Cell enabled switch for preheater

Huckster79

Huckster79

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Huckster79
i thought this would be easy to find but everything I google is diy... I’m a diy guy but not interested for this... I just wanna buy a unit I can call or text and it turns an outlet on for my preheater.

Anyone got one or know of one I don’t have to rig up a Rube Goldberg device to have...
 
That looks slick I may order one, my only dislike is 18 hours max. I plan on 8 hours but also if after it’s on, I don’t like to turn it off till next flight if a no go arises... I guess worse case in that scenario I drive over and plug it in straight...
 
The Switchbox product is good, and I found that the owner provided great service.

For economical reasons, mine used the cheapest prepaid cell-phone service, T-Mobile. The only gotcha was that if you don't periodically buy a certain small amount of credit from T-Mobile then you lose your phone number. When I let it happen, the owner of Switchbox was really helpful in selling me a replacement sim card at a modest price and providing clear instructions on what to do, so I would say that the customer service is really good.

Mine was one of their original designs, and it lasted about four years, then it quit working.
 
Huckster79 said:
That looks slick I may order one, my only dislike is 18 hours max. I plan on 8 hours but also if after it’s on, I don’t like to turn it off till next flight if a no go arises... I guess worse case in that scenario I drive over and plug it in straight...
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You can change the length of time it’s on. If you need it on longer, just call again after 18 hours.
 
How's this. Put in your cowl plugs and a couple blankets across the nose. Leave your heater on all the time. You'll turn the nose of your airplane into a nice little heated hangar and your engine will stay toasty warm all the time. I've been doing this on my aircraft for years. In fact I have to go plug it in one evening this week. It's time.
 
steingar said:
How's this. Put in your cowl plugs and a couple blankets across the nose. Leave your heater on all the time. You'll turn the nose of your airplane into a nice little heated hangar and your engine will stay toasty warm all the time. I've been doing this on my aircraft for years. In fact I have to go plug it in one evening this week. It's time.
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Thats what I did last year, and may this year again. I sewed my own cowl cover for it in fact, all sorts of insulated. I just have heard/read that its better if they aren't going to be run for long periods of time that they be cold rather than warm, and there were weeks on end of unfliable weather last winter, at least for me... So I guess that was my thought, was to keep that oil thick an stuck in place when not in use, and give her 8 hours before I go. With the cover and 8 plus hours the upper part of the cowl was reading 80+ degrees, I love knowing those cylinders think its July at start up...
 
Huckster79 said:
I just have heard/read that its better if they aren't going to be run for long periods of time that they be cold rather than warm, and there were weeks on end of unfliable weather last winter, at least for me...
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If someone offered you a heated hangar, would you go for it? That's what you're doing, turning your engine bay into a miniature heated hangar. And good on you for fabricating a cowl cover. I just use ratty old moving blankets.
 
steingar said:
And good on you for fabricating a cowl cover. I just use ratty old moving blankets.
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Harbor Freight's 4' X 6' moving blanket is just about perfect as a cowl cover. I got one for free, with a coupon.
 
I bought one of these: (or a similarly listed version of the same thing).
https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-KKm...s=gsm+relay+switch&qid=1572396352&s=hi&sr=1-9

You have to do a little wiring (just attach an input power cord and an output power cord to the NO/NC relay outputs) and I happened to have a project box that fit it well, so I stuffed it all in there with the antenna poking out.
But for little more than $30, I have a cell phone enabled switchbox. Exactly the same stuff as the "switchbox" for 1/10 the price. Plus my simcard is only $5/month and each call or text is something like $0.04 (out of the $5/month minimum). Can't imagine that I will turn on and off the heater more than 100 times a month! It comes with instructions that you use to text the device and you can turn on or off each of the different relays (10 amp), turn all on, turn all off, query the current settings, etc. No app, but just a text and it will tell you if it is on or off.
 
steingar said:
If someone offered you a heated hangar, would you go for it? That's what you're doing, turning your engine bay into a miniature heated hangar. And good on you for fabricating a cowl cover. I just use ratty old moving blankets.
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Valid, Valid Point!!!! I've used both blankets and my cover... I bought mine last November and the winter was brutal and I couldn't fly near as much as I wanted to, especially as a brand new wet behind the ears tailwheel pilot, and so I put my anxious energy to go fly my new bird into firing up my old Singer... Its nylon backpack type material then I think 80 grams of thinsulate and then a silky jacket type liner. Made a prop and spinner cover too :) I love to tinker... One nice thing making it custom I was able to add a chunk of air-compressor hose that fits nicely vent tube so the old Continental can "mark her territory" without dripping that snot inside my cover :)IMG_3709.JPGIMG_4564.JPG
 

