BCM Community

Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: pabusnut on March 22, 2012, 06:35:25 AM

Title: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: pabusnut on March 22, 2012, 06:35:25 AM
I finally got to testing my new GPS speedometer for the bus.  It works GREAT! ;D

It is a 4" round unit from Speedhut, and uses the GPS satellites to calculate speed.  When I figured the cost of replacing my 24 VDC speedometer and sending unit(plus labor to install), it made the GPS one almost an even cost.

I tested it out in my car by just attaching a accessory plug and plugging it in the lighter.  Mine has blue backlighting for night and a white face with black numbers for daytime.  It also has an odometer, trip odometer, 0-60 trap timer, and 1/4mi timer.  It also has a feature that you can keep it powered on all the time to eliminate the satellite acquisition time.

The only challenge I still face is how to turn the backlighting on, since my bus (GM4905) is 24VDC and the speedometer is 12 VDC (which I am feeding with a converter).  My current thought is to replace the light switch and add  2 poles to switch the 12 VDC and 24VDC on the same switch.  This may require more thinking.  For now I am just wiring it so that the backlight is on all the time, which shouldn't hurt.

Steve Toomey
Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: lostagain on March 22, 2012, 07:32:12 AM
Sounds like a great thing. Will be more accurate than most speedos. The only drawback I can see is loosing the satelites signal while in a tunnel or such. Not a big deal, except for an overzealous cop...

JC
Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: Oonrahnjay on March 22, 2012, 07:32:26 AM
 (snip) The only challenge I still face is how to turn the backlighting on, since my bus (GM4905) is 24VDC and the speedometer is 12 VDC (which I am feeding with a converter).  (snip)  

     How about a 24V relay off the headlight switch?   Run the 12V through the switched side.  Simple, "no forget", no battery drain ....

     One question -- $$$$?????

BH NC USA
Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: Uglydog56 on March 22, 2012, 07:49:22 AM
I bookmarked this when you first mentioned it and am absolutely copying you on this one.  Engine driven speedo's are impossible to get accurate enough to matter.  I usually drive off the speed on my gps anyhow, might as well make the speed easier to read.  Glad to hear it works well, I'm ordering one this week as a result.
Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: Oonrahnjay on March 22, 2012, 08:21:39 AM
http://www.speedhut.com/custom_gauge_description-gauge_type-Speedometer_GPS-auto_number-933.htm (http://www.speedhut.com/custom_gauge_description-gauge_type-Speedometer_GPS-auto_number-933.htm)

     That's the 80 MPH - there's also a 60 MPH if you're limited to 55 MPH or so.  Cost, about $250 including shipping (guess, they're in Utah, so YMMV ...)
Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: pabusnut on March 22, 2012, 10:25:19 AM
OOPS! I forgot the disclaimer--- I have no financial or otherwise interest in this company.(Although I kind of wish I did.)  I know that sharing good sources helps us all.  I did a lot of research before settling on this one.

I fogot to mention, that on their website, you can actually design what your gauge will look like in real time, so there is no surprise when you open the box.

I will post some pictures when I get it installed in the bus(hopefully tonight).
Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: Just Dallas on March 22, 2012, 11:08:10 AM
Cool!

I think I'll stick with my laptop/GPS and the app available on my 'Droid.



Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: gus on March 22, 2012, 12:41:17 PM
Do you mean this is a GPS speedometer only or a regular GPS?

Any GPS has a built in speedometer and odometer so this puzzles me?
Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: Oonrahnjay on March 22, 2012, 12:52:15 PM
Do you mean this is a GPS speedometer only or a regular GPS?

Any GPS has a built in speedometer and odometer so this puzzles me?

     Gus, I haven't seen one of these in the flesh, but what this appears to me to be is a unit that shows speed and mileage on a speedo face, not on a video-like screen.  (And on my Magellan, I haven't found a way to keep the speed listing up; I touch an icon on the touch-screen and the speed listing shows up for about 3 seconds and then goes away.   If I read the website right, this acts like a speedo all the time.)
Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: Ed Hackenbruch on March 22, 2012, 01:02:21 PM
I want to know what kind of a time he will get in the 1/4 mile in the bus. ;D
Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: gus on March 22, 2012, 01:02:44 PM
Magellans are different, I once had an aircraft Magellan and it was nothing like the other brands.

My Garmins show speed and odometer on one page and the newer one shows speed on two pages.

The old one also shows speed on the Nav page if there is no set route being used but my newer one shows it all the time on the Nav page? Very confusing!

