2 Volt Battery for Glow Plugs?

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Dane McGee
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2 Volt Battery for Glow Plugs?

Post by Dane McGee »

I have a 2 volt battery that I bought some time ago for the purpose of lighting nelson plugs.....never used it but I am thinkin on rigging it up with a kwik clip.

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Is 2 volts OK to use on regular glow plugs without burning them out?




Thx,
draftman1
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Post by draftman1 »

im not sure if it is but you could put a resister to drop the voltage. any electronics guys out there?
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Dane McGee
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Post by Dane McGee »

I did a little diggin on the net and found this document about glow plugs: http://www.srcsclub.com/pdf/GeneralGlow ... mation.pdf

It suggests that "Most hot plugs can take up to 2.0 volts starting power without burning up, while most cold plugs prefer
1.2 to 1.5 volts starting power."


I am still wondering however if anyone uses a 2 volt igniter with good results?



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Lee Liddle
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Post by Lee Liddle »

There were some custom wound Nelson plugs that required 2v to light, but the standard Nelson just needs 1.5v. The 2v plugs have a very heavy duty coil in them. In warm weather and with a starter there shouldn`t be any need for 2v. 1.5 would be easier on the plug.Image
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boiler
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Post by boiler »

In my control line days we used a lead acid cell of 2.2 volts. We had the best luck with Fireball glow plugs that are still available and seem to cost less than the more popular plugs. They came in different voltage ranges as well.
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Dane McGee
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Post by Dane McGee »

Thanks guys!

Since I already have it, I might as well use it so how do I reduce voltage from 2 volts to 1.5 volts?
sgilkey
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Post by sgilkey »

2V will burn out a lot of standard plugs. Fox used to sell 2V plugs for guys who liked to use a lead-acid cell. I would think they wouldn't have bothered if the "normal" plug could take 2V. To drop the voltage you need a voltage regulator, or you need to know the current draw of your plug. That's easy if you use the same style plug all the time but if you change it, it gets cold/hot out, etc. the current draw will change. V=IR, the resistance of two resistors in series is the sum of their resistance. So if you know the current draw at 1.5V (measure it) or whatever "baseline" current you want to use, plug it into the equation, now using 2V, and you can calculate the additional R you need to add in series. It will have to be a high-wattage resistor. I used to use a nice variable resistor that I could slide the contact along until I got the desired 1.5V at the plug. Then I got a power panel and it was much easier.... Bob Loescher should have some suggestions, he was a physics teacher plus an old-school modeler so he should know how to solve this problem!!!
gsjames
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Post by gsjames »

The old GloBee Fireplug used these same 2V cells. It has a variable, wire wound rheostat with a slide lever to be able to vary the output. Glen Wells (a C/L supplier) used to make his own, home-made GloBee's. I think Glen lives out your way, Max. I have one and it uses a knob-type rheostat for the same purpose. I'll bring mine to the contest so you can see it. He built them using parts from Radio Shack. World F2D Combat champion Mike Wilcox uses this battery "straight". He has one in his pocket with the glowplug leads already attached. I have never noticed any voltage step-down device, although he may have a resistor in series with one of the leads. In F2D, we use Nelson-type plugs exclusively, so that may be a factor. Like you said, you originally bought the cell for lighting Nelson plugs. They like a little more voltage.

Typically, a glowplug should pull about 3 to 3 1/2 amps. E=I*R We should be able to figure out what size resistor to use from the basic equations, but a variable rheostat would be a lot better.

Sometimes you can find GloBee's on eBay or at swap meets. Tim Soukup (F2D flier) has some. I'll have him bring them to the contest so you can see if you want to buy one from him. He lives in Bedford. Usually, you just replace the old, worn-out cells with new ones and you are good to go.
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Dane McGee
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Post by Dane McGee »

Here is a link to a glow driver and alot of technical info.......maybe someone else can read it and give me their spin.

http://www.clcombat.info/drivers.html




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gsjames
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Post by gsjames »

Yeah, that's my buddy Howard Rush. He is FAMOUS (and infamous) in CL Combat for doing "interesting things"... Lee Liddle and Pat Wilcox know him well. He designed and built the famous Nemesis II combat plane as well as the "Snort", "Son of Snort" and various other unusual things. He cures tapered, tubular carbon spars in his wife's oven. He had to make a special door for the oven so that the spar would fit. One time he flew at a major contest wearing a clown suit [:o)] Howard is one of those people that you are glad to know because he makes life more interesting.

He played around with such things a lot in the past. A person can take the basic layout of the 4-engine glo driver and make a single version. I'll bring my Glen Wells Glow Driver to the contest and you can take a look at it. Glen lives in Live Oak, TX.
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boiler
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Post by boiler »

I flew with Howard Rush in CL combat in Cincinatti at Sunken Lunken. I was flying Voo Doo kits at that time.
4Lester
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Post by 4Lester »

Dane here is that clip set up I was telling you about. It is simply an L.E.D. (which works on 3v nominal) across the leads. It will be lit to let you know your battery is hot. When you put it on a plug that is good the voltage drops to below that required to light the LED and it goes out; if the plug is blown the LED stays lit.

As far as the 2v working on “regularâ€
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Dane McGee
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Post by Dane McGee »

Glad to see you on the forum Lester. Thanks for the info on the 2 volt cell clip.
4Lester
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Post by 4Lester »

maybe here...

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