[6pack] Indicator flashers

[Michael Porter]

Henri Lefebvre wrote:
> Because:
>   I do not always have a passenger/messenger;
>   The Turn indicator light in the instrument is small and dim;
>   My turn stalk does not always return to the off position;
>   And the ambient noise, sorry, sweet sound of the exhaust;
>
> I bought a heavy duty and louder flasher unit and, using wire
> extensions, I mounted it on the driver's side.
>
>   

This is a much more common problem than just on cars with a lot of road 
noise.  On the buses my former employers produced, there was a move to 
PAL chip-controlled electricals, mostly as a way to reduce the amount of 
wiring, but also as a selling point (quicker electrical problem 
diagnosis).  When this was done, it virtually eliminated other 
electromechanical devices.  While the switches (floor-mounted, press-on, 
press-off, similar to old-style dimmer switches) remained, they simply 
made or broke ground to a particular circuit in a nearby networked 
module, and other modules received signals from the communications 
network to power the turn indicator lights, all of it happening 
virtually silently.


They discovered after a few weeks of having the buses in service that 
the agencies were getting lots of complaints from the public about buses 
never turning off turn signals, as motorists in adjacent lanes were a 
little spooked about passing them with the turn indicators on.  The 
answer was to add audio feedback, since the dash turn indicator 
apparently wasn't enough for the bus drivers to notice.  We just added 
an empty relay in the dash with relay coil power supplied by the left 
front turn circuit, so the relay would audibly click on and off with the 
turn indicator. 


Cheers.

-- 


Michael Porter
Roswell, NM


Never let anyone drive you crazy when you know it's within walking distance....