Remote (fuselage-mounted) glow plug connections.

However, a phono jack or two has failed (big surprise), presumably from both vibration and yukky stuff boiling around engine compartment.

Per Dean Pappas RC Pattern column in current Flying Models I have two very reliable terminations for glow plug end of things, both one illustrated by Dean and Tettra units.

I will want fuse-mounted connector to be very similar to a standard glow plug, albeit with two lead wires coming from business end. Yes, I know Pylon sells a kit, and that's what I might end up buying, although twelve bucks when all I need is plug-looking thingie seems a bit much when it's times two for both model, plus one for a spare.

I have tried to modify a plug with less than stellar results. Have tools and ability to begin with hex stock--probably a simple stand-off--fabricating my own parts.

Resulting pieces must be compatible with standard tubular plug connectors so I can mooch plug lighters from friends if mine fails.

You make a good point, but I'd not be using entire contents of kit. Merely piece which looks like a glow plug and is mounted in fuselage. From there I only need a couple bits of wire, some heat shrink tubing and the end which slips on plug.

Please, please don't tell Sparky, he'll go Medieval on us again, but one of these Impacts packing a Saito 56 up front, plus almost 1.5 ounces of lead to get the balance right. So added weight of absolutely no concern, especially when goal is to avoid a hand lightened one finger's worth.

Tim

See Ya

Glow charger cord?

Saving weight is good, but I'm a coward.

Most fuel fire/explosion accidents occur as a result of a shorted battery igniting fuel or fuel vapor. Alligator clips are very dangerous in this respect since they can easily short to each other or to a metal fuel can. I would advise against this, and in general be *very* careful how you handle your battery leads, particularly if you carry your fuel in a metal can. A momentary short to a metal can can easily cause an explosion, and there have been serious accidents in the past caused this way. I personally would never use alligator clips for this reason.

Connecting the ignition battery to the fuel system strikes me as a very dangerous thing to do, particularly with a metal fuel tank! A metal tank full of fuel could easily explode if the battery were to short and cause a hot spot on the tank wall. Keep the ignition wires insulated from each other and the fuel system.

Please be careful guys!

What I don't like about this idea is the scratches the clips will put on the muffler but thought I would throw it out for the ones that want to save the last little bit of weight.

I refer you to my "We Have the Technology" column in the March-April 2000 issue of Stunt News. The subject was "Making a remote glow-driver connection". I've been using the setup described in the column for five years now without problem. I use an OS connector which imitates a glow plug (Sullivan makes a similar item). Mine is mounted on the right side of the fuse just in front of the wing (about 10-inches away from the prop). It adds 0.5-ounces to the plane. I use a regular nicad glow-driver, just plugging it in in a different place. I hope it meets your needs.

Yours in Stunt,

Contact Scott Urabe by phone, his number is in the PAMPA directory.
I notice at the NW Regional he has a remote plug connection on his "Modified Trivial".

RK

However, it's the same problem as with Pylon kit: I only need piece which mimics a glow plug, not entire kit, in case of Sullivan it's something like $12.00, O.S. kit is around $20.00.

T.A. Wilk, if you wouldn't mind, yes I would like to see M.A.N. article referred to. Thanks.

Pat Mackenzie, as usual, has a clever setup and I will likely build something very much like it. Thanks, Pat.

This past weekend Ron Belcourt suggested dropping by Radio Shack, which I did just moments ago, looking for some sort of charge adapter which will accept now-common tubular plug connector. No luck. Ron, either remember your SSW password, or ask it be furnished to you. I need more information! Really good seeing you at the contest this weekend, thanks for doing appearance judging in PA.

Derek Moran may well have nailed it, as he actually has in hand a "dummy" glow plug fitting of some sort, this presumed to be an accessory for some sort of RC car or (more likely) RC truck. I have completely tossed his message doing a copy-and-paste routine and then not saving changes to the document. But he has a part number, it sounds like the perfect device, cost is $2.99.

Derek, I have changed my mind. If you wouldn't mind sending fitting in question I can see if it will work without having to track them down. Plus I might be able to come up with a supplier if I have packaging. Hopefully you can ship this off prior to the two engines of yours I had apart recently blowing up and so ending our new friendship.

More to come, I am sure...

On engine-mounted glow plug, there are only two terminations of which I am aware work reliably. The Tettra fitting is really nice, as it is light, grips plugs very securely, and yet it can be removed with mild force. (Available from Central Hobbies.)

However, best arrangement is seen in latest Dean Pappas RC Pattern column in Flying Models. Best?! Yes. When looking for stuff like this it is always best to look to applications which are more severe, assuming reliability is a factor. With their deep-breather four-strokes and isolated engine mounts which allow engines to flop around in a most unseemingly fashion, this is a harsh environment.

Dean suggests a short piece of piano wire, look for a size which engages pin on your favorite plugs. Insert wire into suitably sized silicone fuel tubing. Cut two facing holes in tubing. Force pin on glow plug through one hole in tubing, past piano wire, through opposing hole. Light (*important*), insulated, cheap.

Sullivan sells the glow-plug-mimicking connector separately. I bought a bunch of them at their WRAM show booth. The price was about $3.00. Consult a Sullivan catalog or give them a call.

