I've been using the Maxx Products arming switch/plug. http://www.maxxprod.com/mpi/mpi-21.html (Look at the bottom of the page)
I like it a lot. Is there anyone here that uses these too? I see a lot of guys that just hang a single wire and connector out the side of the plane. That seems effective if not a little sloppy looking. Is there anyone here that has a good reason not to use the Maxx Products switch?

TIA

Wiz

Wiz,
Ihave one on my 78" Extra. Not sure Ilike thembecause they are too simple, don't cost enough, never break, need no maintainence, and adds to safety.Kind of takes the fun out of the hobby if you know what I mean. LOL!

Yeah, where is the challenge? .... lol

Well, I tend to be "conservative" - polite word for cheap {:-) .

I use powerpoles and make my own up for a cost of about $1.50 per switch.

I have been using a home made version of it. I soldered a female Deans plug into the (-) line from the ESC and glued it flush to the fuse side. The arming plug is a male Deans with the solder leads shorted with a piece of 14ga Romex left over from wiring the garage. Covered the bare wire with 5/8" heat shrink and fill with thick CA.

I am considering the single wire method on my next project. It is lighter and simpler, but not as neat.

I'm using the MAXX plug on a couple of 110 size plane that I'm using the ESC BEC function. I plan to put it on my next 2M plane just for safety even though I won't use the BEC.

Mike,

There is no good reason not to use it IMO! Many of us make our own. I currently do not use one since I went 2.4ghz. But I may put one back in my next plane as I just don't feel right not having it even though I feel the chance for a failure with my radio setup is 0 or close to zero. I have a friend that hopefully is asking one of his other EE techs at work about the possibility of an esc having an opening failure from an off position. With my setup, you would have to bind to the receiver to turn on the esc, so I have a hard time seeing how it could fail. Not saying it can't though. I just haven't been shown how yet. My friend is also an EE btw. So hopefully they can figure out if it can fail from an off position, with no signal from the radio, and with 0 power as the caps on the esc would bleed down pretty quick.

I used the Deans Ultras for years with good success. Well, unless you count when I lost them. I always made plenty so that I could lose a few at the field. hehe Friends of mine use the Astro Flight Zero Loss as it's a little easier to get in and out. Others use the wire with a 4mm bullet. I don't like how any of them look really, but you can't see that in the air.

Chris

. I'm by no means up with the technicalities of E-flight, (and just use an external 5.5mm bullet connection in the + line from the motor battery to the ESC).
Wouldn't your method eat up a little too much time perhaps?
Just saying that in view of the (New?) ruling from the FAI bosses as operated at the recent European champs, where the final connection to arm the motor had to be within the eight minutes total allowed for the flight?

Well, I've made my own from a Deans Ultra connectors too. I actually like that Maxx Products unit better. It makes for a nicer looking finished product or at least nicer than the arming switches that I make. I use a switch like this for one simple reason. I can install and connect the main batteries in my own sweet time.... up on a stand or whatever and put it all back together again and not worry about the power system becomming live until I'm ready to fly. Then I plug in my arming switch and go. Usually, I'll show up to the field with one set of home charged batteries already installed and ready to go. I then just pop on the wings, do a range check and go fly.

I do also use a BEC but that's a different issue all together. My BEC is not part of the ESC. In fact, my latest plane has 2 BECs installed. The likelyhood of both failing at the same time is next to nothing. If the ESC fails I still have control. If I wanted to run an RX battery I'd just use an old fashoned switch harness in addition to the arming switch. If my motor batteries failed I'd be up a creek. Of course, if my RX battery failed, I'd still be up a creek. I suppose the very safest system would be to run redundent RX batteries but I just don't think that's necessary.

I'm not following what using a 2.4 radio system has to do with the use of an arming switch. Can you elaborate on that point a little?

Wiz

I agree that an arming switch is absolutely necessary for for our large pattern planes.  However, my experience during the 2009 season with one of these isn't so great.  These switches are good for about 6 months to a year.  Power Poles arc when used on high voltate systems and due to the design of the contacts, the entire contact will eventually corrode.  I had one in my late Spot-On 120 (10S) electric conversion and after about 6 months, I noticed my idle-up behaving erratically.  After cleaning the contacts with a cut down emmory board, everything was fine again.

A home made arming switch made from Deand Ultra connectors or 4mm to 6mm bullet plugs will work as well without corroding over time.


Rob

Interesting... My homemade Deans arming switch arced too. In fact, my smaller planes that don't use an arming switch at all also arc when I connect the battery. Next time you go to your LHS, wander over into the electric train part of the shop.... assuming you have an LHS that has an electric train department. When there, ask the guy where he keeps his rail cleaning fluid. I've had a bottle of stuff called Railzip forever. It works great for cleaning electric contacts. I wouldn't use emmory board. It is too abrasive, IMHO.

Doesn't this armong switch use only 14 ga. wire? The battery (like TP 5300) and ESC like CC HV 85 use heavier gauge wires.

Isn't this neater

http://shop.rc-electronic.com/e-vend...11&c=764&p=764

It sure is neater and works great. In Australia I'm probably the only person using one of these in a pattern ship.

Cheers,
Jason.

They have an HD version with heavier guage wire.

Here's the description from the package label of the Mpi MAXX Products arming switch that uses 14 gauge wire:

"Stock No. 6970 High Current Arming Switch"

Here's the description from the package label of the Mpi MAXX Products arming switch that uses 12 gauge wire:

Stock No. 6972 HD Hi-Currrently Arming Switch w/Dean's Ultra Plug, AWG 12 wire

It really does say "Hi-Currently" on the label. hhmmmmmmmmm.......

I've installed these switches on 3 electric planes. Wouldn't do it any other way (because I'd rather buy the switch from MPI rather than make my own).

That's pretty dang nifty! When the pin/red flag is inserted, it's disarmed. When the pin/red flag is removed, an ultra bright green LED indicates it's armed. I'm gonna look into this even though I usually use the MPI MAXX Products "High-Currently Arming Switch".