Glow Plug indicator.

[Peter Jenkins]

Thanks for the info Cassandra and Jeff.  Will look to upgrade in due course.

[Jeffrey Cottrell 2]

Hi All

Digital ammeter arrived today from Bangood. Shipped out on the 30th, so that's not bad at all, better than I thought.

Still think I can make this into a removable unit, so I only need to connect it if I think the plug is faulty.

Time will tell.

Jeff

[Denis Watkins]

These little amp units only drop about 25mah Jeff

That's 25 of 5000 available in an hour

If you decide to leave it in place, there is negotiable drop.

[Nigel R]

2 hours ago, Jeffrey Cottrell 2 said:

regulator from ebay since the genuine article

 

I would suggest, avoid ebay for this kind of thing, fakes abound. Often lower rated fakes, which you discover when it goes pop.

 

Days of yore cheap buck converter modules were not available and an LM reg would be that simple/easy/cheap solution. These days, the buck converter module is simplest/easiest/cheapest answer to getting a regulated 1.5V.

 

 

[Jeffrey Cottrell 2]

6 minutes ago, Denis Watkins said:

These little amp units only drop about 25mah Jeff

That's 25 of 5000 available in an hour

If you decide to leave it in place, there is negotiable drop.

Hi Denis, thanks for that.

Sounds about right, but I wasn't thinking of current drain. The amp unit is designed to be panel mounted, and I don't really want it dangling from the wires.

Means I would have to build some sort of a container for it. More to carry around.

[Jeffrey Cottrell 2]

3 hours ago, Nigel R said:

 

I would suggest, avoid ebay for this kind of thing, fakes abound. Often lower rated fakes, which you discover when it goes pop.

 

 

Hi Nigel.

Quite right too. I heard that some Chinese companies were buying lower rated items, costing pennies bought in bulk. All they would do then is change the printing and sell on for more.

As you say, no way of telling until they go pop.

btw, a few posts back someone suggested I said that all Chinese products were fake. This I certainly did not.

What I did was compare same product, one from an English supplier, costing £12 and another supplied direct from China at £2.50 for 2.

all I did was ask which one was more likely a fake.

The English supplier more than likely sourced his from China, but this DOES NOT necessarily make it a fake.

Glad to clear that up

Jeff

[Martin McIntosh]

I actually use the genuine LM338K regs because I did not have to pay for them but have a couple of the £2.50 versions which I tried before publishing the cct and they are fine. 338T`s are very cheap anyway but you do need the large heatsink, no problem.

As a comparison, when they are available I use the HK Failover switches and at £12 as against the branded Powerbox ones at £80. They are identical and I am told more reliable so a no brainer.

[dave windymiller]

Apologies if someone has already linked to this but this circuit has worked very well for me for years!

 

https://www.learningelectronics.net/VA3AVR/gadgets/glow.htm

 

 

[Peter Jenkins]

I used my new JP glowstick while running in my OS155.  It started but kept dying as the 3 turns open recommended by the OS manual was too much.  After turning this down a half turn and some more cranking the engine burst into life and once past 1/2 throttle I could remove the glow stick.  I had a total of 7 or 8 starts and used the glow stick to keep the engine running when I'd opened the needle valve to cool the engine as per the instructions.  On charging the glow stick I put back 800 mAh into a 3800 mAh pack.  I have another 3800 mAh NiMH in another glowstick and a 2400 mAh glow stick.  Plus if all the glow sticks go flat, there's my power panel as a last resort.  KISS principle.

[Nigel R]

9 hours ago, dave windymiller said:

This circuit

I made that. Stays in my box as backup for the glow sticks. I can use the 3s pump lipo if needs be to run it. 

 

The input voltage compensation has some incorrect values but when that was fixed it works very well With constant glow from about 7v up to 15v. The annoying thing is that the voltage compensating section should be the one thing that makes it better than the old commercial power panel stuff. 

 

at its heart it is a Simple PWM chopper, ultimately will give little different result to a dc dc converter.

 

That said I would expect any recent panel to employ a module anyway. 

Edited August 14, 2021 by Nigel R

[Martin McIntosh]

Somewhat rather complex compared with mine which anyone who can string three components across the regulator should be able to make.

[Nigel R]

It's a 555 and a fet so not exactly rocket science.

 

 

[Jeffrey Cottrell 2]

