NeveSSL

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Hi all,

Just curious what everyone's favorite field box? Especially those that were not intended as being field boxes.

Thanks!

Brandon

AB Bob

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I use two boxes. Well, actually three.
One is a Hobbico Ultra tote that I carry my fuel, electric starter and glow plug igniter. Has a built in power panel and 7 Ah 12v battery.
The second box is an old Stanley homeowners tool box that has a 12 foot electrical reel w/ four recepticles and three removable tool trays.
I also have a third box, a Plano tackle box for all my spare parts, etc.
I painted the Stanley box with fusion paint to match the color of my first plane.

NeveSSL

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Nice, Bob.

I'm trying to figure out what I want to do. I just got a neat little box that is probably from the late 80s or early 90s. It has seat-belt straps for a "handle", has a power panel mount, two little drawers, and a little compartment for a custom fuel tank, which is kinda neat. I think it will hold a day's worth of fuel, anyway.

I'm always looking for new things, though. I think I'm going to follow your lead and get a small tacklebox for small parts. Although right now all of my small parts are in a couple of those little Plano boxes.

We'll see!

Brandon

yel914

I use 2 tackle boxes, one for building tools and another for parts. For the field, I use a rolling tool box I got from Home Depot for about $30. Do a search for FIELD BOX FROM HELL. Some really great ideas on that thread.

JohnBuckner

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vasek

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John, i love your minimalistic approach! looks like it works OK.

BTW what plane has the bladder tank?

Dsegal

As my largest engine is only a .25 I cut down on the size of my support gear and use a plastic tool tote which has a drawer. The fuel jug is a 1 qt. Nalgene bottle and the battery is more than adequate at 4.5 amps. The starter is a long obsolete small Sullivan that does the job.

JohnBuckner

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Good eye

I still fly many of my Pylon ships 424, 428 and warbird all which have bubbless tanks although traveling to events is difficult anymore due to health I have to stay close to home.

These are two of my sport airplanes which I fly often and both have bubbless tanks. The controlline throttled Magician which the bubbless tank provides the most uniform run possible and the Quad Kaydet.

The Kaydet a long time veteran that does a nice simple aerobatic routine and is a night and or seaplane as well had problems in the early years with the outboards quitting during the aerobatics and especially rolling manuvers. Possibly because of the weird loads out there on the wings during the manuvers.

Anyway the bubbless completely eliminated that problem and yes it takes a bit longer to fuel but well worth it.

NeveSSL

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Thanks for all of the posts and ideas!

I'm actually thinking about trying to get away from a traditional field box. Or at least the traditional 12v 7Ah battery/powerpanel. I was thinking about it and the only thing I need that battery for is my starter and fuel pump. I should be able to easily convert both of those to use cheap Li-po packs and do away with cables and the weight of that battery.

Now I'm going to have to look up some threads on DIY battery packs for starters. And maybe some 12v regulator circuits for fuel pumps...

Brandon

vasek

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Nice planes! what bubbleless is that on the profile plane?
thanks

JohnBuckner

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Thanks Vasek. The only bubbless tanks I use are Tetra. Probably because It was always easier to pick them up from Darrol Cady at the races and I always kept a good supply in hand. Also avaliable from Central Hobbies, I just never bothered to order any of Dub Jetts tanks but they are just as good but not in larger sizes.


NeveSSL Do yourself a favor and go cordless, you will never regrete it. For most glow flyers the power panel and box battery system not only has some safety issues but is redundant and a waste of money.

I use only geared manual pumps RTV'd directly to the supply can and a dedicated can for each type of fuels I may be using. You can even get electric portable pumps for individual cans but this is pricey and this defeats the whole point of using a manual in the firstplace and that is easy analysis of you fuel usage and fuel consumption simply by counting cranks, Too simple for this day and age

Been using cordless for a long time and it gets old haveing the best performing starters on the flightline. You know having to go chase them down all the time from the borrowers.

For ten bucks if you already have any old corded starter you can have that 'Best Performing Starter' on the flight line.

Voltage is 'King', if you want to increase the performance you increase the voltage on any old 12 volt starter thats It!

For years I have been making up cheap starters with two seven cell RC car packs in series for a total of 16.8 volts and anything from 1200 to 5000 mah. All have worked wonderfully well for most glow engines including four strokes and far superior to one mass marketed portable that is 12 volt and is usually the first portable folks buy and it is the worst of all a complete wimp for the job and a waste of money.

Now there is someting even better and its ten bucks! Its an 18 volt drill battery that is sold by Harbour Freight It is an 1200 Nicd unit and it works very well for ten bucks our field has changed over almost exclusively and bout all you see anymore are starters with red banded on packs.

I alway suggest staying away from lipos for starters is because there is no way of keeping track of usage especialy when its always borrowed and the rather expensive constant danger of deep discharge and that means yet another ruined battery. Also these batteries do not need to be babysat while charging if charged at the normal C10 rate.

John

NeveSSL

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Nice!

Many thanks for taking the time to write that up and share those pics.

Thats a great find on the Harbor Freight battery! I wish there was one around here. Maybe I can find one when I'm traveling for work... hmmm...

I may go ahead and get a lipo for it, though. I would like to put the smallest pack possible underneath it and they're only about $20 for a 2150 mAh, 4s pack.

I believe all-wireless is what I'm going to shoot for. I may have a build a little box with all of my trickle chargers in it that I can connect everything to the night before... but that's a different project for a different thread.

Brandon

NeveSSL

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Oh, and I meant to add that I will be getting a voltage checker to plug into the balancing port on my Lipo I use for my starter to check on voltage as I go through the day.

Brandon