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...I have Noticed that Some of Us 'Cat Drivers' have started to install In Dash/On Dash; GPS Screens or Back-Up/BlindSpot Visual Aids.
I would like to share what I put together with a Monitor and 2 Cameras I found on Ebay. Perhaps I can get some Feedback. Ask all the questions You wish, that's what we're here for!

All in Full Color, the 11.0 Inch Monitor is adjustable for Brightness (great for the Difference in Night/Day Driving), Contrast, Tint, Color etc.

The Monitor will switch between Camera 1 and camera 2, at the Push of a Button. Camera 1 is mounted under the Passenger outside Mirror as a 'BlindSpot/Back-Up' Camera. Camera 2 will be positioned (Tempararily) On the Roof, and will be Movable, by the Driver, for 360 Degree Panoramic and for Tilt. Temporary so I can Disconnect and Remove it, should I have to leave the Car Parked.(Vandles) Not Mounted because I have yet to Design and Machine the Mounting Mechanism.

This Monitor is a Marvel in that it serves all INPUT puposes: 1. The Obvious of displaying not One but 2 Cameras. 2. It can playback a Video Camera Recorder for 'Home' Movies as well as a CD Player(But Never while Driving!) 3. And MOST Important to ME; it has a Built-In Cable with the correct Plug to connect to My Laptop, Not so much to display Computer Fuctions as to Display GPS from a 'DeLorme' Program! I have both the '2011 Street Atlas Plus' (Includes Phone Numbers). The Second Program is 'Topo USA', a Full USA 'Topographic' Library! Yes! We've done the Complete Profile of the 'Silver State Challenge' Roadcourse! Very Interesting, especially around the Peaks and The 'Narrows'!
I Highly Recommend these Programs! The in-car GPS Receiver plugs into the UBS port of the Laptop. It is Supported by No Less than 36 Satellites, Orbiting Our Earth. The Receiver must 'Lock-In' on at least 3 to compute a True 'Triangulation'. These Programs will show Your Vehicle travel down the Freeway as a Green Arrow, Your choice to keep it Centered. on the Screen or Not. And NOT limited to just displaying The 'Compass Heading', Direction of Travel, or Miles/Kilometers Per Hour in 1 Inch Tall Digits! A Beautiful Display...For the Passenger! And Just another thing to take the Drivers' eyes off the Road! I Should Mention; the Cameras have 'Night Vision' to 40 Feet.

Enjoy the Pictures, the Blindspot Camera is being displayed at the moment. Is this Legal?? Heck NO! Perhaps it's legal as a 'Rearview Camera'. But, "Tell it to the Judge!".

...Where could I find a Program, Or do I mean 'Interface', for 'Engine Monitoring'?

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4 The small instrument between the speedo and tach is a LED Digital Tachometer. I will be replacing it because it is a '4 Place' Digital read-out, reading to 1 RPM! So the 1's Digit is Constantly Flashing Up and Down at a Very High Rate of Speed, and Not Needed. I recommend a 3 Digit Display reading to 10's.

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6...Always a project in Progress!! Even though all switches are wired and functional; I have yet to Mount them or hide the wireing, but soon! Most light Bulbs have been changed over to LEDS. RED where in the Drivers view, for Night Driving. Gorgious at Night!

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8 The Monitor is discribed as a 'Raw' or 'Panel Mount' Flat Screen. I designed and Machined the Mount.
NO HOLES are Drilled!! It clamps into place with the Vent Grills Removed. And can be Disconnected and Removed in Seconds! In the Summer I can turn on the Blower Fan to keep it cool whenever needed, there is NO AC.

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There is not a lot to monitor, unless you'd go the digital way. You'd probably be able to read oil and water temp sensors, but other than that Confused You'll need something to convert the analog (in volt) signal to a digital one to start with.

I'm going the semi-digital way (electronic ignition, MAP, RPM, and wideband sensors), and did invest in an Innovate LM-2, which does all of that. Not particularly cheap, but I guess someone who is good with electronics (which I'm not), can build a cheap DIY solution. The software end is an other issue though, since most software to be found on the net, is meant for use in combination with an ECU...
quote:
Originally posted by Dave2811:
Just two questions:

Which switch launches the Sidewinders and can she make Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs? Big Grin

Normally the missle select and launch trigger are on the center stick (HCU-Hand Control Unit) or the weapons panel.

