inductive pickup for timing light

[budgie]

I have a 12V-powered ignition timing light of the "old" type, where the pickup
fits in line with the spark plug. While it still works great in its original
environment, deep plug wells and long lead shrouds make it well-nigh impossible
to use on contemporary engines.

I usually work on the philosophy of buying high-quality tools with the
expectation that they will outlast me. In this case, progress (sic) has
outsmarted me, but I would rather modify this unit than outlay for another one.

The current unit has no trigger cicuitry whatsoever, just running the HT line
direct to thre trigger electrode. Has anyone any details of how to set up an
inductive pickup to trigger the flash tube? Will I need to wind/purchase a
trigger coil? Ideas on how to make a suitable snap-on pickup assembly would
also be welcome.

 

[budgie]

On Thu, 2 Feb 2006 14:15:36 +1100, "Mr.T" <MrT@home> wrote:

"budgie" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:v2s2u1hldihc3mf589kq4d0vt34u9uqmk6@4ax.com...
I have a 12V-powered ignition timing light of the "old" type, where the
pickup
fits in line with the spark plug. While it still works great in its
original
environment, deep plug wells and long lead shrouds make it well-nigh
impossible
to use on contemporary engines.

I usually work on the philosophy of buying high-quality tools with the
expectation that they will outlast me. In this case, progress (sic) has
outsmarted me, but I would rather modify this unit than outlay for another
one.

Funny comment as those timing lights were always considered inferior to the
inductive pick-up types. They usually consisted of a neon tube which was
almost impossible to see in daylight.

Nope, either xenon or krypton. Have used the neon ones, horrible coulred effect
and weak as piss. This one is real bright, daylight usable. Top drawer stuff.

But you have probably got your moneys worth from it, time to buy a new one.

Doubt it. Hasn't seena lot of use, and cost a bundle :-(

The current unit has no trigger cicuitry whatsoever, just running the HT
line
direct to thre trigger electrode.

Yep, it is cheaper to do that.

You can with a direct HT feed. Inductive obviously requires some gain to
trigger the tube.

Has anyone any details of how to set up an
inductive pickup to trigger the flash tube? Will I need to wind/purchase
a
trigger coil? Ideas on how to make a suitable snap-on pickup assembly
would
also be welcome.

Usually not worth the bother, sorry I can't help you with a circuit.

I'm keen to bother. More time than money ....

 

[Jasen Betts]

On 2006-02-02, budgie <me@privacy.net> wrote:

I have a 12V-powered ignition timing light of the "old" type, where the pickup
fits in line with the spark plug. While it still works great in its original
environment, deep plug wells and long lead shrouds make it well-nigh impossible
to use on contemporary engines.

could you hook it to the distributor end of the spark plug lead.

Bye.
Jasen

 

[budgie]

On Fri, 03 Feb 2006 06:15:00 -0000, Jasen Betts <jasen@free.net.nz> wrote:

On 2006-02-02, budgie <me@privacy.net> wrote:
I have a 12V-powered ignition timing light of the "old" type, where the pickup
fits in line with the spark plug. While it still works great in its original
environment, deep plug wells and long lead shrouds make it well-nigh impossible
to use on contemporary engines.

could you hook it to the distributor end of the spark plug lead.

Not as it stands. The pickup end is like a spiral spring. One end fits over a
plug terminal "nut" while the other end is intended to fit inside the lead
terminal like the plug nut. The dizzy terminals/caps that I'v looked at were a
different diameter (for some reason).

 

[The Real Andy]

On Sat, 04 Feb 2006 23:34:25 +0800, budgie <me@privacy.net> wrote:

On Sat, 4 Feb 2006 19:25:43 +1100, "Andrew M" <noone@home> wrote:

want to keep the old one, fit the cheap electronics from the new one
to the old one.

I appreciate your sentiments, but being time-rich-and-$$-poor (relatively) I
want to work with the you-beaut one I have, which cost a lot more than the
chinese shit from SuperCrap, and is undoubtedly better built..

