pdansalvish

My Feedback: (23)

Hi,

I'm in need of a glow driver for my Sig Rascal with a Satio 56 and my Great Planes PT19. Research on the web has revealed the following glow drivers.

McDanial
Nelson
MaxMPI
JHM
RAM 50

There are a few others but the ones above seem the most popular. JHM, Nelson and McDanail are the leading canidates. But, I need to know which is the easiest to setup for a newbie, which is the most reliable, the lightest, and finally would it be best to spend the money on a plug-n-play system for the first go around?

Thanks for the help.

Tired Old Man

My Feedback: (1)

Go with the Nelson. Very reliable, less battery consumption, minimum set up and installation. Happens to be a good product as well.

One question, though. Before you buy and install a glow driver for a standard engine installation, are you using an OS type F plug? My Saitos hold a fine and low idle in an inverted installation.

Silversurfer

jaka

Hi!
Why buy a glowdriver for a Saito .56??? Or any other engine for that matter.....
Your engine is so darn good that it will keep going anyway you set it ! Do not buy a lot of gadgets, You will not need them!!!!! Your engine is so easy to adjust that you can't go wrong. If you don't know how to set it .....get some help from an experienced flyer before you start it. But first read the instructions!
Use 5-15% nitro, a OS F glowplug and a 12x6 APC prop!

Regards!
Jan K

Roby

To answer the question posted
I would go with the Nelson as well.

Regards
Roby

pdansalvish

My Feedback: (23)

Silversurfer, jaka and Roby,

Thanks for the response. To answer your questions. I'm using an OS F plug with 10% nitro fuel. The engine is great and runs extremely well. But, it loads up on a long idle and when I go to high throttle it quits. If I adjust the settings to have a slightly fast idle it runs fine on the long idle. But, on the Rascal with its extremely light wing loading a fast idle keeps the darn plane flying. I have to use down elevator to land it. If there is wind blowing I pray I don't have to flare too hard or I do a real pretty touch and go. From research on the web, talking with club members, plus visiting my local LHS it appears a glow driver will keep the plug hotter therefore letting me set the idle a little lower. So I'm experimenting a little. If it works I was going to add the same driver to my Great Planes PT 19. I will be using a Satio 100 on this plane. Again my research shows the PT 19 is another plane that just wants to keep flying along.

Again thanks for the information. I'm going to wait a few more days before I make my final decision.

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

I agree with jaka and silver, I bought an ACE on board glow driver several years ago and found I didn't need it. I've discovered over the years that gadgetry just makes some other guy rich and you poor. and you become a gadget collector because most of it doesn't do what you bought it for or isn't necessary.

jaka

Hi!
What is your idle rpm? (12x6 APC ) ....around 2000rpm is okey!

Regards!
Jan K

pdansalvish

My Feedback: (23)

Jaka,

I will tach out the engine the next time I go. But, the weather here on the East Coast has been lousy. If it hasn't been raining, or snowing, the wind has been blowing at 20+. Also, with the rain and snow our field is a swamp. But I will keep you informed when I get out there again.

Dave

alrc

I put a MPI glow driver on my rascal with a saito 56 and it works great. I put it on for no other reason than the way the engine sits in the fusalage it is a pain to get a ni-starter on and still be safe removing it. In my opinion the money was well spent and if I had to do it again I would.

Alan

BigSky

My Feedback: (11)

as a remote glo connector?? Or does the glo driver have it's own power source? I also have a Rascal with a TT pro .46 and was wondering how to approach the glow plug issue with the engine being inverted. As you know it's kind of a pain to do this safely.

Damnathius

Buy a folding card table. Accessing the Rascal's inverted engine and glow plug becomes very easy when the plane is fueled and started on a 42" high table. Use a bungie cord hooked onto the back legs and looped over the tail to hold the plane.

So much easier than messing with it on the ground!

Volfy

My Feedback: (23)

Okay, somebody has got to dissent. So here I go.

There are many good reasons to use an on-board glow driver, in order of importance:

1. Safety.
2. Cowled engine.
3. Convenience of no glow clip.
4. Slower reliable idle.
5. Higher top-end power (in cases where fuel has too much oil or too little nitro for the given conditions, having the glow driver on acts as ignition advance and produce more RPM than without).

Okay, #5 is little iffy, but for completeness I included it. It should only be used if you know what you're doing. Otherwise, you'll blow plugs left and right.

I DO NOT like flipping an airplane over with the meat grinder, ur... propeller, spinning. Small airplane might be alright, but with the bigger ones you're just asking for trouble.

I use an OBG driver on some of my un-cowled airplanes just for the convenience and safety of it. To me, it's a luxury to walk up to my airplane, flip a switch on my TX, and start the engine. I agree that simplicity is good, but I rather prefer simplicity in operation than in equipment.

And if you really think about it. The modern RC system, as a whole, is a very complex system - all to make it easier for us RCers to operate. The OBG driver is nothing more than a tool. If you need one - it's an essential piece of equipment not unlike a servo or a receiver. If you don't - then yes, it's just another gadget.

I would say this: you shouldn't use an OBG driver to try to cure an ill-running engine, even though sometime it does do a good job of it while nothing else seem to help.

