Question:
After popping a power trace on my power panel trying to start my Saito 180 a couple of days ago, I soldered a 10 gauge jumper wire over the break and went at it again tonight. I first tried starting it by hand flipping the prop, and after quite a while only managed to get it to pop once or twice (tried both forward flips and backwards - popped twice on forwards, none on backwards, carb was primed more than I would normally for using a starter). So, I plugged in my Dynatron, and it was having trouble turning the engine over. I kept my finger on the "trigger", and after about 10 seconds massive amounts of smoke start pouring out of the battery compartment of my field box. I get up, see a orange glow through the amp meter on the power panel, and run to the garage for the fire extinguisher. A couple of squirts (dry chemical) put the fire out. Taking the panel off and the covering over the battery I see that I burned up ALL the wiring (insulation was on fire), and looks like the power panel is history. So, time for a new power panel, possibly a starter battery, and some heavy gauge wire from the battery to the jacks for the starter. Could have been a lot worse, and it still beats crashing a plane, but this is getting darn frustrating. It's things like this where I say to myself "The RC gods are trying to tell me something..."

Answer: Did that myself a couple of weekends ago with a video system I built for my 40 trainer. Made the mistake of using a Radio Shat power jack to be able to charge the 10 cell 1100mAh power pack. Well, the housing of the power jack tends to rotate while you are tightening the nut even finger tight. First time you stick a plug in, it mangles the contact shorting it against the center pin. Wondering at the excessive resistance when inserting the plug, I removed it and just had time to goggle at the melted insulator in the tip when a loud FIZZLE! sound was heard. Reacting quickly with a few choice words while simultaniously lunging for the phillips screw driver, I franticly started removing screws from the casing accompanied by a merry crackling/hissing sound not unlike frying bacon. All the while cursing at myself for thinking ahead and CA hardening the screw holes. Got to the last screw, instantly decided the balsa lid would give before that last screw would unthread and yanked the cover off. Did I mention the vast plumes of smoke which had, during the removal of screw 1 of 7, begun pouring out of every crevice, hole, antenna passage and seam in the box? By this time I was reduced to spectator status as the main connection had, due to the incredible sun-like heat, de-soldered itself. There was nothing left to do but yank the now defunct pack of slag out of the box and read about it in the paper while nursing my blisters. 30 bones down the furshgurgler! No other damage other than the blisters and some interesting scorch marks inside the housing. Oh yeah, the shop didnt smell too nice either. What was learned from this? 1. Fuse! Next pack will include a fuse in the power lead. 2. Dont seal the case untill all tests have been completed. That or keep a big hammer ready at all times. 3. (Probably should be#1)Radio Shat components are crap. The second one of these plugs I tried did the same exact thing when I installed it. Rotate and short. The ones I bought from Electronic City are made a bit beefier and are keyed in such a way as to be near impossible to short out. By accident, anyway. Rotating the barrel would destroy the thing literally.