Reliability

**Cribbs74** Sat Nov 16, 2013 10:36 pm

I have seen a couple posts concerning bad glow clips/drivers, or improving what one has.

This is all well and good and nothing wrong with that, but in my limited experience if the engine is set up right it will fire easily on a weak glow.

My current 1/2A setup is an old cracked plastic twin D cell box with 6 month old Ray-O-Vac batteries with small wires 16ga? That will fire off any engine I clip it to. I can pull a head and see no red glow yet 2 flips and it's go time.

I say this as a well tuned engine and good fuel is equally as important as a good glow clip.

Just Sayin...

Fly em!!

Ron

pkrankow Sat Nov 16, 2013 11:01 pm

I've never considered a battery arrangement that will not provide glow under dim lighting conditions to be adequate (about 1000F). Frequently I cannot see glow in daylight though (even with fresh batteries). In fact under indoor lighting cupping the hand I have found necessary.

Heck, Steel at "non-magnetic" (Curie point, about 1450F) outside on a clear bright day is not very impressive as glow goes.

Previous remarks on poor glow performance have included the head is oxidized. Aluminum oxide is a non-conductor so cleaning/polishing the head improves the performance of the circuit. Moving the connector some or "working" the connection is often adequate to scrape enough oxide away to gain good contact.

I have not had problems with my chrome steel battery contacts on alkaline batteries using either a brass contact, or an aluminum contact "clothespin" type connector.

Phil

**Cribbs74** Sat Nov 16, 2013 11:24 pm

Good point Phil!

What I was saying is even a weak glow will fire off a well maintained engine. assuming of course your fuel is good.

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