Power panel or not , that's the question

[Nigel Finch]

Have two projects under way. I am learning on electric but have a 40 two stroke and a 90 plus four stroke plane under construction.

So to a question, Power panel or wireless start.

i have no idea so over to you all .....

[crispin church]

it is very easy to add a 4 cell lipo to the side of a starter if you dont want a panel

some swear by glow stick for starting i use a 2volt lead battery with wires on will start motors all week

some panels have 2 volt out put

but you should be aiming to have your engines so well tuned that a quick reverse flick will start it every time

or use a chick stick ie bit of broom handle with rubber finger on

[Steve Hargreaves - Moderator]

Not...in my view....you can't beat a good old 2V lead acid battery for powering up yer glow plugs.....I find the glow starts a bit weedy on a cold day & the problem I find with a power panel is that as you apply the starter the electrical load reduces the battery voltage & hence the current supplied to the glowplug.....

Buy a 2V SLA battery & be happy......

[Willyuk]

I like a power panel for the following reasons

it has the fuel pump included and that's easy

i can charge my glow stick if I forget to do it at home

it runs the starter

if my tx or rx packs get low I can plug my charger into the 12v starter output and be charged up in half an hour

if I have an engine issue( and yes mine do start easily but problems arise) I can crank it for ages should I need to

as I take a flight box to the field the panel is not a big problem as it's there.

but each to his own, many people don't use them and are happy

[Steve Hargreaves - Moderator]

Similar discussion here

[Shaunie]

Gotta put my tuppence worth into this one.

I have a power panel and rarely use it.

Sorry, but A 2V lead acid or badly set power panel is the best way to ensure an early demise of your glowplug.

Example: Enya No 3 plug, rated 1.2-1.5V. Give it 2V it'll glow too brightly which over advances your ignition and then the engine bites when you try to flick it. You could override this by applying the electric conrod bender I suppose, but the best thing is a 1.2v glowstick and away you go.

I was starting my Thunder Tiger 46 the other day. Primed it and gave it a couple of flicks, no start so I unplugged the glowstick and put my thumb over the intake to draw the fuel up to the carb, after a couple of flicks I thought I heard a pop but thought nothing of it. I took my thumb off the intake and flicked it with the intention of drawing the fuel through the engine, when to my surprise the engine started. Gobsmacked I looked on the ground to see the glowstick where I left it. I've known it happen with a warm engine but this one was cold, the glowstick must have been off the plug for at least 10 seconds. It does not need much heat to start a willing engine.

Power panels vary of course but the glow controller on mine is rubbish. The controller seems to regulate current and not voltage. What you need is a stable voltage so that a wet plug which is cooled by the fuel will draw more current and therefore dry out more quickly.

Shaunie.

[GrahamWh]

I started with a power panel, but found that using the engine starter probably reduced the voltage to the glow starter. I now just use the panel as a way of connecting the engine starter to the 12v battery and use a pocket glow starter with a nice 5000mAh cell in it. This has never let me down on the field. I don't like the glow starters that trail a wire to the panel as that wire is one more thing that could end up in the prop on a bad day.