THe NAC Lots-O-BFG KO2 Thread

[MoparManiac]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

I thought this was BS, cause I called them way back when I was looking for mine. So, I called them again for you. I talked with George (extension #484) and he said they'd be happy to get them in, it would just take an extra day or so as they would have to be ordered.
I can't vouch for them any more than that, this is as far as my dealings with them go.

 

[RCman]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

I've got $200 worth of gift certificates at Morris4x4.

Don't you remember getting me someone's extension that would get me D60 stuff?

I do.

Ahh, I had forgot about that.

Good point. You owe me still.

 

[vetteboy]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

Damnit, I had a good reply written up and then accidentally closed this tab.

I've never used the 74143 but I do have some Nixie tube driver circuits built around the 7441/74141, which is similarly antique and obsoleted decades ago by any serious manufacturer. I don't know of any sources for the 74143 (NTE may make one, but I strongly suggest staying away from them, I have had horrible luck with their parts and it seems they "make" many of them by buying up new old stock and old lots of parts from wherever they can find them, including china, and then cleaning the manufacturer's numbers off with solvents and printing their own numbers on. I had multiple magic/blue smoke release incidents before I swore them off) but you may want to look into the MC14553 and MC14511. The 553 is a three digit BCD counter and the 511 is a BCD to 7seg decoder/driver. ON Semiconductor (who I have had great luck with in the past, they inherited all the discrete and logic products from Motorola while Freescale got all the CPUs and MCUs) makes modern versions of these chips and they are in stock on Mouser. You'd need a single MC14553 and 3 MC14511s for each channel as far as I can tell. The bonus is that if you use these chips in the B edition (i.e. MC14553B) they are good from 3 volts to 18 volts supply, so you can toss most of the regulation and level conversion out the window.

Also, where the hell do your customers dig up HTL hardware? That's like... straight out of the cretacious period or something :roflmao:

Hmm. January's usually on the slower side here, maybe I'll pick this up again...I'd feel much better starting fresh with it anyway than trying to trace back through the rats nest I made when prototyping.

For whatever reason, we go through the 512-pulse HTL units at a rate of almost 3:1 compared to the other models. Beats me, it ain't my job to spec it.

We do run into some oddball power issues though. For example, the standard voltages we work with are 230/460 3-phase, and if the motor gets a brake on it, 99% of the time we use a simple & cheap half-wave rectifier and the brake coil voltage is (0.45 x input) VDC.

General Motors decided a while ago that any of their monorail systems need to be nameplated for 208-230/460. But they only run at 208V. Furthermore, they all use a VFD for controlling motor speed, so they need a fixed-voltage supply for the brake, which winds up being single-phase 115V AC. They've been using this obsolete 92V brake for decades which means we need to supply a full-wave rectifier instead. So it's all this random crap that we have to keep in stock just because they don't want to upgrade to newer stuff.

And of course, this old, obsolete stuff costs like 3x as much. With a few minor changes to their monorail lines they could use all new, off-the-shelf product and probably recoup the investment within a year. Really speaks a lot about the way US auto companies work...

So why 115V AC? Because the monorail tracks have a separate bus for the brushes to pick up the brake supply voltage, and this bus plugs either into wall sockets or the lighting supply. :doh:

 

[vetteboy]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

Here's another fun picture. My buddy acquired this at his junkyard on Saturday.

Yes, the small sticker I'm holding described the contents of the box in the background as recently as that morning.

His mom works part-time managing a funeral home, and that's half of the box/crate they use for mailing cadavers.

 

[MoparManiac]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

 

[asp]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

I'm so hungry right now. I hate you a little bit.

 

[MoparManiac]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

I would eat at least 10 of those.

 

[kastein]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

Here's another fun picture. My buddy acquired this at his junkyard on Saturday.

Yes, the small sticker I'm holding described the contents of the box in the background as recently as that morning.

