I rigged this up to preheat my C172. It seems to do well but I hate having to run to the airport to plug it in so usually end up using my Red Dragon. I know you can purchase cellular switches but they seem expensive. Any DIY options?
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What do you consider expensive? This switch is $115 and works well for me. It does require a cell plan which costs me $3/month.
https://www.amazon.com/GSM%E2%80%91A...%2C169&sr=8-26
I've used one of these to turn on my milk house heater back when I owned my Tri-Pacer. Cost is $13 at Ho De.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Intermat...311K/205478760
I have one of those. They worked great when I kept the plane 5 minutes away from where I work. But now I'm 25 minutes away so even this requires an extra trip for me.Originally Posted by steve
The GSM remote switch that Kyle shows is a little on the expensive side. The switch cannot operate the outlet directly, you also need a relay. See the December, 2019 issue of Sport Aviation, page 122 for a DIY GSM remote switch that is controlled by sending it a text. The RTU5024 remote switch cost $17.49 and the SSR-25 DA relay cost $3.95, both on eBay. The power supply, outlet, and a box in which to mount the relay were laying around the house and workshop. Not sure if the relay really requires a box, if you have an electrician friend it might be a good idea to ask. We use the same type of heater as in Jasstech's photo with a blanket thrown over the top of the cowling of our PA-12 and the duct hanging on the engine mount in the bottom of the cowl where the cooling air escapes.
Bob
Last edited by Capt Bob; 11-12-2020 at 09:28 PM.
The switch I linked has a built in relay and works as-is.
I'll check that one out! That price is less than half of what I was finding.
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