Author Topic: Shift Light.... with a difference :D (Read 41857 times)

eurisko · « **on:** Sep 21, 2006, 03:51PM »

Yeap, ive just spent 3 days designing and building a 'new' kind of shift light for my tacho.

Buy the end of today ill have pictures and a video to show you guys what i mean, but as of right now ill give you guys a bit of a hint of what it will look like.

This is possibly the coolest invention ever made.... and now i will have it in my car!

Because its a spur of the moment kinda thing, I didnt get a chance to actually photograph its construction and whatnot, but ill see if i can explain how i did it soon.

The idea was stolen off a nobel m15....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mIHVpfNwPo

And goto 1:12 to 1:18....

EDIT: The circutry hasnt been built yet, but the hardware has, so im heading to jaycar after work to get all the bits and pieces for the mod!

EDIT: VIEW IT W0RKING HERE!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIPuuvuWhxI

chr1S · « **Reply #1 on:** Sep 21, 2006, 07:59PM »

ahaha that's crazy

, ive never thought of that... at all !

Ka-Bluey · « **Reply #2 on:** Sep 21, 2006, 08:18PM »

That would be cool if you could pull it off.

eurisko · « **Reply #3 on:** Sep 21, 2006, 10:22PM »

Well, the tacho has already been modified and is working, and i just got back from jaycar with the chips and circutry needed to drive it.

Tommorrow ill solder it all up and have a crack, hopefully she'll work! (Testing the led's it looks fucking awsome... im surprised at how good it actually looks!)

More soon...

Jono · « **Reply #4 on:** Sep 21, 2006, 11:38PM »

Looks like a really good idea... but I'd think of it more as a redline than shift light because you wouldn't see it in your peripheral vision... unless you put in a heap of red LEDs

Colby · « **Reply #5 on:** Sep 22, 2006, 12:01AM »

Now watch this one and wait till right near the end in the TVR. Thats my idea of a shift light

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVb1FX7DWqQ&mode=related&search=

eurisko · « **Reply #6 on:** Sep 22, 2006, 10:07AM »

Quote from: Jono on Sep 21, 2006, 11:38PM

Looks like a really good idea... but I'd think of it more as a redline than shift light because you wouldn't see it in your peripheral vision... unless you put in a heap of red LEDs

Hehehe nah nah.... im not using your regular LEDs you can get at jaycar mate.... im using the good stuff... $35 a pop for these bad boys, you cant look at them directly, because they WILL blind you!

Pics tonight....

EDIT: I just saw that clip. Ive seen it before, but it will only work with those kind of 3D projection type digital displays.... like on a echo. But.... maybe you should have a crack ey?

Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing · « **Reply #7 on:** Sep 22, 2006, 10:28AM »

How about this idea for u13 owners with HUD. A hud colour change for a shift light.

Colby · « **Reply #8 on:** Sep 22, 2006, 10:47AM »

man colour range for the HUD would be awsome. Although i'm not sure how clearly colours come ouit on the HUD. But that would be great too!
I'm keen to see the outcome of the needle, looks like it could be sweet!

eurisko · « **Reply #9 on:** Sep 23, 2006, 05:23PM »

Well, its installed and working!

Ill take a video of it after i eat lunch (yes im aware of the time

) and post it up! Teeheee

It looks awsome!

EDIT:

View it here!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIPuuvuWhxI

Jecks · « **Reply #10 on:** Sep 23, 2006, 06:44PM »

that is bloody brilliant... 2 thumbs up and an erection...

Kranzy · « **Reply #11 on:** Sep 23, 2006, 06:55PM »

Quote from: Jecks on Sep 23, 2006, 06:44PM

that is bloody brilliant... 2 thumbs up and an erection...

I agree bloody fantastic.

JelloBello · « **Reply #12 on:** Sep 23, 2006, 07:29PM »

wow. That is really cool.

