Engine Ears

[Nissanman]

A little project I have been building recently to assist with engine tuning is a Detonation Detector.
I didn't design it but I have modified the original slightly.
The original article is located here: -
http://www.autospeed.com/cms/article.html?&A=1353
I decided to use 1/4" plugs and jacks for the MICrophone and headPHONES connections and an LED illuminated push button switch for the power.

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The basis is a 0.5W amplifier which is about the same size as a 9V transistor battery.

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Here is the entire device inside a utility box.

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One end is for the ON/OFF switch and the MIC input.

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The other end has the VOLume control and the headPHONES jack.

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Here is the box with MIC and PHONES plugged in: the MIC has a 2M cable on it which has standard stereo wiring.
A standard Tip Ring Sleeve Stereo extension cable can be used if necessary.

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My creative name for the 'box.

It is very sensitive with the piezo transducer bonded to a simple battery clip.

It will be interesting to listen to the little G15 and see if I can pick up any detonation happening.
Plus you can clip it to any part of the engine/body/chassis to trace mysterious noises

[Solex68]

Hmmm. It would be interesting to hear what Detonations sound like through that device.

[Nissanman]

The designer explains that you should hear a "splat, splat" noise.
The trick, I believe, is to adjust your buccaneers to normal engine sounds and once detonation occurs, you will hear the abnormal.