I got the Season One Upper Console electronics from Knight Rider World a couple of days ago (left). Here I am giving them a quick test simply hooked up to my Eliminator 12V power supply. They all work great so next will come the fun job of figuring out the best way to install them into my Upper Console. The double board with the digital text light ups on the top (right top) I'm not sure where I am going to put that one as I know it won't fit in the front of my console because on mine I have put the microphone, indicator light, Mic push button and I have installed the little circuit board for the Annunciator loudspeaker that I am using as part of K.I.T.T.s Voice Projection Unit. So I'll end up figuring something else out to use that board for, relocate it somewhere else. I'll hook up the Count-Up display and the Dummy row to my third lighted Rocker switch on the side of my Upper Console so that way when that switch is turned on the Count-Ups and Dummy row will activate and do their thing.
Well it was touch and go there for a while, I thought I was going to have to send my "Dummy" row board back to Knight Rider World for repairs or replacement. But with help from the fine folks over there at Knight Rider World we were able to figure out what was wrong with the board and even with my marginal electronics skills were able to fix the board and get it working. At first they thought it might have been a loose or broken solder joint on either one or a couple of the tiny components on the board. I did try re soldering them and then testing the board again only it still did not want to work in the middle display. So I pulled the board from my dash. Having it out of the dash I noticed that two of the pins on the chip were soldered together or "bridged", this it turns out sure enough was the culprit. Using some flux and a nice clean soldering iron tip I was able to remove the solder from between the two pins. I hooked the board up to my power supply and sure enough it worked like a dream. So thanks to the fine folks at Knight Rider World I was able to do the job myself with their guidance and save the hassle of having to ship the board back and wait for a replacement. Right on, I love when things like that get solved.
Yayyy... the Switch Pod switches along with the extra buttons set arrived in the mail today from Knight Rider World. Now I can install these into my switch pods, then do another test fit of the dash so I can make sure my switch pods get mounted on in the right position, then I can glass them onto the dash. I noticed that on the switches boards there are no mounting holes so I'm not sure how these get mounted into the pods. I'm sure I'll figure a way. Maybe cut a hole big enough for the switches to poke through the face of the pods and then use the edge of the boards as a stop or brace and then secure something over top of them inside of the back of the pods to secure them in place.... Hmmmm... going to require a little thought on that. I'm wondering how others have done this with their pod switches installation. Also need to figure out the wiring for these too. The red and black are obvious and I think the white is for the DTMF tones. On an additional note I wonder how you can make each button do something different? That I would not mind figuring out just so I can solder on the necessary wires and run them through the pod to the back of the dash and label them for easy identification later.... that's if that is possible with this button set that is??
I made a couple of aluminum shaped "L" brackets to be glassed onto the back of the Switch Pods where it gets eventually glassed into place on the Knight Rider Dash. The shape at first glance might look a little odd but when you see the below set of pictures you might see why I made them this shape. It's not that I NEEDED to make them this shape for any real important reason, it's just me being a little "over complicated" I'm sure, I just felt it fit into the available space better and it gave more of a tab to bolt onto the front part of the dash with. I like putting a bit of intricacy into my work whenever possible it somehow makes me feel like I'm doing a more complete job, lol even a lot of times of things no one is EVER going to see. ;)
Right now the mounting tabs I have made are just Contact Cemented into place, I'll let it set overnight and then I can glass then firmly into place tomorrow sometime. This gets me a step closer to getting my Knight Rider Dash done. Once the Switch Pod Switches arrive from Knight Rider World I should be able to start wiring things up under the dash and then I need to pick up a descent Booster Power Pack. The power pack will be a good investment as I can also use it to charge K.I.T.T.s battery should it ever go dead while out and about somewhere where there is no power available. I can also use it to test out the electronics.
I love getting packages in the mail from Knight Rider World. Today was the much needed PANP switches fro my 2 TV Knight Rider Dash. Now apart from the LCD monitors we pretty much have all of the dash electronics. I should now be able to wire up the electronics, run my wire loom with the connectors to my dash and finally see my dash in action. There are some things I need to do like install K.I.T.T.s Voice Box, bezel and Countdown Indicators as well as install these PANP switches after I secure in the mounting plate and bezel for them. I so can't way to see this baby all lit up ;) I'll need to test the electronics also just to make sure I do not have any bad boards, they traveled all the way from Italy and have not yet been tested since I got them so I'm going on a lot of faith that they are all OK. One thing I need to look into is how people are testing their dashes before installing them into their cars. At this point I am not sure if they use any type of special equipment or if they simply hook up the the car battery and Bob's yur Uncle ;)
Probably one of K.I.T.T.'s most famous and prominent features next to his scanner is the voice box. I have finally gotten around to ordering the bezel for my 2 TV dash, both from Knight Rider World. I can't wait to get his voice modulator installed into my dash. lol right now I have it sitting upstairs in our bedroom loft under the stars just so I have a little more room in my back room to prime, paint and clear coat the rear bumper and then finally the Turbo Hood.... there is a pain in the backside project that I had wanted to get done all winter but not having a simple box fan for ventilation was holding things up.... Oh well... just as well as it probably would have been too cold for the paint to set properly with the window open anyways ;) Warmer weather coming so it's time to "Get it On!"
