What kind of starter do I need
 

I need a starter that I can use on my Magnum 180 4s. Any one have any ideas as to the kind I should look at. I havae a hobbico and it doesn't have the horses to get the job done.

RE: What kind of starter do I need
 

Try connecting your existing starter to your car battery and see if it will spin the engine. Sometimes the little batteries commonly used in field boxes cannotsupply enough juice.

This starter looks like it would start just about anything. Probably overkill for a 1.80 but also the last one you should need if you go to super big engines.
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXLYW5&P=0

RE: What kind of starter do I need
 

I agree with what carrellh said in above post. My starter is the same as yours and will start my O.S. 91 four strokes just fine, until my small battery startes to get weak. I am sure you already do this, but just in case, make sure you have the prop turned all the way thru the compression stroke before trying to start it so you will get a bit of a runup on it.

RE: What kind of starter do I need
 

thanks, I don't have a problem with my mag 70 or 91 4s just don't want to turn the big guy over.

RE: What kind of starter do I need
 

Sullivan Dynatron should do the job for you on 12V!

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?FVSEARCH=S603

Alex

RE: What kind of starter do I need
 

And if it doesn't, then run it on 24V and it will start a big block Chevy!
Seriously, this is a really good starter - I've been using mine for 15 years!

RE: What kind of starter do I need
 

Put some after run oil into the Mag 1.80.

I'll bet it's brand new, and still a bit tight.

The standard Hobbico starter has no problems turning this engine over, provided your supply voltage is consistent.

I use a 12v 21Ah sealed battery in my flight box to power the starter, and it will turn over the Mag 1.80 just fine, it also turns over a 50CC ZDZ Gasser as well.

RE: What kind of starter do I need
 

I have been using the self contained Hobbico starter, guess I will have to go to a battery in my flight box. Just hate the cord hanging down when I am using the starter. Have these visions of it getting tangled up in the prop and throwing the flight box across the field. Hummm!! put wings on that sucker and maybe someone will kit it.

RE: What kind of starter do I need
 

If you have the starter with the black battery case hanging off the bottom, bear in mind that the battery supplies insufficient current/voltage to the starter for larger engines.

I have one of these.

I rigged it up so I could unplug the spade connectors, and use a second cord with male spade connectors hooked to the field box, to start the bigger planes.

That way I can always go right back to using the battery pack on smaller engined planes whenever I want.

RE: What kind of starter do I need
 

You might want to consider the heli-max super starter. It's a geared design, and it uses two 6 cell stick packs. It's got enough umph to turn over a G38. It's a great little unit, plus I think I paid under $40.00 for mine.

A

RE: What kind of starter do I need
 

You can rig your present starter to stay the way it is for most engines and then improvise a quick connect set-up so you can plug your fieldbox battery in parallel with it for the biggies. I wouldn't leave it connected when not in use though, the big battery may try to charge the little battery.

RE: What kind of starter do I need
 

I had to break down and buy one of those auto jump starter battery systems to use on my bigger engines. My plan was to just pull the battery out and put it in my flight box. I just didn't have the hart to do it because it can be used for other things as is. I just hook up to the two leads and go. It really gave my old starter A good zing but not as good as A real car battery.

RE: What kind of starter do I need
 

Hobbico makes two "standard" starters, the "90" and the "180". I have the 180, and on two of the normal 7ah hobby batteries in series for 24v, it will turn over my 50cc gasser (DA 50). I'm sure it will do your engine, either on a bigger 12v, or on 24v. I can't say if the 90 will handle the extra power or not.

RE: What kind of starter do I need
 

If you are going to jump up to 24v with two 12v batteries, what do you do with your power panel.

RE: What kind of starter do I need
 

Depends on what you're trying to do. Since I usually don't need 24v, I keep a jumper in my field box that I sometimes use to join two batteries together. More than once I've borrowed another flight box and used the jumper to connect from one power panel to the next in series.

If I was going to run 24v on a regular basis, I'd get a bit more creative with the wiring, and probably ditch the power panel all together.

RE: What kind of starter do I need
 

I'm not sure I would need 24v. Maybe I will buy a motorcycle battery that has more cranking amps and put that in my field box.

RE: What kind of starter do I need
 

The standard starter will turn over my 50CC gasser ( ZDZ 50 NR ) with NO problems what-so-ever using 12v, PROVIDED I have it hooked up to a higher AMP battery, than the little one provided with the Hobbico "portable" battery kit.

I usually hook it up to a small motorcycle battery in a field box, or a 21Ah battery to start my larger planes.

I put a larger cone on the 180, and it seems to produce LESS torque than the smaller starter, when the latter is used with the standard cone...

e.g. I can turn over the Magnum 1.80 with the small starter easily.

RE: What kind of starter do I need
 

Just connect the panel across either of the batteries but not both. Recharging through the panel will be a bit more bothersome unless you get fancy with the wiring. But you don't HAVE to charge through the panel.

And don't start through the power panel.

RE: What kind of starter do I need
 

Goirish,
I just threw together a separate battery box with some spare lumber I had laying around. Field box batteries just can't cut it.
I'm fortunate that I have a friend with a Jet-Ski who replaces his battery every year, so I get the leftovers.:D
I also have the Dynatron going on 12 years, they are bulletproof.

RE: What kind of starter do I need
 

You can also use a DPDT switch to allow for 12-24V starter and 12V parallel charging with a configuration like this: