Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1999 00:48:41 -0500
Reply-To: "Joe L." <jliasse@TOAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Joe L." <jliasse@TOAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Heads Up Display for Vanagon?
In-Reply-To: <0.4a733ce3.254fac47@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
One of the advantages of being totally ignorant of the requirements for
a working HUD is that it leaves me free to speculate on possible solutions
without the constraints of "knowing" what will not work. If a HUD is simply
an ordinary LED readout that is aimed to reflect on the windshield then the
only "real" trouble is, as you mention, a backwards LED.
If this is the case it seems to me that ANY of the "digital instrument
panels" out there will do fine if they are aimed to bounce off a mirror
(simple) or a couple of prisms (complex). With the mirror setup I imagine it
would be possible to mount the gages so they could be easily read directly
with the mirror "down", or used as a HUD with the mirror "up".
Something like this may even simplify installation as it should be
easier to mount a small mirror that can be adjusted to reflect the light at
a proper angle for a good, undistorted display on the windshield than it
would be to mount a set of digital gages that would fire the LED light at
the proper angle. May even be possible to enlarge the windshield display by
using a small convex mirror such as are found in some cosmetic kits. There
are some Stainless Steel "Backpacking" mirrors that can be cut to any shape
and bent to any curvature.
You can see for yourself how this could work by borrowing your wife's
pocket make-up mirror, going out to the Van, turning on your digital readout
radio and angling the mirror so that the station readout will be directed to
the windshield. What you will see will be backwards and distorted due to the
angles and a little faint due to the range but you WILL see the readout
hovering there on the windshield.
This "HUD" thing got me to thinking. I was stuck behind a SSSLLLOOOWWW
road hog today that I could not pass due to opposite traffic. I was
wondering how those of us with Westies could take the mattress off the top
bunk and use the platform to mount some kind of "anti-road-hog" missile that
would fire out of the open pop-top. There is the problem of wind resistance
for the open top but if we could....
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of KENWILFY@AOL.COM
Sent: Monday, November 01, 1999 9:54 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Heads Up Display for Vanagon?
The other day, driving around, I had an epiphany (what ever that means). I
was thinking about the best way to setup some kind of gauge cluster. I want
to have several different senders (oil temp, oil pressure, manifold
pressure,
head temp, etc) and maybe only go with one or two LCD displays that are
switchable between the different senders (save space). I believe another
list member said that he had a similar setup in his van.
Anyway I got to thinking of where to mount the LCD and it brought to my mind
one night when I was a valet driving a Nissan 240Z with a heads-up display
for the MPH. This was basically a LCD that was setup to display backwards
with the results being reflected on the windshield. So you could basically
see the MPH without looking down or taking your eyes off the road. I
thought
that this would be perfect for the van. We have a large dash on which to
place the HUD unit (or two) and an extra large windshield that would easily
allow you to display on the bottom edge of it without in any way taking away
from your visibility.
Now my only problem is finding out where to buy the HUD. I searched the net
with no avail so far. A couple vague references to add-on HUDs on some
personal web pages (Honda freaks, etc) but no information on who makes
these,
pricing, and so on.
So I appeal to the wisdom of the list. Anyone know a source for the HUD?
Any idea of pricing? Am I just crazy and need to be committed? You make
the
call :)
Thanks in advance for any help,
Ken Wilford
http://www.vanagain.com
John 3:16
Office (856)-765-1583
Shop (856)-327-0027
Fax (856)-327-2242
