Big twin engine question?
 

Will a standard power panel (Hobbico) start a 50cc twin glow engine. That is with the use of a y connector or is two seperate power panels needed? I assume the glow plugs should be perfectly matched. Let me know if this has been done. Thanks John :)

Twin engine glow driver
 

I suppose some are saying ...just try it...but if the engine does not start it will end up flooded with lots of nitro to eat up parts inside. That is why I want imformation first. Thanks Capt,n :)

Big twin engine question?
 

I used to run a Tartan Twin engine and I just used two lock on glo drivers. Another idea is to install onboard glow drivers that you can switch on and off as necessary. Just takes another battery pack. Wish I had that Tartan back. Big Dummy sold it for next to nothing.

Big twin engine question?
 

I started my Saito 270 with one pocket rocket.Never a moments problem.
Rusty

Big twin engine question?
 

The answer you are looking for is here...Start it on one cylinder hot, then while it is running light up the other side. Trust me it works like a charm.

starting a glow twin
 

I think I will use my power panel to lite one cyliner and a pocket glow on the other cylinder. Would like a onboard glow system when the engine is broke in and fine tuned, and on a plane. Anyone out there that has ran a Kanvan 50cc Continental twin.....please give me a email. Thanks Captinjohn :)

Glow driver
 

I use two 1200ma batteries in series to drive the two glow plugs on my Saito 130 twin. The glow plugs are connected in series to the battery thru a Radio Shack micro switch controled by a servo so I can turn it on or off at will. It comes in handy to start and when you lose a jug in flight. I have been flying this engine since 1994. Its a bit tired now and needs to be stimulated now and then

Series?
 

Is this correct about the 2 -1200 ma nicads connected in series? 2X 1.2 = 2.4 volts. Seems kida high for a 1.5 volt glowplug??? Can you really hook two glow plugs up in series. Can someone draw this out :confused: Thanks Capt,n

drawing out...
 

GLOW PLUG#1............................+<POS WIRE FROM 2.4 V BATT
GLOW PLUG #1...........................-
.................................................. ...) (JUMP)
GLOW PLUG #2...........................+
GLOW PLUG #2...........................-<NEG WIRE FROM 2.4 V BATT

AS SIMPLE AS THE DIAGRAM IS, IT MAY LOOK IMPOSSIBLE TO JUMP GLOW PLUGS. HERE IS AN IDEA TO SIMPLIFY IN THE BRAIN...

JUST JUMP THE NEGATIVE WIRE FROM ONE SIDE OF GLOW HEAT CLIP #1 TO THE POSITIVE WIRE ON GLOW HEAT CLIP #2. HOOK THE TWO REMAINING WIRES UP TO THE 2.4 VOLT SOURCE.
ATTACH BOTH GLOW HEAT CLIPS TO THE GLOW PLUGS AND FIRE UP THE ENGINE.

BACK TO MY ORIGINAL POSTING...IF YOU LIGHT UP ONE SIDE ONLY AT FIRST THERE IS LESS KICK BACK, IT WILL RUN FINE ON ONE CYLINDER, THEN SIMPLY (WHILE IT IS RUNNING ON ONE CYLINDER) APPLY HEAT TO OTHER SIDE. i THINK THIS WORKS VERY SLICK!

Re: Series?
 

Its simple. Connect the plus to one glow plug and the minus to the other plug( in series with the switch). The engine connects the two plugs together.
Just make sure to use the same make and type of glow plugs in both locations.

Big twin engine question?
 

Thanks Guys....I will give it a try.....Capt,n :D

Big twin engine question?
 

