RE: Power Panel - how advanced do I need to be?
 

I prefer a power panel because it's amazing the difference in power needed to drive various plugs to the same brightness. The lead acid battery inside the box is the type used in alarm systems and most auto electricians have them as well as the LHS. I recharge mine every few months from a standard wall charger and just monitor the voltage until it starts to level out. Works for me :).

The item in the middle is my "fuel pump", non-electrical squeeze bottle from my CL days.

The item on the right is my starter and is also non-electrical. It runs on hamburgers, chocolates, milkshakes etc and I've never forgotten to take it to the field with me.

RE: Power Panel - how advanced do I need to be?
 

Jeez, what a screwed up interpretation.

"Imagined" ??? Not hardly.
Compare the safety of having to arrange a flight box so that neither of two cords will get into the prop while starting compared to having NO cords at all.

So what about me? I advised the poster to consider the options and explained my advice with observations. I prefer the convenience over all else. And added the real safety issue as icing on the cake.
And left the decision or justification to the reader.
I didn't imagine that it's very convenient to have a portable starter, nor that their NiCds can be charged more conveniently, nor that the portable glowstarter is way more convenient than one on the end of a cord attached to a heavy box (heavier for the bloody big lead battery it would have to hold), and that trying to juggle two cords from one box isn't close to being convenient. And dealing with a flight box day in and day out, into the car, into the house, etc is a lot easier and convenient if the sucker is 7 pounds lighter.

So let's start your model with your powerpaneled flightbox..........
Move the heavy flight box up to the airplane so the two cords will reach.
Arrange the glowplug cord and attach.
Use the starter.
Put starter back into box but don't move box as it'll pull the glowplug cord off.
Reach over prop, or walk around airplane and pull glowplug cord.
If you went around the airplane, come back and
move box from in front of airplane so you can taxi.

Let's start the model with portables.
Attach glowstarter.
Use starter.
Move around airplane and remove glowstarter.


See any imagined anythings?

As for safety, having a safe proceedure for a potentially unsafe situation doesn't erase that unsafe situation. Not having the situation does. Which is safer?

RE: Power Panel - how advanced do I need to be?
 

For the average glow flyer a power panel is a complete waste of money. Who ever said above that using a power panel glow lighter and a starter plugged to the panel is not dangerous and imaginary (I think that was the word) is deluding themselves about the simple mistakes we can all make.

I have seen wire prop strikes occur on a continuing basis every year since the late seventies roughly when starters and power panels started to become popular. And its not just the newbies.

Power panels are nothing more more useless somewhat unsafe stuff to delude the newbie into buying to make his box look impressive.

One last thought storeing a fuel can in close proximity to all that wire that frequently is poorly done by the installer Or completely neglected thereafter, terrifies me. Flight box fires (wherever that box may be at the time) can and does happern with some degree of regularity.

Every student I work with and mentor where he has not already bought a bunch of stuff I work with on their gear and none ever want to go back to corded gear or a panel later.

All the above of course just my opinion.

John

RE: Power Panel - how advanced do I need to be?
 

Careful Downunder. Had to help a guy with his milkshake driven engine starter . They leak to much when a prop strikes them.

RE: Power Panel - how advanced do I need to be?
 

How many of them use a starter vs hand starting? Even with a poor glow, if you spin an engine long enough with a starter, it'll eventually fire. Many of them work just fine, but I've seen plenty that weren't so hot. I'll keep my power panel, thank you. ;)

The meter shows how much power you're putting through the plug.

RE: Power Panel - how advanced do I need to be?
 

The usual result is the use of a manual varible current power supply that you posted a link to, for many folks is when they may be experiancing starting problems for whatever reason they will tend to cheat and keep on twisting the current up most often resulting in burned out glow plugs or plugs with shortened lives.

Glow heat is the only practical way we have control the ignition timing of our two stroke glow engines, using a hotter by design plug or increasing the glow driver heat will advance the ignition timing. This is exactly the opposite of what is needed for easy starting.

If you feel the need for a varible current glow driver then use an automatic type panel or a glow box like the one pictured in in post #28 These provide instant and automatic current adjustment as well as indicate glow plug condition. The glow box type does not come with wiring entanglement problem of the flight box power panel and is a heck of a lot more pracitical to use.

Using a electronic glow box is certainly not neccessary for most though and a simple single cell glow stick or ignitor is just fine.

