First official Excelcier PCB circuit board for headlight flashers - judging interest

[Excelcier]

OK, I finally decided to possibly make a few bucks on my headlight flasher circuit since the design has been out a while and no one has tried to build one except Jason (JRak123) and I had to finish it for him ( he gets koodos for trying though! )

I am taking it to the next level

I have spent a day designing the main circuit into a PCB circuit board layout and I'm deciding if I want to have some boards manufactured. This costs $$$. The minimum order is 6 boards at around $160.

http://excelcier.homeip.net/temp/PCB-layout-6.JPG

http://excelcier.homeip.net/temp/PCB-layout.JPG

Here is the case I picked out to house these boards and the sample board I modeled this after to fit the cases;

http://excelcier.homeip.net/temp/case-open.JPG

http://excelcier.homeip.net/temp/case-closed.JPG

This has been a truckload of work. My first attempt actually! I have cases that these will fit in. After the cost of the raw boards is the components to populate the boards and as well the wire and 4 relays and a relay holder.

My initial guess is that if I sold a kit, it would cost around $65 / kit plus a few bucks to ship it. Note that this kit would include the circuit module in a nice little case with 2 wires coming out to hook up to the car ( battery voltage somewhere ) and the 8 wires coming from the relays that you would have to run to the headlights ( 2 per headlight ). I would be willing to install one for anyone who wants to drive to my place but for everyone else, you're gonna have to follow directions on cutting the headlight wires and tapping them yourself. The only extra parts you'd have to buy would be a fuse / holder, and a switch.

So, the big question.... If I actually did this, who'd be seriously interested in buying one? I mean it... don't just say "I want one" if you have no intention or don't have the ability to install it. I want to truly know if I should have these boards manufactured or not.

[EricF]

I'm dizzy after looking at all those pictures... etc..
Looks sweet, good deal to for those wanting awesomeness on the car.
edit: I wouldn't want one. but I had other ideas for something else... I may approach you on later.

[1phatxr7]

what does it do make the headlights go like strobes?

[Excelcier]

It makes the headlights do this;

http://atomicinternet.homeip.net/newmcneco/images/button_home.gif

[jrak123]

:bowdown: @ $45 that is a pretty good deal, if I hadn't "tatically" aquired some of the parts from work it would have cost about $25-$30 easy for everything, and then you have to think what your time is worth as you are making the circuit.

Funny you should post this I was just thinking about this and how I am looking forward to the next meet so I can get mine installed. but who know maybe I will wait until you a have a fully integrated system for for the headlights and tail lights in one nice neat little box;)

[1phatxr7]

nice so is it hard to install?

[COOGAH]

I COOGAH, the poon warrior, want this. actually i really want that thing you did with the cougar head too. but i want one sooooo bad, i will be willing to do things that would be censored on this site

[Excelcier]

Yeah Jason, but... if you want to wait for one of these, then you gotta pay for it! The one you have now is free... hehehe your choice! Besides, I gotta earn your time to redo my bearing.

I will still wait till I have some guarantee orders though before I spend the $$$ to have these boards made as I don't have the capitol to put up for it right now unless I have assurance I can recover my costs.

As for the installation in your car, it's as hard as cutting one wire to each headlight and running some more wire to this module which you can mount in the engine bay. If you are capable at cutting, splicing, and soldering some wires then you have the ability to install this.

[Excelcier]

I COOGAH, the poon warrior, want this. actually i really want that thing you did with the cougar head too. but i want one sooooo bad, i will be willing to do things that would be censored on this site

Sammy... in your case specifically, I may want to establish a trade. If memory serves, you make cool signs.. I may want to do a barter system. I could be convinced to do one of those Cougar heads too if the hub cap is supplied... we can talk.

[jrak123]

Yeah Jason, but... if you want to wait for one of these, then you gotta pay for it! The one you have now is free... hehehe your choice! Besides, I gotta earn your time to redo my bearing.

I will still wait till I have some guarantee orders though before I spend the $$$ to have these boards made as I don't have the capitol to put up for it right now unless I have assurance I can recover my costs.

As for the installation in your car, it's as hard as cutting one wire to each headlight and running some more wire to this module which you can mount in the engine bay. If you are capable at cutting, splicing, and soldering some wires then you have the ability to install this.


Well you saw the solder mess I left on the one board:rofl: but I learned from my mistakes not to use a butane iron to do circuit work. Is Brad gonna do a Christmas party, I could just get the box from you then and I can install it whenit warms up a bit. And we can do you wheel bearing any time you want I will take one of my spare spindles and have the new bearing installed when ever you are ready.

[Excelcier]

I probably won't see Brad again until the next Lan party the first Saturday in January, then not again till my Lan party the weekend after.

Your call, I can just hand you over the circuit or you can wait and I can install it on your car. Your choice.

As for the bearing, unless you're coming to my place, I can't do it till the car's back on the road in March probably. Mind you, with the car up on blocks and rims off, now's a good time.

[jrak123]

That's what I was thinking, I am pretty busy until after the first of the year, so maybe after that I will run out and we can slap the spindle on real quick. It should only take about an hour max to do the swap.

[happsmack]

I'd def take one!

[Iggy1105]

Personally I'd think you get more bites for the sequential tailight mod. Those look amazing

[wadespencer99]

Hey Ron, awesome offer you've made, you're a trooper... however... the only problem with the offer is that now a huge hurdled mod only done by you will be entered into the batch of 'oh, that same old mod' once everyone has it and it'll no longer be origonal. Sorry, just wanted to note that. That's exactly the reason why I won't mod stuff when everyone PM's me offering to ship me their stuff to do. You do need to consider one other potential problem... liability. What if you don't solder something right, or ship it to them and a week later there is a bad IC? Then you'll have problems to deal with and unhappy people.

