Brantz rally Instruments

 Operation.

Keyboard convention: Green keys are normally selected. Holding the 'Select Orange Keys' button down whilst pressing other buttons will select the functions described in the orange text areas. The computer is turned ON by pressing the 'ON' button. To turn OFF hold the 'Select Orange Keys' and 'OFF' button until the displays disappear. The 'Select Orange Keys' button locks itself in for about half a second, so sequential button pushes can be made (eg 'Sel Orange then 'OFF' in quick succession).

Dimming the readouts:- The first two stages of the 'off' control lower the intensity of the readouts. Release the 'OFF' button at the stage when the readout says ‘LO’. Full brightness is restored by pressing just the 'ON' button. When the ‘Off’ button is used to go to the fully off situation, all the tripmeter modes which were in use at the time of switching off are remembered for the next time the computer is switched on again.

Press 'Resume Time' if the top readout is showing fuel. Press 'Select Edit Item' repeatedly until the ‘Set-ti’ item is offered for modification, then press ‘Orange/Modify Item’ to enter the time setting menu. Using the numeric keys, enter each of the six digits of the time in 24 hour format. As soon as the sixth digit is entered, the clock exits the setting mode. If a mistake has been made during setting, either complete the six digits and then do it again correctly, or press the ‘escape’ button which then ignores the mistaken attempt. Note that the last two digits of the clock (hundredths of a second) do not normally show as they change too quickly to be of any value in real time. These show only when the clock is frozen by the 'Hold Time' button.

All speed and distance functions rely on the computer being accurately calibrated for the vehicle/gearing/tyre combinations pertaining. Set the 'Calibration' switches to 0000. As soon as the vehicle moves the total readout will change to ‘Cal Set’. Go to the start of a measured mile. Press the 'Zero lower' button momentarily. Drive the measured mile exactly and stop. A figure will appear in the lower 'Trip' readout. Enter this figure onto the Calibration switches. Turn the vehicle round and check that the measured mile measures as a mile on the computer when driven. The computer is calibrated in kilometres exactly as above, but substitute the word 'kilometre' for the word 'mile'. Note that when the computer is calibrated in miles, all speeds will be in mph and when calibrated in kilometres, all speeds will be in kph. Note the different calibration figures if different gears/wheels/tyres etc are to be fitted during an event.

This button restarts the computer if an electrical problem has caused the internal processor to 'crash'. It is a powerful command which will lose most data stored, so do not use it unless there is a major problem. The Laser 3 copes with severe abnormalities in the car's electrical system, so if it has become necessary to use this command the car must be giving trouble and is in need of close attention.

The 'Total' and 'Trip' readouts are identical except that the Trip readout does not have the 'Hold' function. The 'Hold' function takes a spot distance reading where the readout does not change, but the distance is still being calculated inside the computer. This function would be useful for pace-noting when a distance to a feature was required to be noted, but the vehicle could not stop. When on 'Hold' the green light in the button will come on. Another press of this button will restore the readout to the current position as if the button had never been pressed. The 'Freeze' buttons will stop the readouts from counting (the button lights) if pressed, and will restore counting if pressed again. The distances are computed in six digit format e.g. 123.456 miles or km, but the readouts only view four of these digits. The digits on view can be shifted along by repeated presses of the 'Mode Distance' button. The distance readouts can be preset to any distance required either whilst the vehicle is standing still or whilst it is on the move. Press 'Split' at the point where the new distance is correct. Enter the six figure distance using the numeric keypad. As the sixth digit is pressed the computer leaves the ‘Split’ mode. If the vehicle has been standing still during the preset or the readout is in ‘Freeze’ mode, then that figure will come up on the readout, and if the vehicle has been moving, then the distance moved during the presetting process will be added to the preset distance. If the tripmeter is in ‘-dist’ mode, ie counting downwards, then the distance traveled since the ‘Split’ button was pressed will be deducted from the set distance figure. the ‘Split’ facility is available on both the upper and lower readouts. In the ‘Split’ mode it is not necessary to enter all six distance digits; the unentered digits following the entered digits will be assumed to be zeros. If entering less than six digits, pressing the ‘Return’ button indicates to the tripmeter that the "Split’ figure is complete. If a mistake is made during the entering of the ‘Split’ figure, a press of the ‘escape’ button will ignore the mistaken attempt and allow another entry. A mistake in entering a ‘Split’ figure can be corrected by moving back to the incorrect digit by use of the ‘Down Arrow’ button and re-typing the correct digit. The 'Zero' buttons reset the readouts back to zero, but note that to prevent inadvertent zeroing of the upper 'Total' distance readout, the upper zero button needs to be pressed for three seconds to work. Pressing the '-DIST' button reverses the count. The button lights when counting downwards. Pressing the '-DIST' button again restores count to the upwards direction. The RR terminal on the upper connector in the rear of the computer can be configured by 'Select Edit Item' as a Reverse instruction (RR setup = -dist) and can be connected to reversing lights; -12v signals a reversal (use a relay if the vehicle’s logic is the opposite of this) , or the ‘RR’ Terminal can be configured to accept a hard wired remote zeroing button for the lower readout (-12 volts = zero readout. Configure RR setup in the ‘Select Edit Item’ menu as REMOTE-tp).

Puts the current speed on the readout. Available in both the 'Total' and 'Trip' readouts.

Available in the 'Total' readout. The maximum speed attained since the computer was last switched on, or the 'Zero Upper' button was pressed in this mode which resets the maximum speed monitor.