Hi Guys
I do appreciate the time and expertise people put into designing these gadgets for the DIY'er.
However, since my electronic knowledge and facilities are pretty old now, my choice would be to use a Bangood module.
Comes RTF, so no sourcing of parts, or trying to make a circuit board, and given the amount of components in the circuit Dave linked to, probably cheaper as well.
Probably a close thing on cost with Martin's design, but still would need to source parts.
Currently wiring up my module and noticed something which might be of use.
The module board is drilled for the wires, so I pushed the connecting wires through and soldered (so I thought) both sides. Turns out I didn't make good contact with the component side of the board, so it would only work if I jiggled the wires a bit.
So I changed it around so the wires lay flat on the upper land, not through the hole, and all now ok.
So, when wiring yours up, make sure the wire is soldered firmly to the upper land.
Not sure of the holes are through-plated so the upper and lower lands are connected. My multimeter says + side is, - side is not.
Anyway, unit seems to work quite happily only connected to the upper land, so just something to be aware of.
Cassandra
I assume this question was directed to me.
So, ever heard the saying 'I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure'. That describes me.
Started this thread just looking for a current indicator. not even interested in measuring the current.
Bought one of those panel mounted digital meters, with the idea of just having that in the glow driver circuit. Would need a separate power supply for this use, but no biggy.
Meanwhile, I got one of those 'buck' units as well, just for a try out.
With that, thoughts turned to something different.
Since I only have one glow model in the fleet, had decided not to build anything special as support gear. Having seen how small that module is, had a change of heart.
I run my pump and starter from a 3s LiPo, so not much of a stretch to incorporate a glow driver as well from the same source.
That's what I'm currently working on. Will publish details when its done.
Jeff

[Keith Berriman]

My simple method for over last 20 plus years 

[Martin McIntosh]

Is 7 resistors 4 caps, 1 chip and 2 transistors simpler than mine? Tried similar years ago by a well known manufacturer at the time and it was useless.

Good mind to string one together very roughly on the bench with the 4 components soldered directly to the regulator, no need for a circuit board, as I do in real life to show how simple it is and put a pic on here.

I could even go into production if I could be bothered as I have made these for others in the past. If you do not like a separate 1s LiPo for glow then a single 3s LiPo will power the starter, fuel pump and glow.

[Nigel R]

martin I do apologise, I made that post in something of a hurry, reading it back sounds like I am being rather too blunt

 

you are quite right the linear reg is easier to assemble

 

what I was trying (very badly) to mean is that the technicalities of a 555 and how it works are very much a known animal... although these days it is rather knocked into a cocked hat by the availability of the small buck converter modules which regulate their output across broad range of input and load.

Edited August 16, 2021 by Nigel R

[Jeffrey Cottrell 2]

Hi Guys

Seems this thread has drifted a bit from my original question.

Just to prove I'm not immune, here's the latest product from the factory.

 

 

Suppose you could call this a Power Pod. 12v drive for pump and starter, plus a 1.2v glow drive through an XL4015 module. All driven by an internal 3s LiPo.

Hindsight says two things. Using a 3000 Ma LiPo so how long will that last running the starter. Flies a model for some minutes at a higher current, so should be ok. Time will tell.

Also perhaps should have used different plugs for each purpose. Just have to be careful not to plug the glow lead into the 12v output.

Have you seen the price of plugs nowadays?

Anyway here you go

Jeff

Edited August 16, 2021 by Jeffrey Cottrell 2

[Nigel R]

I have an old puffy 3S3000 on starter duties, I seem to charge mine about four times a year. The other old 3S3000 runs the fuel pump and (rarely used) backup power panel. I swap them over when the starter runs down.

 

Depends very much on how you use it, for obvious reasons.

[Gary Manuel]

3 hours ago, Jeffrey Cottrell 2 said:

Hi Guys

Seems this thread has drifted a bit from my original question.

Just to prove I'm not immune, here's the latest product from the factory.

 

 

Suppose you could call this a Power Pod. 12v drive for pump and starter, plus a 1.2v glow drive through an XL4015 module. All driven by an internal 3s LiPo.

Hindsight says two things. Using a 3000 Ma LiPo so how long will that last running the starter. Flies a model for some minutes at a higher current, so should be ok. Time will tell.

Also perhaps should have used different plugs for each purpose. Just have to be careful not to plug the glow lead into the 12v output.

Have you seen the price of plugs nowadays?

Anyway here you go

Jeff

Not only are the input and output plugs the same type as you point out, but to my mind they are also the wrong way round. I would expect inputs on the left and outputs on the right - the same way we read and write. Maybe they read and write from right to left in the country of origin?

[Jeffrey Cottrell 2]

Hi Gary

Sorry, clean miss on this one.

In the post it says driven by an INTERNAL LiPo, which means they're both outputs.

Also veiled suggestion that this came from China.

Not so, I built it with my own two hands.

Oops

Jeff

P.S Well done Cassandra, got in just before me

J

[Gary Manuel]

Ah, I missed that it has an internal LiPo. I'd still say that they are the wrong way round though, as presumably the internal LiPo is charged via the 12v plugs, making them an input too.

 

It was your "latest product from the factory" that confused me about it's origin.

Edited August 16, 2021 by Gary Manuel

[Jeffrey Cottrell 2]

Gary

LiPo is easily removable so I can balance charge.

Factory referred to is J. C. Model supplies, i.e me.

Jeff

[Martin McIntosh]

No idea what a buck module is.

My panel is the same as above, glow with switch on the left (nearest the model) and starter supply and fuel pump switch on the right. Not managed to plug the glow into the starter sockets yet!

I too use puffy old LiPos and they seem to last for ages.

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

It’s something like this - https://m.banggood.com/XL4015-5A-DC-DC-Step-Down-Adjustable-Power-Supply-Module-Buck-Converter-p-945599.html?akmClientCountry=GB

 

 

 

 

 

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Mine’s a bit bigger - but it does contain an old LiPo.