Robbie,
There seems to be several thoughts on this subject. My mechanic
recommeded either turning the heater on for several hours before flying
or simply leaving the heater on all winter. Cycling the heater on/off
on days that you don't fly will cause the moisture in the oil to
condense on the cold internal engine parts. By not running the engine
that day, the moisture isn't blown out of the crankcase. This process,
over time, may cause corrosion. Leaving the heater on all the time
helps to heat the internal components so that condensation isn't a
problem. Some say this is all nonsense. I don't know who to believe
so I'm trying to turn my heater on at least 3 hours before flying.
Sometimes that means stopping at the airport the night before or just
calling and asking the line guys to do it for me. I agree that the
pager setup would be best.
Dave
68 7ECA

Robbie S. wrote:
I decided to compromise for the time being..... I have selected a digital
timer that allows 98 ON/OFF customized selections of time-spans per week.
This allows me to set the timer to start the heater at 5:00 AM on Saturday
or Sunday morning and stay on for about 3 hours and then shut down by
itself. The only drawback is that if I don't fly that day, it continues on
its cycle. But the cost was well worth it.... at $29 it wasn't bad.....
until I get a pager hooked up to it.

Here is a link to find this product......
http://www.rewci.com/in15ampoueld.html

If and when I can get the pager gizmo ready, I will post the results
here.....

...Robbie.


"dave" wrote in message
...

If you figure it out, please let me know. I've been wondering about it
too. The guys at the airport will plug me in if I call and ask but it'd
be nice to just dial up.
Dave
68 7ECA

Robbie S. wrote:

I have been trying to figure out a cheaper alternative to having to pay
$369 to purchase a Beeper Box to turn the engine heater on in my hanger
from a remote location an hour or two before I fly. Before I try and
re-invent the wheel, does anyone know of a product on the market that
could do the same thing without the fantastic price tag. If I don't find
it anywhere.... my garage will offer all the inspiration I need to rig
one myself.

...Robbie.