I decided to go with a McDaniels on board glow for my Cessna 310, however, my Hobby shop can't find the twin engine model (472 TE) anywhere. He said that rumor has it that they stopped making it. I can get the twin cylinder version but not the twin engine version.
I also looked at the MPi system and heard it had some radio interference problems.

Any suggestions?

Vic:

The twin cylinder version will work for two engines, just need to do a little wiring modification.

Bill.

From the wiring diagrams provided from McDaniels, I new that I could modify the twin cylinder to work. I just wondered why they stopped making the twin engine version (474-TE). It was only $10.00 more.

Guess I'll have to get the #472 and do some soldering....

Why buy an expensive system. In my 3 engine SM 79 i made my own. I use a mini toggle switch, charge jack, C size battery holder, 2300mah battery and wire. I think I have $10 in each one I make. On a full charge I have gotten 42minutes of full time glow. I have 3 four stroke engine in the plane. I have not had one cut off yet. I have a switch for each engine. I actually have the each set up installed to the firewall.
I have not had failure of any glow plugs yet either. I just turn them off at the end of the flight. It works really well. I have done this for all my glow engines for the past several years.

I have a diagram that will allow you to use a standard single cylinder unit to drive a twin cylinder
system. It requires a 3 volt battery, I am using it on my A-26 this system ...it works..
Please send me your email address and I will send you a scan copy...
It is very simple..the output of the glow unit , goes to the + 3v, the - 3v goes to Glow plug # 1,
the common or neg. from the glow unit goes to Glow plug #2.. it works

--------------------------
[.............................. ]......(+).....(+)=3 volt=battery=(-)...........GP#1
Glow
Unit

[.............................. ]......(-)................................................G P#2
-------------------------

codimasta
I happen to totally agree to wire the glow plugs in series. I am not sure if the Mac Daniels can drive this or not. The problem with the parallel system is that WITHOUT fail, one set of wires and one plug have more resistance than the other. Now only one plug really gets hot or comes on at all.
I also have used the micro switch on board glow system. One problem that did happen on one installation that you should be aware of. I did on one Plane have radio glitches as the switch opened and closed. Consider to put a capacitor to kill the arc across the output wires.
The electronic ones do have the added good point that they self cut off when the main receiver switch is cut off. Yeah ok I have forgotten a few times......now where is that transmitter.......home!
Good Luck,
Twinman

do a search for the optiglo II it has a good diagram as to how to hook up for a twin cylinder engine

In response to landrel t brown:

I usually build my own glow systems as well. I just use the same setup as you do - a toggle switch, glow connector, a battery (1100mah) and wire. These are currently in use on my Lancair and Cessna. I guess I could have gone with a similar setup on the twin but I just wanted to be able to shut it off in the air and back on for landing to get more battery life. Looks like your 2300mah battery gives you a lot of glow time. Did you connect the three glow plugs in series or in parallel?

In response to twinman:

I'm not sure which setup is best - series or parallel.

In the parallel setup, it is true that one plug could "hog" all the juice and the other plug(s) not get hot at all. However, all plugs will always have voltage applied and a dead plug will not kill the hole system.

In the series setup, all plugs will see the same current flow and will all get "fire". However, if one plug fails, the other plugs will not get any juice and the system is essentially dead.

In the case of a twin, either of these situaltions is not good while in the air. Failure of one plug means loss of one engine - bad jue jue [:-]

Are there any good quad onboard glow drivers? I am building a C130 and need a quad driver, any suggestions?

I purchased 2 from Dymond models in San Diego. I use them for inverted 4 strokes.

I checked out the Dymand web site at:
http://www.rc-dymond.com/

They have the on-board glow for on $49.00 but no information or pictures. The ad says "up to four plugs, automatic". I guess you could email them if you really want more info.

I built 10 of the Optiglo II from www.clifftech.com... I got the connection hardware (wire leads and connectors) from RadicalRC... I built 10 because when ordering the electronics you have to order at least 10 of many of the componets... I found it was real easy to build (even etching the circuit board) and you can add an addtional photovoltaic relay to it for twin engine use... No radio "glitches" with this design as the photovoltaic relay isolates the glow drive side of it from the radio input side... Its fully tunable to come on/off at any desired throtle setting and even has a jumper on it for servo reversing... Check it out on the clifftech web site...

Ed

Hey Ed, that link does not work. Please check and correct. I'd like to check that out.
Thanks

ooopppsss, sorry about that.... Drop one of the F's (www.cliftech.com)....

Hey iFLYrc ,

I see that you are about 20 miles from me... If ya want I can set ya up with one (at cost)... The bad part of the twin engine design is the requirement for two of the photovoltaic relays (little over $5 each)... I would have to figure out what each one ended up costing me to make (believe its aroung $8 each)...

I have made up a sheet for the optiglo that is already sized correctly and has several on it (should you want to etch more than one)...

[8D]

Just send me your email address and I'll set ya up with it...

Just built my own electronic on board glow. I use a pic microcontroller and write the code for it. Basically it has a 1 time setup where you set the throttle stick to the lowest position and hit a button, then set it to the position you want the glow to shut off and hit the same button. The settings are saved in eeprom onboard so that they are retained when power is off. It doesn't matter if your throttle channel is normal or reversed because it learns from this setup. The pic runs off the power from the receiver. It runs to a micro 5v relay. The coil of the relay is also powered by the receiver and has a flyback diode to prevent interference. The side that has the glow has a charging jack directly wired in with the battery and then common ground and the positive leading to the plug is switched through the relay. I have less than $10 in parts. Going through power source testing right now. I got some new energizer AA Nimh batteries that put out 2100ma (just 3 months ago you could only get 1800ma's!!) So I am charging one of these up and testing it against my 1500 scr nicad in my regular glow starter. I know nicads put out more current so I want to see if the nimh's will be enough. I may just double two up in parallel to provide more current.

Is there any reason why they can't be two independent circuits? At least for those using a manual switch (leaving it on all the time during flight), there don't seem to be too much material/cost savings between "parallel/series" or "independent".

Thanks,
Edgar

When I first started flying twins, I used a glo-driver thiinking I was really increasing reliability. After a really good engine guy tweaked my engines, he asked why I was using the glo-drivers. I told him I needed to insure maximum reliability. He asked if I used a glo driver on any of my single engine models. I told him no and he asked why I would use them on a twin. He went on to say that if the engine(s) are correctly set up, there should be no need for a glo-driver. Since then, I have concentrated on setting the engines up correctly and have never used a glo-driver since...never had an engine flame out either...of course, you could lose a plug but then a glo driver wouldn't help in that instance anyway

I agree with you on the engine setup. However, we don't always have access to an "engine guy". I use glow drivers on my single engine planes for the convenience of not sticking my fingers in the prop and for scale appearance on fully cowled engines. I have seen my friend, who is an experienced twin flyer, stick his finger in the prop while switching the glow driver from one engine to the next. I normally turn it on to start the engine and then turn it off for the flight.

However, as with most of us, I want to take every precaution to prevent an engine flame out. So I am installing the electronic transmitter switchable system on my Cessna 310 such that I can turn it back on for landings. I will attempt to tune the engines as good as posible before flights but if I am off a little, the on-board will help keep them lit.

Ed Z,

Sent you a pm...

Try the website emsjomar.com, go to electronic accessories, scroll down, they have an onboard glow system (twin) for $52.00.

I put a thread in the Scale forum about how to build your own glow system.
pic's and part #'s

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/Inex...1489828/tm.htm


Ty