scott
09-04-2009, 10:54 AM
are any of you guys keeping track of how many potato head moves i make while working on my rove? well here's another one.
being cheap and inpatient and forgetful (i'm always ordering parts and forgetting one or two) i decided to make my own voltage stabilizer. it came out pretty good but...
i tied a knot in a green wire, stripped and cut it to so i've about 1/2" past the knot. did this to a black wire too. took a light green and tied two knots in it and stripped the insulation between the knots. then i solder a 300 ohm resister with a power rating 500 mW, soldered the other end to the light greens between the knots. are you asking yourself why knots?
next i soldered a 12 v zeter diode 1100 mW rating to the black and between the resister and the light greens. these unlike the resister are directional so i had to go find some reading glasses to see the marking on the tiny bugger. still wondering about the knots?
then i heat up a bbq scewr on the stove and melt 2 little holes in the bottom of a film canister and 2 more in the lid. now the knots reveal thier purpose. slide the green and black out the bottom of the film canister and the light green through the lid. snap lid shut. tied 4 more knots sliding 'em as tight to the canister as i can. soldered male quick connects to the greens and and eyelet terminal to the black. removed and replaced one of the male quick connects, cussed a bit, slid the forgotten heat shrink on resoldered the connector. head out to the rove, cuss some more, go back in and replace the male quick connects on the light greens with females, go back out to the truck, i'm really getting pist at me now, go back in and replace the eyelet terminal on the black with a bigger one so it fits grounding bolt.
plug everything in but the gauge, turn on ignition and get a steady 9.56v out of the light greens from a digital voltmeter. crank it over and rev it up and steady as a rock at 9.61v.
feeling pretty good, not counting all my time (with all the freak'n do overs) voltage stabilize less than $1.
i should have never removed the old gauge, i think it may have gotten hosed cause it ain't working. it used to when i was just running 12v to it but now nada, not with 9.61 not with 13+ (when the truck is running and i bypass the stabilizer).
anyone gotta a couple of use gauges they want to sell?
being cheap and inpatient and forgetful (i'm always ordering parts and forgetting one or two) i decided to make my own voltage stabilizer. it came out pretty good but...
i tied a knot in a green wire, stripped and cut it to so i've about 1/2" past the knot. did this to a black wire too. took a light green and tied two knots in it and stripped the insulation between the knots. then i solder a 300 ohm resister with a power rating 500 mW, soldered the other end to the light greens between the knots. are you asking yourself why knots?
next i soldered a 12 v zeter diode 1100 mW rating to the black and between the resister and the light greens. these unlike the resister are directional so i had to go find some reading glasses to see the marking on the tiny bugger. still wondering about the knots?
then i heat up a bbq scewr on the stove and melt 2 little holes in the bottom of a film canister and 2 more in the lid. now the knots reveal thier purpose. slide the green and black out the bottom of the film canister and the light green through the lid. snap lid shut. tied 4 more knots sliding 'em as tight to the canister as i can. soldered male quick connects to the greens and and eyelet terminal to the black. removed and replaced one of the male quick connects, cussed a bit, slid the forgotten heat shrink on resoldered the connector. head out to the rove, cuss some more, go back in and replace the male quick connects on the light greens with females, go back out to the truck, i'm really getting pist at me now, go back in and replace the eyelet terminal on the black with a bigger one so it fits grounding bolt.
plug everything in but the gauge, turn on ignition and get a steady 9.56v out of the light greens from a digital voltmeter. crank it over and rev it up and steady as a rock at 9.61v.
feeling pretty good, not counting all my time (with all the freak'n do overs) voltage stabilize less than $1.
i should have never removed the old gauge, i think it may have gotten hosed cause it ain't working. it used to when i was just running 12v to it but now nada, not with 9.61 not with 13+ (when the truck is running and i bypass the stabilizer).
anyone gotta a couple of use gauges they want to sell?