John

RE: Power Panel - how advanced do I need to be?
 

Not screwed up at all. It's very easy to develop a method where the power panel is as safe, or safer, than any other method. The problem is that people who don't prefer them rationalize their preferences by making it seem that every other option is unsafe.
And as I said, I prefer the convenience of only having to deal with one battery. The safety issue you keep citing doesn't exist, so it's a non-issue.
My box is probably as light, or lighter than yours since it's not weighed down by a bulky starter. ;)
Wrong already, the box is put in position when I arrive at the field, as is the plane.
Starter? What starter?
Hopefully you were joking about reaching over the prop, right? I find it quite revealing that you chose to throw that in when talking about using the power panel, but omitted it when describing your method. It's almost like you're intentionally adding things that you know are unsafe.
If this is the way you would do it then it's clear that you are better off not using a power panel.
Don't you also have to move your heavier starter somewhere safe, or do you just sit it down in front of the plane? ;)
Hopefully the glow starter didn't fall off and hit the prop during the starting procedure.
Yup, pointed them out.
One more time, the wires themselves are no more or less safe than your method. You have your preferences and I have mine. Neither is by nature safe or unsafe, it's what we do with them that determines safety. Let's just leave it at that.

RE: Power Panel - how advanced do I need to be?
 

Guess there are lots of us out there that are delusional then. :D
And I've lost track of the number of times I've seen glow sticks pop off and hit the prop, end up dead due to the pilot forgetting to charge them, watched people fail to get a plane started due to a weak glow stick, etc. I've already described the very simple method I use to keep the wire completely away from the prop.
Wow, imagine that. I've been flying and boating for years and never realized that the power panels that I use every time I go to the pond or flying field is a completely useless piece of equipment. You should tell that to the person who charged his dead glow driver on my power panel at the boat races last week. He certainly didn't think my power panel was useless. Or to the countless people who I've helped get an engine started when their glow stick wasn't up to the task.
On this, we agree. That's why the fuel is at the other end of my flight box and why I avoid electric pumps.

RE: Power Panel - how advanced do I need to be?
 

oops, hit quote instead of edit, please delete.

RE: Power Panel - how advanced do I need to be?
 

I have stated my opinion and will belabor the points no longer. The only thing I could add that complete denial and trivializing of real dangers as 'imagined' is in very poor taste for this forum and definately not up to your normally excellent standards.

John

RE: Power Panel - how advanced do I need to be?
 

wow guys, sorry i ignited (no pun intended) such a debate!

good to hear all the differing viewpoints though.

i ended up buying this as above

http://i22.ebayimg.com/01/i/000/b3/0d/9d00_1_b.JPG

i like the idea of just one battery....and the ability to adjust glow heat etc as required. the other good thing is, even if i decide i prefer a glow stick....i can use the panel to charge it at the field!

seems win-win, and a modest outlay anyway.

RE: Power Panel - how advanced do I need to be?
 

AustFLYER, how much did it set you back

RE: Power Panel - how advanced do I need to be?
 

$42 delivered to my door mate, search ebay he has a shop.

rang around a few shops here in melb...most either didnt have them, or didnt have panels in stock, or needed to order one..blah blah.

the big plus of this one is the glow stick charger port...the only local supplier i found wanted $75 for the panel which had this feature (taiwanese brand)

the other shop who had panels just had a basic one (generic brand, no glow charger) - for $30...

$42, to my door...convenient

RE: Power Panel - how advanced do I need to be?
 

And I will state one more time that the "dangers" that have been cited come from poor operation, not the equipment. Hence none of what I said is in "poor taste" for this or any other forum.

RE: Power Panel - how advanced do I need to be?
 

Sounds good. There is no right or wrong setup, as you've read, equipment choice is a matter of preference. If I get a chance today I'll take a picture to show how I arrange the flight box and plane to avoid the dreaded "wires in the prop".

RE: Power Panel - how advanced do I need to be?
 

Safety doesn't come from owning the correct equipment, it comes from vigilence and common sense. Most of the really bad prop accidents come from engines that are already running.
Electric planes can send you to the emergency room also if you are careless.

edit: spelling

RE: Power Panel - how advanced do I need to be?
 

I had a Power Panel when I started out. After having wires hanging out all over, I dumpred it all and went completely portable.