The only way to connect two glow plugs in series is if you have insulating threads in the head of cyl no 2, otherwise you are creating a short circuit and nothing will work.
The difficulty lies in the fact that people who are laymen in series, parallel, and series-parallel circuitry inadvertantly use incorrect terminology.
What the typed out diagram above describes is two glow plugs being driven and one with reverse polarity. If they both came off the same battery, then a short circuit would still be the result

I have lit 4 glow plugs at the same time on my OS Pegasus 320 with one 1200mah sub C cell. common ground to the engine block and all four of the glow plug tips hooked to the positive lead. IE all four glow plugs are in Parallel. The effect of doing this is that the battery only lasts for about 10 minutes total. A larger D cell could be used or two sub C cells in Parallel to effectively double the capacity.

blabree

the correct flow of electrons
 

AT Last..... a sensible answer. Blabree, I agree with you completly....I see no way to hook glow plugs in series. I bet someone will have a different view !!!!!! Thanks Capt,n :D

Big twin engine question?
 

Like I already said,this remote is ALL you need. Don't over-engineer it.


Remote Glow

Re: the correct flow of electrons
 

Its funny it won't work. I have been doing it this way for 7 years.
BTW I am a graduate Electrical Engineer with 40 years of experience. Glow plugs can be hooked in series!
With the hookup I described above and usung 1200 mah batteries and Fox RC long plugs the batteries will last about 1 hour. Fox plugs require less current than some others.
You don't need insulating threads on the glow plugs. The inner connector is isolated from the outer part. Otherwise they would not work at all

Big twin engine question?
 

Dirty Bird,
Yes, the plugs are in series with the battery and switch but at the point you connect the two tips of the plugs to the common positive lead and then the common negative lead to the engine block puts the plugs in parallel with each other thus providing the same voltage drop across both resistances (coils) assuming they are of nearly equal resistance. If you are using two 1200 mah sub c cells in series with each other then E=2.4v and you are over driving the plugs as I am sure with your background you already know.
To clarify my earlier post, what I tried to say is that to put two glow plugs in series with each other would require an insulated threaded end of one plug connected electrically to the tip of the other plug thus making the voltage drop =2.4v. That scenario is a little hard to achieve as I dont know of an engine manufacturer who provides an insulated glow plug socket for thier engines.


blabree

Big twin engine question?
 

dirtybirdy,
I see exactly how your series circuit works. And yes,it is definitely a series circuit,not parrallel. Very nice. And simple. They are trying to make it hard aren't they?

electrons & Glow plugs
 

Dirtybird: Can you measure the voltage at each plug with a VOM. Tell us what you have? If you can draw out a diagram and scan it.... or email a photo. A photo is wort a thousand words. Thanks Captinjohn :)

Big twin engine question?
 

captin,
I made a quick drawing of the circuit that dirtybirdy is talking about. The reason that the 2.4 volts does not overpower the plugs is that the plugs are in series.The voltage has to go thru the resistance of BOTH plugs,effectively cutting the voltage in half,yet retaining the capacity of 2 batteries. Notice that neither the positive wire nor the negative wire are grounded to the engine.This is a "floating" circuit. Hope this helps.
Rusty

Big twin engine question?
 

Dirtybird,
you are correct. I missed your post about the pos on one plug tip and the neg on the other. Just a minor scitoma.
scitoma: The ability to not see what is directly in front of your eyes because of very small belief window.

blabree

Big twin engine question?
 

Wow, I'm glad that finally got settled. Thought I was going to have to go get my basic electronics books out to prove it.
It is hard to disbelieve something that is in use and working.

One over scitoma:
The ability to believe anything............

Or would that be faith?

Russman:
I really like your drawing, shows things real well.
My only question is what did you do with the engine? It disappeared.

twins
 

I guess the key to this misunderstanding is that nothing gets connected to the engine block. I should have mentioned that in the begining.
Rustys picture shows it well except maybe he should have shown the engine block between the two plugs to complete the circuit.

Big twin engine question?
 

gee guys,I had a hard enough time drawing that much!
:)

glow driver setup
 

Just read (looked at) the picture. I should have tried to draw it out myself. I got to say .....that is one neat setup....will try it for sure. Thanks very much for posting the picture. It will help many others out there also. Sorry I was not grasping the simple way it works. I guess in this high-teck age, we are looking for more complicated , magic. Thanks again Captinjohn :)

Big twin engine question?
 

glad to be of assistance captin!