Intelligent Glow Driver™

NOTE:

Check out our our new Cent-r-Lok glow plug clips. Information at the end of the Glow Driver section.

The intended use of the Intelligent Glow Driver™ (IGD) is to provide a single or dual cylinder glow plug engine with improved reliability, especially at low throttle settings. Two units are available, a single for one cylinder engines, and a twin for two cylinder engines. This unit can be used either with 2-stroke or 4-stroke engines.

The ESH1 Intelligent Glow Driver improves engine idle by applying power to the glow plug when it cools during reduced throttle and then automatically turns off when not needed. It is not connected to the throttle position like other glow drivers.

What is unique about this unit is as the glow plug(s) cools down, typically during low throttle positions, this unit automatically provides voltage to heat the glow plug as necessary. The unit automatically turns off when the glow plug has reached its normal operating temperature. It does not matter where the throttle position is.

This unit can be used with all receivers. It is pre wired for Futaba,JR, and HiTec receivers.

This device is a micro computer controlled system. The IGD senses the glow wire temperature by measuring its resistance every few milliseconds. If the glow wire has cooled from the set value, then the IGD will re-connect the battery to restore the voltage to the glow plug, but only when the glow plug(s) cools, so power consumption is very small. You might leave the engine on idle for several minutes with the battery not being used, but when you snap open the throttle, it will briefly (if necessary) re-heat the glow plug. Soon as the glow plug(s) is hot again, the glow driver will shut off the power.

The twin cylinder version is very efficient because most all two cylinder engines have one cylinder that operates better than the other. The dual IGD senses each glow plug independently, thus providing battery power only as necessary for the cylinder that needs assistance to keep that glow plug heated as required.
There are two throttle settings at which the IGD is inactive, fully open and fully closed. At these two extreme settings the glow plug(s) support will be switched off after 2 1/2 seconds.

One may ask, how does the IGD know that the throttle is full open or closed? You tell it, when you turn the receiver and transmitter on. Then by cycling the throttle control lever from maximum to minimum (including trims and throttle cut off if used) the IGD stores these min./max. values until the receiver is switched off.

An external LED Indicator shows when the voltage is being applied. Twin version has two LED’s of different colors.

Because of the way in which the IGD works, it is necessary to have one IGD per glow plug. If twin glow plugs are employed in one cylinder, usually only one IGD per cylinder is required.

Shown is the ESH2 twin Intelligent Glow Driver. Same features as the single unit, but with two independent micro-processors and two LED indicators, one for each cylinder.

Two IGD’s can be used for a twin cylinder engine, but it is simpler and more economical to use a twin IGD. If more than two cylinders are on the engine, then a combination of two or more IGD’s would be utilized. All can work off of one battery. Battery size must be increased as the number of cylinders are increased.

The micro processor unit is supplied pre wired for Futaba, JR, and HiTec radios. 18 gauge wire is supplied for the user to connect the battery to the system.

A quick disconnect glow plug attach connector is provided with the single IGD. Two glow plug connectors are provided with the twin IGD. Units are available without a glow plug connector at a lower price. Also the units are avaiable with our new Cent-r-Lok snap-on glow plug connectors at a slightly higher price.

User to provide a 1.2v 1000 mah to 1500mah NiCad battery and charger. One wye (Y) harness is also to be supplied by the user. A single 2000 mah battery is recommended for the twin IGD.

One can install the unit into a unused channel and then mix that channel with the throttle control, thus eliminating the wye harness. A suitable transmitter with mixing must be used to do this.

The current draw of the IGD from the receiver in only 5 mah, rising to 10 mah when the LED and glow plug output are both continuously on. The twin IGD draws about twice this amount. This is not enough power consumption from the receiver battery, even with the twin unit, to cause any concern for a reduction in receiver battery life.

The on board battery can be used to start the engine. Because the engine temperature has cooled down prior to starting, the IGD will sense that the glow plug(s) needs to be turned on and will do so automatically.

Install the LED light so you can easily see if the light is on when unit is operating. A suggested method would be to insert a rubber grommet at an appropriate location and gently insert the LED light into the grommet, thus holding the LED light in position.

LOW RECEIVER AND GLOW PLUG BATTERY INDICATION
FEATURE

Built into the IGD microprocessor is a low receiver and glow plug battery indicator. When either of these two batteries go below a certain level, the LED light will start to flash. A double flash means the glow plug battery is below 1 volt and needs to be recharged. A repeating quadruple (4) flash means the receiver battery has reached 4.4 volts and you better recharge your receiver battery before you fly again.

The wiring installation is simple to accomplish in just a few minutes. Only a single standard nicad battery is used.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Single
Size: 1 1/2” x 1” x 1/2”
Weight: .37 ounces plus 1.2 v NiCad battery and wiring.
Supply Current: 5-10 mah

Twin
Size: 21/2” x 1” x 1/2”
Weight: .68 ounces plus 1.2 v NiCad battery and wiring.
Supply Current: 10-20 mah

General information for both units.
Construction: Heat shrink tubing over epoxy printed circuit board.
Connections: Via universal lead to fit Futaba, JR, & Hitec radios. Screw type wiring sockets.
Microprocessor supply voltage: 2.5 v to 6 v DC.
Output: Turns on external 1.2 volt NiCad battery current to operate glow plug of approximately 4 amps/glow plug.

Electronic Glow Drivers
ITEM NO.	DESCRIPTION	QTY. PKG.	PRICE
ESH1	Single Glow Driver	1	$59.95
ESH1-0	Single Glow Driver without glow plug connector	1	$52.95
ESH1-10	Single Glow Driver with ESH10 Cent-r-Lok OS or YS glow plug connector	1	$71.95
ESH2	Twin Glow Driver	1	$99.95
ESH2-0	Twin Glow Driver without glow plug connectors	1	$85.95
ESH2-20	Twin Glow Driver with ESH20 Cent-r-Lok OS or YS glow plug connectors	1	$114.95

Old price for single was $67.95 and $119.95 for the twin unit.

Revised 08/12/05

The Intelligent Glow Drivers are available from

NELSON Hobby Direct or at hobby dealers.

 

Cent-r-Lok™

Glow Plug Attach Connector

Miniature connector perfect for use with deep finned

cylinder heads and cowled in engines.

Made in England for

NELSON Hobby Specialties

This miniature assembly simply snaps onto a OS or YS glow plug. A small steel ball snaps into the grove at the top end of the glow plug and holds the connector securely to the glow plug. Unit is very small (only 7/16" long and about the diameter of the threaded end of the glow plug) and is perfect for cowled in engines. Use with any type of engine and is especially good for engines with the glow plugs that are deep into the cylinder fins. This unit can possibly be used with other types of glow plugs, but the snap-on attach fitting is designed specifically for the OS and YS glow plugs.

Red and Black wire supplied is highly flexible aerospace wire. One wire for the glow plug lead and the other for the ground wire. Push on wire attach fittings are already installed on one end of the two wires. Wire attach lugs (2) are provided. One for the glow plug and the other is a ground wire that is attached to the engine. The glow plug wire can swivel after unit is placed on the glow plug. The wire attach lug can be bent into any position as required.