My soldering skills have faded a bit. Or, my soldering iron has,,, or, could be a bit of both. I’m gonna go with ‘both’.
Smoked a couple of diodes today. Put in small 1A units (just checking to make sure my orientation is correct: and it was) but they aren’t able to hold that current for long. If the unit moves off point fast, they worked great, but if it hung up for even a second too long; magic smoke! and then the limiter became a just another point in the wiring with no limit,,,
I have the bigger type, the ones used in AC Delco Alternator rectifiers. Those can hold up to serious amps. Didn’t want to use them for this, but I has them, will use as needed. (I was holding on to them because the older style GM alts were field servicable if you had the diodes. Some of the older style motos were also.)
Most of today was Tinker Mode, opened up both actuators I have, checking things over. One needs a new motor: brushes are worn badly and it smoked its flyback diode. Found that they do have ONE limiter built in, but it won’t work for my needs. Its a NO switch that closes to send a shut down signal to the computer in the old controller. I need NC switchs that open at limit. (for the laymen in the audience: they must pass current until they hit limit. The diodes are reverse biased so that when the polarity reverses the motor, they allow a ground path until the switch closes again. schematic here.)
Keep it simple is the motto of this project, and that’s about as simple of a control as you can get. Mounting the switches is a bit trickier, and setting the arms to trip the switches so they can’t move once set. Those are where I was dilly-dallying around today, when I wasn’t monkeying with actuators.
Still waiting on the controller to arrive. Would like to be at a ‘plug and play’ point by then. (or nearly, Need to see how big this controller is for the jar to protect it from the weather. I have several available.)
Tomorrow is moving Buffalo day, maybe, possibly,,, I’m gonna go pick up the burnout, no excuses this time. ASSUMING, he is even home,,, He was today, but had his kids and I refused his offer to help so that he could spend the time with them. He did jump in the truck to help, so there is that. But I’m not so damned selfish that I can’t wait another day so the man can have family time. Fact is, if I leave it to him to remember, it won’t happen. I’ll have to push the buttons. Tomorrow.
And domestics. I’ve quite a bit of laundry this week. The early hours, sweat, diesel stinks from changing fuel filters on Son of’s new Ram flatbed. blechs,,, I went through some clothes this week.
Update on my ‘something wasn’t right’ post of yesterday. Ran the inverter ALL DAY and at 5pm, was still sitting at 14.2v and showing 1/2A charge to the batteries. That wire was killing my system and I had no clue about it. Gonna have to make it a habit to check voltages at BOTH ENDS of the run. I was crutching on the controller info panel and it bit me. “add that to the PM list!” Done and done, now, make it a habit!
Gots a lot of nothin’, honestly. Been watching this PLAGUE thing in Russia, getting word from it by Robert Malone, and watching how some venues are trying to spin it as “contrived” or intentional. And who is laying the blame and where. Very tellling about certain agendas.
But thats about it. Midterms are looking to be a complete fiasco: don’t care. The puppet masters are gonna get what they want despite the desires of the people.
more tomorrow at some point. Love y’all. Stay curious.
Live
Love
Laugh
LEARN
LOAD!!!
(, ‘)
