Alan Lincoln - My Dad 1930-2016

A significant reason for this blog existing at all, apart from motivating me to complete the Zero build, was to also share the build progress with my Dad. 

Over the last four years the blog, as well as being public, was a personal news update - something we could share and talk about. Dad could see the progress (check my work :) ) on a daily/weekly basis, or watch the videos of the various road trips to Scotland or across Europe.

Dad died on 24th October 2016 on the last day of a family holiday.

It feels like the right thing to do to also record his passing here.

Just after the car was completed in 2013 I took Dad out for a run. 

I'm not sure he knew what he was letting himself in for! I hadn't spun the Zero at this point so possibly I was a little over confident in it's ability to stick to the road.

One of my favourite pictures of Dad back in the late 1940s or early 50s on his motorcycle: coat, tie and turn-ups as was his style.

Alan Lincoln 1930-2016

Husband, Brother, Father, Grandfather

Master builder, Joiner, Model maker & All round scratch builder of almost anything (especially from wood)

My Dad

Radio hack - bluetooth transmitter

The new wireless intercom allows a media input channel via bluetooth.

The radio is intended to be useful but also: too boring to nick and have minimum of openings/semi weatherproof. The quickest way of adding a bluetooth output appears to be modding it slightly.

Around a fiver buys me a rechargeable bluetooth Tx which charges from a 5v USB supply.

As soon as it sees USB power the unit starts up in pairing mode without the need for an on/off switch. I don't need the battery (nor want a LIPO in the car) so that is removed and I'll just drive it from the USB power input.

Plenty of room inside the Blaupunkt Melbourne 180 - its the shortened version and has no mechanical CD drive. It has both SD card and USB file inputs - the latter means there is 5v on the circuit board easily traceable from the existing front panel socket and on reasonably sized solder pads.

Patched in mini USB cable on the back of the front panel to feed GND and 5v

Mini Phono patched into the rear C1 connector giving me a line level audio feed.

Even though it is called line level this radio drives it through the volume knob, so still some gain control via the radio.

...all assembled, hot glued in place and hot glued strain reliefs on the new wires. The bluetooth module stuck to the front panel which hopefully helps its range. When the radio turns on, so does the bluetooth module which immediately looks for an existing pairing then streams whatever the radio outputs.

Update - later addition of a ground loop isolator to suppress audio interference

Final mod - a 15mm grommet on the volume knob so its easier to get a grip on when driving and especially when wearing gloves.

Aux Switches change - Savage out

All Change on the Aux panel.

The savage switches are no more, replaced with some robust stainless halo illuminated ones.

These have a 12v illumination, and two single pole switches - one normally open (NO) and one normally closed (NC), requiring a slightly different dimmer circuit.

Circuit

The load side now also needs a diode to prevent it being driven from the side light side of the circuit but letting it power the LED when on.

When off
  Side lights will light the switches dimly via the resistor
  Load is isolated from any illumination due to the diode

When on
  Side lights are disconnected from the switch on the NC side
  Load takes power from +ve
  Load feeds bright Illumination direct through the diode

(Assuming the switch is open before close)

The diode and resistor incorporated in these inline bundles attached to the load wire, all wrapped with shrink tubing once installed.

Before

Nothing wrong with the looks, just fell out with the switches themselves..

After

Retro dymo style labels instead of button logos.
The lighter socket is also gone, replaced with a 2x 5v USB unit (see footnote).

It was dark in the garage, meaning flash, meaning the colours where somewhat skewed - the switches illuminate blue dimly when lights are turned on, and brightly when the switch itself is turned on.

Before the Aux panel goes back in the radio needs a modification so it also transmits on bluetooth..

Update - The twin built in USB socket I found turned out to be no good. 

It's slightly over voltage, delivering ~5.4V and on power down sends some nasty spike through the USB lines. My Satnav especially didn't like it and would hard power off rather than just going to sleep as normal. Removed later.

Mystery part for next little project

Tool and mystery part ordered for the next job...

This marine clamshell vent part I'm hoping will look better than a grommet. The sort of thing that looks potentially easy to make; but not sure if I could get that clean a component shape/finish for under £3 DIY.

Brushed finish clock surround & Shift light

The glare from the clock surround just has to go, and while I'm there installing a couple of warning lamps in the space between the speedo and tacho.

Before for reference:

Brushed Stainless

Temporary tool created from scrap to ensure the sandpaper runs square on each pass:

The process: clamp one end of the dash surround and then straight passes with the tool using the edge of the bench as a guide. Just have to be careful to always drop the sandpaper on to the piece completely vertically for each stroke.

Reflections from my garage lighting now looking suitably reduced which is the effect I am after.

Offered up with clocks re-installed.

The red LED will be a shift light, and the blue  a secondary brighter turn-indicator tel-tale. There is an indicator lamp in the tachometer - its just too small and dim to see when driving and really easy to leave indicators on.

Happy with that - relatively simple process and hopefully prevents or at least reduces spot/sun reflections with the diffused finish. I'm undecided over lacquering the panel - now it is brushed and notwithstanding it's stainless steel it  is probably more susceptible to rusting - I may just leave it and see what it does through weathering.

Loom additions for new warning LEDs

Adjusted the stock GBS plug and play loom to drive the new warning lamps - spliced in the needed 4x lines. The shift light signal switches on ground and the indicators on 12v. The indicator feed is already joined with diodes to prevent crosstalk - so spliced into the loom after the diodes to get a single 12v feed for whichever indicator is lit.

Clocks loom is a bit of a spider - opened up - adjusted - and re-bound as neatly as I can.

No dropper resistors for my LEDS since they have them built in - their current draw at 12v checked at 15ma.

New loom branches:

     Shift light:  Red = 12v, Blue = Shift
     Indicator light: Yellow = Indicator, Black = GND

Tested the indicator circuit which works fine, it will need a daylight test to check on brightness need to tweak the ECU shift light setting to test that.


Update -
Initially set the shift light on a conservative 5,000 revs, well short of the 7,000 redline/cutoff.

During one acceleration test I lit the shift light, and checking on return (Emerald ECU has a max revs memory feature) the tacho showed about 6,200 max rpm. So shift light on somewhere between 5,000-5,500 is probably about right for my road driving.

Has to light in time for me to shift up before hitting the redline otherwise its pointless.