Voltage question for power panel
 

Hi, I just finished putting together and staining/polyurethaning a Hobbico Ultratote (the box for carrying your starter, field gear etc.) The unit comes with a Deluxe Power Panel II that supplies 12 volts for the fuel pump and 12 volts for the electric starter. It also is suppossed to supply 1.2 volts for the glow starter charger and 1.2 volts for a regular (wired) glow plug. My question is, when I got all done the assembly, I figured I'd take a Voltmeter and check the voltages. The 12 volts for the starter and fuel pump are there and 12 volts, but the glow plug charger and the regular glow plug output are reading about 11 volts. I'm wondering if this is correct, this should read 1.2 volts. Is this normal or should I be reading 1.2 volts across the terminals? I know there are some power supplies that require a load to decrease the voltage, but I'm afraid to plug in my glow plug and destroy it. Is this normal, or should I return the Power Panel back to the local Hobby shop.....Thanks.

Voltage question for power panel
 

The glow driver and glow charger are probably fine. With a load on them they will read 1.2 (more or less). I'd take a chance and try a glow plug. I'm 99% sure that it will be OK. I do not have your exact power panel. Some panels just use a big resistor in series with the 12 Volts supply to drop the voltage. Some pulse the 12 volts. And the charger may be just a constant current charger, so again the voltage is meaningless measured without load.

Thanks
 

DMcQuinn, Thanks for the info.....I just took your advice and it appears you are correct. I took my old 1.5 volt lantern battery, took out the glow plug and hooked them together while looking at the amount of glow in the resistive element (rather scientifically subjective). I then hooked up the glow plug to the power panel with the rheostat turned all the way down, slowly brought up the rheostat until the glow plug began too glow and incresed the power until it glowed with the same intensity as my hobby battery was producing. It is drawing about 2.6 amps on the power panel meter, and this reading shows up in the Green zone on the meter which looks like Hobbico 's "good" zone for normal glow plugs...I guess the voltage like you said is meaningless until you draw some current to allow regulation to occur. Anyway, thanks for the info looks like the unit is working great...I was afraid I'd be throwing 11 or so volts to the plug and that worried me.