don't care what your technique is or safe you are about it, the wires around a spinning prop is a safety hazard. sold it off along time ago. I much prefer to hit the wireless starter on it and toss it to on side and then remove the igniter and put it in my pocket with no worry of anything getting in the way. The people I find defending the old corded equipment is just tryiong to deffend their own equipment which is fine. Wait a year or two and see how that stuff is doing. If your igniter isn't holding a charge it cause your not cycling it. All nicds need to be cycled every once in awhile

Stash---

Depending how much stuff you want/need to cary I chose this Pit-pal by Byron Fuels. It is very lightweight and only carries the bare essential. I keep a larger box with tools in the car and just take the light weight caddy to the flight line.


http://www.byronfuels.com/pages/pit_...t_cuddler.html


--Mark

tower makes a cheap flight line box like others have stated for the esentals extras can go in a fishing tackle box or one of those wheel jobs ,looks like my next purchase LOL

If you're starting out fresh, then I'd suggest you consider an idea that has something to do with the flightbox requirements. Consider chucking the heavy battery that's almost always accomodated. Blow off the battery and the power panel. Go with a self-contained starter and igniters. They're a lot safer and not nearly as heavy. They're also a lot more useful.

A flight box with long cords for the starter and igniters is actually a safety problem. Both cords come from the one location, and you need to route one cord around the back of the engine and the other cord around the front. And once the engine is started you have to get both cords out of the way of the spinning prop. Since they're both coming from one place, one of them at least is going to have to "go around" that spinning prop. It's way safer to have NO cords at all. Much safer. A bunch safer.

And it's also very convenient to have portable starting equipment. I'm all the time carrying mine up and down the pits getting balky engines started for other people. It saves a bunch of time to have that igniter handy. I know that mine is juiced up for sure. No guessing. If there is no heat in the plug, his plug is bad. If there is heat, and there hadn't been before, it's his battery or wire or powerpanel (the rheostat or fuse).

The convenience is really appreciated when an engine dies on taxi out. Or dies on the runway. When only a few guys are flying at our field we don't have much problem with making one try at restarting a plane on the runway. If they don't crank on the first try, we carry 'em off of course, but they usually do crank. Most times the plane has tripped up because of our lousy grass coverage and if the prop hasn't been chipped the engine will start instantly.

The batteries for the self-contained starters are much lighter than a flightbox battery. And no more expensive.

I have to disagree with the "go around" bit. If you are using a starter, as soon as you disengage the starter, its off to the side, or already behind the propeller, depending on where you set it down. If you bring the plug wire up the fuse and over the wing, I don't see how you could get a wire into the prop without being extremely careless, which one should never be around a running engine to begin with.

As for the carry out to the field to attempt a quick restart, most newer panels have a plug blank that charges your glowplug driver, grab it and a chicken stick for your first crank on the runway bit. Or, if you have one of the flight boxes with a seperating starting section, carry that out, it won't weigh much more than a starter with a builtin battery.

Maybe its just me, but I find glow drivers seem to not heat a plug as well as a panel, and over the course of a day spent tuning and playing, don't hold a charge well at all, panels such as the Hobbico Accu-Glo MKII solve both these problems . Also, its one less battery charger that I need to find a spot to plug in....

I agree with ghtracey on this one. Chorded starters and ignitors are perfectly safe if you are carefull about the chords.
Hobbico does have a flight box kit (the one I am using now) that comes complete with Box, starter, glow ignitor, fuel pump, power panel, battery and charger.

For the past 15 years, I have used the plastic carrier for cleaning supplies, as seen in the avitar. The Starter has a 12-volt, 7 Ah gell cell attached. I use igniters (I actually have a Ni-Starter brand one). There are a few tools, some glow plugs, couple balanced props, some fuel, paper towels, and a small bottle of cleaner (mostly alcohol). I use the Dubro squeze pump.

Just simple.

Ken, AMA 19352

That puppy is hard to find, it seems like the Canadian shops don't like to carry it. I'm in the middle of piecing mine together now.
For those that are interested in the combo Missileman is talking about...

[link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXL419&P=ML]Hobbico Ultra-Tote Field Box Complete Combo[/link]

I am using a plastic tool box that I bought from Wallmart. It was around $20.00 and has seperate compartments under a clear top lid for small stuff such as spare glow plugs. I made a cut out in the front of the box and mounted my power panel in it. I have a 12 volt gel cell battery inside which powers my starter, glow panel, and electric fuel pump. I have a 40 oz. fuel tank inside as well. Lots of room under the main lid for the starter, spare props, and tools. I could probably leave the props at home now. Mostly the flights go well. If they go bad, the poor plane is going to need more than a prop to get it back in the air! A slight bump that is just going to break the prop and nothing else just doesn't happen any more!

After years and years with a CG Ultratote, I broke down and bought a CG Monster Tote. A lot of
the guys at the field are considering one now that they have seen mine. I have everything I need
for field repairs, charges, etc. I installed two batteries in mine in parrallel so I ended up with 14ah of battery. That should take care of any situation that comes up over a weekend time. I use the field box in my shop as a spare set of drawers but keep all the tools that I would need at the field
in there so I'm never without. It does weight a bit but how far do you have to carry it? If this 63 year old buy can tote it around, most anyone can and once it's in place it has everything I need...and some of my flying buddies as well. I also carry spare parts in it.

Cheers,

Andy

stashu... You can go from mild to wild, bring it all or just what you need on totes for
your field equipment.... I was looking at one of these tote boxes when I started 2&1/2+yrs
ago.... But I ended up getting a $4.00 plastic tool box from Wal-Mart, which I'm still using
today... It's holds a mini panel, 12v batt., elect. starter, Glow starter, volt/tech, some tools
and spare parts for the normal flying day. I use 15 & 20% Powermaster fuel in the Gal.
can, so I cut a coat hanger so that it goes on the can handle to hold my Man. fuel pump
and tubing.. All is simple and light and it works:-)... If I need more I head home... IMO...
It's best to do most the checks in the shop, And if you need more at the field.. Well, maybe
it's better to take a break, enjoy and head home... JMO......

I have that hobbico complete feild box kit with the starter and everything in it. It's a good value, but don't plan on carrying all your tools in it, it's kind of small. I usually carry a couple screwdrivers, my glow ignitor, starter some misc. stuff, voltometer, quick charger, and rubber bands. That usually fills it up pretty well. My only gripe aside from the size is you are stuck with those little 12v batteries to run the panel off of. After going through 2 of them, I switched to a bigger more powerful jumpstarter thats like 400 amps. the battery compartment is basically wasted space unless you are using the supplied battery.

Tackle box from Wal Mart for tools, etc. Carry fuel and pump in a cardboard box; if it gets messy, I just find another. Never used a power panel or anything like that. Electric starter normally stays in the van, because I use the chicken stick unless the engine really gets stubborn. Glen