Available in the 'Total' readout. Calculated for up to 24 hours, since the computer was switched ON, or the 'Zero Upper' button was pressed in this average speed mode which resets the calculation to re-commence from that moment onwards for up to 24 hours. Average is calculated to one decimal place.

N.B. Entering this mode clears some other calculations and memories from the computer, and is intended to be used during vehicle testing etc, outside the rally competition. The acceleration facility enables vehicle modifications to be assessed for their value. Press 'Mode Accel' and use the 'Select Edit Item ' button to choose the speed range (start and end) over which the time is to be measured. When the required acceleration parameter is showing (eg 0-60 or standing start 0.25 etc) press the Orange/ Modify Item. The time in seconds (with decimal place) will show in the 'Trip' readout. The run can be repeated by pressing the 'Zero Lower' button. Pressing the 'Resume Time' button quits the Acceleration Mode and restores the readouts to previous settings.

To show the tank contents Press 'Mode Fuel'. The fuel gauge map can be programmed by emptying the tank to the level you wish to call EMPTY. Ensure that the vehicle's fuel gauge system is powered up if the Laser 3 is to run alongside the original. Normally this is achieved by having the vehicle ignition turned on. With 'Select Edit Item ' button select 'cal-fuel' and press 'Orange/Modify Item'. The computer will spend about a second detecting if you are attached to a volts-on or volts-off type system, then it will show ‘SET-E’ and a figure. Press 'Orange/Modify Item' and this empty reading will be programmed into the computer memory. Press 'Select Edit Item' and the menu will move on to offer you the quantity of fuel. Fill the tank and note the quantity in litres. Use the Laser 3's up or down arrows to match this quantity figure then press the 'Return' symbol on the keypad. Press the 'Select Edit Item' button to show the computer's measurement of the full condition, and press 'Orange/Modify Item' to put it into memory. Quit the calibration sequence by pressing 'Resume Time'. The computer assumes linearity of the gauge. The quality of the sensor in the tank dictates the precision of spot readings. The Laser 3 is capable of measuring litres to one decimal place. Once programmed, the map is retained by the computer even when it is switched OFF.

Normally, six digits show on the 'Time' readout. Pressing 'Hold Time' halts the readout and displays the hundredths of a second. 'Resume Time' restores the clock as if nothing had been pressed.

The 'Total' readout and the 'Trip' readout each have a stopwatch available. The full range of Freeze/Hold/Zero buttons are available for the stopwatch whilst the accompanying readout is in stopwatch mode. The stopwatches count in minutes (rotating at 60) and seconds. A fast press of the zero button commences counting. Another fast press stops the stopwatch. A press of more than three seconds zero's the readout. If both readouts are in stopwatch mode, and one stopwatch is waiting at zero, pressing the 'Freeze' on the other stopwatch will freeze that stopwatch and simultaneously commence the zeroed stopwatch counting. An option available via the 'Select Edit Item' enables ‘Auto Start’ of the upper stopwatch as soon as the vehicle moves off from rest. This happens only if the stopwatch is at zero, and is useful for stage starts. Stage start and stage finish functions are best done using the ‘Total’ readout as stopwatch by pressing the remote button which stops the stopwatch and the time of day together at the stage finish. Stage start can be done manually with the remote button or automatically using the ‘Auto Run’ self-start.

Auto Off is used to power the Laser 3 down when the vehicle is parked. It is enabled or disabled from the 'Select Edit Item' menu which monitors the motion of the vehicle. If no motion is detected for 15 minutes when the computer is in 'Auto Off Enabled' mode then the computer readouts are shut down and memorized. As soon as the 'ON' button is pressed or the vehicle moves, the readouts are illuminated. Standby current is around 15 milliamps, so disconnect the Laser 3 if the vehicle is to be parked up for more than a week.

The wireless link can be used to present the driver with his own display of data such as speed, time, fuel, distance etc on a separate readout unit (The ‘Pro Remote’).

Data from the tripmeter can be stored every second into a PC when required for stage analysis. The PC is connected via its’ serial port to the ‘Pro Remote’ which is radio linked to the Laser 3, and should be running the appropriate Brantz software.

The standard Remote Zero Unit has 2 control buttons which suffices for most co-driver needs, and operates over a wireless link to the Laser 3 computer. It needs a PP3 battery. If the 'Total' readout is in stopwatch mode the button marked 'Upper' will with a fast press commence the upper stopwatch (say at a stage start). A second fast press will freeze the time of day and upper stopwatch (say a stage finish). If pressed for more than 2 seconds it will restore the current time of day to the 'Time' readout and zero the upper stopwatch. If the 'Total' readout is in 'distance mode' then the button will zero the distance, but only after a three second press. The button marked 'Lower' will control the 'Trip' readout. The Pro zero unit has a wireless communications channel and has a screen which displays the three readouts of the main Laser 3 computer plus the fuel status and speed. The unit uses a PP3 battery. The ‘Zero Upper' button operates as 'Zero Upper' on main computer. 'Zero Lower' button operates as 'Zero Lower' on main computer. The control buttons can perform multiple functions of speed, time, distance, stopwatch, acceleration by selecting that function for its’ parent button on the main Laser 3. The ‘Split’ distance presetting facility is available for the Upper readout. When being used as a Driver’s monitor, the driver can view all the data or just select a single item of interest (say speed or fuel) by pressing the ‘Max/Min’ button.

  Brantz rally Instruments