DeTomaso Mailing List: March 99, Message #43

Hay Gang,
 This is Great!
 I just got pointed to the following two sites that have cheap/free DIY
dyno software. Both work the same. You record ignition data (into a tape
recorder or cam-corder or directly into your laptop) of an acceleration run
(on level ground). Convert it into a WAV file and then run the software.
The SW analyzes the pulses and calculates speed and acceleration and thence
HP. Knowing the cars weight, gearing, and atmospheric conditions, it
calculates HP and torque vs RPM and plots it up. Simple as that. The
results should ba as accurate as the data you put in! The only difference
between the measured HP and RWHP is the drag (rolling and wind) and the
programs compensate for that. BTW, drag can be estimated fairly accuratly
using Bowlings calculator (http://sura1.jlab.org/~grippo/aero.html).

Home Dyno - http://www.charm.net/~mchaney/homedyno/dynokit.htm
This one costs $40 for the SW, $85 with an inductive pickup (otherwise you
wire a lead to the ignition system, seems like you could also use the tach pickup).

StreetDyno - http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/5837/StreetDyno.html
This is free and you have to wire it in.

Both run on Windoze. There is a link at the StreetDyno site to a UNIX version.

Richard Barkley