Listers,
Summer is here (OK, not in Calgary, but most other places) and with it the
annual "My Tiger runs too hot! What do I do? postings. We can break this problem
into several categories:
1. Genuine overheating: Symptoms like in the picture I put together for my SUNI
webpage. I won't address that here, sorry.
2. Gauge reads incorrectly because of a sender or gauge problem. I can't do
anything about that, either.
3. Gauge reads incorrectly because the instrument voltage stabilizer is not
working properly.
Last year I replaced my Lucas regulator's guts (the bimetal strip with the
tarred horsehair resistance wire) with an IC regulator, and it's held up just
great so far. I've posted some hints before and a few listers have seen the
schematic, but at one of the tech sessions at Suni it became apparent that there
are quite a few people that would be interested in a more concrete solution.
So I put the question to you all: How much demand is there for a better
instrument regulator? If there is enough interest I will do a printed circuit
layout and/or a kit (including components) and/or a rebuild service (you ship me
a broken regulator, it comes back working). One thing I need to know is how
should it be packaged? On my car I rebuilt everything into the old regulator
can, using the old phenolic backplate, so aside from the new rivets, you can't
tell anything has been done. It might be easier to build the PCB so it is the
backplate, but this would give the regulator a different appearance. Cost-wise,
the IC regulator would be competitive with a new conventional regulator.
Theo Smit
tsmit@novatel.ca
tsmit@home.com
B382002705
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