Random Aero Odity

[Charlie Cheap]

I build cars but my degree is in electronics and electrons do not deal with aero things...but cars do. So, I went to the Random aero site and got a good education in past-present aero things. Interesting stuff there...and weird too.

[freebeard]

Weirdly interesting that you defeat the purpose of hyperlinks by not providing one.

DDG ]duckduckgo.com/?q=the+Random+aero+site] suggests:

randomaerospace.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.aero

Neither seem as fruitful as the Random Aerodynamic Oddity of the Day thread in our own Aerodynamics subforum.

[Charlie Cheap]

My bad...I guess. I did not know I was required to post a link, which I do not have. I was simply searching through the different links on this site. I will refrain from such rude exercises and avoid any posts that take up space in the future.

[freebeard]

Don't apologize, it makes you look weak.

Not asking to be rude, but can you use the Link button? Even aerohead struggles with it.

You've got a thread going here. Even if you don't include a link, can you find the overlap between electronics and aerodynamics? I'd say it's plasma.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthre...ion-33671.html

From Permalink #34 in that thread:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa8EeTa2x7c

[Charlie Cheap]

Freebeard, since I truly do not understand the different sites I post on, I will just stay off them. This is an interesting site but I don't understand the different areas within a site...so I will stay off any but the ones I know. THANKS for the heads-up.

[Stubby79]

Freebeard, play nice with the noobs.

Charlie, don't worry about it, you'll catch on.

[freebeard]

I guess the first line of Permalink #2 needed a smiley.

Freebeard, since I truly do not understand the different sites I post on, I will just stay off them. This is an interesting site but I don't understand the different areas within a site...so I will stay off any but the ones I know.

Here's how I look at it: Ecomodder is the website. At the top of each page is a line that says Home, Forum, Blog, Tools, Wiki and etc. The Forum itself has subforums. Each is labeled, The Lounge is the wild card.

More generally, there are categories like social media and news aggregators. I like news aggregators, starting with Slashdot and Boing Boing and The Register. I abhor social media. I think they destroy the social order. Ecomodder is the closest I care to get, it's sort of an aggregator/forum hybrid. It's got it's own wiki and everything.

The various subforums are populated by the same small number of individuals, with 10x lurkers watching. ...and silently judging.

[Charlie Cheap]

THANKS Freebeard for the explanation. I think I understand...kinda.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Charlie Cheap

I build cars but my degree is in electronics and electrons do not deal with aero things...but cars do. So, I went to the Random aero site and got a good education in past-present aero things. Interesting stuff there...and weird too.

Welcome aboard!
If there's anything specific you're interested in, let us know.
You may end up tutoring us on things electronic, now that they're making massive inroads in the automotive world.

[Charlie Cheap]

Aerohead, I hope I am not in a wrong sub section but you mentioned electronics which I have some understand of. Most do not understand how outside electronic sparks/arcs can damage computers. In the early days our 77LTD had the ignition box under the hood. That created heat problems even for a computer sealed in epoxy. So it was moved inside the interior where its life was greatly extended. I like points due to their mechanical simplicity, dependability, and ease of repair beside the highway, should a problem arise. One can't FIX a broken sealed computer but must replace it, but points, condenser, rotor, cap, and wires can be patched enough to get to a service station. Though, in my 50 years driving modified cars on long trips I never had a problem with my points ignition...probably because I check things before leaving home. Notice the thick wires used today if not a coil-on-plug design. The wires caused lots of problems with arching that is not normally seen but can damage electronics. Those wires are now usually fine-wire wound around a core to cut EMP. People talk about an atomic blast knocking out computer ignitions, but with even a modicum of common sense, a ruined ignition will be the very LEAST of one's worries in that situation. Points are controlled by the distributor cam, and a 4-cylinder has only 4 lobes, allowing a longer time to charge the coil primary. By design points make a longer spark also, and that is why MSD was invented. At standard highway RPM a points triggered spark is plenty long and with a hot coil can be made hotter than stock. Using a slightly lower ohms ignition resistor in the primary coil feed-line, using an ACCEL hot coil, running solid copper wires cut as short as possible, using BWD SELECT distributor parts because they use the best available materials, and gapping the Iridium sparkplugs a couple of thousands wider, one gets a bigger-longer spark. That is without a single piece of electronics. Spare points parts are kept in the glovebox but I have never needed them. If one goes to a turbo, increases compression considerably, or expects to run at much higher RPM...use a computer. I am building for the street below 5000 RPM 90% of the time, and even MSD shows points work fine on their graph...not mine. Just some thoughts one may consider.