When can we expect to see these ian?
When can we expect to see these ian?
Are gauges almost done ian, the summers coming
Not yet auto dimming circuit.
The first version would not work with blue displays simply because they are so critical with voltage, ie, almost no change takes them from off to full on, and they need a high voltage and there is no more voltage overhead available as I'm already running them at +7V, the maximum the rest of the display can take and they most of that for full brightness.
Just the 0.7V dropping across the circuits series diode proved to be too much and made them too dim. Would probably be fine if I could use +8 Volts. But I can't. The regulator needs a few volts above the output voltage and some of the wiring behind the dash in the 5GTT can be less than 10V with the heater fan on.
So, version two is on paper and needs to be built and tested.
I could make them up and send them out as they are, but if I can make this feature work, some of them at least will be better for it.
So how are you going to get around this problem?Different displays or fiddling with the circuit, diodes ????
Plan to use a BD139 after the LEDs. The drop across that might be 0.2V.
Then to dim the LEDs shunt it's base with a 5551 with a pot in the emitter.
Or maybe put the pot in the base of the 5551.
Just an update. I managed to build up and test various configurations of the circuit together with a blue display last Sunday. Pressed on until 3.30am by which time it all seemed to be working nicely.
Just need to warm it all up with the hot air gun to check there is no significant current increase with the thermal increase that will occur in a car in the summer.
Thanks for your patience.
Good stuff .
I'll be needing it next week
AWESOME.
its nice to see they are nearly finished.
how we getting on ian.
Wow, another month has already vaporisedWhere did that go?
Anyway, I hoped to have some out by the end of this week but I had to draw another 9 month long project to a close in the last 8 days, completed today.
Much of the Charge Temp work is done. Two more boards to populate, then the plastic boxes to mark and hole, looms to make and then join the parts to those.
Here are some progress photos...
And...
..
Loving this thread... Quality use of the variboard,
Might be worth getting hold of a retro etching bath and making a batch of pcb that way on the next run? Save a load of time.
Keep up the good work
Thanks
It certainly would be a lot quicker to populate the boards if they were PCBs.
To make just 12 or so myself though it becomes less worthwhile once all the PCB cutting and drilling is done. There'd be up to 65 holes per board, and I'd have to find someone to make the transparency.
I'd also have to get myself some new layout designing software and figure out how to use it. My existing one, Ares from LabCentre, which I've not used for maybe 10 years, was made for Win95 / 98 and wouldn't work with XP.
If I was to do quite a lot more of these, which is unlikely, I'd get the boards made. Last time it cost me about £5 each for 30 similar sized PCBs. Maybe that would be £10 now which is therefore £10 extra to the bill of materials per unit which is already very high.
Another progress report..
The looms are made and fitted to the plastic boxes.
I'm now adding the boards and regulators to the boxes and joining on the K-type plugs to the leads. It's taking a painstaking 2 1/4 hours each unit. I did two yesterday and one today. I was hoping to do 6 each day.
Right due to problems in life I am having to leave the renault scene, as I was one of the few and very lucky members to put my name down and actually secure one of these gauges I am now going to have to sell it before I have even received the item or even before its built
If anyone is interested please pm me and we can have a chat. Don`t miss out on one of these gauges. Just wished I had a renault 2 use it on
Couple of new photos added above
I received mine today. Not had a chance to try it but it looks awesome. Very well built and a nicely detailed 3 page instruction manual. 10/10 from me
Does that mean the rest of them are now finished?
Thanks for your good feedbackOriginally Posted by car.crash
I received mine today. Not had a chance to try it but it looks awesome. Very well built and a nicely detailed 3 page instruction manual. 10/10 from me
No. But I'm getting there
Does that mean the rest of them are now finished?
4 posted out of 6 complete.
Should have 2 more ready over the next few days and if payments are in by Monday they should be posted.
That leaves from the original order the two dual green's of you Mart and MFaulks and the dual white for Big Jim.
Since then I had another. I think that leaves just 3 sets more of components.
The two green duals are done but for the displays and therein lies a story of frustration. After trying to buy these displays since December and being told repeatedly "in a few weeks" now I'm told Trumeter 2 weeks ago went into liquidation and never actually had thoses parts or supplied them to the distributors.