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I use a switchbox to turn my preheater on. works great and as mentioned above the customer service is excellent.

switchbox.jpg

I recently had a Reiff preheat system installed including the cylinder bands. Just a few days ago I threw the moving blankets on our Commander and plugged her in. Ready for winter Op's.

covered for preheat.jpg preheater 1.jpg preheater 2.jpg reiff standard system.jpg
 
Matthew Rogers said:
I bought one of these: (or a similarly listed version of the same thing).
https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-KKm...s=gsm+relay+switch&qid=1572396352&s=hi&sr=1-9

You have to do a little wiring (just attach an input power cord and an output power cord to the NO/NC relay outputs) and I happened to have a project box that fit it well, so I stuffed it all in there with the antenna poking out.
But for little more than $30, I have a cell phone enabled switchbox. Exactly the same stuff as the "switchbox" for 1/10 the price. Plus my simcard is only $5/month and each call or text is something like $0.04 (out of the $5/month minimum). Can't imagine that I will turn on and off the heater more than 100 times a month! It comes with instructions that you use to text the device and you can turn on or off each of the different relays (10 amp), turn all on, turn all off, query the current settings, etc. No app, but just a text and it will tell you if it is on or off.
Click to expand...

There is full juice out of that? So a chord in and properly wired cord out and good to go?
 
10 amp relays for each output. Not sure how much total amperage the unit can pass, but for my heater (275 watts) it is good. I assume that you could run a separate power input to each relay and it could switch up to 50 amps of current.

You connect the white wires together outside of the switch box and run one black to COM and the other to NO. I ran a jumper from COM1 to COM2 to have a second powered switch from a single power cord. I’ll take a pic next time I am at the airport (Saturday).
 
Matthew Rogers said:
I bought one of these: (or a similarly listed version of the same thing).
https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-KKm...s=gsm+relay+switch&qid=1572396352&s=hi&sr=1-9

You have to do a little wiring (just attach an input power cord and an output power cord to the NO/NC relay outputs) and I happened to have a project box that fit it well, so I stuffed it all in there with the antenna poking out.
But for little more than $30, I have a cell phone enabled switchbox. Exactly the same stuff as the "switchbox" for 1/10 the price. Plus my simcard is only $5/month and each call or text is something like $0.04 (out of the $5/month minimum). Can't imagine that I will turn on and off the heater more than 100 times a month! It comes with instructions that you use to text the device and you can turn on or off each of the different relays (10 amp), turn all on, turn all off, query the current settings, etc. No app, but just a text and it will tell you if it is on or off.
Click to expand...

I think this one would work great as I can run the remote antenna onto exterior hanger wall... I didn’t realize these were the full relay, I thought they were the relay controller and then ya had to get relays to control the device... I mis-read these the first time I looked it up...

FD6A849E-0B8E-47C3-BE45-B229B6BEAA71.png
 
Huckster79 said:
I think this one would work great as I can run the remote antenna onto exterior hanger wall... I didn’t realize these were the full relay, I thought they were the relay controller and then ya had to get relays to control the device... I mis-read these the first time I looked it up...

View attachment 79334
Click to expand...
Well, I am not sure all of the GSM controllers are full current relay controllers. I know the one I listed works And I opened it up to look inside and verify the relay specs, but the others may not be setup in the same way. You can purchase an antenna extension cable for any of them, the antenna screws on with a standard connection(I don’t know what it is called) and I am sure “they” make extension cables.
 
Huckster79 said:
They are out of stock...
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Did Phillip say when they’d have more switchbox? I’ve got an old TMobile model, can’t use it in Denver anymore. If you have 2G Tmobile in your area, it’s yours for shipping and a pint of Ben & Jerry’y. PM your address.
 
Matthew Rogers said:
Well, I am not sure all of the GSM controllers are full current relay controllers. I know the one I listed works And I opened it up to look inside and verify the relay specs, but the others may not be setup in the same way. You can purchase an antenna extension cable for any of them, the antenna screws on with a standard connection(I don’t know what it is called) and I am sure “they” make extension cables.
Click to expand...

I think I may try this one, as it shows it has capacity for my preheater. And with the extension included looks like a good buy. It also has a permnently on once called setting, which is what I would prefer in the event the flight got cancelled, I would leave it on until the next flight as to not put it through a cool down cycle thus putting the internal engine through the dew point temp again...
 
Count me as a Switchbox customer. Recently purchased from Phillip and used it for the first time today. Actually turned it on at 11pm Friday evening. This morning it was 30 degrees at the hanger, but my oil temp and coolant were 90F.

I had a minor issue setting it up, easily and quickly handled by Phillip. Great customer service and a great product.
 
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