bbrown2828

My Feedback: (76)

is there any way that a guy can make his own on board glow driver

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

Sure. A glow driver is nothing more than a battery cell at ~1.5volts. A very basic onboard glow driver is as simple as a battery, a micro switch, and a servo. Wire the battery through the micro switch to your glow plug on the positive side of the battery, and on the negative side to the body of the engine. Position the micro switch so that it is operated by a servo. Now you can activate the switch through your radio.

Ken

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

You can use a round servo horn on your throttle servo and grind it like a camb lobe so the switch goes on from about 1/4 before idle. You also want an on off switch wired into the + wire that goes to the glow plug that is on the outside of the plane so the battery isn't always on when you turn off your plane.

bbrown2828

My Feedback: (76)

is there any kind of digram that i can look out to help me out

ho2zoo

My Feedback: (5)

I have built 2 of these 'hardware' type glow drivers and they work quite well. It takes a little patience with a dremel tool to carve the throttle servo wheel to get the cam the right size and shape. And of course you have to remember to charge the extra battery. Here is a diagram I drew up, hope this makes sense...

bbrown2828

My Feedback: (76)

what kind of switch do i go buy

Charlie P.

This is not for a glow driver, but here is a kill-switch set-up that would work. The switch for a glow driver can be about anything as the voltage and amperage is low.

ho2zoo

My Feedback: (5)

You need a little lever switch with a roller on it. Like this one from Radio Shack...

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2049719

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I use two switches, the one ho is showing you and in the same bin at radio shack are some without the roller, both work fine.

Charlie P.

The roller on the switch lever is a beautiful and eleghant solution . . . but it requires relatively precise alignment. I silver-solder an actuator arm on the end of the plain switch lever and it can be anywhere within 1/2" vertical alignment and then I don't have to worry about making a switch platform to get in aligned with the servo wheel. The elastic pulls the switch back to preclude the rare (but occasional) spring failure in a micro-switch that prevents the arm from returning. We used similar switches in alarm locks where I worked and they had about a 3% annual failure rate.

Perfection is the enemy of good enough. - Russian Aircraft Plant Slogan.

TimBle

why do you want a remote glow? it can be pretty dangerous if you forget to switch it off.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I can't answer for the OP but I have used them a long time ago in cowled planes just to make things easier for me. I started making up my own remote glow drivers and gave up on the on board systems for years until this month. I have one engine that is tight cowled, the remote glow driver works OK on it. The engine is inverted and runs great but with an on board the idle smooths out a lot better. I made up an on board a week ago for this plane but didn't like the set up so I pulled it. I may make up another one this winter?
The hobby is full of danger the moment the engine is started, having an extra switch right next to the RX switch isn't all that more dangerous unless your some sort of DA, in that case you may as well take up something like watching TV. Nothing wrong with thinking safety but what the heck, some people shouldn't be allowed anything with a sharp point.

larrysogla

Gray Beard,
I know this is an old thread but I was looking at onboard glow driver since E85 is looking more and more attractive as a cost effective sport fuel. I couldn't help but chuckle at your humor "Nothing wrong with thinking safety but what the heck, some people shouldn't be allowed anything with a sharp point. " You are always good for some refreshing and informative post. Thanks for the laugh. Larry.

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

Profound, but, I'm sorry to say, true. (meaning his "sharp point" comment).

Gene.. how are YOU feeling?

CGr.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

The hart problem is just fine, I go to the swimming pool and work out for about 40 minutes a day. If there were some hot babes at the pool it would be fun. One of the problems with living in an age restricted community, only time you see a hot babe in a swim suit here is when someones daughter or grand daughter comes for a visit. That's something to always look forward too. It happened last week once!!
I have started to build the three Swoose planes. Cut some of the templates and have sorted my wood pile. My back doesn't allow me to sit at my bench any longer but I will come up with something. Make up a building board that will sit on my lap and build while sitting in my recliner?? I will get them done by Fall so my partners and I can go to our Buddy's private little lake, sit on the dock and fly planes and drink beers. We are talking about going electric with these? So far it's just thinking. Have to fugue out the porwer source and items required to go electric. When talking about electrics I haven't a clue, I will be heading over to Wattflyer soon and be asking some very stupid questions.
Gene

goirish

I bet I can ask more stupid questions than you about electric.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I'm all in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have the one motor, ESC and it has been used in three planes. I have gone by the planes weight to decide if the motor I haved will work or not. So far so lucky!! To buy the motor I walked into Hobby People and said this is the size and weight of my plane, please give me a motor and ESC. Some times luck is way better then skill. I have several charts to figure if you use this size glow engine then this size motor will work. I can't even figure those out. The go by watts and amps?? If it takes this much juice it will replace this size engine?? RIGHT!! The Swoose is a bit over 6 pounds with a 63 inch wing and flying off of water. It comes out needing about one pound of lead in the nose if you use something like a .50 two stroke. That's what it did for Nick Ziroli. I have given it a lot of thought, lighten up the ass end of the plane and myself and one of the guys have a YS 1.10 on hand and the other guy has an .80 Saito. Still in that thinking point of the build.
Gene

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

Flyin Beagle

My Feedback: (1)

Sea plane flying and drinking beer, Two of my most favorite things although I have never tried them together. I however have seen many many times what even a few beers does to my golf game so for now i think I will keep them seperate although it does sound like a great time. Good buddy, flying planes off a private lake, a few beers, very nice.

DaveB

If you are somewhat proficient in electronics, you may be interested in building the "Electronic On-Board Glow Driver" designed by Stan Evans and was featured in "RCM, January 2002". A friend and I built and installed this design in several planes and every one works flawlessly. The nice feature is that the driver is independent of receiver controls, such as throttle. It is designed to operate on the temperature of the glow plug, not the position of the throttle servo. In many cases, when the throttle is suddenly advanced, most glow drivers will turn off when they are needed the most. This driver will remain on until the glow plug temperature increases to the preset level.

Please advise if you are interested and need more information. It's been more than 10 years, but I still have the article from RCM.

DaveB

Jamming

http://www.switchglo.com/. Works great.

LeoTao

I think this one is more better.

can be controll glow plug power by your own transmitter.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiGTGEYQiv8[/youtube]

Charlie P.

Yeah, but the 500 ft cord is a nuisance.

Lampatex

Hello Dave,

I'm looking for a DIY onboard glow driver and I would be really pleased if you could send me more informations about this system from Stan Evans.

I managed to find some things online but not really detailled

Thanks.

RBACONS

My Feedback: (3)

The simplest, least expensive, and fool-proof DIY glow driver is to simply insert a standard servo in the positive wire between a 1.2V battery and the glow plug. One end of the positive wire is soldered to a inverted "U"-shaped piece of brass epoxied across the top of the servo case. The second end of the positive wire is soldered to an "L"-shaped piece of brass screwed to the top of the servo arm. The short leg on this piece of brass should be bent to curl under the servo arm such that when the servo is actuated, the brass on the servo arm contacts the brass on the servo case. Several of us have used this for many years and contrary to what one might think, there is no interference (even on 72 MHz) when the 2 pieces of brass contact or separate. Simply set up the servo on one of your transmitter switches and you can also mix the channel with throttle if you also want it to come on and off with low throttle.