Will the power-panel become extinct?

roddie Wed May 17, 2023 3:11 pm

I've been using the same power-panel for almost 30 years.. albeit not in what one would consider constant-service. Nevertheless.. my panel (a "Tower Hobbies" labeled one) has served me faithfully. I have a "Hobbico" panel which is identical.. but I haven't used it yet. The "Tower" panel is mounted in a PVC box that I made, which has space for your typical 5-7A 12VDC lead-acid/lead-calcium batteries that were being offered years ago.. (before the advent of the Lithium battery technology)

There's been a myriad of 12VDC power-options over the course of time.. that have powered my panel. Currently (no pun intended..) I've been using X2 BB VRLA HR9-6 6VDC (8A) sealed lead-calcium batteries in series for several years now. A little less than 7lbs. of battery-weight for the pair.

I like the having the variable-resistor in the glow-driver circuit.. as well as the 12VDC polarity-reversible fuel-pump circuit.. which I actually utilize for connection of my electric-starter. I run the reed-valve engines often... which run happily in either direction. I can start my engines with L/H propellers with the "flick of a switch".

I would hope that these panels will be available in the future... but you know how these things seem to go away... as other technologies are introduced.

balogh Wed May 17, 2023 3:34 pm

Totally with you on that. Roddie. I have the same concern about what happens if once my faithful Hobbico panel, particularly the glow section with its electronics, croaks on me?

It has been serving me well for the past 10 or so years, but I have no succession plan for it.

Some years ago these panels were offered by the dozen on ebay, nowadays they do not come around so often.

I am contemplating to find and buy a spare one before they go extinct for good..

Ken Cook Wed May 17, 2023 3:41 pm

They've been extinct for the past few years. Manufacturers aren't producing them like they did 5 years ago and those that did carry such as Tower offers one. They used to have 2 pages of them. The current Hangar 9 has been on backorder for months.

I'm a dyed in the wool glow user but the reality is that it's dead and everyone needs to come to terms with that. The lack of glow plugs will be the nail in the coffin and were seeing that happening as I type. Fuel while available in certain parts has been problematic and nitro is $100 a gallon. How much longer is it going to sustain?

aspeed Wed May 17, 2023 3:49 pm

I got one of the Hobbico panels the first year that Muncie opened, and used it for a few years. Picked up a toolbox that came with a plane and it had an older panel, a blue one. It just gave up about two years ago, so I am back to the original one. I really like it because it is adjustable, and you can tell when the plug is dead. Also picked up another mini panel in another box of goodies for a spare. I am using a 4 or 5 amp gel cell for quite a few years now but have a spare battery from a 20 V lithium drill that is destined for it. Might be a bit lighter. Sometimes the guys at the club use the little nicad cells when the motor quits on the field, and I am tempted to go that way, but they always let me down. I have a few of them.

Kim Wed May 17, 2023 4:05 pm

I've had a few migrate to me from various estates so, if someone gets hurting for one, shoot me a note, and I'll knock the dust off of one, test it, and send it your way for postage.

Junk Yard Kim

batjac Wed May 17, 2023 5:00 pm

Kim, I have one panel in my large plane field box, but I need another for a portable 1/2A starter unit. If you have one you want to get rid of I can relieve you of it at S.M.A.L.L.

The Hat in Hand Mark

Kim Wed May 17, 2023 5:03 pm

batjac wrote:Kim, I have one panel in my large plane field box, but I need another for a portable 1/2A starter unit. If you have one you want to get rid of I can relieve you of it at S.M.A.L.L.

The Hat in Hand Mark

Deal! Gonna head out now, test one, and chuck it in the camper!

batjac Wed May 17, 2023 5:12 pm

Ken Cook wrote: I'm a dyed in the wool glow user but the reality is that it's dead and everyone needs to come to terms with that. The lack of glow plugs will be the nail in the coffin and were seeing that happening as I type. Fuel while available in certain parts has been problematic and nitro is $100 a gallon. How much longer is it going to sustain?

Ken,

I'm with you on that. I bought five glow plugs from Merlin a few years ago. They came in the mail and I was happy. Then a week later another five came in the mail. I checked my credit card, but I wasn't double charged, so I didn't sweat it. A week later another five arrived. I again checked my credit card and it wasn't charged. I called Merlin to tell them what happened. The woman answering the phone seemed very harried, and told me to just keep the extras. As she was about to hang up I asked her if she wanted my name so that they didn't send me any more plugs. She took my name and them hung up abruptly. I was mildly irritated at the brush off, but then learned a little later that the owner of Merlin had just died, so I guess it was understandable that she was overwhelmed.

So, those 15 plus the other plugs I have N.I.P. should last me as long as I'm flying. Also, I found a local speed shop that sells nitro for $50 a gallon and methanol for $22 a gallon/five gallon minimum. So I bought two gallons of nitro and one can of methanol. I'm pretty good on fuel for a long while.

The Prepper Mark

batjac Wed May 17, 2023 5:14 pm

Kim wrote:

Deal! Gonna head out now, test one, and chuck it in the camper!

Awesome! Looking even more to next month. See you there. If there's anything I can bring for you, just let me know.

The Anticipatory Mark

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