So, someone who works there had a stock check and found 45 small green ones like Mart you wanted, they were there all the time but under a bit of paper or something, just as well they'd gone 'missing' really or they have been sold already, I tried to buy some of those today but they've discontinued credit card payment (I already got an email two days ago in response to my purchase request that followed my two phone calls. That wasn't good enough
Anyway, hopefully they'll be mine on Monday, then yours
Got mine this morning
All looks very good and the instructions very detailed
Although all the locations are for a 5 gtt
Thanks Ian .
what he saidI received mine today. Not had a chance to try it but it looks awesome. Very well built and a nicely detailed 3 page instruction manual. 10/10 from me
mine arrived yesterday but i wasn't in
Arrived today, good instructions and packaging.
From first looks is a surperb kit, need to have a read and try and find a place to put it in
Any joy?Anyway, hopefully they'll be mine on Monday, then yours
I'm starting to feel left out
Got mine yesterday Ian, really pleased with it. Build quality is awesome
Thanks everyone for your very good feedback.
Yes, the rest of the displays arrived this morning
Didn't want to raise expectations by saying they were on their way or anything in case there were further delays. They had lost the ones they previously found that I'd bought. But luckily, they evidently found a few more.
Hi Ian,
I don't suppose you have any of these left over clogging up cupboard space?
Hi Jack,
Yes I do have three in stock.
All with the smaller green back lit display. All single probe only.
I won't be able to do a dual one though. I'm not currently making them. These are from the last batch.
Great, could you send me a Pm with the details on cost etc please.
likewise ian , i got kinda lost after our conversation....blimmin kids...
Cheers Ian, I'll be in touch in a week or two once I can filter off some money without the wife finding out lol
Thanks for the reply ian as usual , ill send the funds tonight buddy...
funds sent my good manThanks for the reply ian as usual , ill send the funds tonight buddy...
Could someone please post a pix of the k-type plug I have ordeted a gaude and want to see if its the same.
Ian, can you supply the EGT probe or does CPC sell it?
Have you ordered one of the cheap ones off ebay?
Hi Matt,
Yes I can. I buy them from Universal Thermosensors. One EGT Probe and one stainless steel compression gland costs me about £52inc VAT + UTs £11.75 postage fee.
I have them made with the Hastelloy sheath about 500mm long, so the 250°C parts, ie the potted seal, can be cable tied well away from the exhaust side. The stainless over-braided extension cable is about 2 metres.
RS sell some cheaper ones that might do for a while. Also 1.5mm diameter stainless steel sheathed, but a cheaper steel, the UT ones are Hastelloy X. They have a plug, as above photo, attached direct to a short, maybe 6 inches, probe so you need to get a socket and a K-type extension cable and another plug. I seems to recall they do some slightly longer versions too. The plug / socket is not ingress proof so will get water in it and, over time, dirt. But the metals, Alumel and Chromel, don't really corrode, if at all, so should be OK. The plug / socket is only rated for something like 250°C so near to the exhaust in the particularly hot 5GTT could see it melt.
I don't now know if CPC sell something suitable. I had a quick look and it appears they don't.
Thanks Ian, great info that! Eventually I'm going to need one and was thinking of sharing my CT module when needed as long as no further calibration is required?
Should be fine. I just checked my records and your version is listed as capable of reading up to 1200°C.
I can't vouch for the accuracy at that though as I didn't test the EG temperature performance back then like I did with the recent ones, at 800°C.
It'll probably give you a near enough idea I should think. Within ±50°C maybe. To trim it you could get a calibrated k-type meter / multimeter and a paint stripper gun and heat the tip up on your probe until it glows. Read the temperature and then plug it into your 'in-car' gauge and repeat the test. You need to be very consistent with the probe position in the air gun air stream. Just 1mm side to side can be 100°C different.
Cheers for the pix ian. Yeah ordered a cheapo one off the bay, didnt realise more of these proper ones were being made
The ebay one has a small single probe for a sensor though. It will probably be pants I may try an ian s one at the same time to see how far out it is
They're not. I have two left from the last batch. A green back lit display and a blue one.
Oh ok got me lines crossed somewhere as usual
Mmmmnnnn dont suppose you have one in stock you could post today Ian?
Happy to wire the cash or give it to you ND if your attending?
Running a bit of a pmt setup for mallory and no idea of temps could be a accident waiting happen but also not fancy the cost of the Spa item
Prob to late now either way but be nice to get one
DG
One brand new gauge left now. Last one.
Smaller size blue back lit display.
£142.00 delivered. £135 cash on collection.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
