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Date:         Fri, 6 Sep 1996 17:07:31 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         busgirl@netcom.com (Martha)
Subject:      excerpt from Electronic Design

Michael Wagner asked me to post this:

>From mwagner@prizmpharm.com Fri Sep 6 11:59:40 1996 Return-Path: <mwagner@prizmpharm.com> Received: from barley.adnc.com (barley.adnc.com [205.216.138.31]) by mail6.netcom.com (8.6.13/Netcom) id LAA05016; Fri, 6 Sep 1996 11:59:38 -0700 Received: from [205.216.152.158] by barley.adnc.com (SMI-8.6/SVRMailer ADN 1/96) id LAA29706; Fri, 6 Sep 1996 11:54:48 -0700 Date: Fri, 6 Sep 1996 11:54:48 -0700 X-Sender: mwagner@mail.adnc.com Message-Id: <v01530500ae55c21d27eb@[205.216.152.158]> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" To: busgirl@netcom.com >From: mwagner@prizmpharm.com (Michael Wagner) Subject: excerpt from Electronic Design Status: RO

If you're around, could I ask you to post this to the T2 list? THANKS!!!!!!

>Date: Fri, 6 Sep 96 11:36:17 PDT >From: wagner@lj.sd.ray.com (Diane Wagner at Raytheon Semiconductor San Diego) >To: mwagner@prizmpharm.com >Subject: excerpt from Electronic Design > >Part of a column by Robert Pease [an EE who writes a regular column for >Electronic Design]. Thought you might enjoy it.... > >----------- > >Just what kind of car do you drive, Pease, to get good reliability? Ah, >yes. I drive a car with exactly the right amout of modern electronic, >computerized equipment--a 1968 VW beetle [my wife drives a newer car, >a 1969 Beetle]. > >Now, as an engineer, I suppose I should say good things about all of >the fancy electronic fuel injection and spark computers and diagnostic >computers and Lambda sensors. But I get 31 mpg and the car goes just as >fast as I want, and that's good enough for me. The bottom line is that >I prefer a car that has proven itself by running reliably for 336,000 >miles. In fact, until a couple months ago, it was still running on the >original engine, and the original crank and pistons and cylinders >[though it's true I had replaced the cylinder heads]. > >Sometimes I do connect a Heathkit electronic ignition system to minimize >wear and tear on the breaker points. But right now it's on the blink, so >I just went back to the old conventional [Kettering] ignition system, >points and coil and distributor and "condenser." I set my own timing and I >adjust my own valves. That's one good thing about old, simple cars--if >something does go wrong [which is rarely] you can fix it yourself. > >Do I think that electronics systems are going to improve the reliability >of vehicles? Well, maybe. I recall the story of one of the first trucks >that had an anti-lock brake system. They were driving innocently down the >road when a nearby driver keyed the transmitter on the CB radio and the >truck immediately locked up all the brakes. It turned out somebody had >decided it would hurt the reliability to add bypass capacitors across the >sensors and the inputs of the sensor amplifiers. > >That's what you learn from MILHDBK-217..remember? So when the transmitter >went on, all of the amplifiers went berserk. Oh, the *amplifiers* were >perfectly "reliable," but the system had not been engineered properly. It >was a miracle that nobody was behind the truck when it locked up all its >brakes. > >Are the new electronic systems better for the environment? Maybe so. Maybe >a new sedan can travel down the road emitting even less smog and emissions >than my VW, so long as its computer is working right. But in 10 years, >what happens when you can't get parts for the computerized systems? My >car will still be running just fine. I think I'll stand pat. > >After all, I have all of the tools and techniques I need to keep old VWs >running forever. Forever? Well, there are old VWs around here that are over >35 years old, and if I can keep my good new beetles running 35 more years, >they may outlive me. You would not want to bet that I can't keep them >running. Meanwhile, if I see another VW broken down along the road, I stop >and see if I can help. > >Sometimes I have a tool or a gallon of gas, or the spare part they're in >need of--a fan belt, or some points, or a clamp for a fuel hose. So I try >to help solve their problem............. >


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