As to which brand, I build my own electronic OBG so I can't be of much help there. I do recommend you go with one that turns on at a throttle setpoint, which you can vary. The automatic ones that sense glow plug temp are good but they take a little more time to set up properly.

My $0.02.

Ladyflyer

My Feedback: (2)

Well said Volfy,

I put an on board glow into our trainer. It is a Senior Falcon tail dragger with a Saito 56 (engine #3 we have worn out 2 Saito 50s in this plane already) .

It is nice to flip the switch on ,drop the throttle to idle and kick it over. It will idle at 1800 Rs till the tank (16 ounces) is dry. We teach students to fly slow,VERY slow. Never have to worry about tinkering with outboard batteries at all. The plane is used by many and we don't have too hot glow drivers popping the glow plug either. When the throttle is advanced the glow is turned off automatically,another plug saver ! The weight in a plane like this is nearly a non issue and a worthwhile trade off.

Heck an Enya #3 will darn near last as long as the engine now

rajul

My Feedback: (58)

Hi ladyflyer, what type of glow driver did you install in the Sr Falcon ?

ptarp

Where can I get onboard glow drivers? I couldn't find any at Tower.

Damnathius

Okay folks, we're talkin' about a Rascal Forty here. Now I agree with the "safety" issue, but there are times when it goes too far to truly benefit the hobby. Tack on a glow driver w/ battery on a Rascal Forty and you might as well kiss the performance of the plane goodbye.

Now on a club trainer, as Ladyflier mentions she has, it may or may not be beneficial to the student. Consider that the student learns on the trainer, and all he has to do is flip a switch and start the motor. Does he or she ever learn how to use a standard glow driver? Is it not wise to, instead of applying a crutch to the learning curve, have the student learn safe STANDARD starting procedures instead of sending them out into the R/C aircraft world dependant on a glow driver?

Take the crutches away and you will train more accomplished R/C pilots better suited to safely handle their engines.

Now for applications where the plug is inaccessible, a remote glow adapter is the way to go. The only reason one should need a glow driver is if the plane is so light that a 2000 rpm idle will not allow the plane to remain still, and a 200 rpm drop will do so, or it has a multi-cylinder engine. Granted, some model can benefit from the added extra weight either fore or aft, but if it doesn't need the wieght, why bother?

Just showing another side of this coin. We're all free to do whatever we want to do to our planes, but some things should be pointed out when discussing the benefits of a particular product... Those things being the cons as well as the pros.

Volfy

My Feedback: (23)

I agree that an OBG driver is not for every plane and everybody.

As for the added weight. My system typically weighs around 2.5 to 4 ounces complete with wiring and a 1400mAh SC cell. Substantial for a .40 size bird, but not completely out of the question. On .60 or larger, I don't notice it at all.

What's nice is that I've gotten my 9C set up so that I can do any of these 3 by flipping a 3-position switch:

1. always off
2. always on
3. on depending on throttle position (setpoint variable with a knob on my TX all the way from idle to full throttle).

Heck, I can even set it up so that the OBG comes on near idle AND again near full throttle, but not in between. Not that I really need this level of flexibility on every plane I own, but then again do any of us really need to fly RC airplanes in the first place? For me, it's fun to mess with this kind of things, just like some RCers like to mess with peumatic retracts. It's all about having fun.

If it ain't fun for you, by golly don't do it.

alrc

I just did some quick figuring on the weight of my MPI super glow with battery is about 3oz. If this much weight sacrafices the performance of my Rascal. All Rasacal owners are in trouble. Heck weights of different engines will vary that much. I know my plane flys very well and with the little saito 56 it will almost hover. (as if a plane like this was supposed to do that).

I use the glow driver for convience. I have never been particularly fond of sticking my hand in a prop. Also I like the idle quality. It is just one less thing I have to worry about.

I think gadgets, gizmos or what ever any one else wants to call them have a place in the hobby, Some of them have become standards in our hobby look a computer radio's 10 or 15 years ago they were in the gadget catagory, and think how much they have improved our hobby.

Its not like they cost two or three hundred dollars, heck I think mine cost about 69 bucks complete. Thats about what it cost to take my old lady out to dinner and a movie.

Like I said before if I had to do it over again I would.


Alan

BigSky

My Feedback: (11)

I am looking at the Model Products Head Lock Remote Single . I just want to make the location easier to access with my glow driver. Since I am running a 2-stroker I don't have some of the difficulties associated with inverted 4-strokes. I think this product will work fine in my application.

Damnathius

Sorry Volfy, I forgot about the "gadget" interest, and I can't argue with you on that point... I like gadgets as well.

alrc, I have a Rascal with an OS .46. It will go vertical for quite a ways too. But then I imagine tacking an extra 3 .oz on it (needlessly?) and I see it not going quite so far or quite as fast. Besides, a lighter plane flies better than a heavier identical plane due to a decreased wing loading which equates to more useable power from a given motor.

Of course, you're always free to slow that Rascal down a tad... You're buddy that also flies a Rascal will appreciate it.

Volfy

My Feedback: (23)

...Or it makes for more pieces to pick up after a one-point landing.

...Or more thing to blame it on, as we all know it's never the lack of flying skills that crash planes.

Jcadwell

What prop are you running? Can you take out a little pitch, and slow the plane down for a given RPM? Perhaps run a slightly larger lower pitch prop, and then let it high idle? Problem solved for $2.50?