LED ON IGNITION
 

I was thinking about puting a LED in line whit my ignition. My ignition does not have a LED on it.. I have a RC 100 that I will put in line. What is a good way to put a LED In.

Im hopeing to be able to have the LED stick out of the plane right in front of my manuale ignition switch. Any ideas would be grate.

Thanks
Paul

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

If you go over to the autoparts store you can buy a switch with an LED built in the handle. Just solder that in place of your current sw using the wires of your current sw. Then it will tell you when it is on.

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

If you are using a kill switch in the plane, you might look
at the Electro Dynamics optical kill switch which includes an
LED that lights when the ignition is live.

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

Ya I was looking in to that before I got the rc100. I have all that I need now and I just do not want to put $65.00 just so I can have a LED light.. I know there has to be a ez way to put a LED on it that will work and look good with out a lot of work money.... Thanks for you input...

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

Seems like you could use a deans connector and put that in series between battery and ignition unit. Wire in a led of the right voltage between the 2 termnals of the deans connector. When you turn switch on to igntion...led will light up....I think....I hope!!!! Place LED any place you want...with wires going to deans connector. You really do not need the deans connector either...but it gives a good place to solder to easy, and you could always plug a different charger to it if you want to or a place to moniter voltage when charging. Capt,n

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

What is a deans connector?

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

Here... http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXKX39&P=ML

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

Ok now that is a good idea...

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

There was a Deans connector that was smaller and had gold plated pins. It made for a low resistance connection and it would solder real easy. May still be available??? Capt,n

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

Most red, orange, yellow and green LEDs run on 1.8 volts and the current has to be limited with a resistor to around 20 miliamps or you will smoke them quick. It is a little more complicated that just soldering them in.

If your ignition battery is 6 volts then you need a 210 ohm resistor. If your ignition battery is 4.8 volts then you need a 150 ohm resistor.

Elson

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

Ok there Elson.. So what your telling me is that I need to take a 6 v LED (the shack as them) and take the + leed to the + wire and the other leed to a 150 ohm resistor and them take the to the ground. Is this right?

IF that is what you are saying thin what if I run a bigger resistor like 300 ohm whould that be beter.

This is if I am geting what your telling me.
Paul

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

If you cannot find a diode that will match the voltage...yes you will have to wire in a resistor of the correct value. The resistor will need to be wired in series with the diode. Capt,n

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

I found a 6 v led but it can only handel 30ma. that will not cut it.. Im starting to think that this is not such a good idea......

The thing is I just want to know I got power to my ingnition so Im not trying to start a engine that has no power.. lol
Paul

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

Deans plug is three or four pin minature plug that has been around RC for fivety years. They are solderable and can be tightened if they loosten up. All of the US built radios used Deans plugs. The reed systems radios used a 7 pin Deans plug on all servoes. Some of the old time fliers changed all of there connectors to Deans plugs when they first came out with crimped plugs. Some of CDI ignitions still use Deans plugs on the pulse switch. Deans plugs have many uses still today .They can be bought at most Hobby shops. We buy them 1000 at a time.If you buy the right diode you can wire it right across the battery wires.
BCCHI

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

Tellspin,

If the LED is rated at 6 volts, then there is an internal resistor for a 6 volt source and you can wire it directly in. If you buy most LEDs, they are rated at 1.8 volts and need an external resistor added. The value of the resistor is very important and needs to be matched to the voltage source and the LED.

Elson

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

The autoparts sw has the resistor built in for 12 V. It works just as well on 4.8V

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

Paul,

What you are looking for is a Pilot Light from Electroeck :

http://electrotekrc.net/cart/index.p...23c808af39803d


Walt....

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

Just wire the + end of the LED to the switched side of the ignition switch, the one that goes to the ignition, not the battery, and the other end to negitve (ground). Assumes you are using the 6v led. Other wise connect the (LED/resistor in series) the same.

Turn on the switch, LED on, switch off -- LED off.

Steve

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

Runningman.

I do have a 6v led. If I take the + wire going in to the ignition and the othere side of the led to the ground.. Will the led short the two lines out.. The LED is a diod right? (I can not spell at all. Cant you tell lol ) So do I need to put a resistor betwen the the negitve line off the LED to the bround? Sorry about being a pain on all this.. I did not think it was going to be like this put just put in a light..

I looked at swiches with LED lights on them but all the swiches are to big.. and I would still have to make a prot for charging. I found some lights that can just go from the + to the - side but they was not LED they were just light and would take up to much power.

You all have been grate with this.. Thanks

Paul

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

That pilot lite in post #17 should work. Capt,n UPDATE...remember any wires you add to ignition may cause radio glitching. May be best to leave it alone!

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

Maxx Products (MPI) sells a swith with charge jack and 3 LEDs green, yellow red that show condition of battery charge for $34.95 sometimes on sale for $29.95 - foolproof:D no gues work just plug and run!!

RennerRenegade - Jon

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

Hey guys, just went to www.maxxprod.com and found the switch harness with built in LED's & charge jack on sale for $25.00 each.:D
Promptly ordered me 4 of those puppies.

I don't know what your airplane is worth, but $25 to know if your on board battery is charged or not every time you switch it on is well worth it to me!

Hope this helps
Jon

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

Well, just for your info, the resistor is built in to the 6v Led, a "normal" Led needs a resistor installed to limit the current to 10 - 20 ma depending on the Led.

Resistor = (Battery voltage - Led voltage)/Led current.

So (4.8 -2)/0.020 = 140 ohms
(6.0 -2)/0.020 = 200 ohms

Most Leds drop about 2volts across them.

Really no different from useing a bulb, except you need watch polarity.

Steve

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

This is the led that I have....does this one have the resistor in it...

http://www.radioshack.com/checkout/i...ductId=2102850

RE: LED ON IGNITION
 

The MPI switch is only $21.25 [link=http://www.isthmusmodels.com/product_info.php?cPath=26&products_id=46]here[/link]