Would I be ok to be cheap and not use a gauge from Innovate, and just the LC-1 and Bosch wide band sensor with a laptop and just monitor my afr using my megasquirt software? Also, does the XD-16 provide a bunch of maps that are really that much better for tuning that I couldn't just log myself with the laptop instead of having that gauge?

 

yea you can do that it just would be a pain in the *** to carry around the laptop all the time and a gauge is nice for wot runs and being able to watch the rode and to know to let off if everything is not good but you CAN go this route

 

Yes, that's what I did. You can do what I did to cheap out on a guage. Cost like 14 bucks total.




If your interested, I'll post specs on what to buy.

 

Definitely interested. $14 sounds like a good price to me.

 

Go to eBay and type in "panel meter". You'll get a shitload of results. Find one that you like that says DC Volts 0-20 or something like that. IE, don't buy one that say's AC volts or Ammeter. You want one with an adjustable decimal place. I have one similar to this, it would work.

http://cgi.ebay.com/3-1-2-Blue-LED-Digital-Volt-Panel-Meter-DC-20V_W0QQitemZ280214737967QQihZ018QQcategoryZ73158Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I hope your listening. DON'T (As in do ******* not) buy one from Sure Electronics. I bought mine from them and it took a full month to show up. It was shipped from China. When if finally got here it was damaged, the screen looks like they hit it with 60 grit sandpaper. It also was typical China crap, the plug didn't fit into the box. I had to file down the box just so it would work. My advice is pay an extra few bucks and buy one from America so it gets there in 3 days instead of 30 days and you'll probably get a better meter anyway.

This one, and mine, are 5V powered. They measure up to 20V, but require a 5V source to run. The one I linked seems like you can specify it to be powered off of 12V, but mine wasn't. You could do this a couple ways. One is to tap the 5V power source you already have in the MS (if you have MS). Or, you can do what I did and build a separate power supply for like 2 dollars. Just go to Radio Shack and buy a LM7805. http://www.radioshack.com/sm-5v-fixe...i-2062599.html

Then wire it all up and your done. Be sure to put a heat sink on the 7805, but they're at Radio Shack too, just ask for one while your there. I made a heat sink, but only because they was out.

EDIT: Haha, see the file in the background of the pic? And note the shitty looking screen. I even had to make the damn plug, as in they gave me pins and the housing, and I had to solder my own wires and all.

 

Stupid Chinese, I watched a video last week about an ambassador for china going on about how they are so happy they are the most polluted country according the the U.N., and how 30% of their country is under acid rain, and over a million people die from cancer a year, and a bunch of other stats. China is such a crappy country. STOP MAKING BABIES AND POLLUTING IF YOU ARE SO FREAKIN POOR!!!! Wow, dumb. Anyways, thanks for the idea man. Definitely doing it, I am ordering a MS kit whenever I get a chance, probably tomorrow since I am buying my Innovate Wide-band kit in the next day or so too. Going to be on here bugging the mob about how to help me with it, but I am sure you all can manage.

 

I did the same mod, but can't get mine to display proper readings for some reason.

Set the ouput 1.0 volts for 10:1, 2.0 volts for 20:1..

Mine came from SURE Electronics which I've actually bought two from without any problems.

First was an LED, then I tried an LCD. Not sure which I like more, but the LCD is currently mounted in the car.

as for making the +5 volt input circuit..





Used an LM309 with 2 caps to try and stabilize the output voltage. 7-30 volts it regulates down to 5 volts +/- 0.5% I tested. Grand total because I had the LM309 and both caps laying around, spent like 5$ at Japshack for the PC board and the screw lugs. One lug is input from LC-1, the other is +12/gnd.



Don't like it mounted there because it blocks my shift light.

 

I definitely like the look of that lcd, how much did that cost you?

 

IIRC it was 12 bucks..

http://cgi.ebay.com/3-Digital-Blue-L...QQcmdZViewItem

 

can you just tap the wire that runs to megasquirt to utilize this LCD? Or is it better to run it from the second output to compare readings?