I was just wondering if anyone else has had any experience with a GPS speedo?
Felicia's speedo has never worked correctly. When she went in to have a nip and tickle from an instrumentation specialist, the quote to have her speedo fixed made me fall off my chair (not much change from $1000).
I suggested that Mum just buy a GPS unit that shows the current speed in the corner of the screen, but she wasn't keen on the idea of such a small readout.
It is a digital speedo that takes data from satellites to determine your current speed (same as a GPS would) but gives a large, easy to read display.
Obviously, this might create issues while driving through tunnels, the middle of a large built up city, and other such places - but I was generally happy with it and after a short test run in a car with working speedo, found it to be comfortably accurate, give or take 1 or 2 km/h either way.
As I said - just wondering if anyone else has used one?
Happywanderer said
11:21 PM Sep 29, 2011
I have a similiar issue with Myrtles speedo Dave, but not with the speed she's going. Mine is with how far I've been. Thankfully the speed I'm going works good, I was worried, without it correct would it be roadworthy. My s.in.l. has a spare navman he suggests I use and he is going to set it up for me. Just so I know How far I've gone and when I am trying to find places how far I need to go. Not sure what you call that part of the speedo dash thingy whats-it!!!!!Sorry
Dave83 said
11:24 PM Sep 29, 2011
An odometer :)
Yeah, it wouldn't be economical to repair it. The only real way to fix that with a minimum of cost would be to replace to whole dash - you'd have to wonder if it's worth it.
Happywanderer said
11:27 PM Sep 29, 2011
Have to agree with you there Dave. I've had people looking for the whole setup to replace but its impossible to find one to fit that age. So have given up for the moment and will go with the navman. Odometer, thanks for that.
Happywanderer said
11:28 PM Sep 29, 2011
Oh by the way, I had a look at the digital speedo you bought. Looks good and easy to read.
milo said
11:29 PM Sep 29, 2011
interesting idea, i do know when i have our gps on the speedo on that is different to whats on the dash.. not by much though..
Dave83 said
11:31 PM Sep 29, 2011
HW - did you end up getting a smart charger?
Happywanderer said
11:34 PM Sep 29, 2011
Its on my list for next payday. Have ordered from the same people a battery volt meter gauge, that should arrive tomorrow or monday. S.in.L said no point getting the smart charger yet as not going anywhere for a while where I can plug into mains. So will get it soon and have it fitted before I head off on big trip.
Happywanderer said
11:36 PM Sep 29, 2011
VOLT METER BATTERY FUEL GAUGE CHARGE MONITOR 12/24v (310348079524)
on ebay. They also sell a smart charger, which I will be getting.
That meter looks alright! Might consider that for myself.
I bought the smart charger for Felicia from ebay seller 4wdextreme - found their service excellent and the prices great.
Happywanderer said
11:44 PM Sep 29, 2011
This ones 4145derek. Fantastic seller. within half hr of paying by paypal I had an email saying it was in the mail. That was yesterday, (express post)
The same smart charger was $160 elsewhere. My s.in.l found it all for me and checked it out.
Dave83 said
11:46 PM Sep 29, 2011
Sounds like you've got a star there in your s.in.l - it's always nice to have someone looking out for you.
bill12 said
05:09 AM Sep 30, 2011
I have a gps navigator that shows speed and klms travelled, besides where I am, and going to, for about $150. It also plays music on my fm radio , and can be used as an ebook. Its definately more accurate than the car speedo, and I will giving a big test on trip to Cooktown in the next few weeks. If you want , i will post pics and info on it. Bill
-- Edited by bill12 on Friday 30th of September 2011 05:10:48 AM
sucastja said
07:08 AM Sep 30, 2011
Russ (hubby) always checks our speedos with his GPS. We have worked out whether our speedos are out. I know mine's out by about 2kms when doing 100 - so if I sit on 102 on my speedo, I'm actually doing 100. This was tested on my car when it was brand new!
Anyway, it's handy to know and keep it in my mind when I'm sitting on the freeway.
Landfall said
07:14 AM Sep 30, 2011
If you just wanted a speedo reading from the vehicle, not satelite.
Jaycar can supply a LCD kit unit for about $60-70 from memory. I have made up three of these units to use in the driving school cars, so that the instructor/testing officer can have an accurate speed reading directly in front of them. They alsohave a speed alert built in.