Anyway, they are amazingly accurate, I don't even use the bus speedometer because it is so hard to see and not very accurate either.
Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: belfert on March 22, 2012, 01:13:12 PM
This is a replacement for the speedometer in the dash of your bus.  It uses GPS signals for the speed instead of a normal sender.

It is NOT like a normal GPS that can show direction, latitude, and maps.  It only shows speed and distance.  (This one can also show N/S/E/W too.)
Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: pabusnut on March 22, 2012, 02:40:30 PM
I was tempted to put it in a co-worker's corvette and do the 1/4 mi, but then I thought I might have trouble with the MAGNETIC mount on the roof of a fiberglass car!  ???

It would be funny if somebody got nosey and looked thru the history! ;D
Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: Gulfcoast on March 22, 2012, 03:00:06 PM
How amazing... now that's wireless if I've ever seen it.
Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: Gary '79 5C on March 22, 2012, 04:04:57 PM
Appears to be a quality unit. I really like the reverse white on black with blk bezel.

I am unfortunately tooo frugal to spring for this. I do like my Garmin GPS in the screen with speed limit & actually speed. Keeps me legal, if only in my mind.

Gus, I had/have a 1995 Magellan aircraft unit and still use it today. It gets me where I need to go, and in turbulence, I can still read the large font, and maneuver the buttons. Kinda the unit for older eyes...

Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: belfert on March 22, 2012, 04:56:06 PM
When I bought my bus the speedometer was all screwed up and the speed was way off.  I ended up stopping at a Walmart and buying a handheld GPS for about $100 to use as a speedometer for my trip home.  I figured $100 was cheaper than getting a speeding ticket.
Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: gus on March 23, 2012, 01:24:37 PM
Gary, I only went to the Garmin when the moving map came out because it was the first one. Otherwise the Magellan was fine.

I still don't like the Garmin aircraft GPS logic, it is not as intuitive to me as others but now I'm used to to it and too old to change!
Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: pabusnut on April 05, 2012, 06:38:35 PM
Finally got pictures of the new speedometer!

Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: Gary W on April 05, 2012, 07:37:56 PM
Hi Steve
I installed the same one in my bus last fall.  I'm down in Phoenix now over 1900 miles on it works great. Just lost the speed reading going through a tunnel , as soon as we came out of the tunnel it picked right up. I mounted the antenna on the roof for a good signal.


Gary
Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: belfert on April 05, 2012, 08:45:19 PM
Hi Steve
I installed the same one in my bus last fall.  I'm down in Phoenix now over 1900 miles on it works great. Just lost the speed reading going through a tunnel , as soon as we came out of the tunnel it picked right up. I mounted the antenna on the roof for a good signal.

How did you mount your GPS antenna on the roof?  How did you seal the cable so you don't get a leak down the road?

I really need to do this so I don't lose the GPS signal so often.  My roof at the front is fiberglass for the first five feet or so and it has been suggested I could just mount it under the fiberglass and it would work just fine.
Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: pabusnut on April 05, 2012, 09:08:24 PM
Brian,

My roof just above the driver is steel, so the magnet works great.  I just ran the wire down the outside of the roof, and in through a hole I drilled in the rubber around the drivers side window.  I sealed it up w/ clear silicone.  I also put some clear silicone under the magnet, for some extra stick(belt and suspenders approach)!!  You might try a painted steel plate riveted and glued to the fiberglass, and then silicone like I did.  I would definitely put it on the top of the roof though.  On mine, I have it wired so that as soon as I turn on the battery switch, the speedometer is powered, so that I don't have to wait to acquire the satellites.  Now that the air bags don't deflate(at least the back ones), I don't have to wait as long to build air pressure, before I can go.

Unfortunately, I still don't have the bus inspected, as they said that my steering ram is leaking, and it has slop in it, so it still fails inspection. :(  When my wallet recovers from their bill for fixing the brakes, installing 2 air bags& leveling bags, and a couple of wheel lugs---I will get the parts to fix the steering and do it myself.  They did find that the one of the rear slack adjusters was all the way backed off!  The brakes really stop now!

I want my rig to be safe even if the interior build out has to slow down to do it.

Steve
Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: fraser8 on April 06, 2012, 08:49:53 AM
It looks like the perfect speedometer for the 48 Chev Panel I'm building. I won't need to fool around getting a proper gear for the cable. Thanks for the link.
Title: Re: NEW GPS Speedometer
Post by: wg4t50 on February 25, 2013, 12:41:28 PM
I use the Garmin GPS, besides the speed, distance, it also keeps my favorite stops, I know where they are, but it gives the miles to it.  Many features, hard to make a trip without it.
Dave M
SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal