L4310 Enhancements

MChalkley · Jun 26, 2000

No, sometimes I talk on the phone when absolutely necessary, but that's as far as I go. If you haven't used Posi-Lock connectors check out my post under attachments. You comment about ScotchLocks (yuck!) reminded me of them. They're amazing. In addition to simply splicing two wires together, you can also splice 3, 4, or more together with them, depending on the size of the wire and/or connector.

Mark

Rowski · Jun 27, 2000

I'm looking into to it. Being an automotive service and repair station I get the napa stuff at jobber cost. But at times this is to much. To many middle men keep marking the price up. If you do find a place please let me know.

Getting pretty excited... New tractor should be here middle of this week.

MChalkley · Jun 27, 2000

Rowski - I forgot about the proliferation of middle-men. Rediculous.

I'll let you know. I've got a couple leads I'm trying to run down today.

Mark

W5FL · Jun 27, 2000

Be careful which chart you use. The one for house wiring is pretty useless for 12 volt applications. It is based on having a 6 volt drop, which is ok for house wiring, but a disaster for tractor wiring. Best to size the wires by calculating the voltage drop for 1 volt or less drop at the desired max current. Simply multiply the current in amps x the resistance in ohms for the entire two way path of the circuit to obtain the voltage drop in volts. You will use larger wire than you thought. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

MChalkley · Jun 27, 2000

Wen - Yeah, I was using a DC auto wiring chart. Good point, though - it definitely makes a difference.

Mark

gordon · Jun 27, 2000

Wen I agree about the wiring charts but a one volt drop on a 12 volt DC system is pretty high don't you think? 1/4 to 1/2 voltage loss at max amps I might buy into and that is after going through a relay or solinoid, but in straight wiring seems like alot to me. But you are very correct alot of times you will end up with a much larger wire size than you first thought. Maybe a volt of loss through a cheap blocking diode but then again that causes a problem no matter what the wire size is.
Gordon

W5FL · Jun 27, 2000

Yes, the less the better. It is really hard to hold the drop to 1/2 volt. Calculate the drop on a 20 amp headlight circuit that is 20 feet in total length. The saving grace is the alternator puts out considerably more than 12 volts and makes up for the drop. Yes, the drop in diodes is about 0.7 volts and impossible to reduce (unless you have some of the now exotic material diodes). Relay points should be pretty good for voltage drop, otherwise they don't last very long. Terminations are the worse problem and they always get worse with time and after a little corossion. Most failures occur at connectors or where wires burn loose from terminals or connectors. 90% of electronic failures are also mechanical.

Rowski · Jun 27, 2000

Wen good point. V(volts) = I(current)x R (resistance). The electrical golden rule.

gordon · Jun 27, 2000

Now guys we can't forget about P (watts) P= V+I or Isquared x R . Nothing like getting the old brain working. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Rowski · Jun 27, 2000

Seems like I'm back in school... But more fun??
I guess fun needs to be defined.

MChalkley · Jun 27, 2000

Well, today I picked up the wire, switches, fuse block, terminal strip, etc. I'm still waiting for the gauge and sensors to arrive. I still need to buy a couple back-up alarms. I decided I don't need any more than 30 amps total, so I settled on 8 gauge wire for the main feed and 14 gauge wire for the individual circuits, which will carry a maximum of 9 amps or so. A friend of mine and I laid out the console panel and started drilling the holes for 5 toggle switches (for front trap lights, rear trap lights, rear flood light, and a couple extra ones never hurt anything), the temperature gauge, a rotary switch to select between up to 6 sensors (I'm only installing 3 now), a "cigarette lighter" outlet, and the security starter-disable key switch. We even had enough room left over for the beeper model (#7490) tiltmeter, a real hour meter, and an oil pressure gauge if I want one. All in a 3" x 17.3" piece of aluminum!

I changed my mind on the security switches. The key switch in the console will keep the starter from working and the hidden switch will disable the fuel stop solenoid. That way, unless they open the console and deactivate the security key switch, they can't run the battery down trying to start the tractor. I've also figured out a way to rig it so both back-up alarms will go off if they try to short either security switch without setting certain other switches in the right positions.

Speaking of back-up alarms, I decided to just mount an On-Off-On marine toggle switch by the Range Shift lever. Flip it forward and the front one will come on, centered they're both off, and toward the rear for the rear-mouunted beeper.