You apply magnets to one of the drive shafts and a sensor picks up the signal and sends it to the display.
Dusty.
jimricho said
07:34 AM Sep 30, 2011
Landfall wrote:
If you just wanted a speedo reading from the vehicle, not satelite.
Jaycar can supply a LCD kit unit for about $60-70 from memory. I have made up three of these units to use in the driving school cars, so that the instructor/testing officer can have an accurate speed reading directly in front of them. They alsohave a speed alert built in.
You apply magnets to one of the drive shafts and a sensor picks up the signal and sends it to the display.
Dusty.
Without being familiar with this kit, it occurs to me that constructing and installing one of these may be a bit of a challenge for those without any mechanical and/or technical skills or resources.
My Garmin has a screen that gives a digital display of speed that I regularly use. Other brands probably have something similar and may be an alternative to the unit suggested in the original post.
beachball57 said
08:51 AM Sep 30, 2011
i have a gps with a 7" monitor and that has a speedo function on it as well as speed alert and so on and i use it all the time,,, well most of the time anyway,, if i used it all the time i wouldn't be paying a speeding fine i guess,,, oh well you get that !!!!!!!
_wombat_ said
09:40 AM Sep 30, 2011
I would think a car without a speedo would be classed as unroadworthy so don't take it over the pits or try to register it in another state as that require's a RWC.
-- Edited by _wombat_ on Friday 30th of September 2011 09:40:59 AM
Happywanderer said
10:02 AM Sep 30, 2011
Thanks wombat, Knew you would know how to put up a link.
_wombat_ said
10:13 AM Sep 30, 2011
Happywanderer wrote:
Thanks wombat, Knew you would know how to put up a link.
I posted this sometime ago for CG, here's how to do the link thingy
Happywanderer said
11:03 AM Sep 30, 2011
My battery volt gauge has arrived this morniing, great service. They are in Qld so would be quicker for you Dave, if you bought anything from them.
Yes Dave, couldn't manage without my S.in.Ls knowledge and help. He's a very clever electrician. Only problem is I have to wait patiently for when he has time to do the installations. I don't mind as I know he will do a great job.
-- Edited by Happywanderer on Friday 30th of September 2011 11:30:30 AM
Bent Axle Bob said
12:31 PM Sep 30, 2011
I also use my NavmanMT65 as a speedo and speedzone alert, audible tone. Also gives school zones, redlight cameras etc.. Which is excellent when travelling in unfamiliar towns and cities. I also have a digital GPS. speedo in the race car which is great when driving to the track. I do like the idea of the jaycar item.
Landfall said
04:43 PM Sep 30, 2011
Beware! The GPS speedo function measure distance between two straight lines, this is why sometimes your GPS and car speedo do not agree.
I know of people who have been booked speeding, and there defence has been the "true" speed from a GPS. Sorry, guilty, pay's your money.
Being a driving instructor, I have a very upmarket Garmin in the car, I used to thik this was the answer too. That is, till I talked to the police at one of our meetings.
That's where I got the above info.
The Jaycar kit comes with complete instructions, but you do need to be a little bit of a geek to put it together.
Dusty
ChiChi1 said
04:46 PM Sep 30, 2011
So the Garmin doesn't show the correct speed? Oh dear!
snapper49 said
06:11 PM Sep 30, 2011
If you do a google search on innacurate speed cameras court cases you may be surprised at what you may find
since 1996 cars manufactured in aust have to show 5kph more than what they are actually doing hence the speedo error and tyre profiles also make a difference as well
Gps print outs on up markets units including Garmin have successfully beaten radar and speed camers readings in court
In Adelaide only just recently a truck driver beat a speeding charge because of a print out from his black box in his truck which had gps data for speeds
Never believe what a policeman tells you he after all is only human as well and as I have found personally they quite often make mistakes
-- Edited by snapper49 on Friday 30th of September 2011 06:12:21 PM
Landfall said
06:18 PM Sep 30, 2011
No, I did not say that.
I said, that ALL GPS units measure a distance "in a straight line, between two points" satelites triangulate, to get a speed reading. In certain circumstances they can give a false reading.
The best possible solution is, keep aprox. 5kph under the speed limit.(whatever that is) Once again, do not believe your GPS when it comes to "speed zones" I have found ours is incorrect on far to many times, even with continually updated maps.
