| erration@yahoo.com 2006-08-24, 4:27 pm |
| erration@yahoo.com wrote:
> Dick Monahan wrote:
>
> You can make the turn signal louder by putting a miniature speaker at
> the headrest and putting a microphone right at the clicking sound
> source. This puts a high click level at your ear but not at the
> passengers' ears. You can do this a couple of ways.
>
> Option 1. Buy a Radio Shack speaker/amp box (277-1008) and a
> microphone. Fasten the mic very close to the turn signal sound source
> and wire under the floor mat up to the battery powered amplifier
> affixed to the headrest near your ear. Adjust the volume so that the
> click sound is loud enough but below oscillation.
>
> Option 2. (No wiring) Buy a miniature baby monitor set with both units
> battery powered (optional). Place the baby pick-up end very close to
> the turn signal sound source. Affix the parent unit to the headrest
> near your ear. Adjust the gain just loud enough to hear the turn signal
> clicking but below oscillation.
>
> Option 3. Use Option 1 but instead of using microphone, wire the
> amplifier input to the pulsing 12v (at the source or at the lights).
> Use 100K resistors in series with any such connections. In this case
> oscillation is not an issue.
>
> Option 4. Use Option 2 but disable microphone in baby unit and connect
> to the TS pulsing 12V via 100K resistors as above. In this case
> oscillation is not an issue.
Tried it. Notes:
1. Oscillation appears not to be a problem for Options 1 and 2 if you
get the mic close to the clicker.
2. The mic does pick up a little engine/transmission noise but once
underway it's obscured by the normal (unamplified) wind and road noise.
Then again I don't drive a Rolls.
3. The headrest position for the miniature speaker box works out very
well. You won't be leaving the Turn signal on anymore.
4. The amplified clicks were unnoticed by my wife in the passengers
seat.
5. If you use the baby monitor approach (Option 2), choose the 900 MHz
variety.
Advantages of Options 1 and 2:
1. They work.
2. No wiring needed.
Disadvantages of Options 1 and 2:
1. Some noise amplification at idle.
2. Battery replacement involved.
A battery-less approach that should give best result:
1. Use a miniature passive 8 ohm speaker box, mounted at the headrest.
2. Hardwire it to the turn-signal's pulsing 12V, putting a diode and
200 ohms of resistance in series. (Use the two diode method described
in this thread if you connect to the tail light wires but still put 200
ohm in series with the speaker)
3. Add a 5K volume control pot to the speaker box circuit if desired
(recommended).
For those who dislike getting into this kind of thing, a shop that
installs car alarms, car sound, remote starters etc. could easily do it
for you.
Note: Speakers designed expressly for headrest mounting are also
available.
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