Date:         Sat, 2 Mar 2002 02:58:37 -0500
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Not running out of gas. was:Re: Cheap emergency gas can
Comments: To: Larry Alofs <lalofs@ENTERACT.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <3C805F15.6FCA0D05@enteract.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 12:11 AM 3/2/2002, Larry Alofs wrote:
>What we really need is a circuit that beeps or flashes an LED when the
>fuel level gets low.  And while we're at it, maybe a warning that the
>lights have been left on when the ignition is turned off.  I would

The warning for lights is easy -- Radio Shack p/n 273-055 is a little
buzzer with a pleasing (for a buzzer) low note around 400 Hz.  It already
has a diode in it so all you need to do is hook the red lead to the
headlight circuit and the black lead to something that has power when
ignition is on.  It's expensive though -- $2.79.

For the other, it would not be difficult to make a comparator circuit like
the Westy LED panel that would read the fuel sender.  Prolly less than $5
in parts.  The same LM324 chip that the LED panel uses would work fine, and
Radio Shack has them too.  It could drive a buzzer or LED or both.  Look at
the LED panel schematics on my website for clues.

david


--
David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"