[DeTomaso] Update

[gow2 at rc-tech.net]

This is the photo I meant to add of the steering column and controller in
the car:

http://www.rc-tech.net/cars2/panttransam/CT/CT3.jpg

If anyone passes through Southern Indiana and needs a platform for
building custom A-arms let me know:

http://www.rc-tech.net/pantera1/jig/jig2.jpg

http://www.rc-tech.net/pantera1/jig/jig1.jpg

I would rather not ship it as it is quite heavy but it is just sitting
here doing nothing. I figured others may be able to use; perhaps even pass
it around.

Forward or rear a-arms can be built on the platform.

Gary




> I have had little time to work on the car between the business and
> motorcycle rides but I am progressing.
>
> Some time back I put in a simple steering column form Speedway Motors. The
> column had no provisions for turn signals. About the only available on the
> market are circuits which you manually turn on/off the turn signals. There
> is also an option for turn signals which turn off in specified time.
>
> I built a rotary encoder which attached to the steering column then built
> a circuit to control it. That was some time back. There has been much work
> on these circuits since then.
>
> I started thinking about another way to do it with inertia. When you pull
> out of the drive through, you make a turn and your drink falls out of your
> cup holder. The next circuit was built around this force and it cancels
> the turn signal automatically internally with nothing attached to the
> column. I set it up in the truck. It took a lot of circuit adjustments but
> in the end, I could not believe how well it worked; even on a slow easy
> turn.
>
> Since then, with many hours of work I refined the circuit around a
> microprocessor, and I am now Patent Pending on both designs.
>
> I have developed a process for building the circuits and I expect to be
> selling the inertia based turn signal controllers after the first of the
> year.....no this is not a pitch to sell them but this is much the reason
> why progress has been slow on the car.
>
> The electrical system in the car is from scratch. There is little in this
> car electrical which resembles a stock Pantera. Each wire ran to terminals
> in the front trunk. The terminals make changes easy. Relays are in 2-banks
> in the front trunk. You can see the cap to the electric power steering
> pump in the floor:
>
> http://www.rc-tech.net/cars2/panttransam/CT/trunk%20fuse.jpg
>
> The rear firewall also has a small circuit breaker box as well as 2 relay
> banks. Located in the rear is also an air pump for the front air bags
> (raise the car for obstacles). I have about 80% of the electrical working.
> My goal is to get this thing running soon and off to the interior shop
> next spring.
>
> Here is the turn signal controller which uses the optical encoder finished
> up:
>
> http://www.rc-tech.net/cars2/panttransam/CT/CT1.jpg
>
> http://www.rc-tech.net/cars2/panttransam/CT/CT1.jpg
>
> The controller controls the flashers but does a few other things as well.
> There is a flasher reference so the lights are used as flashers as well.
> There is a flasher mix controllable with DIP switch. When on the turn
> signals can still be used with flashers. When both are used, the flashers
> blink 2x, then the turn signal blinks 2x, etc.
>
> On the production box there is also a reference for rear brake lights. I
> don't need that here BUT my basically I altered the program to use the
> front marker lights in conjunction with the signal and flashers.
>
> There is also a 3 min timer should one fail to turn off the signal for
> things like lane changes.
>
> The switch is operated by a momentary. The location on the Pantera dash is
> nice as you can activate it with your hands on the wheel. I had a guy with
> a performance car get one because he tracked his car a lot and he wanted
> to get the turn signal off the column as he had already broke it working
> the steering wheel on a road course.
>
> On another note, I wired the dash yesterday. It is connected with 3 plugs
> (almost did it with 2). @ plugs for all components and one for power on a
> strip mounted on the underside of the dash. This includes the spedo
> reference signal so removing dash will be a couple of screws, 3-plugs and
> 2 vent hoses.
>
> http://www.rc-tech.net/cars2/panttransam/CT/dashwire.jpg
>
>
> Gary
>
>
>
>
>
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