What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

I have a heavy duty Sullivan Dynatron ($99 at Tower) starter that I dislike. It weighs a ton, I can barely get my hand around it, and in spite of charging 2 seperate 12v batteries all day (one brand new because I thought the other was old and tired...) the thing won't spin my OS .91FX fast enough to start! (It barely gets the prop over...) What gives? I have seen several very compact, battery powered, lightweigh, starters on occasion at the field. I borrowed one once and it was POWERFUL. I've searched online but can't find one. Please let me know who sells them. (I hear you asking, "Why don't you check with the guy at the field?" I never see him anymore.) [:o]

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

Are you backing up the prop to compression before you put the starter to the spinner. Usually that's the solution.

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

Why not start the engine by hand?? A OS 91 should not be difficult starting by hand??
A much cheaper solution:)

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

If you are using it with small field batteries through a power panel it probably wont work well. That thing was designed for big batteries like a car and it helps to get rid of the alligator connectors and screw it to the battery directly to get the contact for the current draw. That thing will start a big engine. My regular Sullivan will start a 91fx all day.

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

I am familiar with the procedures to start a glow engine. I have many engines and I prefer not to flip. With that said, I am still looking for info regarding a battery operated, lightweight, yet powerful starter. Thanks for the good info TFF! I've been using a big 12v battery but it is thru a panel..I'll use your recommendations. Something is definitely wrong. I'd still like to get rid of my oversized, overweight, power chord burdened dinosaur. I am grateful to any person who can provide me with any information about a lightweight starter like I saw. It was so easy to use!

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

Have you thought about uping the voltage ?
I use 4 cell lipo (30C 3200 mAh's) for my
hobbico 180 starter. Works great and last
all weekend and then some.

Bob

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

this battery on a standard cheap tower starter will start my ST .90 all day, and it weighs around a pound there is a guy using a reducted starter that is even smaller with one of these batteries starting .60s easily... The extra voltage adds a LOT of power to a DC motor you would really be surprised how much.

http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...00mAh_4S1P_40C

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

Guys, I don't want an explanation on how to start a plane, I don't want to flip the prop by hand, I don't want to change the battery! I want to lose the big, heavy, power chord using starter! Everyone is trying to help and I am thankful, but I guess I wasn't clear. What I really want is a light, compact, cordless starter. That's it. If you know where I can find one, please comment. If you don't...shhhhhhhhh. :)

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

I'll refere to my earlier post, mine is
cordless and light.

Bob

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

The lipo batteries mentioned attach to the starter motor, therefore cordless and lightweight. You are getting what u are asking for. Just find the starter motor you want to use with it.

People are trying to help.

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

Then let me rephrase. I don't like the size of the sullivan / torquemaster type starter motors. Adding a battery DOES make them cordless, but it adds weight. I have rediculous tendonitis, so shaking hands with anything other than a dead fish, grabbing fat starters, or holding anything heavy doesn't work for me. I'd like to replace the Sullivan I have with something smaller. I don't want to modify it...I want something smaller / easier to hold, like what I used at the field when an ex member loaned me his. The motor was almost as small as a roll of quarters and it had power. It was awesome! If anyone has used one of these, he'll know what I am talking about. Pheonix, I googled reducted starter, but I don't think what you were talking about came up. Thanks for your efforts on my behalf!

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

Sell your starter, sell your glow engines......and go electric. Those are pretty light.

hulio

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

I should just wear a sign that says "Kick me." wth

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

these are good starters http://www.pacaeromodel.com/FieldEqu...erPanel/PP.htm

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

My electric starter wouldn't turn nothing over. Supposed to give my 12v gel cell battery a 10 hour charge. So later I gave it a 16 hour charge with the 600mah wall wart and now it works like new again. However, I like to flip mine over by hand clockwise and they fire right up usually.

hulio

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

http://bpassociates.homestead.com/bp.html
Dont worry we will keep kicking:D

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

Kavan geared starter is the lightest that I know of, it claims to be half the weight of a standard one. It might struggle with your 91 FX though.

[link=http://www.hobby-lobby.com/kavan.htm]CLICKY[/link]

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

Rpool now you got me curious. I'd like to see that one too. Maybe you'll have to track down that person who loaned it you so you can educate the rest of us
Would really be interested if its as you said.
Shaggy

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

50 plus years in gthis hobby and aint never seen anything LIGHT as you want - dont think any of us here has eather - Find wher ya saw it and more info needed - we all will await
Thanky Kindly

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

:D nevermind

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

Just like dignlivn has indicated several times the key to an awesome performing starter is increasing the voltage. Even the cheapest tower starters will blow comercial portable starters that operate on twelve volt right out of the water if you increas the voltage up to say 16.8 volts. Thats the voltage I use in my three starters and they are just cheap tower starters except the little half A starter.

In my case I use two seven cell RC car packs that range from 1700mah to 5000mah wired in series for 16.8 volts. I first put these together for starting very high nitro YS 110s at the starting line in pylon and you really could not show up with some whimp portable if you expected to make all your heats.

In my case I could not use a lipo which will work but my starters are the most used and abused on the field and it would only take one saturday for the thing to be used into deep discharge unknowningly and there goes another expensive battery.


Here is another marvelous solution that some have gone to at my field and of course it to ups the voltage (that the key) . Harbour Freight (ich spelling) sells a cheap 18 volt screw gun with removable battery packs. The fellows have purchased these and just make a simple adapter on the cut off wire of the starter. A short cable several feet long is all thats needed and just plug the starter wire into the 18v pack. You also end up with a drill to use and the charger for the battery. These work extremely well also.

John

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

Here is a link to the drills. 18volt 1.2 mah battery that will do the more than you can imagine plus the charger and heck even a drill thrown in for fun all for forty bucks!

http://www.harborfreight.com/18-volt...kit-65949.html

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

Rpool,

I have three of the Sullivan Dynatrons and think they are wonderful but my hands are not as bad as yours yet. They start all my engines including the Saito 220. I like them because of arthritis, I cannot close my hands tightly like to make a fist or grip a screw driver tightly.

The planetary drive and geared starters are what you are looking for. Three people have given links to them of various brands in the above posts.

These starters are smaller diameter and have plenty of power.

Here's another from one of the bigger hobby distributors in the USA. They have sold this starter for years

http://www.hobbypeople.net/gallery/237960.asp

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

Bob,

Do you have any pics of your starter you could post. I just picked up a plane that has a 26cc RCGF motor. I don't think my current starter (maxed out turning a Saito 100) will work. The Hobbico 180 looks big enough, but I'd like to get away from cords, too.

RE: What is the best LIGHTWEIGHT starter?
 

For the mechanically challenged (i.e., me): How do you convert the end of the drill to an airplane starter? I sure like the pistol-grip style with a battery base that also serves as a stand.