DG ignition, static timing error?

[DaveW]

DG ignition ... A problem? Having read somewhere that there was a batch of these units (like the 123 unit but cheaper) that had a firmware problem evidenced by the lack of advance programming on increased RPM. I dug out my very old neon strobe, and dusted of the connections, connected it, darkened the garage and witnessed that my unit did advance hooray.
Now to my query I thought I'd check the static timing (DG have a green LED on the unit to facilitate this). As I turned the crank I noticed a flash from the still connected strobe, strangely this was some 10+ teeth before the LED came on (some 30+ degrees BTDC). Troubled by this I repeated it and marked the flywheel, it was repeatable very strange. I then started to play with the timing, the static appeared to be close by green LED. I marked the teeth for the three RPM dynamics listed in the Haynes manual and ran the stobe again, close so confirming the firmware did work when the engine was running.
? Has anyone an explanation for the unit firing the plug so early when being turned over by hand? Its really is a rhetorical question as the unit does appear to be working "correctly" or is it
DaveW

[Ken Hanna]

Dave,
since the DG ( http://www.dgautomaterialen.com/product ... G-DGNITION ) is a blatant rip-off of Abertronic's 123 ignition (http://www.123ignition.nl/product/2CV.html), it will also have the timer feature which shuts down power if no activity is detected for a second or so.

The action of switching off the power supply to the coil will trigger an HT spark, hence the 'apparently' random spark which occurred as you rotated the engine slowly.

For the record, those who copy other folk's ideas don't deserve to prosper, in my opinion...

Ken

[Geoff Ryall-Harvey]

Volkswagen.....

[Geoff Ryall-Harvey]

...and Porsche. Both ripped off Tatra.

[Jimmy Cooper]

Tatra and the conception of the Volkswagen Beetle

Both Hitler and Porsche were influenced by the Tatras. Hitler was a keen automotive enthusiast, and had ridden in Tatras during political tours of Czechoslovakia. He had also dined numerous times with Ledwinka.[6] After one of these dinners Hitler remarked to Porsche, "This is the car for my roads". From 1933 onwards, Ledwinka and Porsche met regularly to discuss their designs, and Porsche admitted "Well, sometimes I looked over his shoulder and sometimes he looked over mine" while designing the Volkswagen. There is no doubt that the Beetle bore a striking resemblance to the Tatras, particularly the Tatra V570. The Tatra T97 of 1936 had a rear-located, rear-wheel drive, air-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine accommodating four passengers and providing luggage storage under the front bonnet and behind the rear seat. Another similarity between this Tatra and the Beetle is the central structural tunnel. Tatra launched a lawsuit, but this was stopped when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia. At the same time, Tatra was forced to stop producing the T97. The matter was re-opened after World War II and in 1965 Volkswagen paid Ringhoffer-Tatra 1,000,000 Deutsche Marks in an out of court settlement.

[howardjs]

Just by coincidence this Tatra must have been one of the cars of the show at last weekends Caux Retro. The quality of the restoration was truly outstanding, even down to the cotton covered wiring harness...
The car dates from 1933 and must be a first in many aspects of car design. Notice there is no chassis forward of the front bulkhead. The flat four air cooled engine and gearbox is mounted onto the centre tunnel, the double leaf spring independent front suspension is mounted on the engine. The steering is rack and pinion with long track rods centrally fixed to the rack. Does it remind you of something similar...?

[Jimmy Cooper]

Great pics; thanks!
Can't help thinking that must be a stiff bonnet to keep the wing joining 'slot' half decent. Rubber seal involved?

[Le Patron]

I notice also and asked the manufacturer, the led can light up at other times but the sparkplug only fire on the static timing end advance when rpm is increasing.
When you need more details for the DG or W ignition or Le Patron ignition you can ask, they al have the same manufacturer for the plate with software and is surely no copy of the 123.