Digital Gear Indicator

[racerrad8]

Marsh, what is the LED numeral in the center of the gage panel for?

That is a custom made gear indicator - but that is a topic for another thread!

Well here is the new thread...

I stock a digital gear indicator for the FJ. The difference is that it is manufactured in a housing that looks just like the oil temp gauge Marsh is using. It requires a 2" hole for mounting. It comes with the white engine indicator and only requires a 12v source. The amp load is under 3 as that is the size of the fuse that come with the unit.

I have not attempted to disassemble on to see if the indicator & circuit board could be mounted elsewhere.

I will try and get a picture or two posted shortly.

Randy - RPM

[Marsh White]

I'm VERY interested in it!  How does it get the gear information?  Is it electronic? (I don't think that is possible with the FJ - but i hope I'm wrong!)   Or is it mechanical?  How does it work?  Mine has two microswitches externally mounted that are tripped when I physically move the foot gear shift lever.

[simi_ed]

Marsh, here's a gear indicator that uses hall effect sensors, mounted to the shift lever. 

http://hackaday.com/2010/06/04/motorcycle-current-gear-indicator/
<http://tinyurl.com/247w7bp>

YMMV,

Ed

[racerrad8]

You replace the single contact neutral indicator under the chain guard to the new unit which has the contacts for all of the gear positions.

The shift barrel has a brass contact in the end that grounds the respective gear position circuit to illuminate the light. No micro or hall effect switches required.

Randy - RPM

[Marsh White]

Awesome - I want one!  Get us pricing when you can!

And I can't believe I have NEVER heard of this before - my custom "micro-switch" indicator is a serious pain in the ass.  The switches have to be located "just right" and frequently move out of position.  I LOVE having to not worry about that anymore!

[E Double]

Oh yeah, I would like one of them too!

[pdxfj]

Hmmm...

Someone who's handy with a soldering iron could remove the LED display and wire it up so the larger unit could be placed elsewhere.

Hmmm.....

[Marsh White]

Hmmm...

Someone who's handy with a soldering iron could remove the LED display and wire it up so the larger unit could be placed elsewhere.

Hmmm.....

My thoughts exactly!  Or I could probably use the existing indicator I already have.  My current one does have a photocell to dim the display at night and keep it bright during the day.  I bet I could keep that functionality too...

[rktmanfj]

Ok, I have the breadboard out... now if I just had the time to mess with it.     

Randy T
Indy

[Scooterbob]

Awesome - I want one!  Get us pricing when you can!

And I can't believe I have NEVER heard of this before - my custom "micro-switch" indicator is a serious pain in the ass.  The switches have to be located "just right" and frequently move out of position.  I LOVE having to not worry about that anymore!

I'm in too!

[Firehawk068]

I'll take one of those also 

[SlowOldGuy]

I don't understand the big need for a gear indicator?  The only time it would help me is when I'm on the highway trying to find 6th gear.

The tach tells me when to shift, the gear I'm in doesn't really matter.

Or is this just a gadget fetish?

DavidR.

[Dan Filetti]

My thoughts exactly.  I guess on the track, if you wanted to specifically know what gear you were rounding a corner/ set of corners it may be able to help you to see if you're doing better/ worse than your previous laps, others?

Still it seems fairly superfluous.

Dan

[Marsh White]

I don't understand the big need for a gear indicator?  The only time it would help me is when I'm on the highway trying to find 6th gear.

The tach tells me when to shift, the gear I'm in doesn't really matter.

Or is this just a gadget fetish?

DavidR.

David, if you have to ask you wouldn't understand...      No seriously, it's just a gadget fetish.  The love of LED lights, information, input, etc.  Oh, it does help to stop me from trying to find 6th all the time...

I will add, there are times when I'm in a little bit of a straight in between sets of corners - and as I'm approaching the next set of corners I wonder what gear I'm in.  Am I currently in 4th?  5th?  I know I want to be in 2nd for these upcoming tight corners to utilize maximum engine braking.  So I end up upshifting until I can't anymore to know for certain that I am in 5th, then I can start my downshifting with certainty.  This ends me from doing that little upshifting game.

[SlowOldGuy]

I will add, there are times when I'm in a little bit of a straight in between sets of corners - and as I'm approaching the next set of corners I wonder what gear I'm in.  Am I currently in 4th?  5th?  I know I want to be in 2nd for these upcoming tight corners to utilize maximum engine braking.  So I end up upshifting until I can't anymore to know for certain that I am in 5th, then I can start my downshifting with certainty.  This ends me from doing that little upshifting game.

I can appreciate that train of thought.  Around here I'm in a LOT of straight between corners so I rarely get out of 5th.  Plenty of time to set entry speed before the corner arrives.  Therefore, no hurried downshifting or braking required (in fact, I discourage both of those actions when teaching the newbies).  Also, the curves aren't all that tight so I'd estimate 95% of my "typical" riding loop is done in 5th gear.  :-(

One of these days, I'm going to find that 6th gear!

DavidR.