Hey there..

I've been getting PM's about making FCD's..

GUYS... I QUIT MAKING THEM IN MARCH.

WHY??

1) at 35 bucks shipped... I made less than 5 bucks an hour off of it.... I was basically doing it as a "Service" because once i figured out how they work, and how much the parts to make one cost, it PISSED me off that the cost over 100 bucks!!!!!!!!!

2) I USED to have an SAFC and an FCD on MY car.. when i made an FCD, I would hook it up to MY car and test it before i esnt it out.. I have a Haltech now.. No way to test the FCD on the Car!!!!!!! Just have to check the voltages and set the clip limit, theoretically, same thing.. BUT...... (see #4)

3) I sold several hundred of them, and the market just died.. I used to make a big batch and then test them and ship them as needed.. then, people stopped buying them, and making them one at a time just takes to freakin long..

4) I got a bad batch of chips from Mouser Electronics and I had to send a couple of guys new chips.. the FCD's all checked out on the test bench, but went nutzoid when they were hit with rapidly changing voltages in the car..... that sucked, the chips are not expensive, but i felt like an *** cause these guys were expecting a working product and got something that made their boost gauges peg the first time it hit boost.

That was the nail in the Coffin... I just didn't like the idea of not being able to test them on MY car before i sent them out, it left a hollow feeling at the base of my spine. I didn't weant to get a bad rap for ripping people off if o got another bad batch of chips, so i ditched the whole thing.



THAT BEING SAID....

If someone else wants to start making them... I'll give you all the supplies I have left...

This includes.. Resistors, IC Sockets, diodes, Zeneirs, Cermet trimmers, a bunch of sheilded spade connectors, the small plastic project boxes and whatever wire cgrommets i have left, A UV developing light with which you can make the PC boards, the Negatives that you lay over the board with the circuit on them. A bottle of developer solution (think its some kind of household cleaner) the Tank and Heater used to Etch the copper off the boards after they are developed.

You'll need:

A soldering gun

A PC Power supply with working 12 and 5 volt outs (the all have it, but some don't work... thats why they aren't in the computer anymore!!!!!)

a dremel press (you have to drill very small holes in the boards to attach the parts and wires with solder after you etch it.

Ferric Chloride for the actual etching of the boards

Blank PC boards with the light sensitive film on them.

I made like 12 circuits on one board and then cut the boards with a band saw into the individual FCD boards and then drilled them, but you can use a dremel to cut them as well.

op-amp chips.

Probbably something else.. But I can't remember it all right now...

PM me if interested.

 

well atleast you did the service for awhile

i know my friend was going to get one from you , but now that i see this i guess he'll have to go another route ...

did you ever make a manual or anything for others to make thier own?

either way you gotta do what you gotta do ... you did more for rex owners than alot of others here do

 

What would be really good is instructions for building one yourself on punched board rather than making a PCB. I think a big turn-off for people considering building the Paul Stokes FDC is converting the schematic into a component layout. It looks like it's not worth trying to make money making them for others, so it would be good to see more people building their own FDC out of $10 worth of parts available at any electronics store.

 

Mine hits clamp level daily..

 

I found a FCD on ebay for $50 shipped...

 

As was mentioned by the other guy above, a kit with Printed circuit board and decent writeup would be far less time consuming and maybe worth your time.

 

Well. I am very happy with mine and commend you for making them. Thank you.

 

I want to learn How to do it...I's be willing to pay a small fee for YOU to make this write up.

 

Are you having trouble doing it, or you just mean for people in general? The only translation required is from the datasheet of the Op-Amp IC to determine what each pin does. Using a PCB with holes punched all over it and rows of holes connected is the way to go. Severing the traces in the middle of IC and connecting rows with wires is perfectly satisfactory for the DIYer.

If anyone is having trouble determining the identify of the pins on a particular op-amp, I can point them in the right direction.

 

point away...........i have no idea where to begin and I have access to the FSM.

 

Madrx7racer, Are you building the Stokes FCD? Have you purchased the components? What op-amp are you using? If not do you have an electronics store near by? If so, show them the Stokes parts list and ask them to help you buy the parts. They may not have the exact components (eg. op-amp and capacitors), but they should have something close enough.

 

For others. I did it a long time ago, but I didn't need to install it at the time and now I think it got lost during a move. So I'm going to have to figure it out again. I'm no electronics expert, and it took me a while to figure it out the first time.

You don't need to know what the pins do, only how to connect everything up. Paul Stokes' schematic is not very noob-friendly. I think a drawing showing the physical component layout and all the connections would encourage more people to build one. Even some photos of completed ones would be a good start.

 

I have a creeping death FCD im selling if anyone is interested..

 

I liked the one you sold me--worked like a charm.

Sold it for $25 after about 6 months of use--got a Rtek chip now.

Thanks for your support of the 7 community. The kit isn't a bad idea. You could sell just the pcb or pcb with parts. I think Digikey can set up a standard parts order and people can say they want the FCD kit and get all the parts.

Thanks again,

Scott

 

nope....i'm trying to compile a list of what I need so I can start one.......my dad is an electrician so he can help me........it all depends on how much patience I have (he likes to yell especially when irritated......and I tend to irritate him)

 

i'm interested...........how much?what's your Paypal?

 

50 shipped to you hassel!