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Instrument lights - a modest proposal

To: tigers@autox.team.net
Subject: Instrument lights - a modest proposal
From: Steve Laifman <SLaifman@socal.rr.com>
Date: Fri, 02 May 2003 17:10:52 -0700
Tigers,

A modest proposal for your illumination. <9-)

Since the last thing you would want to do at night, tearing up the road 
in your too fast Tiger, is take your eyes off the road and look at the 
instruments, I am not sure the dash lights should be on at all.  After 
all, The Prince of Intermittent Light did not really design them to 
actually be read, or the lights to function.

However, if one wishes to deviate from use and custom, why not go more 
modern.

No, I don't mean electroluminescent talking digital panels with GPS. 
 Just light.

Let's put a single headlight sized 100 watt halogen blue bulb in a 
ventilated light box behind the grill emblem, and lead reflected light 
to front mounted lenses with large scale optical cable.  The bulb power 
wiring, of course, is through a power relay, not direct, and separately 
fused from the Lucas "array" of choice. Only 1 bulb, two light outputs.

Additionally, a single fiber optic light bundle of fine glass filaments 
is sneakily run back through the dashboard into an optical junction box. 
 Light pipes are optically linked to the incoming light pipe, and routed 
to the old bulb inlets, where they are terminated in a wide angle 
plastic lens mount.

Now, with one on switch, one relay, one fuse, and one bulb of modest 
power, we have dual front driving/safety lights and a full array of 
bright blue-white instrument lights - which can all be shut off with 
that one relayed switch.

OK, that's the concept, and parts list.  I'll leave the implementation 
to all the wonderfully creative tinkers on the list, and will publish 
the first illustrated article for the rest to follow.

Steve

-- 

Steve Laifman
Editor
http://www.TigersUnited.com

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