To do anything but change the connectors to suit the 'other' plug end would certainly
cost more than a new timing light. You'd need a HV inverter, battery clips, an IGBT or
SCR for firing etc etc etc.

??????????? dunno where that sprang from. It already has the inverter etc in
there. What is would need is the firing circuitry added.

On the other hand if you want to learn something by building the thing etc then first,
I suggest you identify exactly what kind of flashbulb you have, before embarking on
any designs or even asking for assistance.

It's either xenon or krypton, no markings.

There are no magic fairies that can just email a schematic without knowing your exact
requirements

duh, really. what a let-down.

Well, if you are really keen to DIY. Then google for any LV strobe
circuit. The inductive pickup should only need a few turns on a peice
of powdered iron, as I would imagine the HT from the coil will give
you tons of signal. Got a cro? try wrapping a few turns around an
igntion lead to see what comes out. No cro, then try the same with a
small signal transistor and an LED.

 

[Mr.T]

"budgie" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:v2s2u1hldihc3mf589kq4d0vt34u9uqmk6@4ax.com...

I have a 12V-powered ignition timing light of the "old" type, where the
pickup
fits in line with the spark plug. While it still works great in its
original
environment, deep plug wells and long lead shrouds make it well-nigh
impossible
to use on contemporary engines.

I usually work on the philosophy of buying high-quality tools with the
expectation that they will outlast me. In this case, progress (sic) has
outsmarted me, but I would rather modify this unit than outlay for another
one.

Funny comment as those timing lights were always considered inferior to the
inductive pick-up types. They usually consisted of a neon tube which was
almost impossible to see in daylight.
But you have probably got your moneys worth from it, time to buy a new one.

The current unit has no trigger cicuitry whatsoever, just running the HT
line
direct to thre trigger electrode.

Yep, it is cheaper to do that.

Has anyone any details of how to set up an
inductive pickup to trigger the flash tube? Will I need to wind/purchase
a
trigger coil? Ideas on how to make a suitable snap-on pickup assembly
would
also be welcome.

Usually not worth the bother, sorry I can't help you with a circuit.

MrT.

 

[Andy]

budgie wrote:

I have a 12V-powered ignition timing light of the "old" type, where the pickup
fits in line with the spark plug. While it still works great in its original
environment, deep plug wells and long lead shrouds make it well-nigh impossible
to use on contemporary engines.

I usually work on the philosophy of buying high-quality tools with the
expectation that they will outlast me. In this case, progress (sic) has
outsmarted me, but I would rather modify this unit than outlay for another one.

The current unit has no trigger cicuitry whatsoever, just running the HT line
direct to thre trigger electrode. Has anyone any details of how to set up an
inductive pickup to trigger the flash tube? Will I need to wind/purchase a
trigger coil? Ideas on how to make a suitable snap-on pickup assembly would
also be welcome.

Peter,

I have a box full of brand new Hella inductive pickups here. You are
welcome to one if you wish. I will have a dig around for some circuits
- should have some here somewhere. Email me and we'll take it from
there (change "agw" to "andy").

Andy

 

[Jordan]

I have a timing light that I like a lot, that uses 2 "D" cells for
power. For me, getting rid of 2 cables is worth the price of having to
keep batteries up to it.
It's seen a lot of use, and the casing is starting to fragment, and I
don't expect it to last forever.
Not seen any others like this, so I'm wondering if it's practical to
have a go at making one from scratch.
Are there complete circuits available, and what needs to be different,
given 3V rather than 12V power?

Jordan

 

[The Real Andy]

On Thu, 02 Feb 2006 10:45:39 +0800, budgie <me@privacy.net> wrote:

I have a 12V-powered ignition timing light of the "old" type, where the pickup
fits in line with the spark plug. While it still works great in its original
environment, deep plug wells and long lead shrouds make it well-nigh impossible
to use on contemporary engines.

I usually work on the philosophy of buying high-quality tools with the
expectation that they will outlast me. In this case, progress (sic) has
outsmarted me, but I would rather modify this unit than outlay for another one.