I weigh all these things carefully when people want me to mod their stuff for them. I'm more than happy to assist anyone who comes to me in person, but I think you're asking for problems by doing this.

Just my $0.02 ... sorry everyone, don't shoot me!



Now, should I post a bunch of pictures of a radio mod I did in your thread?

[Excelcier]

You're right Wade, but on this one, I made these open to the public to try to build a long time ago and I've also built a couple for people so it's already no longer unique. I kinda thought you might rub this one in, but this is different since I'll be making a fabricated kit, not a one off mod each time by people shipping me their stuff. The problems list on this one should be rather small so I'm willing to take the risk.

[1phatxr7]

i like the sounds af a complete system that does the rear lights to

[Excelcier]

Unfortunately I have no intention of making the sequential tailights available. It is just too massive of an undertaking.

[EternalOne]

Ron, as I've said before, I'd be interested in this. In fact, I can even help with the up-front if you would like someone else to share in the risk factor here.

E1

[Excelcier]

I appreciate your offer and faith in me. I may consider it. I am anxious to actually order my first custom circuit board and this is my opportunity.

We'll talk more as interest grows. I probably won't move on this till after New Years though as it's getting too busy right now.

[jrak123]

I appreciate your offer and faith in me. I may consider it. I am anxious to actually order my first custom circuit board and this is my opportunity.

We'll talk more as interest grows. I probably won't move on this till after New Years though as it's getting too busy right now.


I could help too... well I could beat up the people that don't cough up the dough:shrug: :shrug:

[Excelcier]

Wow! It's an official business now. I have a financial backer and a hired hitman... I'm gonna have to apply for a business license for tax purposes now hehehehe

[jrak123]

Wow! It's an official business now. I have a financial backer and a hired hitman... I'm gonna have to apply for a business license for tax purposes now hehehehe
I prefer to be called a human resource broker.. or breaker depending how the transaction goes:biggrin:

[blustreak]

So it looks like you could make the lights flash in anyorder back and forth?

What program/s do you use to 'draw up' or design boards? If you don't mind me asking.

[scrupul0us]

don... i dont know who u deal with for PCB manufacturing but when i was RIT for CET our digi-elect teacher told us about http://pcbexpress.com/

Might wanna check them out... they gave me a good price on a board for a silly little project i had to put together for a DIGI Lab

[NeverSatisfied02]

I would be very interested in them if you decide to start selling the kit!

[Excelcier]

I used PAD2PAD. It's custom software from pad2pad.com

very nice to work with.

[Cossack]

so what exactly does this do. sorry i want around when this first debuted

[Knight]

so what exactly does this do. sorry i want around when this first debuted

Fourth message on the first page...

It kinda looks like a wig-wag so if you don't want to have troubles with the cops, only use that for shows (and things like that)...

Nick

[MaverickFlyer]

Wow, I just saw this thread Ron!

Put me down for a set! ;)

By the way, one of my Neon tubes Broke! :cry:

So it doesn't matter that the transformer doesn't work! :mad:

[Excelcier]

Good news everyone... I ordered the raw boards today and I'm ordering the rest of my raw material tommorow to get the first batch built.

The first 5 folks get this for $50 as I need to use you as guinea pigs to take install photos and document the install process to make my installation manual.

Based on dibs, these are the first 5.

MaverickFlyer
Fearthisescort
EternalOne
Coogah
happsmack


I will personally see to the install process of the first 3 as I'll see them all, Sammie and happsmack, make sure that by committing, you have the skills to install these. I'm selling these first ones without a manual or anything and you're kinda on your own unless you want to drive to my place. If you guys back out, then 2 more are up for grabs at $50.

After these 5, the production versions will be selling for roughly $75-$85 each . I still have to finalize calculation of all costs based on taxes, shipping, construction time, etc to get an exact cost.

Rough timeline... By the time I have all the raw material and get them built up I'm estimating I can get them out the door by the end of February. PM me and I'll get you my contact info to send cash / cheque.. I am too lame/lazy to have Paypal setup well to receive cash from Canada so you have to use snailmail to pay me.

After these first 5 go out and I get all the documentation together for my install manuals I am estimating by mid to late March I'll have around 15 more available!

I am planning on having some built up to sell at Cougarfest and help install them there. I will also be donating one for raffle as well at fest!

Keep watching here for updates.....

[Phantom]

I can't believe I'm just now seeing this.

I am definitely in for one of these. Your price is awesome too. I'll have to wait to get one when there's a manual with it though...

I'd even pre-pay for it if you need. That's how much I want one.

[Excelcier]

Keep watching this post then and updates will follow as developments occur. I got confirmation of my boards being manufactured today!

[bgred619]

if any of the dibs fall out ill take 1 and help you with pics and manual!

[Excelcier]

bgred619.... are you local?

[bgred619]

nope vegas

[Excelcier]

Kinda hard to help out with pics if you're not local! :)

[bgred619]

kinda easy with camera and web too though lol

[Excelcier]

The first 10 production units are available now!

http://newcougar.org/forums/showthread.php?t=93542

[Excelcier]

2 videos of the headlight flashers running at night on 3 Cougars side by side... very cool!

http://excelcier.com/MC%2DNECO%5Fmeet%2DApril%2D2006/PDRM0679.AVI

http://excelcier.com/MC%2DNECO%5Fmeet%2DApril%2D2006/PDRM0680.AVI