Dusty
Cruising Granny said
06:28 PM Sep 30, 2011
My Tom Tom agrees with Rosy's speedo until about 80KPH and then there's a difference of about 2KPH at about 95 and more KPH. By law, the speedo is the one I travel by. You are definitely unroadworthy if you don't have a working speedo. Would you be able to find a speedo at the wreckers? Or are they digital these days, and not mechanical like the old ones? Surely if you're driving through a tunnel you wouldn't change your speed to any extreme degree from the speed you entered the tunnel. That would be the least of my worries. Going with the other traffic flow is usually a fairly safe practice. I used to drive a Subaru wagon. It was a mate's car but I kept it running and on the road. It had a computerised instrumentation but was too old to make the repairs worth it. It almost bit me on the bum when I was picked up for speeding (over 60) in Broome, about 5 metres from the 80KPH sign, and about 500 metres from home. Fortunately the local Policeman was very realistic and gave me a warning about my speed and let me go home. He didn't insist on the speedo being fixed because of the complexity. I hadn't done anything wrong to attract his attention. He was driving in the opposite direction with the gun on me. Ooops! Phew!
snapper49 said
08:35 PM Sep 30, 2011
Cruising Granny wrote:
It almost bit me on the bum when I was picked up for speeding (over 60) in Broome, about 5 metres from the 80KPH sign, and about 500 metres from home. Fortunately the local Policeman was very realistic and gave me a warning about my speed and let me go home. He didn't insist on the speedo being fixed because of the complexity. I hadn't done anything wrong to attract his attention. He was driving in the opposite direction with the gun on me. Ooops! Phew!
Unless it is different betweens states it does pay to know the law
Im sure he didnt book you because he couldnt
In SA and I believe in other states they cant book you within a certain distance of a change of speed sign
Cruising Granny said
08:48 PM Sep 30, 2011
He could have slapped a canary (defect) sticker on my windscreen for the speedo if he wanted to, but he didn't. I think he understood the technical complexity of the matter. It was an older Subaru, and the computer technology was really ahead of its time. Some time later I met him again at the local RSL Club. I worked the bar. He just smiled.
I was just wondering if anyone else has had any experience with a GPS speedo?
Felicia's speedo has never worked correctly. When she went in to have a nip and tickle from an instrumentation specialist, the quote to have her speedo fixed made me fall off my chair (not much change from $1000).
I suggested that Mum just buy a GPS unit that shows the current speed in the corner of the screen, but she wasn't keen on the idea of such a small readout.
I did some investigating, and ended up buying one of these instead - http://www.bogaard.com.au/Products/DigitalSpeedos.aspx
It is a digital speedo that takes data from satellites to determine your current speed (same as a GPS would) but gives a large, easy to read display.
Obviously, this might create issues while driving through tunnels, the middle of a large built up city, and other such places - but I was generally happy with it and after a short test run in a car with working speedo, found it to be comfortably accurate, give or take 1 or 2 km/h either way.
As I said - just wondering if anyone else has used one?
My s.in.l. has a spare navman he suggests I use and he is going to set it up for me. Just so I know How far I've gone and when I am trying to find places how far I need to go.
Not sure what you call that part of the speedo dash thingy whats-it!!!!!Sorry
Yeah, it wouldn't be economical to repair it. The only real way to fix that with a minimum of cost would be to replace to whole dash - you'd have to wonder if it's worth it.
not by much though..
S.in.L said no point getting the smart charger yet as not going anywhere for a while where I can plug into mains. So will get it soon and have it fitted before I head off on big trip.
on ebay. They also sell a smart charger, which I will be getting.
The battery gauge was 39.95
I bought the smart charger for Felicia from ebay seller 4wdextreme - found their service excellent and the prices great.
The same smart charger was $160 elsewhere. My s.in.l found it all for me and checked it out.
I have a gps navigator that shows speed and klms travelled, besides where I am, and going to, for about $150. It also plays music on my fm radio , and can be used as an ebook. Its definately more accurate than the car speedo, and I will giving a big test on trip to Cooktown in the next few weeks. If you want , i will post pics and info on it. Bill
-- Edited by bill12 on Friday 30th of September 2011 05:10:48 AM
Anyway, it's handy to know and keep it in my mind when I'm sitting on the freeway.
