<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div></div><div style="direction: inherit;">When I originally got my Tiger in 1998, the PO's mechanic had screwed the stabilizer into the back of the (wooden) dash panel, with the predictable result that the gauges read high especially when the gauge level was high. I then attached the stabilizer to the dash mounting rail as originally intended but this still didn't give consistent response, so then I went to a solid state regulator and really haven't looked back since. The IC I use in the ones I and Tom sell is the LM2940, which is designed for automotive use and has built in protection for a variety of common automotive electrical transients. In addition I put in a low voltage detector that turns on a LED when the voltage gets below about 12.6 volts, so that the one wire alternator conversions would still get a status indication. </div><div style="direction: inherit;"><br></div><div style="direction: inherit;">I'm sure that Joe P put at least as much thought into the stabilizer he sells and I think either one will do exactly what you need. </div><div style="direction: inherit;"><br></div><div style="direction: inherit;">Cheers,</div><div style="direction: inherit;">Theo</div><div><br>On Sep 23, 2016, at 9:37 PM, Larry Mayfield via Tigers <<a href="mailto:tigers@autox.team.net">tigers@autox.team.net</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Well, today I took one of the Voltage Stabilizers apart. No not the one in the car but one from an old Alpine. Folks, the design and implementation are NOT rocket science, lol. The internals look as described in the shop manual. But everything is on a miniscule scale. The post where the input power is applied is the attachment for a u shaped piece that goes around a binding post for the wire coil inside. The input post is like one leg of the letter U. The other leg has the absolutely dinky points. And that leg is wrapped with wire that makes a hair look large by comparison (artistic license taken here, but it is very small). The U shaped piece is very very thin. After looking at it and fiddling with it, I still do not see exactly how it works. I suspect that the heater wire is non functional though. I’ll measure tomorrow… <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Now, as I keep mentioning, I am no sparky. Electrical stuff makes me want to scream loudly. But I see that there are lots of voltage regulators on ebay and I have in the past purchased and used some of them. Most are PWM motor supplies but can be dial in to deliver a regulated voltage. Mast are dirt cheap coming from you know where. Seems to me that one of these would also work if it is just 10 volts out put that is needed. Heck there might even be an Arduino board that would do the trick also. What about a 10 volt dc-dc power supply? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Thoughts? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">mayf<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_MailEndCompose"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></a></p><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Don Antilla [<a href="mailto:fast427@sbcglobal.net">mailto:fast427@sbcglobal.net</a>] <br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, September 23, 2016 9:30 AM<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:drmayf@mayfco.com">drmayf@mayfco.com</a><br><b>Subject:</b> voltage regulator- Don's suggestions<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black">Hi Mayf:</span></i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black"> Gary suggested I send you my thoughts.</span></i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black">Regards,</span></i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black">Don Antilla</span></i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">On 9/22/16, 12:02 PM, "Don Antilla" <<a href="mailto:fast427@sbcglobal.net">fast427@sbcglobal.net</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><blockquote style="border:none;border-left:solid #B5C4DF 4.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt;margin-left:3.75pt;margin-right:0in" id="MAC_OUTLOOK_ATTRIBUTION_BLOCKQUOTE"><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Gary:<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">These are simple devices as you most probably know.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">The theory is that the duty cycle of the contacts open/closed is preset <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">so an average of around 7-10 volts (forgot which, but not important to this part of the troubleshooting) is achieved over a longer sample period.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Since the original Ford gauges react slowly by design on order to not have <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">a jittery pointer, they are intentionally designed as thermal gauges that <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">heat up slightly as a function of the average 12/0/12/0/12… volt <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">open/closed points.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Since there is no significant energy that needs to be dissipated when the <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">instruments are powered by the open/closed bimetal strip, there is no <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">benefit to add any capacitor to the circuit. The points open/closing do <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">not even bother the old fashioned radios in almost all cases.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">I’ve been reading the posts and I should add that one of the more common <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">causes of it not working is failure to properly GROUND the case of the <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">mini regulator./ You must ground it because the incoming 12 volts that <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">heats up the bimetal strip depends on the case of the regulator being <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">grounded in order to heat up the bimetal strip and cause it to open and <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">close.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">If no ground, then the full 100% duty cycle voltage is sent to the gauges <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">resulting in improper readings.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">If I were to check one of these regulators, I’d check for continuity from <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">the tab on the case to the INPUT 12 volt terminal; you should see the <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">resistance of the heating coil inside the regulator.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Then, with no power to the regulator, I’d look for continuity of the 12 <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">volt Input terminal to the Output terminal<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Don Antilla<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">203 264-8301 Home<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">203 592-8427 Cell<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">On 9/22/16, 11:01 AM, "Tigers on behalf of Gary Winblad via Tigers" <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><<a href="mailto:tigers-bounces@autox.team.net">tigers-bounces@autox.team.net</a> on behalf of <a href="mailto:tigers@autox.team.net">tigers@autox.team.net</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><blockquote style="border:none;border-left:solid #B5C4DF 4.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt;margin-left:3.75pt;margin-right:0in" id="MAC_OUTLOOK_ATTRIBUTION_BLOCKQUOTE"><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">I've never had one fail so I don't know.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">If you are sure yours is bad, take it apart and let us all know, I am <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">curious too.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">The current is low, I would guess the heating wire might have opened up <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">and<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">could possibly be re connected.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Gary<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">On 9/21/2016 9:32 PM, Larry Mayfield via Tigers wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><blockquote style="border:none;border-left:solid #B5C4DF 4.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt;margin-left:3.75pt;margin-right:0in" id="MAC_OUTLOOK_ATTRIBUTION_BLOCKQUOTE"><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">You know I have been thinking about that little sucker. Just what is <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">in it to go bad? The points? Or. Why does it fail. Would a capacitor <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">in the circuit help in the output to prevent flyback voltages (there <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">is an inductor in the loop a lot like points and ignition coil)? Not <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">a sparky, but curious.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Whadda I know…<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">mayf<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black"> Don Antilla</span></i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black">203 264-8301 Home</span></i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black">203 592-8427 Cell</span></i><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span></span><br><span><a href="mailto:tigers@autox.team.net">tigers@autox.team.net</a></span><br><span></span><br><span>Donate: <a href="http://www.team.net/donate.html">http://www.team.net/donate.html</a></span><br><span>Archive: <a href="http://www.team.net/archive">http://www.team.net/archive</a></span><br><span>Forums: <a href="http://www.team.net/forums">http://www.team.net/forums</a></span><br><span>Unsubscribe: <a href="http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/tigers/tsmit@shaw.ca">http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/tigers/tsmit@shaw.ca</a></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br></div></blockquote></body></html>