TNC TACH
In the mid-70's, an engineer named Tony Criscimagna invented a
tachometer which still stands as one of the best in existence. Soon after, Tony
started a business and sold thousands of these excellent tachometers under the
tradename "TNC" (his initials).
Skyborn Electronics (Powerflite) acquired the TNC from Tony around 2003,
and continued to build the original design. Faced with the obsolescence of some
critical components, Skyborn started to work on updating the design, but never
completed this process.
July 2005:
FROMECO Scale Avionics was presented with the welcome
opportunity to acquire the TNC tachometer! We are exceptionally pleased to be
able to reintroduce this outstanding product to the RC modeller community.
What we Changed
Processing: The FROMECO TNC's "brain" has been totally revised,
incorporating current microprocessor technology for 0.05% accuracy and improved
functionality.
Durability: FROMECO has re-engineered the
tachometer's packaging. The FROMECO TNC fully protects the sensor element,
has an integrated battery compartment, and is more resistant to
damage.
ON/OFF control: The FROMECO TNC uses slider
switch to turn the tachometer.
High RPM hold: The
revised tach displays both the current RPM and the highest RPM attained.
There are 5 significant digits for each measurement, for easy
reading.
Upgraded components: The new TNC uses an upgraded
sensor element, easily capable of obtaining RPM measurements at 6 feet under
most lighting conditions. The components have been upgraded to surface
mount technology, for reduced size and better
durability.
Cost: We are able to offer the new FROMECO TNC
for only $95. (instead of the former price of $120.00)
What we didn't Change
Range: The new TNC uses the same optical front end (the part that
detects the propeller blades) as the original, with only minor revision for
modernization of the parts. A well-proven
design!
Performance: The readings are just as solid as one
could expect from a TNC, even though the processing method is different.
The range is still excellent. The accuracy is still outstanding. We
continually compared the revised design with about a half-dozen of the
originals, to make sure the new one meets or exceeds the standard set by the
original TNC tachometer.
"The Name": Thanks, Tony, for a
great tachometer! Also thanks to Skyborn Electronics, for allowing us to
bring this tool back to the RC community!