I used my glow plug igniter twice yesterday. Does it need to be charger before every time i go out to the field even if i do not you it much.
Thanks
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StoneDeaf

I charge my everytime, I do it along side the aircraft, I have also taken to charging my 12v battery everytime as well.

J

Stonedeaf,
I charge mine on friday night and it's got enough charge in it for 3-4 days of starting planes. At the least you should be able to get at least a weekend of starting out of one.

Ken

Thanks guys!
______stonedeaf

I ride mine until it dies! It's a nicad and I don't want to worry about the whole "memory effect" phenomenon. I can usually get several weekends worth of flying out of one charge. When it does die, I have a 12v Glowbee rapid charger that can put an 80% charge on it in 20 minutes or so. That gets me through the rest of the day and then I give it a proper C/10 top off charge when I get home. The nistarter I'm currently using has lasted nearly 10 years with this kind of handling. The one prior to that lasted about 5. I can live with that.

Honestly, I've only recharged mine four times from the first time I started this hobby... so that's like three months now
I flew every week-end without exceptions, and sometimes during weekdays. I always leave it to recharge overnight and let it "dry" completely before recharging!

Don't use it more than you need, just a few seconds to start the engine and then immediately remove it. It should hold its charge for a long time, at least that's in the weather conditions of where I live :P

That't to say, you will definately not need to recharge it everytime you go to fly.

what does let it "dry" mean?

humm hehe ok well I meant to empty it completely, so I don't recharge if it is still 60% for example...

I charge mine everytime my flying buddy borrows it then forgets to take it off and takes it for a 15 minute helicopter flight. Sometimes I even get to walk the flight line looking for it, I may buy him a spare for Christmas.

I have found that I like the new slimline tower model that takes a AA bat Then I just carry a pocketful of AA's and if one dies I just swap it out. I use the rechargable ones. Then when I get home I just put them in the charger and have them ready for the next day.

Mine has a 3600nimh in it and i charge it once or twice a year. This is with flying once a week average or so.

Sheez I must be starting too many planes or too often.

With one 12-14 hour charge my glow igniter barely lasts a 5 hour day at the field. Usually I'm forced to resort to my second glow ignitor or at worst one connected to my starter box.

I wish I could make it last for 2-3 days....

The red dubro ones i had would only last at a few days at most. I got annoyed at it dying on me at the field all the time so i bought an igniter with replacable battery and use a 3600mAh cell. Its only on the glow plug for about 10-20 seconds per start.

I charge mine overnight everytime before I go flying. I have the 'red' dubro type,,,,,has worked perfect for me for about 3 years now.

Barracuda,

Your friends smarter than you give him credit to be.

Why use these expensive inbuilt auto glow ignitors when you can use your mates $20 battery glow ignitor.

Just give it back to you to recharge for next time.

I fly glow 6 days a week, (only 4 flights a day or so before work). I keep 2 rechargeable ignitors and one alky ignitor in my bag. When one NiCD ignitor goes down I have the second....and I know to charge them both that night. (The alky ignitor is for emergency use only....I have never used it).

I have gone as long as six weeks on a charge with ONE of them. They are rarely on the plug for more than 30 seconds anyway.

mine died last weekend after 5 or 6 trips to the field 4 or 5 flights each trip on a charge. I left it on my sport plane DOH! cause I was yapping about my P-40 and spaced out on it tossed it on the power pannel outlet for a min. or 2 and back it was, that little hot shot is still going strong for 15$ 4 years later.

Hey guys

It all depends on how long time you use it in order to fire the engine. I have seen people that are trying even 5 minutes to fire the engine with the glowplg ignitor on the engine. Well if you just plug it and you have your engine working in seconds then it just depends on time. Most of the Ignitors are from 800mAh - 1200mAh. So that means that you have more than 10minutes of actual use in "contact".

Cheers
Johnnie

I charge mine every 6 months
http://rcatsystems.com/electronics/ligd.php
it doesn't really need it that often but I would hate to get to the field and have it not work. A lot of the guys use mine to start their stuborn engines or when their "cheapies" are dead. It costs more but I really enjoy NEVER having to worry about it working.

Ok. Thanks for the info. I know that I need to charge it up before every time I fly.
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StoneDeaf

There was a review in RC Report a few issues back about a lithium based glow driver, its like 100 bucks but its charge a few times a year and when you plug it up and hit the button it ramps up the voltage slowly instead of shocking the plug and it senses the resistence of the element so if its flooded it ramps up the voltage, also if you see consistently high draw you know your plug is on the way out, which for us rotor heads is a good thing to know as dead sticks are a bit more challenge than a plank.

That is the one I referenced in Post #19. You need to use it a heck of a lot to need more than 2 charges per year.

Hmmm I'm using a 1600 mAh igniter now... which barely lasts a 5 hour day at the field.

So I may get a week of continuous use with that one... I don't consider this bad at all!

2 charges a year? I don't think so.

Can't address your problems with your current ignitor but I'm only reporting what I have seen and used first hand.
http://rcatsystems.com/pdf/lion_datasheet.pdf
http://rcatsystems.com/pdf/ligd_instructions.pdf
http://rcatsystems.com/pdf/lion_review_flyrc.pdf
Give it a try or keep on charging.

Definitely a nice ignitor.

A little pricy... but I'd be a happy clam with a week!