I'm eagerly awaiting the write-up . . . If there's going to be one?

eurisko · « **Reply #13 on:** Sep 23, 2006, 07:45PM »

Yeah mate, there will be a write up... but no photos unfortunately... $:-\$

Like i said, i did it pretty much spur of the moment and mostly at work, so i didnt get a chance to take photos.

I havent had a spin at night, but im going to right now.... so ill give a review in about 30 mins!

Keep you all posted!

eurisko · « **Reply #14 on:** Sep 23, 2006, 08:01PM »

oh, and thanks for the feedback guys!

The camera makes it look a lot more "white" than it really is.... ill try and get better footage!

Rake · « **Reply #15 on:** Sep 23, 2006, 10:15PM »

Thats awesome

eurisko · « **Reply #16 on:** Sep 24, 2006, 09:58PM »

Just a quick tutorial. Same post on my project section, but ill repost here just for ease of readability.

I used these types of LEDs. They are extremely small and produce an obscene amount of light.

Taking apart the dash and pulling off the cluster, removed needle, black plastic face and circut board from the perspex frame. (All small screws)

I marked out the location for the leds next to the needle hole, and dremeled the square cutout very carefully. Dont remove too much material, or youll be stuffed!

I also bent the legs flat, and using a triangular shaped mill bit, made indents into the back of the perspex, so the leds will sit flush and not interfere with the spring for the needle.

I used ribbon cable to solder onto the leds because it is very flat and thin. After they were soldered, the leds were placed into the holes and hot glued into place.

With the wires in place, 2 small holes were made into the black face of the tacho, letting the leds pop out.

Everything was put back together and tested!

The orange backing from the needle was removed with a razor blade, and white out was put in its place. (Model paint is also used by some ppl, but i didnt have any

)

With the hardware done, i went to jaycar and bought a frequency switch kit.

Making that, the leds were connected to the relay (green led on the n/c or normally closed pin, and the red on the normally open pin).

A small 1k variable trimpot was placed in series to allow for light intesity variation.

Power for both the lights and circuit was tapped from the Cigarette lighter power supply (Dont do what i did and try the power from the dashboard lights.... they drain too much and dont let the circut or leds run).

Plug it all in, and your off!

Hopefully thats sorta enough to get you on the right track.

I still have heaps of these LEDs left (i have about 6 blue, 3 red and 3 green Leds, and like 20 white ones)... so i might be able to help you guys out if i have the time

otherwise, i might use them for other projects!

Jono · « **Reply #17 on:** Sep 24, 2006, 11:22PM »

Very nice, I'm impressed

One little tip though, hot glue isn't the best thing to use in a car, especially with the heat of summer coming up. If you're going to use hot glue then back it up with silicon, and make sure the glue won't do any damage if it warms up and runs down wherever.

But yeah... looks brilliant!

How is it to drive with at night?

Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing · « **Reply #18 on:** Sep 25, 2006, 10:25AM »

Very cool!

MAG86 · « **Reply #19 on:** Sep 25, 2006, 11:15AM »

a big order of McKarma to you....

absolutly brilliant...

I will DEFINITLY be doing this!!!

weasel · « **Reply #20 on:** Sep 25, 2006, 12:47PM »

very nice

can you set when it swaps to red or is it just preset??

and tell you what if you want pics for the tutorial, you could always modify a dash for me and take photos in the process

eurisko · « **Reply #21 on:** Sep 25, 2006, 01:26PM »

Quote from: weasel on Sep 25, 2006, 12:47PM

very nice

can you set when it swaps to red or is it just preset??

and tell you what if you want pics for the tutorial, you could always modify a dash for me and take photos in the process

Yeah, ive set it to 4500 to give me a bit of warning that im thrashing it... but you can set it to anything.