The current unit has no trigger cicuitry whatsoever, just running the HT line
direct to thre trigger electrode. Has anyone any details of how to set up an
inductive pickup to trigger the flash tube? Will I need to wind/purchase a
trigger coil? Ideas on how to make a suitable snap-on pickup assembly would
also be welcome.

Wow, i had forgoten what a timing light was. A friend of mine has one
and asked how to use on a VT commodore the other day. No go, it has
its own timing light built in to the flywheel (or somewhere). No dizzy
these days.

To buy a shit inductive timing light from the local discount
autostore, prolly 10-20$, to make/modify one, prolly lots more. If you
want to keep the old one, fit the cheap electronics from the new one
to the old one.

 

[budgie]

On Sat, 04 Feb 2006 00:08:20 +1000, The Real Andy
<will_get_back_to_you_on_This@> wrote:

On Thu, 02 Feb 2006 10:45:39 +0800, budgie <me@privacy.net> wrote:

I have a 12V-powered ignition timing light of the "old" type, where the pickup
fits in line with the spark plug. While it still works great in its original
environment, deep plug wells and long lead shrouds make it well-nigh impossible
to use on contemporary engines.

I usually work on the philosophy of buying high-quality tools with the
expectation that they will outlast me. In this case, progress (sic) has
outsmarted me, but I would rather modify this unit than outlay for another one.

The current unit has no trigger cicuitry whatsoever, just running the HT line
direct to thre trigger electrode. Has anyone any details of how to set up an
inductive pickup to trigger the flash tube? Will I need to wind/purchase a
trigger coil? Ideas on how to make a suitable snap-on pickup assembly would
also be welcome.

Wow, i had forgoten what a timing light was. A friend of mine has one
and asked how to use on a VT commodore the other day. No go, it has
its own timing light built in to the flywheel (or somewhere). No dizzy
these days.

To buy a shit inductive timing light from the local discount
autostore, prolly 10-20$, to make/modify one, prolly lots more. If you
want to keep the old one, fit the cheap electronics from the new one
to the old one.

I appreciate your sentiments, but being time-rich-and-$$-poor (relatively) I
want to work with the you-beaut one I have, which cost a lot more than the
chinese shit from SuperCrap, and is undoubtedly better built..

 

[Andrew M]

want to keep the old one, fit the cheap electronics from the new one
to the old one.

I appreciate your sentiments, but being time-rich-and-$$-poor (relatively) I
want to work with the you-beaut one I have, which cost a lot more than the
chinese shit from SuperCrap, and is undoubtedly better built..

To do anything but change the connectors to suit the 'other' plug end would certainly
cost more than a new timing light. You'd need a HV inverter, battery clips, an IGBT or
SCR for firing etc etc etc.

On the other hand if you want to learn something by building the thing etc then first,
I suggest you identify exactly what kind of flashbulb you have, before embarking on
any designs or even asking for assistance.

There are no magic fairies that can just email a schematic without knowing your exact
requirements

-Andrew M

 

[budgie]

On Sat, 4 Feb 2006 19:25:43 +1100, "Andrew M" <noone@home> wrote:

want to keep the old one, fit the cheap electronics from the new one
to the old one.

I appreciate your sentiments, but being time-rich-and-$$-poor (relatively) I
want to work with the you-beaut one I have, which cost a lot more than the
chinese shit from SuperCrap, and is undoubtedly better built..

To do anything but change the connectors to suit the 'other' plug end would certainly
cost more than a new timing light. You'd need a HV inverter, battery clips, an IGBT or
SCR for firing etc etc etc.

??????????? dunno where that sprang from. It already has the inverter etc in
there. What is would need is the firing circuitry added.

On the other hand if you want to learn something by building the thing etc then first,
I suggest you identify exactly what kind of flashbulb you have, before embarking on
any designs or even asking for assistance.

It's either xenon or krypton, no markings.

There are no magic fairies that can just email a schematic without knowing your exact
requirements

duh, really. what a let-down.