Thinking of a new gadget...

[Csory_imp]

There are a few instruments I was missing from my previous rides. Battery voltage from my scooter, engine and ambient temperature from the ST1300... I know that the CB is all about "back to the roots" and such, but not stressing the engine until oil warms up a bit seems like a good habit to me. Also, a quick look at the battery voltage would give an early warning to hook it up to the charger. Ambient temperature serves self-mocking: no, it is not that cold at all, don't be a puss*...

Always the tinkerer, decided to build a custom instrument. 3-digit 7-segment red LED, located just above the center dash in a 3D printed plastic housing that blends into the factory molding. Two temperature sensors (oil and air), battery voltage meter and an ambient light sensor to auto-adjust brightness. No buttons. It goes like this:

(a) ignition on, engine stopped: battery voltage
(b) engine running, oil cold: oil temp alternating with "OIL" message to indicate cold engine
© engine warmed up: air temp

So far got to the point of designing electronics, ordering parts, and started tinkering with the 3D model... Sorry about posting a "work in progress" but I am genuinely excited Stay tuned...

 

[Lord Popgun]

Don’t be sorry! This is a cool project. Especially to us techs on the board. And there are a number of us...

Please keep us posted on progress.

 

[max]

would be thinking about displaying batt voltage during startup and display lowest volts to ad3 and hold display for 3 sec to indicate battery state which may indicate end of useful service life early warning?

and maybe alternate engine and air temp if engine gets a bit hot?

 

[peterbaron]

For the thoughts, diagram, excitement/hobby and project =

In general, not to criticize above, cars are going nuts with e-gizmos cluster equipped area, multi buttons just nearby, gps, camera, HUD, LKAS, SCC +, cell phone ringing...will driver have enough time to concentrate on the road.. and how about any rider on two wheels only, with just more busy cluster to watch ? :huh:.. safety first, simplicity = success. I am happy with my CB cluster.

 

[Csory_imp]

max: sure, all this would be just some software-tweaking. Will see how it turns out. Was not concerned about oil temp rising since we already have an "engine temp high" light on the dash, but again, will see and thanks for the idea!

peterbaron: this is something I'm concerned about myself. Hence the effort to make it as "minimized" as possible. Will get rid of it if I ever feel distracted though...

 

[peterbaron]

max: sure, all this would be just some software-tweaking. Will see how it turns out. Was not concerned about oil temp rising since we already have an "engine temp high" light on the dash, but again, will see and thanks for the idea!

peterbaron: this is something I'm concerned about myself. Hence the effort to make it as "minimized" as possible. Will get rid of it if I ever feel distracted though...

Csory, happy to hear, you think safety first...but for your brain:...as popgun said, some tech members are already watching your progress

 

[Houtman_imp]

For the thoughts, diagram, excitement/hobby and project =

In general, not to criticize above, cars are going nuts with e-gizmos cluster equipped area, multi buttons just nearby, gps, camera, HUD, LKAS, SCC +, cell phone ringing...will driver have enough time to concentrate on the road.. and how about any rider on two wheels only, with just more busy cluster to watch ? :huh:.. safety first, simplicity = success. I am happy with my CB cluster.

I feel this way as well , too much distraction , too many steps to take to just change the climate in your car. Give me the good old knob to turn !

 

[decarmine_imp]

For the thoughts, diagram, excitement/hobby and project =

In general, not to criticize above, cars are going nuts with e-gizmos cluster equipped area, multi buttons just nearby, gps, camera, HUD, LKAS, SCC +, cell phone ringing...will driver have enough time to concentrate on the road.. and how about any rider on two wheels only, with just more busy cluster to watch ? :huh:.. safety first, simplicity = success. I am happy with my CB cluster.

I feel this way as well , too much distraction , too many steps to take to just change the climate in your car. Give me the good old knob to turn !

The knob for the fan speed and the lever to slide to adjust the temperature...

But I do like the idea for this display!

 

[SportsterDoc]

Think I posted this before, but germain to topic: Back in the day when there were several electronic stores in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, I found a zener diode with a threshold voltage of 13.8 volts, connected it in series with a key-on circuit and an indicator lamp mounted on the headlight bucket of my new 1976 CB750F. On = system charging.

 

[the Ferret]

Man you electrical/engineering types are worriers

 

[LongRanger_imp]

For the thoughts, diagram, excitement/hobby and project =

In general, not to criticize above, cars are going nuts with e-gizmos cluster equipped area, multi buttons just nearby, gps, camera, HUD, LKAS, SCC +, cell phone ringing...will driver have enough time to concentrate on the road.. and how about any rider on two wheels only, with just more busy cluster to watch ? :huh:.. safety first, simplicity = success. I am happy with my CB cluster.

I feel this way as well , too much distraction , too many steps to take to just change the climate in your car. Give me the good old knob to turn !

The knob for the fan speed and the lever to slide to adjust the temperature...

But I do like the idea for this display!

The knob for the fan speed and the lever to slide to adjust the temperature...
Me too. I walked out of a Toyota showroom when they demonstrated the electronic climate control on a new $35k Avalon. It was impossible to use without taking your eyes off the road.

 

[SportsterDoc]

Man you electrical/engineering types are worriers

Well, if the regulator or stator fails, might be good to know before battery dies.

 

[peterbaron]

Man you electrical/engineering types are worriers

Very soon we will open Motorcycle E-gizmo University for forum members only with the following prerequisites: familiar with DVOM, knowing how to read electrical diagrams, proper electrical troubleshooting before starting electrical job.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=ohm+formu...00&bih=758

Assumed professors (in alphabetical order):
Csory, Django, MAX, peterbaron, popgan, SportsterDoc..+ few more volunteers ..
Are you in it ??

