LandyManLuke

Very nice, is blue this years black? Garage air compressor set up Haven't got any pictures of the fridge motor. Maybe I'll take some later. http://www.crookesmountain.com/projects/air.htm

glad to help.

£20 to go from ~12v dc, up to ~230 AC(ish), back down to 5v dc, using something big,cumbersome and inefficient? or pence for a IC, smaller than a matchbox?

I have been using a regulator, similar to the one refered to above, to supply my onboard logic/parallel port interface, which draws perhaps a few hundred mA. It is bolted to a finned heatsink, total surface area perhaps 10 square centimetres, in a enclosure perhaps 0.8 L volume. It has been fine for the last 3 years. The TS78 series is rated to a maximum operating temperature of ~150 deg C, with operating specification given over the range 0 to ~125 deg C. A TO-220 package will dissipate 2 W without heatsink A ITO-220 package will dissipate 10 W without heatsink The heatsink is connected to ground (pin 2), metal to metal contact (perhaps with some heatsink jointing paste) is what's needed for heat dissapation. Luke

If you'd like to learn the basics, the internet is your friend, alternatively a GCSE/A-level Physics/Electronics text book will have loads of info in it. Kirchoff The volt Current Electricity Wiki is useful, not gospel though!!

Nice, I'll remember that one, good idea.

yup that's max, typically they'll run off an input about 2v above the required output. though different specifications are available. Luke

Pretty simple, three pins - ground, voltage in, 5v out. no other components required. A fuse on the input, just like any other circuit. The package should be fixed to a heat sink to help it dissipate heat, they can get rather warm. Don't really need a PCB, could solder it on a bit of veroboard, or just solder straight to the legs. would be a good move to put some heatshrink on the legs, or 'pot' them in hot glue, though i don't know if either of those ideas would stand up to the warmth it produces. every time i've used them they've been on a bigger circuits, in a box, so protecting/insulating the pins hasn't been a problem.

What current draw will you need at 5v? for small currents, a 3 pin regulator is imho the simplest, best way of doing it. Edit: Maplin link here

in thoery it'd work, the forces involved would be large though. the frictional losses over that many pulleys would be high too.

Yeah, shape memory alloy (SMA) would be pretty cool. if only you could get all the body panels in SMA too.

I suspect not, Carbon fibre is a bit of a bitch to use, it doesn't like point loading at all. I've no technical background in CF, but Carbon fibre spars on yachts don't have any point fixings, all the loads are taken on strops or fabric webs, distributing the forces over a large surface area. Also, as you said, whilst quite elastic, it snaps before reaching plastic deformation, so persumably it doesn't absorb much energy.

with the amount of stuff sold by SR, but made by WVH holdings (now safari-equip), the list would be pretty long....

Given that BB/BS1387 heavy seems acceptable for use, what will bend it without deforming/rippling it? Price range seems to be from Machine Mart pipe bender up to Tubela Hydraulic bender. what do people use?

dash support bracket?

doh! should have tried the obvious, or googled sta-lok, rather than sta-lock. oh well. Never needed to use the website, as they're based 10 minutes from my front door!

Sta-lock do swageless fittings, they are an easy and neat way of terminating wire rope, they're from the marine industry so well up to living outside. they use a compression joint with an insert to create a very strong join. Can't find a website, but i've got their catalogue at home. Sta-Lok Terminals Ltd Tel: 01206 391509

lucky bugger! won't they be the power selection? 25 - 195 A

Appears you can, here

a vote for the wickes ones, i paid normal price as they weren't on offer when i went in. been used for cutting grinding and wire brushing and the smoke hasn't leaked out at all.

I wouldn't be surprised, i get one every other day or so, and my forum isn't spidered by any search engines

something like i've got here? The power supply isn't difficult, there are units available that are engine-cranking proof, and can use the ignition to turn the pc on/off. ITX nicks a lot of laptop architecture, so there's plenty of bits available. Luke

I ran a seperate earth, I've got one fan but it draws a large current, i'd expect yours would too. No point fitting nice fans if a potential earth fault will hinder their performance in the future. Luke

Hi Rog, not too bad ta. how's it going? From the above posts, looks like its those ones, with a bit of Draftsmans License, and a typo as well!!! I've been through all the screens in Microcat for a 3.5 efi auto, and nothing else comes up.