And ill do it no worries.... *cha ching*

MAG86 · « **Reply #22 on:** Sep 25, 2006, 02:14PM »

with the circuit, is there a way to have multiple triggers?

like a white LED for 0 to 3500 rpm, blue for 3500 to 4500 rpm, then a bright arse red one for after 4500 rpm?

kERo66 · « **Reply #23 on:** Sep 25, 2006, 02:49PM »

Quote from: MAG86 on Sep 25, 2006, 02:14PM

with the circuit, is there a way to have multiple triggers?

like a white LED for 0 to 3500 rpm, blue for 3500 to 4500 rpm, then a bright arse red one for after 4500 rpm?

thats an idea, depends on the switch thing your using, by the sounds it only has open and closed so only 2 but im sure there is a way around that.

how much approx for materials and if we were to get you to do it for us what would be the labour?

MAG86 · « **Reply #24 on:** Sep 25, 2006, 03:15PM »

the kit is $35. those good LEDs i have no-idea , maybe $5 each,

so materials around $45..... then there's a good hour building the kit, then all the mucking around with the dash, about 3 to 4 hours all up....(including installation)

$45 materials
$60 labour (@ $20/hr)

$110 would be a good price for the work done (including install) of course as more are made the less time it takes to make, so a GROUP BUY would definitly decrease the final price eh! for individual kits, ready made to install yourself... I would aim for $65 to $70, for one kit.... maybe $50 if like 10 are to be made...

But hey this IS eurikso's idea, i will let him do the marketing and stuff....
(Hey eurikso Im pretty good with electronics too if you ever need a hand

)

kERo66 · « **Reply #25 on:** Sep 25, 2006, 03:19PM »

its actually 35 for a led i believe and he has 2 so its probably going to be more

MAG86 · « **Reply #26 on:** Sep 25, 2006, 03:27PM »

man you can get a pacl of 50 luxeons pretty cheap off e-bay...
i really dont think they would be $35 each... i could be wrong though!

omad · « **Reply #27 on:** Sep 25, 2006, 03:37PM »

It's not really a shift light if it comes on at 4500, unless you do actually change at that.

The idea is great, though. I wouldn't mind another light stage if it was possible to do so.

How does the kit acutally trigger the light change? I'd be interested to see if you could do the same thing for the speedo and set that to 100 or 110km/h.

MAG86 · « **Reply #28 on:** Sep 25, 2006, 04:38PM »

the kit is made to switch on or off a device when a pre-set frequency is reached, the tacho operates on pulses of electicity ...A speedo is a pulse output too ... im sure it will work on a speedo....

You could have 3 or more buttons(or a dial with marked speeds) on the dash or steering wheel, which switch the level of the relay to go off at 60km/h 80km/h or 100km/h

i think this is a great way to avoid speeding... i would definitly see the benefit of this on long drives, like when you look down and go "...shit im going 120km/h, i wasnt looking at the speedo, *FLASH*.... oh SHIT"
which happened to me during a 3 hour drive....

I am positive the kit can only trigger at one pre-set point, but it can turn on more than 1 device. (like a beeper)
for more than 1 trigger point (multiple relays) another kit would need to be added, or use a completely different one.....

on a single kit you could switch the inputs and outputs, like speedo OR tacho ( including their lights) but not both on at the same time...

oh im ordering one as soon as i get paid....

eurisko · « **Reply #29 on:** Sep 25, 2006, 08:13PM »

I talked to my boss and the other electrical engineer at work today, and I realised the LEDs cost about $6 bucks each, not $35 (that was the price for a set, not one... my bad guys!

)

The circuit is designed only for one output... but talking with the engineer, he can help me redesign it to allow multiple inputs/outputs....

I might post a quick poll to see if its worth either selling a diy kit, or maybe an exchange type program (send me your tacho, ill send it back modified with the kit)... or something else...

Depending on how much I can source the kit from (or make my own), how many ppl are interested, it could be from 100 bucks to 50... including full modification, kit and associated hardware and full instructions...

But thats upto you guys