Fuel Gauge Wiring?

"Bob Milutinovic" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> "Nigel Allen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:4MmdnSx-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> <snip>
>
>> Given you know just a little more than the average lurkler here, can you
>> > take a look at this:
>> http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-...ter-RPM-gauge/
>> and tell me if that circuit would work with a twin cylinder machine? I'm
>> > kind of intrigued.
>
> You mean, I finally get to put my electronics engineering degree to use? Whoa! 8-P
>
> The circuit'll work with any number of cylinders, because you're not
> trying to measure a precise value - merely a calibrated scale of 0%-100%.
> It's just a matter of adjusting the trimmer to suit the frequency range
> given out by your bike, so even in extreme cases (16 cylinders perhaps?)
> you'd only need to change a couple of components to compensate.
>
> There is though one major problem - visibility. If you use standard 8mCD
> LEDs, they'll look perfect at night but will be invisible in daylight
> (even on an overcast day). If on the other hand you use 500mCD LEDs so
> you can see them in daylight, you'll be blinded at night.
>
> You could of course implement a potentiometer or switch and resistors to
> manually adjust the current supplied to the display, but that'd be fiddly
> - or devise a light-sensitive automatic dimmer, but that'd be more costly.
>
> At a rough estimate of $75-$80 for parts (the semiconductors alone are
> nearly $37 from Jaycar) plus several hours of dicking around, I'd have to
> ask again, "is it worth it?" Sure it'd be a great adventure in
> doing-it-yourself and you'll have no end of self satisfaction when you
> get it working, but (1) you'll have much frustration in getting it to
> work (and look) the way you want, (2) it won't look professionally done,
> no matter how good you are with your hands, and (3) it is only a
> tachometer after all - you'll still need to build similar assemblies for
> the speedometer and fuel gauge (and potentially battery votage, current
> monitor, temperature monitor, etc., etc., etc...).
>
> I'd still go with a ready-made device (especially the $90 from China);
> given that it won't look like anything anyone else has on a similar bike,
> it'll have enough of the "uniqueness" you seek, and the time you spend
> connecting it properly and getting it to mount without falling off at the
> first corner will give you the "I did it myself" factor - and it'll have
> all the extra facilities, including an odometer and trip meter.

There is a tacho function on the trailtech voyager speedo I put on the
DR650. There is a delay in this part of the system that makes its reading
pointless.
Basically, it is too slow... Even for me at the moment!

--
:-P