RomRaider

I bought a cigarette lighter plug for my newly RMA'd LC-1. Here is a picture of it:



What is the minimum set of wires needed for the LC-1 to work? Can I skip the push button and LED?

Are there any special considerations to make when using one like this? For example, is it ok to connect and disconnect the sensor plug with the controller powered on? Or, is it ok to use the screw terminals, or should I solder them to be extra safe?

Thanks for any tips or suggestions you've got.

I think you really need the LED and button. I don't know why you would try to skip them. You need the button to calibrate and the LED to find out of the thing is working right or not. I think the LED may be part of the electrical circuit as well and outright required.

I think the binding posts should be ok, but you might want to tin the wire or actually get a banana plug to pop into the binding posts. Bare copper will corrode over time and you'll start to lose strands if you keep connecting and disconnecting it.

I wouldn't. Any time the controller is powered, the sensor is in an "on" (heated) state. Modern electronics *should* be able to survive that kind of abuse, but it is a risk.

Thanks for the replies.

I know you can force a re-calibration (both heater and free air) by powering the controller for a short bit with no sensor attached. But I do see the point of wanting the LED for diagnostics / feedback.

I recently also received my LC-1 (actually got a new one) and reconnected it to my cig lighter setup.

You need to connect the 12V+ to the red on the cig lighter and then tie all of the grounds (various version of the LC-1 have different # of ground wires) to the black. But the small black wire needs to have a momentary pushbutton and LED inserted between it and the ground connection for the calibration and diagnostics. There is a wiring diagram in the LC-1 manual, which you can download from Innovate if you don't have it. The ONLY way to perform a free air calibration is by momentarily grounding the back wire using the pushbutton OR manually touching the wire to ground. Plugging the unit in with no sensor attached only cals the controller.

Thanks a lot for your input.

Can you take a picture of your rig? I understand where to put the push button, but not the LED.

I did mine the same way with a gutted cell phone charger:

post28222.html#p28222

Unfortunately I do not have any pictures of the inside.

Did you look in the LC-1 manual? There is a wiring diagram there. I can't take pics of mine as it is heatshrinked and taped up.

Yep I printed it out. This topic is one of many contradictions it contains. The diagram shows both connected to the black calibration wire, but seemingly going to separate grounds. But earlier in the manual it says everything should have the same ground point if possible.

The point is moot with the cig plug anyway - it only has one ground point. I'll take a picture of my wire job tonight before I test it out.

Ok, here's my pro wiring job.



The button and LED wires are soldered to the calibration wire where the electrical tape is. On the screw terminals everything is just bare, coming through and wrapped around the post, and screwed down tight.

You may want to protect the calibration push button so it doesn't get bumped accidentally.