OFNA Starter Box: Full-option starter

Radio Control Car Action, Dec 1998 by Vogel, Greg

A starter box just turns the engine over, right? Yes; but wouldn't it be convenient if the box incorporated just about everything you needed to get any gas car movin'? OFNA's* new Super Starter (part no. 10253-with glow panel, $129.95 10250-without glow panel, $99.95) is just such a box; it's far more than just a starting motor in a steel case, it's a starter box that can start just about any type of car, and it includes a power panel to charge your remote glow starter or plug-in glow clip. Here's the rundown.

The durable steel case is painted in a bright-blue finish and is held together with several screws and pop-rivets for sturdy construction. The top plate features many slots into which to place the guide wedges to hold and align your car with the starting wheel. You will also notice the "L"shaped slot for the starter wheel to poke through. The motor can be repositioned to accommodate the various engine-mounting positions of 1/10- and 1/8-scale cars. The rubber starting wheel is molded onto a bell-shaped starter wheel that positions the wheel over the motor's core. This is what enables you to change the motors position and still have it fit in the box.

Opening the box reveals a battery tray with zip-ties to secure a 12V gel-cell battery (not inclued). It's easier to mount the battery with zip-ties rather than fuss with double-sided tape. which tends to lose adhesion.

A handle on the side of the box makes it easy to cart the unit around, and there's a power switch on the same side to disable the power to the motor when not in use. There are also two charging jacks above the switch, but they aren't hooked up.

How many boxes include a power panel? Not many. The power panel allows you to use a plug-in glow-igniter clip (not included), and a trim pot adjusts the current to heat the plug. The glow plug look-alike that is bolted to the panel can charge a remote glow starter. Handy LED indicators let you know the functions are working properly.

To see how well the starter works, I brought it along to start the cars in the the 1/8-scale buggy guide that's also featured in this issue. The box fired up the cars pretty well, although the motor had a little trouble with the fresh, high-compression engines. The motor should have no problems, however, with an engine that is properly broken in. The power panel came in handy when I needed to recharge my glow starter by the track. The starter proved itself durable as well as convenient, as it started our buggies countless times. The OFNA Super Starter gets a thumbs up in my book. -Greg Vogel