His mom works part-time managing a funeral home, and that's half of the box/crate they use for mailing cadavers.

I wonder what the UPS surcharge for that is?

Right arm? Leg? Left nut?

Hmm. January's usually on the slower side here, maybe I'll pick this up again...I'd feel much better starting fresh with it anyway than trying to trace back through the rats nest I made when prototyping.

For whatever reason, we go through the 512-pulse HTL units at a rate of almost 3:1 compared to the other models. Beats me, it ain't my job to spec it.

We do run into some oddball power issues though. For example, the standard voltages we work with are 230/460 3-phase, and if the motor gets a brake on it, 99% of the time we use a simple & cheap half-wave rectifier and the brake coil voltage is (0.45 x input) VDC.

General Motors decided a while ago that any of their monorail systems need to be nameplated for 208-230/460. But they only run at 208V. Furthermore, they all use a VFD for controlling motor speed, so they need a fixed-voltage supply for the brake, which winds up being single-phase 115V AC. They've been using this obsolete 92V brake for decades which means we need to supply a full-wave rectifier instead. So it's all this random crap that we have to keep in stock just because they don't want to upgrade to newer stuff.

And of course, this old, obsolete stuff costs like 3x as much. With a few minor changes to their monorail lines they could use all new, off-the-shelf product and probably recoup the investment within a year. Really speaks a lot about the way US auto companies work...

So why 115V AC? Because the monorail tracks have a separate bus for the brushes to pick up the brake supply voltage, and this bus plugs either into wall sockets or the lighting supply. :doh:

backwards compatibility is a bitch that way. Believe it or not, the system memory map for Itanium platforms STILL has space cut out in it for handling x86 emulation and support... which still has stuff in it for the 32MB DMA limit on ancient PCs, and the 1MB DMA limit for 16-bit ISA cards, and the memory hole for the old VGA BIOS region. And embedded within all of *that* is design decisions that were put in place to make supporting old 8 bit systems running CP/M easier. So basically, Itanium still has an appendix that is rooted in 1960s and 1970s hobbyist microcomputer design decisions / curses.

It really wouldn't be that hard to redesign. I just remembered that the MC14553 supports digit multiplexing, so it only requires a single MC14511, and without too much difficulty you could interface it with any display from a row of 3 7segment displays to a multiplexed LCD to a multiplexed VFD (vacuum fluorescent display.) It's pretty easy, in fact here's the page out of the book I learned this from, back in '98 or so: http://books.google.com/books?id=a_...&resnum=1&ved=0CBMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Yep, I was a nerd even then. When I couldn't find anything to scavenge MC14553s and 511s out of (I was on a shoestring budget) I switched to a whole pile of Texas Instruments SN74LS163As, SN74LS47s, and assorted logic gates to build the same thing, it took about 30 chips but I had them sitting in my junk bin already so they cost me nothing.

The buffalo chicken pizza at work is way more intense than that, it's practically the color of a traffic cone and I can still feel the burn a little tiny bit even hours later. I love it.

 

[vetteboy]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

Yep, I was a nerd even then. When I couldn't find anything to scavenge MC14553s and 511s out of (I was on a shoestring budget) I switched to a whole pile of Texas Instruments SN74LS163As, SN74LS47s, and assorted logic gates to build the same thing, it took about 30 chips but I had them sitting in my junk bin already so they cost me nothing.

My digital circuits professor made us go through the process of designing a 4-bit 7-segment LED driver...Karnaugh map, simulating in Labview, building one for real...before we were allowed to shortcut and just use the damn chip. Luckily he didn't make us do the same thing for an actual counter with all the latches etc. I appreciate that sort of thing, but after a point I get sick of reinventing the wheel over and over again.

I always liked BASIC stamps. I had like 6 of those little things controlling all the electromechanical stuff on our senior project vehicle.

