Heathkit EC-1

On Fri, 2 May 2003, Ethan Dicks wrote: Well, now - not so fast! While your Bug may not have power steering, if it's got an automatic transmission - then I submit that: The automatic transmission as found in a good portion of the cars, trucks, and busses on the roads today, is a marvelous and complex analogue computer - solving for the match of the mechanical impedances of the vehicle versus the engine - given the obvious constraints of both: the vehicle must be capable of being stopped for variable periods of time, while the engine cannot be stopped in normal operation, and furthermore the range of input shaft to output shaft ratios must be maintained to allow for the torque/horsepower curves of the engine, and, by extension. it's economical and 'safe' operating ranges, and finally the output information must be able to have it's sign changed by operator command. ('reverse') The engine power must be coupled and uncoupled at various times to allow speed range changes, and the transmission must accept range-modification commands from the driver and from the engine systems - like acceleration kick-down. All this must be done in a very harsh environment, handling many foot-pounds of torque and generally multiple hundreds of HP, and be able to be produced in the millions of units - and do all this maintenance-free for years... Then of course the output 'information' from the tranny flows to a nice little mechanical computer that continuously solves the differential equation that arises when two wheels separated by an axle need to negotiate varying radii while maintaining a fixed and 'solid' relationship to the input signal. That's why is *called* a "differential". But Y'all knew that already, I reckon.... Cheers John