Very Cool Ignition Upgrade

[zKars]

I just received and installed the latest and greatest BlueToorth version of the distributor. Absolutely love the thing. The iphone app for it is designed very well and works great.. It is SO much better to have this on my iphone rather than having to drag out the old laptop and USB cable to tune this thing.  

The real time gauge displays of advance/RPM/Vacuum/temp/Voltage is very slick. It's also able to display GPS speed from your phone's GPS system. Nice integrated analog gauge display.

It even has a cool security feature. You can disable the distributor from the app with one click and turn it back on when you return! Just remember to change your Bluetooth PIN from the default or anybody can defeat that.

It does allow you to alter the tune when driving, but only to either add or remove timing.

So a proper review would not be complete mentioned a couple of backward steps.

They have removed the "dual tune switchable while driving" feature, and the ability to save and restore a library of tunes. You can only have one timing and vacuum advance map in the device, and you can't store it and retrieve another.  Not sure if I think this is a problem, the real time advance up/down ability compensates for some of what's lost. 

Anyway, generally very pleased! Thanks Ed for the great service. 

[Careless]

On 6/15/2016 at 1:15 PM, zKars said:

I just received and installed the latest and greatest BlueToorth version of the distributor. Absolutely love the thing. The iphone app for it is designed very well and works great.. It is SO much better to have this on my iphone rather than having to drag out the old laptop and USB cable to tune this thing.  

The real time gauge displays of advance/RPM/Vacuum/temp/Voltage is very slick. It's also able to display GPS speed from your phone's GPS system. Nice integrated analog gauge display.

It even has a cool security feature. You can disable the distributor from the app with one click and turn it back on when you return! Just remember to change your Bluetooth PIN from the default or anybody can defeat that.

It does allow you to alter the tune when driving, but only to either add or remove timing.

So a proper review would not be complete mentioned a couple of backward steps.

They have removed the "dual tune switchable while driving" feature, and the ability to save and restore a library of tunes. You can only have one timing and vacuum advance map in the device, and you can't store it and retrieve another.  Not sure if I think this is a problem, the real time advance up/down ability compensates for some of what's lost. 

Anyway, generally very pleased! Thanks Ed for the great service. 

Not interested in buying this unit for any reason, but genuinely curious- can you store different curves in the app, and switch on the fly through there, rather than have a physical map switch stored in the distributor itself?

[zKars]

I does not store maps within the App, you only have the "Current" map. You can edit the map interactively then store it in the distributor. The map can not be altered when the car is running, EXCEPT for a blanket + or - advance adjustment of the current map in use. 

[munters]

After 500miles my msd programmable failed and i went with the the 123 as well. Programming is nice, but the spark power is low.

Now im thinking to add a crane box to have the nice start and idle back i had with the msd.

To bad they do not get the best dwell map with the distributor. The need of a high resistance coil does not help either.

[Zed Head]

Did you get an older model or are you assuming that it needs a low energy coil?  I'm not sure which thread it was discussed in, maybe this one, but the latest versions allow high energy coils.  Not less than 1 ohm, but that's what the 78 and later Z's and ZX's use, about 1 ohm.  In the higher energy range, certainly more than the old 240Z systems.  With dwell control, which is the key to the modern systems.

http://www.123ignition.nl/downloads/manuals/123SWITCH6.pdf

 

[munters]

No, i have the bt Version. Thats now interesting. In the 1 ohm range are a lot of good coils. The support in nl told me mid june min. 1.5ohm and there are not a lot on the market.

Thanks for the info.

[Chickenman]

Munters. You may want to look at the Crane HI-6S. This is the inductive box ( Not CD ) , but is designed to be used with an Electronic module. It connects of the coil positive and negative feeds that come from an electronic ignition module.

The Crane HI-6S box is triggered from the connection from the 123 module at the coil leads. It uses the electronic modules square wave output as a Trigger. You disconnect the Coil leads, hook them up to the Crane Box and connect the Crane Box to the coil. So it basically works as a " Piggy Back " system to any electronic ignition module.

The Crane Box increases the amperage output to the Coil ( 5 amps ) which greatly increases the spark duration and intensity. It also has Multi-Spark capability, Rev-Limiter and can be hooked up with a MAP based timing retard module if required. The Crane HI-6S is also designed to be used with low resistance, Hi output coils like the Crane PS-91, LX-91, Crane PS-60 and MSD Blaster 2. The extra current draw of these coils is handled by the coil driver of the Crane box. The 123 ignition module is now isolated from the ignition coil would not see any extra current draw from the coil.

.PDF file of specifications included.

 

Crane HI-6S Specs.pdf

Edited August 2, 2016 by Chickenman

[munters]

Chickenman thats the one i didnt write above but meant. Im ashamed cranking 2sec.(its a eternity) and the afr with my triples went down south as well (nice brown plugs to deep black)

[Chickenman]

Yes, being triggered by the module allows you to keep all the programmable features of the 123 Ignition, while vastly increasing the ignition output.

It's also a very handy way of bumping the Ignition output on the stock 280Z Trignition. The 75 and 76 Trignitions are very weak, only drawing about 2 amps maximum. That's not much better than points. The Crane HI-6S solves that problem, giving you a high current spark of nice long duration and the ability to use low resistance coils with no ballast resistors. That really helps an inductive system big time. 

Honda guys also like the HI-6S as a lot of Honda's use an Ignition module contained inside the coil, but timing is controlled by the Honda ECU. The Crane HI-6S gives them an affordable way to bump up the ignition output while retaining the Factory ignition module and ECU

And it's relatively cheap. Over all a nice package for anything other than Forced Induction cars, which may need CDI or COP. .

 

 

[123ignitionusa]

Hi Gents

Is anyone using the 123 with the L-Jet injection syatem?

The manufacturer has always recommended using a coil of not less than 1-Ohm. Stay away from square coils they typically are .75-Ohm and lower. You may get away with it for a while but no guarantees. I personally use a Bosch Blue (3.4 Ohm). The Bosch Red is 1.2 Ohm.

Ed

[Zed Head]

Easy to get confused, especially since most "high-energy" coils (assuming means coils for high-energy ignitions, commonly assumed to mean constant current systems, like the GM HEI system) are below 1.0 ohm.  The GM HEI coil is about 0.7 +/- 0.1., for example.  Plus the FAQ's give conflicting information, and say 1.5 ohms is the limit.

http://www.123ignition.nl/faq.php

 

[munters]

Yes, the tec support in Holland says as well not below 1.5 but 1.2 could work.