What have I missed? (Besides the stereo. Hey, this is a work tractor. Ri-ight...)

Mark

gordon · Jun 27, 2000

Now I'm with you Wen I guess sometimes when your a little too general to keep things simple and some smart aleck has to come along and question you./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Voltage loss is the killer of all circuts and then comes the bad connections. 90% of all falures are mechanical, wow thats something to think about.
Gordon

gordon · Jun 27, 2000

I enjoy it now because I don't have to do it I want to do it. Figuring circuits now in real life is fun compared to all that dumb text book school work!!! But I guess we all had to learn it somehow in order to enjoy it later.

At the base of every electrical circuit is ohms law and thats something that everyone should know because if you know and understand it (ohms law) you'll have a good understanding of basic electrical.
Gordon

gordon · Jun 27, 2000

Well Mark the only thing I can offer after reading your post is the----hummmmmm---I guess nothing. It seems as usual you have all your bases covered and then some. But no stereo? No Bach? No fifth overture while your baming and jamming on the hst pedal to and from the dirt pile? /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Now I've got it a fan mounted to the cover to keep you cool on a hot day! Mark I will say you have the mac daddy tractor thats for sure, but I've got a stereo and a heater./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon

Rowski · Jun 27, 2000

I can understand that. I went to tech school for automotive technology. We learned Ohm's law along with a lot of other basic and advanced electrial stuff (mostly dc but some ac) Even took a digital electronics course to basically get an understaning of how a processor functions (a lot 1's and 0's).
Then we got into the theory and operation of sensors on cars and trucks today. I was better but still a bit boring (text book stuff). But in the real world I'm glad I stuck with it.

I guess the point is if you know the theory of operation (formulas) with time you can figure it out.

MChalkley · Jun 27, 2000

A fan! I could use one of those trucker fans that plugs into a lighter socket... What an idea!

Mark

gordon · Jun 28, 2000

Mark you can hard wire them into a switch as you already know. I have a cab on my tractor and have two fans in winter they work for defogging and in summer they are my a-c. Or you could us a magnet mount is your cover frame steel? Then you could move it where you want it.

Rowski · Jun 28, 2000

Mark, found this while "search & surf"

www.mouser.com/

You probably know if their prices are good due to your project you working. I don't have much time to compare pricing with napa and others.

MChalkley · Jul 11, 2000

Ok, time for another update. This project sure is dragging on. I've now decided to mount all the lights on the canopy, to give them more reach, simplify the wiring, and hopefully protect them a little better.

I decided on a couple back-up alarms from acorn products (http://www.acornproducts.com) that automatically adjust from 82-102 db depending upon the ambient noise level. They came in the other day, and they're smaller than I expected, which is a bonus, and they're the right color - orange! I'm mounting one somewhere on the upper part of the front brush guard, the other will probably go on the backhoe subframe on the back.

The fuse block and ground distribution bar are both now mounted on an arm of the canopy support. I ran 6 gauge for the ground (because the guy accidentally gave me that instead of 8) and 8 gauge for the hot lead. The power is fed through a 30-amp breaker and an ignition-switch-controlled relay, so everything shuts off when the ignition switch is turned off.

The console now has the toggle switches, hour meter, temperature gauge, rotary switch to select the temp sensor, round key security switch, and accessory socket installed and wired.

As I mentioned in another post, I've had to change my approach for the security switch that shuts off the fuel. Since the fuel stop solenoid has to get 12v to shut the fuel off, I'm running a wire from the starter solenoid through a hidden switch and back to the fuel stop solenoid. This way, if the ignition switch is turned on (and they defeat my security keyswitch) when the hidden switch is on, of if somebody just plain-old hotwires it, unless they know how I've wired it, it still won't start because the fuel stop solenoid will be energized. Just to make things interesting, I've rigged another circuit so if they cut any of the security switch wires without setting all the switches just right, both motion alarms will go off. It'll be interesting to see how soon I give myself a heart attack by forgetting to dis-arm my own theft alarm...

I think that's about it so far. As I said, this thing is really dragging. I'm only getting to work on it one day a week or so, so it'll be another couple weeks before it's done. I'm borrowing my friend's digital camera to take some pictures to show you guys.

Mark