Battery for Glow Plug

[quote="pkrankow"]Some D-cells in parallel is all I use.  The output is 1.5V  I have a 3 single D-cell battery holders wired in parallel which works excellent.  Bernie and Matt
http://coxengines.ca/cox-starter-battery-box-with-clip.html
http://www.exmodelengines.com/product.php?productid=17769&page=1
offer a tray set up with 2 D-cells in parallel.  

I have used a single AA, and 2 AA in parallel but the batteries do not last as long.  I have been using this set of batteries since the spring, while the AA's give one or two sessions.  I take the batteries out of the tray between sessions, which seems to make them last longer.

Phil

Thanks Phil for this suggestions. You advise 3 single D-Cell battery in parallel ? Is better of 2.

Thanks
Giuseppe - Italy

The more in parallel, the longer the battery life. 1 works, 2 is good, 3 seems better. I wanted to make up a 4, but the store only had 3 single D-cell holders the day I made it.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062249

I expect more than 4 is diminishing returns.

I'll take a picture of mine.

Phil

Here are both I made. The AA I made first, then a few weeks later the D holder. While working on a particularly difficult engine ( not a Cox) I ran a fresh set of AA batteries out.





The black plastic is some sign plastic. Lexan I think, or something similar.

Phil

I have found that if you can find or make copper contacts, you'll get a really dependable current flow. I rewired a cheap Radio Shack battery box for parallel connections and the chrome plated spring contacts would barely light a plug. I switched to copper leaf springs out of an old Cox box and the same batteries lit it up red hot.

RknRusty wrote:I have found that if you can find or make copper contacts, you'll get a really dependable current flow.

Long leads or small gauge wire running to the plug clip can also cause a voltage drop leading to poor plug performance.

andrew wrote:Long leads or small gauge wire running to the plug clip can also cause a voltage drop leading to poor plug performance.

+1 on that, it makes a surprising difference. I use heavy gauge copper speaker wire or lamp cord and solder all connections possible. I was really surprised when I found out how much current a glow plug draws, 2-3 amps. That's a whopping river of electrons.

Just buy one of the mini power panels from Tower, you can control how hot the plug is, get u a cheap motorcycle battery and let it live on a battery charger, for less than 40 bucks you can glow plugs forever.

In the 60's we made our own out of big ceramic resistors, I still haven't Dads on his flight box, and it works pretty good. I have a big flight box with a super panel and I wanted something small to bench run engines and bought one of the mini panels. It works as well as anything.

I have in a pinch wired up some D-batteries I used 4 and they worked well. I soldered directly to the batteries.

Buying a 1.5 volt hobby battery is a pretty cheap option as well.
But having a dial to control your glow is nice.

If the 12V battery for your power-panel ever craps-out... you can "save the day" by picking up x2 of the "cheap" 6V lantern batteries (available anywhere) and run them in "series" with a short jumper-wire with alligator-clips to connect the two batteries.

If you use a genuine Cox glow-plug clip and need longer wire... like the other guys said; use heavier 18GA lamp wire to deliver the needed current that the glow-plug draws. Solder any wiring connections that you make, for the best results.

Roddie

jorigger wrote:Hello,
I want to ask: which the best battery for use with Glow Plugs of Engine Cox ?

Thanks
Giuseppe - Italy

Hi Giuseppe, The "better" battery choice is "Alkaline". They cost more $ but last a lot longer. Make sure if you use "more than one"... that they are connected/wired in parallel.. (+ to + and - to - ) the voltage stays the same 1.5 volts. This gives you more capacity. The plug will burn-out if the voltage is higher.

Roddie

pkrankow wrote:The more in parallel, the longer the battery life.  1 works, 2 is good, 3 seems better.  I wanted to make up a 4, but the store only had 3 single D-cell holders the day I made it.  
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062249
I expect more than 4 is diminishing returns. I'll take a picture of mine. Phil

Back in the late 1970's, when I worked as a student electronics tech at my university, I'd remove D sized Duracell alkalines from scientific telemetry equipment and replenish them with new. (They wanted reliability of data since these packages would spend weeks out in the field.)

The removals were discards, so I'd take the best of them and use them for other purposes, like soldering 7 or 8 in parallel along with my Cox starting clip. That pack lasted me for a couple seasons (if you didn't mind the bulk).

