Glow switch/regulator

[seattlelife22]

I was in the process of buying a align reg but i am starting to get the freak out from reviews that the switch is faulty..My question is, is there another reg with the flow switch cause truthfully i am over the nimh and the glow ignitor...thanks for input.

[dchekas]

I think the 2-in-1 is the only device on the market that combines a voltage regulator with a glow igniter.

You could use a seperate regulator and a PushGlo to accomplish a similar effect (Without having to worry about durability.)

I run Duralite 5.3v regulators and SwitchGlo Pro's on both my nitro birds, no complaints to be had.

[fastone93]

I run the arizona regulator and the pushglo. Works great and very reliable! My 600 came with a 2 n 1 but I never mounted it, just sold it...

Brian

[howardm4]

+1 on the Pushglow. nice & small & simple. I use it w/ several different regulators (Sahara, Duralite/RS, Smartfly)

[cb3d]

Originally Posted by joe1911

I think the 2-in-1 is the only device on the market that combines a voltage regulator with a glow igniter.

You could use a seperate regulator and a PushGlo to accomplish a similar effect (Without having to worry about durability.)

I run Duralite 5.3v regulators and SwitchGlo Pro's on both my nitro birds, no complaints to be had.

You think wrong my friend. Check out Perfect Regulators. I use the regulators as well as the push button glow driver. Many different products for many applications. The new Trio combines a Regulator, switch, and glow driver in one unit. Very affordable considering what you get too. Excellent customer service.

[seanh]

yes, perfect regulators makes a new regulator called the trio but it's not on their website just yet. It's a ccpm voltage regulator, failsafe switch and remote glow igniter all in one.

the ccpm regulators are great. You get full voltage and current to each servo plus 5v to the gov. The voltage is adjustable from 4.9 to 8.4. If you use 3s you can get a flat 8.4v.

I'd advise not using the Align regulator. Many people have never had a problem but there are too many cases that the switch goes out...though there is an easy fix for this. Just desolder the switch and add another one. But the regulator itself has been known to fail as well.

It's a small price to pay to have a reliable regulator such as one from Fromeco, Scott Gray, Perfect Regulators, Gryphon.

I dont even use the switchglow type, I just have a standard glow driver I use now. It never fails, less I forget to charge it.

[ghostrider414]

I'm using the pushglo with A123's and no regulator love it.

[seattlelife22]

well thank you guys for your input...i am still on the fence but i didnt know anything about the trio...looking it up now.

[Rob43]

Check out the RonLund.com site. An interesting read is included relating to the Align 2-in-1. Click on Tips, then Align 2-in-1.

I like mine, and it's pretty compact and inexpensive.

[fastone93]

Originally Posted by Rob43

Check out the RonLund.com site. An interesting read is included relating to the Align 2-in-1. Click on Tips, then Align 2-in-1.

I like mine, and it's pretty compact and inexpensive.

I personally wouldn't buy anything electronic that I had to immediately modify in order for it to work properly. I have also seen some photos of these units without any silicon securing the capacitors from vibration, and causing failures. I am glad that you are having good luck with it, but I'll stick with the fromeco line.

[jones007]

Slightly off-topic, but I'm trying to get some feedback from other users of the Pushglow. I'm trying to install one on my Trex 700NLE.

Here's the setup:

I'm using the AR7100R receiver. Following the additional warning sheet stuck in the package (very important to do this), I have the Pushglow plugged into one of the regulated sockets on the Rx.

My rudder/gyro (BLS251/Spartan) and throttle (9650) are also plugged into the regulated side of the Rx.

I power the Rx off of an unregulated 2S LiPo pack, running the cyclic servos (BLS451) off of straight 2S LiPo power.

The Problem:

When I activate the Pushglow, it lights up the plug for 12 seconds and buzzes, as it is supposed to, but it also makes my rudder servo chatter pretty intensely. Not just the hummm you hear when a digital servo is powered but not loaded - just resting on the edge of the deadband. You can actually feel the servo horn oscillating back and forth at a fairly high frequency, maybe just a degree or two of motion.

Additionally, all the power needed to light up the plug is going through the built-in regulator in the AR7100R, so it gets rather warm. Probably not critical, but something like a 1/2 amp constant load on the regulator.

Has anyone else run into issues like this, and if so, did you just decide to live with it, or did you find a solution? Thanks for your help.

--Kevin

[Four Stroker]

If you find somone with an oscilloscope and put it on the regulated output, then turn on the glow, you will throw it away. That's what I did with my shinny new Gryphon AutoGlow. There is a 10 AMP plus spike on the power supply when the impulse goes to the plug. Think about it. A typical plug draws 3 AMPS at 1.2 volts. Although the glow thing is pulse width modulating the current to the plug and averages maybe 700 mA, the pulses are 10~12 amps. This is very hard for the regulator to deal with. It's also a crash waiting to happen if it turns on in flight.

[wacojoe]

Move the push glo from the rudder channel, put it on the gear switch. That's where I have mine. Pushglo is rated like 4-9v. I don't have any issues with mine.

[Switch_639]

Originally Posted by fastone93

I personally wouldn't buy anything electronic that I had to immediately modify in order for it to work properly.

agreed... why sell something if its not fully functional from the factory... this issue has been long here... align should have sorted it out by now... I like Align but I wont buy this either...