The old days.....

Stuka Stunt Main Forum · 13 of 13 known posts recovered

Steve Helmick · Mar 12, 2001 12:46 AM

Kwik-Klips and 1.5v dry cells. Why doesn't DuBro still make the Kwik-Klip? I still like them for profiles and combat models. DON'T really like the new style probe thingys. Anybody have any alternates besides alligator clips? If you use the probe kind, do you like the springy kind or the plain ones? Thanks, Steve

LNeumann · Mar 12, 2001 08:12 AM

#1 source

I think your answer is, they make what sells. Since most of what they sell is used by the RC crowd, they drive the market. On the probe type, I like the squeeze type better than the twist on/off variant. But that is my opinion. The others work, too.

Leonard Neumann

preston · Mar 12, 2001 11:28 AM

#2 source

LAST EDITED ON Mar-12-01 AT 11:32 AM (EST)

Sullivan still makes a clip. Add some rubber bands, and it works fine. Brodack's catalogue mentions a clip by Perfect, but I haven't seen it, so don't know if it's what you want.

Larry Driskell has the Sullivan clips for sale.

An alternative is to go to Radio Shack and by a little package of antenna clips. Mixture of colored plastic and metal (aluminum?) with the two hlaves electrically isolated. You need to hack on it with a dremel tool, but it'll work fine.

Preston

The Kiwi · Mar 12, 2001 12:20 PM

RE: Plug Clips and what not #3 source

There were three variations in squeeze-clips, from the too-small Perfect through the easily dirtied Du Bro. That brass or copper "cup" for the plug's post collected crud too easily (and the crud could too often include lint that interfered with a good connection). The Pylon version was the one that Texas' combat pilots modified by attaching the ends to a standard wooden clothes pin. It doesn't have the fancy attached post cup.

The reason those were preferred is the ease of removal in a hurry; just yank on the wires. For sport & stunt, I always liked the twist-on type, and Kraft made the one of those that I liked best. I wish it was still available.

._.

Larry F · Mar 12, 2001 11:39 PM

#4 source

Steve --

Was the Kwik-Klip that big fat red ugly thing that stuck to your engine when it started, and fell off after every flip of the prop when it didn't catch? My word, why would you want one of those?

Larry F

The Kiwi · Mar 13, 2001 12:02 AM

RE: T.C.O.B.#5 source

If a squeeze-type clip comes off when you don't want it to do so, either you modify it to prevent that, or you attach it more carefully. They worked very well, and the many I see remaining in use still do so. The plastic parts were rather short-lived on most of the ones I used, so anyone who wasn't familiar with wooden clothes pins might throw it away and get another.

After awhile, if I had to get another, I didn't WAIT for the plastic to break before screwing the pieces onto a clothes pin. If any had been "red," I have forgotten. I seem to recall the plastic parts being green, instead.

Steve Helmick · Mar 13, 2001 12:11 AM

#6 source

They always worked pretty good for me unless Mike stepped on it!
Mike? Are you there? I still have one and still like it. Steve

Currell · Mar 13, 2001 01:30 PM

#7 source

I'm with Larry; they stunk. Ever get one caught in a turning prop? And the springiness went south in a hurry, which meant they fell off with increasing regularity. And continuity wasn't anything to write home about, either. Horrible product.

Do yourself a favor, and follow the RC crowd on this one. Buy two McDaniels (now under another name) twist on/off nicad units; these are the orange jobs. Buy one with the built-in meter, one without, and decide which one you like better when it comes time to buy another. (The shorter ones are good for inverted engines, where space to the ground is a premium). Carry them in your pocket, and not your flight box. If one gets weak out in the field, just switch to the other. When you get home, plug them into the recharger. Keep a beater head with plug attached near the charger and nicads so you'll know when they're fully up.

Currell

Jim T. · Mar 13, 2001 08:10 PM

#8 source

I have a black plastic clothes pin with a cup for the plug post, red and white wires terminating in (as we say) alligory clips. I've used it for several years. Don't know who made it. I filled in the cup a bit with solder so that it would not short on TD heads. I clip the alligator clips on the prongs that stick up out of my Cyclon 2-volt battery. A couple of times (not three times) I have neglected to remove the clip from an inverted engine and have flown out a flight level, with the wires trailing behind the engine. No damage except to my ego, as I was careful not to land on the battery. I have a nicad that I use on glowplugs that won't take 2 volts.

Jim

The Kiwi · Apr 18, 2001 03:14 AM

RE: Sourcing for old style glow plug clips #9 source

>Why doesn't DuBro still make the Kwik-Klip? I still like
>them for profiles and combat models.

According to my kid, Bearden still had a lot of those to sell to the combat fraternity, and there's an ex-Fox employee now in the OKC area who took over Bear's business. I'll have to get Jeff to look up the name and address, though, next time he calls or comes by.

gcb · Apr 18, 2001 06:00 AM

RE: Sourcing for old style glow plug clips #10 source

Geez,

All of you guys who are gripeing about the KWIK-KLIP should have been around when we were using alligator clips

George

Currell · Apr 18, 2001 08:24 AM

RE: Sourcing for old style glow plug clips #11 source

Been there and done that, but fellow geezer Mr. Bain already knows of my (ahem) increasingly senior status.

But I didn't cut my modeling teeth on a Brown, Jr, anyway. Currell

The Kiwi · Apr 18, 2001 10:35 AM

RE: Sourcing for old style glow plug clips #12 source

> Geez,
>
> All of you guys who are gripeing about the KWIK-KLIP
>should have been around when we were using alligator
>clips

>
There was a somewhat more secure termination with a type of semi- compound grip that some of us referred to as "Bulldog" clips due to their appearance, but away from the competition combat circle, I like the McDaniel hang-on NiCad with the built in meter best out of everything that has ever been used for the purpose!