If you just wanted a speedo reading from the vehicle, not satelite.
Jaycar can supply a LCD kit unit for about $60-70 from memory. I have made up three of these units to use in the driving school cars, so that the instructor/testing officer can have an accurate speed reading directly in front of them. They alsohave a speed alert built in.
You apply magnets to one of the drive shafts and a sensor picks up the signal and sends it to the display.
Dusty.
Without being familiar with this kit, it occurs to me that constructing and installing one of these may be a bit of a challenge for those without any mechanical and/or technical skills or resources.
My Garmin has a screen that gives a digital display of speed that I regularly use. Other brands probably have something similar and may be an alternative to the unit suggested in the original post.
I would think a car without a speedo would be classed as unroadworthy so don't take it over the pits or try to register it in another state as that require's a RWC.
for HW meter's look here
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/VOLT-METER-BATTERY-FUEL-GAUGE-CHARGE-MONITOR-12-24v-/310348079524?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item48422fe1a4
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12V-BATTERY-CHARGER-12V-10AMP-SMART-CHARGER-ABR-/290614492224?pt=Caravan_Parts_Accessories&hash=item43a9f93c40
-- Edited by _wombat_ on Friday 30th of September 2011 09:40:59 AM
I posted this sometime ago for CG, here's how to do the link thingy
My battery volt gauge has arrived this morniing, great service. They are in Qld so would be quicker for you Dave, if you bought anything from them.
Yes Dave, couldn't manage without my S.in.Ls knowledge and help. He's a very clever electrician. Only problem is I have to wait patiently for when he has time to do the installations. I don't mind as I know he will do a great job.
-- Edited by Happywanderer on Friday 30th of September 2011 11:30:30 AM
Beware! The GPS speedo function measure distance between two straight lines, this is why sometimes your GPS and car speedo do not agree.
I know of people who have been booked speeding, and there defence has been the "true" speed from a GPS. Sorry, guilty, pay's your money.
Being a driving instructor, I have a very upmarket Garmin in the car, I used to thik this was the answer too. That is, till I talked to the police at one of our meetings.
That's where I got the above info.
The Jaycar kit comes with complete instructions, but you do need to be a little bit of a geek to put it together.
Dusty
If you do a google search on innacurate speed cameras court cases you may be surprised at what you may find
since 1996 cars manufactured in aust have to show 5kph more than what they are actually doing hence the speedo error and tyre profiles also make a difference as well
Gps print outs on up markets units including Garmin have successfully beaten radar and speed camers readings in court
In Adelaide only just recently a truck driver beat a speeding charge because of a print out from his black box in his truck which had gps data for speeds
Never believe what a policeman tells you he after all is only human as well and as I have found personally they quite often make mistakes
-- Edited by snapper49 on Friday 30th of September 2011 06:12:21 PM
No, I did not say that.
I said, that ALL GPS units measure a distance "in a straight line, between two points" satelites triangulate, to get a speed reading. In certain circumstances they can give a false reading.
The best possible solution is, keep aprox. 5kph under the speed limit.(whatever that is) Once again, do not believe your GPS when it comes to "speed zones" I have found ours is incorrect on far to many times, even with continually updated maps.
Dusty
Would you be able to find a speedo at the wreckers? Or are they digital these days, and not mechanical like the old ones?
Surely if you're driving through a tunnel you wouldn't change your speed to any extreme degree from the speed you entered the tunnel. That would be the least of my worries.
Going with the other traffic flow is usually a fairly safe practice.
I used to drive a Subaru wagon. It was a mate's car but I kept it running and on the road. It had a computerised instrumentation but was too old to make the repairs worth it.
It almost bit me on the bum when I was picked up for speeding (over 60) in Broome, about 5 metres from the 80KPH sign, and about 500 metres from home. Fortunately the local Policeman was very realistic and gave me a warning about my speed and let me go home. He didn't insist on the speedo being fixed because of the complexity.
I hadn't done anything wrong to attract his attention. He was driving in the opposite direction with the gun on me. Ooops! Phew!
Unless it is different betweens states it does pay to know the law
Im sure he didnt book you because he couldnt
In SA and I believe in other states they cant book you within a certain distance of a change of speed sign
Some time later I met him again at the local RSL Club. I worked the bar. He just smiled.