Ha Ha I knew something felt a little wrong.
The thing is there a 2 possibilities neither of which I am certain of, the first is if a fully done done up face will be shipped with this or not, mainly because if somebody wants the speedo on the left or right, if somebody wants a custom back ground not like there is gonna be a lot of room for graphics but at least each could decide what they want for face plate colors, right now its a black background to emphasize the digits, the text, hash marks, and indicators lights, digits will most likely be green purely because yellow \ orange doesn't sound good, red is too common and blue is expensive, and I can't find any blue displays that are the same size.
As for digital speedo and analog tach sure I thought about it except most servos have a 180 degree travel sure they make others but then there's a good chance that possibility of this thing being around $100 would be shot, which kind of ties into 77cb750 suggestion of using traxxas's servos, which I am not, yes they are fast and waterproof but they are $30 a pop the ones I'm looking at are sub $5 servos from china, yes I realize that sounds cheap and crappy but its not like these things are gonna try and rotate much weight, so the gears won't be as inclined to strip they may still strip due to shoty workman ship or defective parts sure, but really 77cb750 if I was gonna get some really high performance servos I'd get some futabas, hi-tech, or other top notch brand, but those are still $30 a piece or more.
Anyways back to the discussion with the signal analog gauge I thought about but as stated above most servos only have about 180 degree travel, now sure that means i could put the gauge going across the top, the bottom, left or right, but then I still have to orientate the servo, and then you still have 1/2 the gauge empty. Now there are ways to modify the servo to get more travel but then it becomes more of a motor that has a variable speed rather then an controllable arm.
I realize some people are iffy on the hole idea of say drilling a hole and mounting the sender units and magnets for the speedo, this will be an ALL electronic unit, as far as mounting sensors, there is no way in a frozen over hell I am gonna compromise the structure of my bike on purpose and I don't expect others to either, to mount the speedo sensor I plan on just having it by zipped tied to say the fork leg as for the magnet the easiest thing I'd say is epoxy it right onto the wheel and in the path of the sensor, but I can imagine no body wants to have a glob of epoxy and a magnet on say a beautiful chrome rim, I just don't like having those big bulky cables that stick out all over the place, now I realize some people think man its one guy that's claiming he can do all this and have it be accurate, well once I get the initial 3 prototypes made I'll have one for myself to test and I'll test it against the stock speedo, a bc509 bike speedo (people say those things are accurate), and If possible get a a calibrated radar gun clocking, and maybe a dyno run, although the dyno run is really pushing it, as for reading the engine speed the points in these bikes fire so many times a revolution I plan on measuring one coil against another coil on a frequency counter verse the tach just to get it in the ball park and from there hopefully try and get it down within 50rpm of true engine speed although it would be more like 100rpm +-50 in reality.
The fuel gauge option the sender is just a resistor and as it moves it changes a voltage at the meter do some math and done, same for the voltage monitor for charging, temp of the engine and the air will be tricky but I have friends who know haw to set them up and the engine temp sensor would just be secured near the engine I don't intend to look into ways of getting one mounted in the oil pan or in the engine itself, nor do I intend to find major sensors that are designed to mount in those areas.
I guess t this point I should ask the all important question, do you guys want it to come wit hand in its own little enclosure, or is it ok if its more like a kit, where all the hard stuff is done you just mount it in whatever speedometer you have that it would fit in? I realize the idea of it being more of a kit seams cheesy but I did start the idea as just being a low cost all in one gauge.