Yours in stunt,

I have a remote glow plug installation on my BBQB Bearcat. I bought it at my local hobby store and only use the plug end. I throw away the big black plastic fittings which are supposed to attach to the fuselage side. I forget who makes it but the plug end is a simple wire clip that snaps onto the plug. My second lead goes under an engine mounting screw. both leads go to a standard Dean's connector glued into the fuselage side. I use a matching two pin Dean's plug to power the plug. You can attach the exterior plug wires to anything including a glow plug "hot shot" between the Dean's plug and the battery. My installation weighs next to nothing and has worked reliably for 350 flights so far with no indication of imminent failure. The wires are light enough that I have considered installing the Dean's plug in the outboard wing tip and building in wires to the glow plug. There would be quite a bit of line loss with small diameter wire, but I use an adjustable glow driver and can crank up the voltage until the plug lights. I suggested this to Windy, to use a remote connector, light weight wires, and light both plugs at the same time. It would be a lot easier than having individual starting batteries on each plug.

In the photo below, the plug connector with red insulation is connected to the plug and to the deans connector. The ground wire is green insulated and is attached under an engine mounting screw. I have to use a remote connection as the Saito plug is nowhere near the surface of the cowling. I installed the same system in my new Critical Mass for the same reasons i.e. light weight and reliable operation.

Al's suggestion of a Dean's connector was another idea I had and it would have no doubt proven superior to what I eventually chose, phono jacks, and am now replacing with better stuff.

The Dean's connectors are indeed very light, small and quite reliable. I would probably select a 4-pin unit as one can solder leads to pairs of pins, making a more reliable installation (old RC car trick). Unless I am mistaken, the Dean's connectors are also available in a heavy-duty variety should one be concerned about vibration.

One of my requirements is that personal glow battery system can fail completely just as I have signalled for a start. With any luck at all, someone other than Bruce Perry will be close at hand with a nicad-based plug lighter I can borrow at a moment's notice.

No offense to anyone, but this is an area where one-off, high-zoot trick stuff is just not going to get in my way of good, clean fun. Even if it involves the ugly head of a glow plug-mimicing device standing proud of the fuselage on my Impacts. And I can probably figure out a way to avoid too much ugliness...

To Ion, my flight box, built in appreciation of service as District 11 Dictator and by Gary Letsinger, has four D-size dry batteries for puhlenty of power, an ammeter to read continuity. And flooded/lean conditions within engine. How you guys can stand starting engines, I do not care how reliable, how easy on plugs they may be, without some sort of meter is (almost) completely beyond me.

First, don't beat me up, as I didn't record all information. Instead, I asked Mr. Google to find Maxx Products International, Inc.

Once there I screwed around for a while in glow plug section, finally locating **Stock No. 2925 "Dummy Glow Plug"** in RC Connectors, section three of three, last page.

This is *exactly* what I have been looking for, at $3.00 each cost is most reasonable. As you will see, it is a standard glow plug body with a single lead coming from center hole where we would normally expect to see plug element.

While sample--hope you kissed this sucker good-bye, as it's mine now--furnished by Derek does not have such, pictured unit in MPI listing does show a nut installed, making installation, and possibly a ground connection, pretty simple.

Hmmm, I have not yet checked to see if body threaded 1/4-32, just assumed it is as specifying different thread, 1/4-28 for example, would no doubt increase cost of screw-machine parts.

Plug body is, however, finished in what looks like gold. No chance of confusing it with a normal plug, plus it will match gold-plated (really!) external over-flow and vent tubing on Howard's Impact.

In a retro-fit installation such as my second Impact I am kinda stuck with existing location and so will mount dummy plug to ply plate, this stuck to inside of fuselage. Even if I have to make one, a nut will retain dummy plug to plate while also capturing solder lug for lead to ground.

The cool deal, as per a sketch from Derek, is to mount dummy plug to piece of right-angle aluminum, plug screwed into tapped hole. Other leg of aluminum is bolted to a former, ground lead coming off one of the bolts holding it in place.

Incidentally, I did look on Sullivan site for pieces Noel bought at an RC show, did not find them right away, bailed out as I already knew of MPI source.

Ooops. There is a No. M020 "Head Lock Charging Jack" listed under Model Products Corporation. A piece which mimics glow plug, solder lead and bracket. It would work, might be easier to get from Local Hobby.

I urge one and all to at least consider a remote link for activation of glow plug. It's a lot more convenient than fooling around under a model, plus it is safer.

Thanks to all for the help. Not only do I thank you, so do my fingers...

Same page there is a listing for the Tettra "Glow Plug Cap," a piece I have found to be quite reliable. However, in the past I have neglected to mention this unit is designed specifically for O.S. (and YS) four-stroke plugs. They may not work with other plugs; in fact, I have been told this is the case, just haven't bothered to check.

Also of interest in this catalog is a series of ES Design CF tuned pipes for RC Pattern models. Prices range from $169.95 to $239.95. Remember that next time you think $80.00 CL Stunt pipes are expensive...

In any case, all serious CL Stunt guys ought have one of Central's catalogs. Lots of Really Kewl Stuff. www.centralhobbies.com