Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:14:33 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Dash Cluster Substitute + Reproduce It ?
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
Very right one Jim !
absolutly ..
when what you really need to know is 'is something too much, or not enough'
, and quickly,
analogue wins every time. ..
whether for speed, coolant temp, fuel level etc.
I think the digital world suffers from what engineers 'can do' .if they can
make 25 jee-whiz capabilities on something they will..
which is not REALLY better very often.
what I hate..
pressing a button ..
say for volume control on a tv remote..
and having to wait to see if anything happens.
I generally seriously dislike everything that is digital.
Right now I can't think of anything that is really better being digital.
and you're very right ..
mental process of anologe information is generally much faster/easier..
I suppose in clocks ..
'time' ...digital might not be so bad ..
but a mid-range deflecion on the temp guage is processed by the brain 10
times faster than 178.90 degrees F is.
OK..............digital display of radio stations is better.......
but I still want a KNOB to turn .
not a button to push ! ........to change frequencies.
'enigineers are the enemy almost.
If I was King ..
ALL Automtove Engineers would have to work in the field, in the dirt and
grim ..
in the trenches, so to speak, on cars..
BEFORE they are every allowed to design or engineer on them..
and ..........speaking of design ..I LOVE 'design' ..............since it's
ART ..
and engineering something ofen is short in the art department.
and Art ..
is really where it's at. Live life as Art. Fix and preserver and
refurbish vanagons ..
in a totally artful way.
it's super rewarding.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Felder" <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 12:20 PM
Subject: Re: Dash Cluster Substitute + Reproduce It ?
> I'm not an industrial designer but I have worked with many of them on
> human
> interface projects. They hate digital readouts for the reason you mention!
> Digital readouts require the re-creation of a context for the numbers
> every
> time you look at them, where the operating scale of an analog gauge
> provides its own context without thinking about it. You can get around the
> problem with a known context like percentage, but that is not always what
> you want.
>
> Jim
>
> On Tue, Nov 22, 2011 at 1:50 PM, Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@q.com> wrote:
>
>> Read a study a few years back that showed it takes 2 - 3 times as long to
>> recognize a digital number as it does to recognize a needle position.
>> Short time, but it's still eyes and brain off the road.
>>
>> Karl Wolz
>> Sent from my electronic umbilicus
>>
>> On Nov 22, 2011, at 10:38 AM, Jeff Schwaia <vw.doka@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>>
>> > Personally, I hate digital speedometers. I find the constant changing
>> > of
>> > the MPH reading to be distracting. Does look nice though...
>> >
>> > Cheers,
>> >
>> > Jeff
>> >
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
>> Of
>> > Alistair Bell
>> > Sent: Monday, November 21, 2011 2:29 PM
>> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> > Subject: Re: Dash Cluster Substitute + Reproduce It ?
>> >
>> > I think I want something like this for my van, mounted on cluster cover
>> to
>> > give me some info (that currently I can't fully see due to poor
>> sightlines).
>> >
>> > http://gokartsusa.com/dunebuggyspeedometer.aspx
>> >
>> > Not saying this one will work, but you get the idea.
>> >
>> > alistair
>> >
>> >
>> > On 2011-11-21, at 9:11 AM, neil n wrote:
>> >
>> >> Hi all.
>> >>
>> >> On thesamba.com there's a thread on adapting a Fox cluster to the
>> Vanagon.
>> >> I can't find the thread right now, but it should be there. The thread
>> >> content was aimed, in part, toward the Suby crew, but IIRC, the swap
>> >> is
>> >> applicable to any Vanagon.
>> >>
>> >> What would it take to reproduce a new cluster housing? Is it even $
>> >> feasible to do this? Thoughts towards this?
>> >>
>> >> Does it have to be made of plastic? I bet a 3D printer could make a
>> >> prototype for (casting?) purposes.
>> >>
>> >> I guess it all comes down to someone taking the ball and investing $
>> >> to
>> >> make it happen. I'm just thinking that at the very least, a plastic
>> > housing
>> >> could be reproduced then one could install parts specific to their
>> >> model
>> >> year. That said......
>> >>
>> >> Is the housing the same for all model years? I imagine there's
>> differences
>> >> in the amount and positioning of warning lights.
>> >>
>> >> OTOH, maybe there's enough Vanagons in the bone yard to provide
>> >> suitable
>> >> parts. (?)
>> >>
>> >> Neil.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> On Mon, Nov 21, 2011 at 8:33 AM, george jannini
>> >> <georgejoann@gmail.com>
>> >> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Fonman, I've just gone through somewhat the same dash crap as you-
>> >>> original problem was a broken speedo cable, but the job devolved into
>> >>> my being forced into finding, then assembling the best parts that I
>> >>> could come up with from 4 spare dash pods, all of which suffered from
>> >>> varying degrees of dinged/cracked/broken plastic and/or
>> >>> folded/broken/missing contacts where the console attaches to the
>> >>> wiring harness.
>> >>>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Neil n
>> >>
>> >> 65 kb image Myford Ready For Assembly http://tinyurl.com/64sx4rp
>> >>
>> >> '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco" http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>> >>
>> >> Vanagon VAG Gas I4/VR Swap Google Group:
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engine
>> > s
>>
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