 

[kastein]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

I was a TTL addict in late middle and high school. At one point I needed a hex display so I could debug a sequential logic circuit I was designing... I only had BCD decoders. BUT I had a whole stack of 27Cxxx series EPROMs, a 555 timer, and a lot of time. I ended up writing values to the EPROM from a table I constructed (address inputs = data in, data pins = segment drivers plus decimal point, hold RD# low and WR# high!) that made it into a hex decoder using the 555 timer to generate the 50mS burn pulses and a bunch of jumper wires to set the data and address pins.

I was too poor to buy an EPROM erasing UV lamp, so I electrical taped them to the fluorescent lamps in the basement and waited a week. Fortunately I had enough EPROMs that a few were always ready to use.

:gee:

 

[rweaver138]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

Just got back from Verizon, finally picked up a new phone. got the droid 2 its pretty sweet.

was also playing with an ipad that they had while i was there, that thing is wicked cool. couldn't see myself paying the 500 or whatever it was though

 

[asp]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

What's the difference between an epeleptic corn picker and a hooker with diarrhea?





The epeleptic corn picker shucks between fits.

 

[asp]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=186Fdc59tWY&feature=related I've met this guy. He's good.

 

[vetteboy]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

And I thought I was bad copying the BASIC programs out of the back of 3-2-1 Contact, with an IBM PC XT. :laugh:

 

[Begster]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

What's the difference between an epeleptic corn picker and a hooker with diarrhea?





The epeleptic corn picker shucks between fits.

This makes no sense to me at all.


Off to go get new e-brake shoes. That was one of the things the Jeep failed for. I nearly shat myself on the way to get a sticker, at one point I had a cruiser driving behind me, and was stopped with two officers directing traffic in front of me.

 

[asp]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

Think about it harder.

Good luck with your e-brake stuff.

 

[kastein]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

They don't care if they're directing traffic, they have more to worry about, like not getting run down by the idiots that are talking on a cellphone and ignoring their directions. I drove the MJ through a construction zone every morning for like a month with a massive crack straight across the windshield and never got a second glance.

Parked behind you likewise, unless they see another reason to stop you or happen to spot the R sticker as you go by.

Also, terrible joke... just my sort

 

[Begster]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

Think about it harder.

Good luck with your e-brake stuff.

Am I supposed to rearrange the beginning of "shucks" and "fits" for the hooker?

They don't care if they're directing traffic, they have more to worry about, like not getting run down by the idiots that are talking on a cellphone and ignoring their directions. I drove the MJ through a construction zone every morning for like a month with a massive crack straight across the windshield and never got a second glance.

Parked behind you likewise, unless they see another reason to stop you or happen to spot the R sticker as you go by.

Also, terrible joke... just my sort

The cops had traffic stopped to let the telephone truck pull out onto the road, and were getting into their cars. They could have seen the sticker that expired in October, and told the cruiser behind me.

The reason to stop me is I'm a giant friggen Jeep that cops don't like, and that didn't' even have an R sticker yet.

Cops down on the cape don't have actual crime to deal with, so they have nothing better to do than give people crap.

 

[MoparManiac]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

I never once got pulled over for anything about my XJ.

I got pulled over for blowing threw a stop sign (peeling out because of the no-slip and 4.88s ). Cop didn't say anything, just to be careful and have a nice day.

Also got pulled over on the way back from Swanzey after this happened on the LAST ledge:

After being out on the trail having put new ball joints/spare shaft in it (I don't remember when we finally got out...anyone? I think it was well past 10 or 11) I had a completely full jeep, with a mountain of crap in the cargo area. Broken taillight, broken headlight (dangling) and covered with mud/dents. Cop notified me of the broken lights, asked what happened (I told him exactly what happened) and then he said to be careful and have a good night

As much as that sucked...I had a good time that trip.

 

[vetteboy]

Re: THe NAC Lots-O-Post Thread

Am I supposed to rearrange the beginning of "shucks" and "fits" for the hooker?

Congratulations, you found the funny!