Ignition Amplifier Kit

Has anyone used one of these and whet dou you think of them?
Ignition Amplifier Kit > Maplin

it should start easy enough without it

clivees said:

Has anyone used one of these and whet dou you think of them?
Ignition Amplifier Kit > Maplin

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These kits are excellent, and dead easy to fit.

There are two BIG advantages

1. the contact breaker points don't need to carry the coil current. They only carry the tiny trigger current. So there's no sparking, and the points will last forever, and the gap doesn't matter.

2. the spark is triggered by a bloody big transistor. So what? So you'll know what the first time you get a high tension whack off of one of these!
Awesome spark compared, especially if you get a Bosch coil as well.

Go for it - better starting, better running, more power and better MPG.

CharlesY

i've built and fitted dozens of those and they are excellent - pot them or some how or other make them waterproof and they will last forever

i have had 10 on back order from Maplins for over a month now, apparently their supply has dried up

These are excellent. I haven't had one of the maplins ones but know folk who have. Basically the same as sparkrite and Boyer Bransden.

I fitted a boyer one years ago in preference to electronic optical ignition like Piranha/luminition. I'd say one of these every time.

However, like all electronic ignition susceptible to temp extremes. Use extra wiring and place inside cab. I do have a wiring diagram for these if anyone wants to make one up themselves - cost less than a £1.

jessejazza said:

These are excellent. I haven't had one of the maplins ones but know folk who have. Basically the same as sparkrite and Boyer Bransden.

I fitted a boyer one years ago in preference to electronic optical ignition like Piranha/luminition. I'd say one of these every time.

However, like all electronic ignition susceptible to temp extremes. Use extra wiring and place inside cab. I do have a wiring diagram for these if anyone wants to make one up themselves - cost less than a £1.

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less than a pound ? - send me a copy please

I've got the circuit in a book and will dig it out. However, i've only recently moved and i'll have to dig for it. <£1 - was what it was when i last worked out the cost of the components. Basically it is resistors on a circuit board - but maybe now there is a recession on - may have to buy a box of 100 or something!

Send an email to jrjfreer AT googlemail DOT com

jessejazza said:

I do have a wiring diagram for these if anyone wants to make one up themselves - cost less than a £1.

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Ooo if you have a cct diagram can you send it to me?

Sean said:

i've built and fitted dozens of those and they are excellent - pot them or some how or other make them waterproof and they will last forever

i have had 10 on back order from Maplins for over a month now, apparently their supply has dried up

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Aye my local branch dosent have any either.
:-(

Oooo look what i found
http://www.velleman.be/downloads/0/illustrated/illustrated_assembly_manual_k2543.pdf

Well found... that is a clearer diagram than mine and full set of instructions. I've seen that before come to think of it. The only problem is trying to get the bits hence why Maplin offer it all as a made up set although you've got to get the box to enclose it.

Let us know if you can get the resistors easily... we may have to club together and make up an order.

jessejazza said:

Well found... that is a clearer diagram than mine and full set of instructions. I've seen that before come to think of it. The only problem is trying to get the bits hence why Maplin offer it all as a made up set although you've got to get the box to enclose it.

Let us know if you can get the resistors easily... we may have to club together and make up an order.

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every component in that diagram is easy to get, and will cost about 6 quid max - the only advantage of buying the kit is that it comes with a PCB

You could make it up with that other type of board that just has horizontal strips. Sorry when i said it could be made for a £1. I was thinking of the cost of the connections... resistors i can scrounge and the enclosure box probably costs £4/5.

I'll be making one for each car when i get round to it!

jessejazza said:

You could make it up with that other type of board that just has horizontal strips. Sorry when i said it could be made for a £1. I was thinking of the cost of the connections... resistors i can scrounge and the enclosure box probably costs £4/5.

I'll be making one for each car when i get round to it!

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vero or strip board

Sean said:

vero or strip board

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Thanks... couldn't think what it was called

Aye i did think about making it on Vero but it would be neater if done on a pcb.

clivees said:

Aye i did think about making it on Vero but it would be neater if done on a pcb.

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Sure, build it on a neat little PCG and with a really AWESOME heat sink!

In the olden days we always thought that BOSCH coils could shoot better sparks than all the others, and a so-called SPORTS coil by Bosch was the last time I took a HT lead shock deliberately. Wow ....never again.

The electronic switching kit really does make a BIG difference to the spark intensity and quality, and for y'all with LPG conversions you should go "leccy sparks" right way. You will notice the improvement from the moment you first start her up, and all the way through the range.

CharlesY

Spark intensity, quality and improvement through the rev range sure - BUT the big difference i noticed was how scatter virtually disappeared on my scimitar which had the poorly designed Motocraft distributor and 6 cyls. It made the ignition system seem like new.

I tried an optronic and that was poor by comparison.

Hello,
On a similar topic, has anyone used one of these electonic ignition units seen on ebay: LAND ROVER SERIES 2/3 /DEFENDER ELECTRONIC DISTRIBUTOR on eBay (end time 09-Aug-09 03:52:27 BST)

Hi clive, if you want to go the whole hog, you could fit a megaspark, then you wouldnt need the dizzy at all, just the controller and a fiesta dual coilpack.

If you go the velleman route, you'd be better with the kit instead of vero, its a lot easier and would me more reliable, velleman pcb's are very high quality.
One thing if you diy it, the power transistor shown on the schematic is a tip162, if you can get a tip 162c then do, the c means higher voltage rating, you need a higher voltage rating to cope with the back emf from the coil.
I too have seen the velleman on other vehicles and it works well, just needs to be made waterproof, you can put the board in a ally box, drill a hole for the bolt on the '162, put the tranny on the inside of the box, and the supplied heatsink on the outside (get some heatsink grease from craplin and use that), the heat will happily go through the box to the 'sink, and be all nice and sealed, not so sure about the quality of the pirahna module.
Ta.