Tap Turn

[cerealcable]

Subscribing. Definitely interested in this, though just got the BRZ so I'll wait for a little bit!

[Boxer486]

Groupbuy!

[scottmcphee]

Originally Posted by Boxer486

Groupbuy!

I don't have a group buy going, thanks for prompting tho.

So you know, TapTurn is hand made and pre-tested in harness by me before you ever install it. I don't just buy these, mark up from a wholesale price, and resell at a retail price hoping to skin a few bucks off you to call a profit. Not my business model.

TapTurn is more about craftsmanship and quality. ZERO dead on arrival parts go out my door so none come back. These just stay in the field doing their job as part of the car... When you buy a TapTurn you are buying my time that gets poured into the development and production so you can share what I enjoy in my car!

Fun fact: on the printed circuit board inside TapTurn underneath the two relays (you won't be able to see this without destroying your device so don't try) I printed two words in white silkscreen... "Happy Travels". I kid you not.

It's not a group buy thing, it's a group hug. I love you guys man!!

Thanks to every one of you who supported this project by buying TapTurn.

...enjoy!


Scott

[SpeedyJay]

^That's an amazing business practice. Such a cool little unit for great price. This piece with the strobe option is next on my list

[mwy23]

ordered! can't wait to receive the unit.

[Pacific]

Just for the fun, I made my own with 3 modes hazard and of course TapTurn.
Change of mode is made with the turn command tab. (Acc off)
This give 7 differents hazard flash. I'm sure you could make same with yours and avoid switch.
(FYG I owned an original TapTurn which is a great product )

[ame="http://youtu.be/xyZXHOWAYys"]http://youtu.be/xyZXHOWAYys[/ame]

[scottmcphee]

Flashy!

[AzBRZ]

Love this place! I was missing this feature having had it on various cars so I was stoked when I found this. Just ordered and can't wait to get it.

[White64Goat]

Ordered! So glad you have the strobe mode now for TS mode.

[scottmcphee]

So... just when do you use the TapTurn wigwag with strobing feature?

I found out this weekend heading up to go skiing:

Highway turned to black ice. If you live in Canada, you know driving on this kind of road condition means.. basically don't even think of using brakes because they do nothing regardless of tires or ABS brakes there is just no traction to hope for. A good gust of side-wind is enough to knock your car slipping off track. ..Yet, we're used to it, and people drive in these conditions, moving en masse, like a pack of lemmings just hoping there won't be a pile up.

It's dusk but I see something about 3/4 mile ahead, I announce to people in my car, watch that truck ahead he's going to roll. We all watch it happen like slow motion.. come true as this half ton pickup starts into it, snow flying everywhere. Taillights spinning in circles..

By the time I get there 2 other cars have managed to pull over and an old man has started toward the truck to check for life. I pull up and stop as third car in line to help, making us the first car seen as drivers would be approaching the accident.

I instinctively flick on the hazards and decide this needs more attention, so the wig-wag goes on (signal stalk to the right) and I've pre-set TapTurn strobepack for mode C so lights start dancing as my car continues idling to provide heat for people inside... I say to the kids stay buckled we may get hit from behind as I leave and run to the upsidedown truck that is now steaming off all its fluids.

All good: the Toyota truck was rugged enough not to collapse its roof, the driver was already climbing out the smashed side window, and getting to his feet. No other occupants. I do the 911 thing and start assessing him for head damage, no broken bones or bleeding... great! The truck is clearly finished, and all contents fromt the previously covered bed (e.g. Christmas gifts, snowboard gear, etc) spewed all over the ditch.. soon he begins fixating on collecting stuff and talking about ways to continue the trip to get to his Christmas destination. Before shock sets in I'm getting him out of the frozen ditch of knee high snow (he's not got his coat or boots on) and into my warm car.

Traffic now noticeably slowed and giving us room to work. I drive away slowly with lights still dancing on my car, getting him to the nearest farm house to continue with the 911 responders. Then we get on our way.

Thinking, ya, wig-wag on strobes probably helped out here, getting a stronger warning message out. Hey, we didn't get hit from behind!

[scottmcphee]

'nother guy said he used strobed hazards to shake a tailgater. Worked like a charm, guy slams on his brakes and backs off. I guess some people just forget how close they're getting until something unusual wakes them up ?!

Happy New Year!

[infinite012]

Originally Posted by scottmcphee

'nother guy said he used strobed hazards to shake a tailgater. Worked like a charm, guy slams on his brakes and backs off. I guess some people just forget how close they're getting until something unusual wakes them up ?!

Happy New Year!

Preface: I do not own a TapTurn, but I do intend to purchase one in the near future.

Question: What is the legality of this? Could a nearby LEO possibly pull that 'nother guy over because he used his turn signals to mimic a police vehicle or would it not matter because the lights are not red/blue (or whatever the color is used in your specific jurisdiction)?

[scottmcphee]

Originally Posted by infinite012

Preface: I do not own a TapTurn, but I do intend to purchase one in the near future.

Question: What is the legality of this? Could a nearby LEO possibly pull that 'nother guy over because he used his turn signals to mimic a police vehicle or would it not matter because the lights are not red/blue (or whatever the color is used in your specific jurisdiction)?

I leave interpretation of laws and regulations to the user. I do include two clear disclaimers in the instructions about seeking answers to such questions before using certain features on roadways.

I am aware of several pieces of regulations and laws that would apply to me. And I use TapTurn modes accordingly.

But also am aware of special circumstances, and needs, such as some TapTurn customers are EMT responders who are allowed to equip their civilian cars with as much light show as necessary ... and they know when to use them.

There's some "fuzzy" ground in DOT regulations about flashers. (I read those regs). They use words like "regular pattern"... they also distinguish between "flashes" and "pulses". As in pulsing 3rd brake lights.. They also talk about frequencies of flashing or blinking, and have maximums and minimums. etc.. Talk about color too... blue/red etc. I recall synchronicity discussion and front / back behaviours, there's quite a bit in there. Meant to cover special needs vehicles (safety, maintenance, emergency, etc.) as well as standard passenger vehicles, and any other kind of vehicle you find on the road.

I find those reg's a bit OUTDATED, even though they try to keep current, because modern electronics move at a great pace and have carved into huge new territories of functional possibilities that don't seem to have adequate acknowledgement in the reg's. Reg's tend to have a dominant "standard flasher relay" mentality behind them, you can tell just from the language. More and more cars these days simply don't use flasher relays at all. They directly control everything about lighting from a computer, which is what TapTurn is, a really small computer.

If all else fails to inform: common sense should preside! (That's what Judges often boil things down to in court... and they blend in a little "reasonable" to go with it.)

And have comfort in knowing that TapTurn behaves EXACTLY like a stock flasher when used in stock fashion. It's only when you want to use a special new feature that you invoke it by doing something special.

The fact that you can quickly de-tune TapTurn (set all its "extra" features off by simple quick programming done from your driver's seat...) is comforting. Say, if an inspection were needed to demonstrate just how "regular" your car is. Call it valet mode, or safe mode, wife mode, ...or whatever. If you don't know how to invoke a special feature, it's not going to happen under normal use.

This has always been a key design philosophy of mine when doing auto electronics: preserve stock behaviour when stock controls are used in ways described in the operator manual. And GO NUTS outside of those constraints... but always put the user in control!

[flashburn]

Awesome, I never knew this existed until now. Just ordered one. I was really bummed when I first test drove the car and it didn't have this feature.