Probably the best on the market but at $124 is most likely not in many flight boxes

http://www.rcatsystems.com/store/index.php?search[keywords]=glow+driver&_a=category



I highly recommend the Hobbico Deluxe Power Panel II as it takes a 12VDC source and feeds a constant 1.2VDC adjustable from 0 to 5 amps



I copied what a lot of combat folks use based on Cyclon 2VDC 5Ahr and made my own non adjustable panel in my flight box

At 1.75" diameter and about 3.75" tall this is a lot of reserve to last a long time lighting glow plugs but the two volts must be controlled with a inline resistor



Buried in this tight bunch of wires is a 0.01ohm 5 watt resistor
The 9vdc was required for the meter I chose that requires 3 to 12vdc to activate
You can find these LED meters with input requirement less than 3 Volts and run it off the battery you are metering...I already had this one. The infrequent use of the meter allows the 9v batt to last a very long time



Room for two batteries in a 3.5" X 4.5" X 4.5" tall space



Yellow small switch "on" powering the meter


Battery selector showing input volts from right battery. I could have wired to show output voltage but I don't use the meter when lighting plugs. I just want to know when a battery is below 1.7 VDC and I need to use the other one or recharge either or both


I have one of the cheap chargers from Hobby King that will charge just about ANY type battery that cost under $30. I charge my 12VDC sealed lead acid (RC flight box with power panel) and these Cyclon Cells at 1AH

Fred:

I have a Hobbico flight box that features a "Power Panel II". It was given me by a widow who's modeling husband had passed on.

For batteries I use FREE expired 12V commercial fire alarm batteries. They've been replaced because of insurance age regulations NOT because they are in any way defective. They work fine for starting model engines and I recharge them with a one amp motorcycle (6V-12V) battery charger.

When the batteries finally fail I return them to my source and get replacements.

SD

fredvon4 wrote:Probably the best on the market but at $124 is most likely not in many flight boxes

http://www.rcatsystems.com/store/index.php?search[keywords]=glow+driver&_a=category

I have one of the Dynamite ones, only about $27, and you get a regulated 1.5V output. Works great and is small enough to keep in the pocket.

Dynamite RC glowdriver

Surfer_Kris

That is the one I had when I started back to RC. While learning to set up a landing approach one day I left it on the stand and when we went back to the pit area to take a break I could not find it

Assumption by me and the instructor was some old fart borrowed it and mistakenly put it in his pocket

We know nobody in the club would steal from a fellow modeler

Yes the 3.7 vdc regulated LiPo is much better in my opinion than Nicad or Nimh versions

It would be nice to see some sort of compact, already switched battery in use here that can be recharged after a few sessions. Something like a $15 vape pen/e-cig battery, but these release 3.7v I believe and I can't find anything like this that is 1.5v.

Right now I'm using two D batteries with stranded copper wire taped to the terminals, and then mummied in electrical tape, and on the other end of the wires is copper plated alligator clips. Seems to work very well, but kinda bulky for a compact station.

There is a product on the market that charges glow plugs and is wirless as it just has a charger. That would be very helpful on the field.

AUjack2003 wrote:There is a product on the market that charges glow plugs and is wirless as it just has a charger. That would be very helpful on the field.

Indeed it would. Is it compact or still roughly the size of two D cells?

Its about the size of a 200ml coke can.

Hmmmm, yeah still a bit bulky. I'm trying to find something sleek and classy for a bench station. The base is a 4"x4" billet aluminum block and I'm trying to incorporate the mounted engine, with switched battery power, small fuel reservoir, and throttle all on top in a compact package. Battery power seems to be the largest and gaudiest aspect of this setup so far.

If you are only going to run the engine on the bench every now and then, a standard C-size battery would probably be enough. Keep a spare battery handy so that you can replace it quickly when you feel like making some noise Your cables are going to be short, so there's no power loss there, and you most likely will keep the rig indoors so the battery will be in its optimal temperature even if you take it outside when you run the engine.

You could use the battery as a "visual element" too instead of trying to hide it.

Remember, Cox glowplugs only need 1.5 volts. 2 volts will burn them, not instantly but after a few minutes.

Ok I was just wondering if 1 D cell would be sufficient enough. Maybe I'll see if I can buy an aluminum tube with a 1.5" ID, that would give me enough room to insulate the inside of it and still look really nice.
One D cell does seem way easier to mount on this station than two D cells side by side.

Or maybe cut up an old D-size MagLite, that way you'd get a nice cap for your battery container too