LocostUSA.com

I'm looking at motorcycle style combo units for the dash on the R1 project.
Right now I'm torn between less money for the Chinese gauges see ebay part

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251477664656?ss ... 1423.l2649

On the plus side it has a nice big sweeping tach and is easy to wire.
On the minus side it's Chinese and has a long lead time


OR

The Trail Tech Vapor unit
http://www.ebay.com/itm/400679385944?ss ... 1423.l2649

Easy to wire, ot sure how I feel about the LED bar graph tach.... I think I'd get used to it
Readily available, at my house by the end of the week


Any of you guys have experience with either unit?

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

The Trail Tech Vapor unit has its own thread here. It's okay but has a few quirks which make it slighly less useful to us than it could be.
viewtopic.php?f=19&t=4255&p=41859&hilit=Vapor#p41859

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Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

Thanks
I checked it out on a couple of bike forums as well. Picked one up on ebay for a good price.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

That ebay unit is a koso replica. Just letting you know in case you want to buy the koso.

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My build -> viewtopic.php?t=15585

I have the vapor for the diesel trike. Using the hall effect for the speedo for the tach input off the crank damper bolts since the diesel has no ignition system. Using a ford speed sensor coupled to a vw speedo cable driven by the wheel bearing dust cap (stock) to indicate speed.

The china cheapo knockoff appears to only indicate in km for your speed and odo. Didn't see anything about scaling the sensor input to provide the proper indication for whatever is driving the sensor. However, Koso is much better stuff and costs more than the vapor plus the vapor has real tech support.

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

I'm pretty happy with the VAPOR unit on the R1 project. Enough so that I bought one for TETANUS to replace the squirrely Smiths gauges.

The tach input off the R1 uses a wasted spark, so I had to do a little reprogramming, working very well now. The speed sensor input will have to go on a wheel. I was hoping to measure driveshaft rpm, but after talking to the techs learned it can't handle that high of a frequency. No big deal, ordered a longer cable.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

I am the one that taught the tech that it can't handle driveshaft frequency. My unit works great. It did require a bit of noise reduction work to get the tach to work correctly, but its all good now. My only complaint is that I wish the display were just a bit larger. You cant beat the price and simplicity of the unit.

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Parts left out cost nothing and cause no problems!!