 

[the Ferret]

:rofl: Not me..that's for sure. If something on mine were failing then I would find out when the bike quit.

True story....on yesterdays FJR ride. The gauges have a menu of 9 things you toggle thru you can see. I think trip A, Trip B and odometer are on my first page (information I use most). Second page is range left to empty, current mpg and average mpg. On the third page I think I have coolant temp, and ambient air temp and something else (things I'm least to think or worry about).

So yesterday I'm riding along and decided to check the ambient air temp. So I toggle to that page and see it's 35 degrees or whatever. So I look up and see the coolant temp..something I never look at. It doesn't say 1 number..it's scrolling thru numbers 141...158...163..157..172..161...148 etc. Not in a progressive order, but rather random like. About every one hundred yards it seems to change. I think to myself... that doesn't seem right. Seems to me it would get to a certain temp and stay there unless you slow down or stop or go real fast (more or less air = hotter or cooler right?) so rather than worry about it for one second longer, I just flipped off that page back to my main page, and continued on my ride. Rode it 75 miles this morning and never looked at it once, and never worried about it. Warning gauges are for worriers lol.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

I'm the same. My former air-cooled Ducati Monster had an oil temperature display. It'd take about 5 miles for the engine oil to reach "normal operating temperature" (about 220 degrees F), but in traffic or on hot days the temp would slowly creep up to 250-260 degrees, and then slowly come down again once you were moving. At first I was overly concerned, and then I ignored it. The bike ran fine.

Same thing with my liquid-cooled K1200RS. You could watch the coolant gauge creep up to the red zone before the fans would come on and bring the temp back down again. I used to panic before realizing everything was operating as intended. It never overheated.

 

[peterbaron]

:rofl: Not me..that's for sure. If something on mine were failing then I would find out when the bike quit.

True story....on yesterdays FJR ride. The gauges have a menu of 9 things you toggle thru you can see. I think trip A, Trip B and odometer are on my first page (information I use most). Second page is range left to empty, current mpg and average mpg. On the third page I think I have coolant temp, and ambient air temp and something else (things I'm least to think or worry about).

So yesterday I'm riding along and decided to check the ambient air temp. So I toggle to that page and see it's 35 degrees or whatever. So I look up and see the coolant temp..something I never look at. It doesn't say 1 number..it's scrolling thru numbers 141...158...163..157..172..161...148 etc. Not in a progressive order, but rather random like. About every one hundred yards it seems to change. I think to myself... that doesn't seem right. Seems to me it would get to a certain temp and stay there unless you slow down or stop or go real fast (more or less air = hotter or cooler right?) so rather than worry about it for one second longer, I just flipped off that page back to my main page, and continued on my ride. Rode it 75 miles this morning and never looked at it once, and never worried about it. Warning gauges are for worriers lol.

..I like your sense of humor

...Re: pages...are these digital or analog for FJR ..?..

 

[SportsterDoc]

Man you electrical/engineering types are worriers

Very soon we will open Motorcycle E-gizmo University for forum members only with the following prerequisites: familiar with DVOM, knowing how to read electrical diagrams, proper electrical troubleshooting before starting electrical job.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=ohm+formu...00&bih=758

Assumed professors (in alphabetical order):
Csory, Django, MAX, peterbaron, popgan, SportsterDoc..+ few more volunteers ..
Are you in it ??

Don't think a zener diode and indicator light put me in the professor category!

:rofl: Not me..that's for sure. If something on mine were failing then I would find out when the bike quit.

True story....on yesterdays FJR ride. The gauges have a menu of 9 things you toggle thru you can see. I think trip A, Trip B and odometer are on my first page (information I use most). Second page is range left to empty, current mpg and average mpg. On the third page I think I have coolant temp, and ambient air temp and something else (things I'm least to think or worry about).

So yesterday I'm riding along and decided to check the ambient air temp. So I toggle to that page and see it's 35 degrees or whatever. So I look up and see the coolant temp..something I never look at. It doesn't say 1 number..it's scrolling thru numbers 141...158...163..157..172..161...148 etc. Not in a progressive order, but rather random like. About every one hundred yards it seems to change. I think to myself... that doesn't seem right. Seems to me it would get to a certain temp and stay there unless you slow down or stop or go real fast (more or less air = hotter or cooler right?) so rather than worry about it for one second longer, I just flipped off that page back to my main page, and continued on my ride. Rode it 75 miles this morning and never looked at it once, and never worried about it. Warning gauges are for worriers lol.

For most gauges I much prefer analog!...and not flipping pages!!

I'm the same. My former air-cooled Ducati Monster had an oil temperature display. It'd take about 5 miles for the engine oil to reach "normal operating temperature" (about 220 degrees F), but in traffic or on hot days the temp would slowly creep up to 250-260 degrees, and then slowly come down again once you were moving. At first I was overly concerned, and then I ignored it. The bike ran fine.

Same thing with my liquid-cooled K1200RS. You could watch the coolant gauge creep up to the red zone before the fans would come on and bring the temp back down again. I used to panic before realizing everything was operating as intended. It never overheated.

I used a oil tank thermomter to dial the carbs on both Sportsters, which were too lean from factory. Once the jetting was satisfactory, I removed the thermometer.

 

[peterbaron]

Same here, digitals just flipping too fast for my eyes.
Round head lamp with round-analog gauges is just perfect set up for me.

 

[the Ferret]

PB.. it looks like this (page 2)

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Honda really could have squeezed in an ambient air temperature gauge. Many bikes of this caliber have them.

- - -

Never had need for voltage or engine temperature (not that the CB needs it). Maybe oil temperature though - not sure. In any case, when any of these parameters are strained, the rider feels it and knows something just isn't right.