Hey Airdriver (Steve), are you still out there? I haven't seen a post from you in quite a while. I really enjoyed all the technical information you added to the discussions. Also, I would love to see more Articles from you.

The main reason I was thinking of you was because of your mention of hall effect sensors for detecting rpm's. I was wondering if you had any good links for information on these and their applications. I was also thinking that you might have some information on making digital guages for a car. I would like to start building a custom digital dash for my car and can't seem to remember which magazine I saw that stuff in (a long time ago).

Thanks
Gene

Try Dakota Digital out of Brookings SD
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DAN JARMAN 1-800-787-3781

I've thought about them, but they cost quite a bit for a poor college student like me. Also, I am interested in learning about how all that works and love a challenge. I wouldn't learn much by buying a pre-fabricated cluster! Also, I don't know that they could help me do quite what I want to do, since I plan to build an entire dash from fiberglass that will be very round and will kind of mold in with the console and everything. Because of that, there is no bezel or specific layout that I could really give them.
Thanks for the suggestion, though!

Gene

Gene,
Yep, I'm still here. Geez, I've been busy working on my garage-ma'hal. Okay, I'm gonna brag here a tad, I bought a 45X40 hangar at the local airport (Sevierville, TN - GKT). Hey - I have a 40' bifold door, I could watch that thing go up & down for hours!!!! The hangar has gas heat, running water, and electricity, and 14' ceiling at the lowest point. It's brand new, busy installing a bathroom w/ shower & kitchenette. I have my plane moved in and the wings back on (first time for both wings to be on at the same time in over 6 years!), a set of wings for my partners plane, a co-workers motorcycle. Also, I do have a TV, no cable or VCR, but I do have a TV (3 channels). When you guys (open invite to all) make a run to Pigeon Forge, TN I can give you a tour - close & easy to find. Hopefully I'll have a BBQ grill there by the time of the next rod run - do I smell a cookout?

Links for Hall Effect Sensors, no I don't have any specifics. Basically I was looking at noncontact, isolated systems of picking up signals to trigger whatever. I pretty much dug around until I found something that was close to I was looking for and then crowbarred it to work. Lots of experimentation, bunches of failures, some successes too. All of this spawned out of developing ignition systems and looking at modes of failure.

Digital gauges and such, a guy named Jim Weir of RST Engineering wrote some articles a while back in one of the flying magazines (Kitplanes) addressing topics near to this. Very straight forward, logical, easy, (I think even I could do it). There is discussions on using LEDs, lamp dimmers for LED lamps, volt stuff, capacitive fuel gauge, and other information that makes for good reading. Please see:
http://www.rst-engr.com/kitplanes/
for the articles.

I have some other stuff in my archives I would have to dig out if anyone is interested. I recall making warning lights & buzzers that could have the thresholds adjusted to suit your needs, I think I know where the article is, I just have to dig it out. Is this the kind of stuff you're looking for?

Hope this helps. Now, back to the chicken on the grill.
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Speed is relative - until you hit something

Airdriver, you may have opened a can of worms. Pigeon Forge is one of my favorite places to visit, usually get there two or three times a year. Haven't had my rod there yet, I travel in my lil ole camper, but it will be there one og these days.
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Roadsters Rule.

Sounds like that garage is nice! I can't wait to move away from the ol' parents to have a garage of my own. I park my daily driver (75 280z) and my project (69 mustang) out in the street. It's a pain trying to get anything done to the mustang while keeping the cops and neighbors happy! My mother won't let me move into the garage because she doesn't like to have to worry about ice and rain when she has to leave in the morning...oh, well. And here you are with a bathroom, TV, and kitchen...you're my idol, man!

Some of the stuff you mentioned you have in your archives is exactly the kind of stuff I want. I would like to set up my dash with some kind of display for just about all variables that I can. I hate not knowing what's going on with everything while I'm going down the road. I like to be able to monitor everything.

Thanks for the quick response!

Gene

I noticed your latest prodject is a 69 stang,I almost finished with my sons 71 mustang and have dug up alot of info and resources working on this prodject let my know if you need any help.

I don't know if I can be too much of a help here. Basically for a digital gauge, you can use a few things. If you have a hall-effect pickup on your distributor (or you add one -- wink/wink), you can use a circuit to convert the frequency returned to a voltage to drive a simple circuit to have LED's reference your RPM. I saw a circuit years ago for a Dodge Neon that didn't have a factory tach -- basically it was xx leds that lit up in response to the RPM. The wheels should be turning here . . . because with some creativity, you could easily make a shift light based on that principle.

Here's a good URL for a low-cost RPM light:

http://harlan.sketchy.net/page/shiftlight.html
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Bradley Miller
http://morris.accesszone.com -- Honey I shrunk the street rod