The dash panel looks nice. :)

Spud :)

Thanks, Spud.

Things are at a standstill now until the LEDs show up. So, with nothing else to do, I broke open the original 7v regulator to see if I could reverse engineer it. I'm not real happy with the VR I built, too much output fluctuation if the input fluctuates. I've looked into it and will have to do some mods.

Anyway, opened the original VR and spent the the better part of an hour breaking off the resin potting compound. What I found was an IC, possibly an LM317 VR,(can't tell as the markings are gone), 3 diodes, a power transistor, a ceramic cap, and maybe five 1/4W resistors. I also found the CB cracked. :?

Looking under a 5X magnifier, I counted three solder joint breaks. I repaired these and hooked up to my 12V power supply. Surprise, surprise, I had 11.9V at the IC. :) Unfortunately, nothing at the output. :? I started checking the CB with my DVM and found 6.9V at the output of the IC but still nothing at the output terminal. So, working backwards from the terminal towards the IC, along the board with a DVM, I hit a spot where I was getting 6.9V. Move back towards the terminal, nothing. It took a 12X magnifier to spot the break. Half a second with the solder iron and, voila, I have a working stock VR. :D

How well does it work? If I drop the input at the power supply from 12V to 9V, the output only drops 0.1V. If I increase the input to 15V, the output doesn't increase.

As pleased as I am that the stock VR is now working, I'm still going to reverse engineer it with all new components. Why take a chance with 33 year old ICs.

Look how tiny that thing is.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...7-22131258.jpg

A littlle off-topic, but Son of Weldangrind's '91 Ranger VR packed it in, which was due to very corroded battery terminals. I found another alternator at the boneyard for cheap, but I was pleased to find out that the VR is mounted on the outside of the alternator housing. I have an eBay replacement (including the brushes) on the way for $23.00. :D I wonder if that type of VR could be easily adapted to a bike?

There has been some luck with the old VRs that are found behind the dash on Fords from the late 50s to the early eighties. They are there to power the gauges at 6v and can be bumped up to 7v very easily. Usually can be had for a buck at a bone yard. As for the ones off the Ford altenator, who knows. Worth looking into.

I don't know why most VR's are inside the alternator nowadays.

My airplanes unit is seperate, underneath the instrument panel inside the ship.

Because it sells more alternators to those who are afraid to dismantle and rebuild.

You mean that I wasn't suppose to take my starter apart and just replace the bendix? :wink:

That settles it I knew Kato was too cheap to be from Parsons, you are really from Erie aren't you Kato??? :lol: :lol: :lol:

You can always tell which ones are the Erie boys 8O they squeek going through a garage door :lol: :lol: :lol:

I from neither. I'm Dutch.

Getting closer as more stuff is arriving. I'm still waiting on the LEDs for the dash panel. I found an LM317 based VR on ebay for less than I could build it for and that showed up today.

Once the temps drop below 'stifling', I'll venture back out to the garage and continue where I've left off. Maybe this evening, after the Advil kicks in. Got a pounding headache and bad things coming out of both ends. :(

Geez, I was working in Dallas, TX this week with one of our reps and we decided to go to the jobsite after 7pm to take advantage of the slightly lower temps. However, when we wrapped up at 9pm, it was still 100F. And that was more comfortable than 94F, coupled with the 75% humidity, here in the Chicago area. Which makes my garage a sauna.

The VR that showed up won't be going into the bike. Way too big, also not the one I was expecting. I did order it, I was just expecting a different one.
Here it is in all it's glory.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...8-06180729.jpg
Dandy little unit, AC and DC inputs, big heat sink, LED. No output fluctuation until I dropped the input to 7.5 volts. Just too darn big.

So, being bored Sunday afternoon, I threw another one together. I used a different schematic and tried to get stuff as close as my sausage fingers would let me. This was the result.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...8-06182756.jpg
Does everything I want it to. No output fluctuation until I drop the input to 7.5 volts and no more fluctuation the bigger board. And it's small.

A size comparison.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...8-06182947.jpg

Now, all these pics were taken Sunday. Today, the VR I was waiting for showed up. No pics yet because the phone/camera is being charged. But all I can say is, "Wow". It's no wider than my pinkie and maybe 30mm long and maybe 15mm tall. It works as well as the other two VRs on top of that.

Decisions, decisions.

You did a great job fabricating the small VR, Cheesy. :) I'm eager to see the even smaller VR you just received . ;)

Spud :)

Here you go, Spud.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...8-08170927.jpg
I had a hard time finding it this afternoon. It's so small it was hiding in plain sight. :roll:

Wow! That's tiny! 8) How much did it cost, and where did you buy it?

Spud :)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LM317-Low-Ri...item2320c5b616

I ended up paying $5.83US, so I think I done good. The shipping wasn't blinding quick but for coming from halfway around the world I ain't complaining.

In other news, the LEDs for the dash arrived today. :D Barring any surprise honey-dos, forgotten about weddings, baptisms, funerals, any unpaid weekend work(I'm salary :( ), or a tornado, I just might might get it back together this weekend.