home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- Newsgroups: rec.models.rc
- Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!cs.utexas.edu!torn!nott!bnrgate!bmerh85!bcrki9!mkfeil
- From: mkfeil@bcrki9.bnr.ca (Max Feil)
- Subject: Power panel glow driver modification
- Message-ID: <1993Jan7.140553.1707@bmerh85.bnr.ca>
- Sender: news@bmerh85.bnr.ca (Usenet News)
- Organization: Bell-Northern Research
- References: <1993Jan7.140305.1624@bmerh85.bnr.ca>
- Date: Thu, 7 Jan 93 14:05:53 GMT
- Lines: 28
-
- <I'm reposting the previous article, this article, and the next one due to
- server problems>
-
- I just wanted to write a short note about a problem I recently had with my
- Tower Hobbies power panel. There's a 100K potentiometer which controls the
- pulse width of the glow driver output, thereby controlling the amps going
- through the glow plug (higher resistance == more current). Unfortunately, my
- pot got a bit dirty and starting producing open-circuit faults. The designers
- thought of this (kind of) since two of the pot leads are wired together to
- ensure that the resistance is never more than the 100K rated value of the pot.
- Unfortunately this is like turning the pot all the way up (plus a bit), and my
- poor 1.5 volt glow plugs vapourize in a fraction of a second.
-
- Since I never turn the dial past half way anyways, I figured I would put a 100K
- fixed resistor in parallel with the pot, effectively turning it into a 50K pot.
- This way, the worst that can happen is that my glow plug will light correctly!
- I now have to turn the dial up all the way (instead of half way) to get a
- healthy glow, but I sure won't be burning up any more plugs unnecessarily.
-
- Cheers!
- Max
-
- P.S. I cleaned the pot too.
- --
- Max Feil mkfeil@bnr.ca | Disclaimer:
- Bell-Northern Research | What do I know? I'm just a Nerd on the Big Ranch.
- P.O Box 3511 Station C, |
- Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.| "Enrich The Soil, Not EveryBody's Goal" Peter Gabriel
-