I don't know about 12 parsecs BUT she does look supersonic, :-)
...TomCat Your Right!! The 'Missle Launch' WAS on the Cyclic Stick, But Not as most OTHER Persons would think. In Our Huey and Huey Cobra Gunships, The JoyStick 'Trigger' was a 2 Stage switch squeezed by the Index Finger, First position was the Intercom, the Second activated One of 4 Radios, that were Selected.
The 3 other fingers had their 'Own' pushbutton; I remember to this Day, the 2.75" Rockets/Missiles were fired with the 4th and Last 'Pinky' Finger. This Switch Being the most difficult to aquire to Prevent a unintentional Fireing!
The Second and Third Finger, Pushbuttons were to Fire any of the: 7.62mm General Electric 'Mini Guns', 40mm Automatic Grenade Lancher(350) Rd. Capacity, or the Highly Classified 20mm Vulcan Cannon,(a 3-Barreled Mini Gun). The Vulcan Cannon was Mounted on the LEFT Weapons Pod of the Cobra, to Counter-Balance the Rotational Torque of the Rotor. The Vulcan was So powerful that when fired at a 240 Knot Dive; the Cobra would come to a Complete Stop and then Back-Up! Being a Pilot YOU would already Know this! Thanks for the 'Jog' Down memory lane, there were a Few 'Good Times' Back Then!! In 1970, 16th Air Cav,. 307 Av Bne, 1st Av Bgd. Soc-Trang RVN
One Last thing about the Power of the 'Vulcan', It would Blow the 'Hatch Covers' OFF of Communist Tanks!!

"Fly-Boys NEVER Let Ya Down!!"

"NoBody Out-Guns AMERICA! NOBODY!!"
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If You are NOT interested in learning more about the past experiences of Marlin Jack... Please READ NO FURTHER!!...You've been Warned! I sure Do Not want to Rattle-On! THIS NOT BEING relevant Here TO this forum!

But I feel I Must say this on Behalf of All Vietnam Veterans!

It has been Many Years since I returned home from that War. I went over when I was all of Eighteen Years Old, after Graduating from the Army School, Fort Eustis, VA, as a Helicopter Repair/Maintainance Technician. (Helicopter Crewchief/Doorgunner).

In the time since returning, I have been given the Great Privilege and Honor; of being recognized, and the opportunity to Talk with a handful of Fellow Soldiers; as well as a Young Vietnemese Gentleman, whom I had the Pleasure of working beside, here in Califonia. That Young Boy had come over 'On the Boat' to Freedom in AMERICA!
I would like to share their Conversations with You, Here.

One Soldier once 'confessed' to Me; "We were surrounded and pinned Down, We lost Men and ran out of Ammo. We had said our Prayers and Already 'Bent Over and Kissed Our Asses Good-Buy'. We had Lost All Hope! THEN We Heard 'Rotor Blades'!

Long ago, decades ago, at an old job; Coworkers on lunchbreak, outside at a picknick table. I happened by and overheard the Vietnemese Boy(at that time) talking with My coworkers. He did Not know I was there! It seemed to Me, He was Correcting Them...
"'They'(The Viet-Cong) Killed My Mother and Father, They Killed My entire Family. They were going to kill us all, When the Helicopters came and Helped, The AMERICANS Saved Us!". I believe the Young Man was Spared from the Death Camps in Cambodia. And for those whom didn't know, in Cambodia, they didn't Bury the Dead; The Starving Ate Them!
Up to that point, These fellow workers were 'Suffering' under the Delusion that most all Vietnam Veterans were 'Indiscriminate Killers' of Unarmed Men, Women and Children. Their Beliefs were changed, Forever!

The Helicopter Crews were Under Orders Not to bring Children out of the War Zone and we were under the Threat of Courtmarshall, if we shared our C Rations with the Hungry. We did anyway!

My Apologies for Ranting-On! The fact is, I was never 'De-Briefed', and I Do have 'Issues' I Must deal with every Moment of EveryDay. Probably why I am Perceived as Angry at Times.
I should 'Write a Book', but I stop Myself, feeling 'Who would Believe it?'. We've heard it ALL many times before; it would be, 'Beating a dead horse'.

I was Not Drafted into the Army, I withdrew from College and Volunteered, back in 1969!
Futhermore, I Never once 'Allowed' Myself a Single Complaint, because 'I had Asked for It!', knowing fullwell there was a 99% chance that I Would be sent to Vietnam. To this Day I can tell You, My Friends, I would Do it all over again in a Heartbeat!! I wouldn't have missed 'It' 'for the World'.

"We Couldn't Save Them ALL...But We Saved Some!"

I Thank You for Your Consideration. You ARE My Friends! And I will Forever Believe, "You can 'Hang' Your Life on a Viet-Nam Vet!!".

Marlin
Last edited by marlinjack
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