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The Pub For General Automotive Related Talk |
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Thread Tools | Display Modes |
11-02-2013, 03:57 PM | #1 | ||
FG Falcon fan
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Canberra, ACT
Posts: 913
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I was debating with someone on another forum the merits of this. I put it to him that traditional needle+dial speedos are silly. They used to rely on mechanical input and your brain has to waste time interpreting where the needle is on the dial to grasp the speed.
A digital speedo straight up tells you your exact speed and relies on digital input anyway. It would be stupid to then make a mech device display digital input. RIP old speedos! Go digital! Ever since Ive started using the digital speedo in my FG Ive never looked back. |
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11-02-2013, 04:51 PM | #3 | ||
Stock Boss
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Canberra
Posts: 568
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Digital speedo is much better, getting out of my fg work ute into my personal ba I hate not having the digital speedo in it
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03 BA XR8 Blueprint | Manual | Leather | Premium sound | Sunroof | Shockworks coilovers | TrueTrac + 3.73 Diff Gears
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11-02-2013, 04:54 PM | #4 | ||
Clevo power!
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 512
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I like the needle, especially with the tacho which moves quickly, its hard to read fast changing digital numbers. I also find I can roughly tell where the needle is without actually looking and focussing on the gauge, which is helpful
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11-02-2013, 05:05 PM | #5 | ||
Donating Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 5,142
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I have always thought of digital speedos as more of a novelty thing. I loved the one in my ZL, but seeing it jump between roughly 96-100 all the time gets a bit annoying.
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11-02-2013, 05:20 PM | #6 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 22,927
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I like it in my FG... get in any other car without it and its annoying.. I am just glad they have both in the FG, not keen on the NA Fairlanes etc with just the digital speedo, looks a bit tacky.
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11-02-2013, 05:33 PM | #7 | ||
Donating Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Sydney
Posts: 1,940
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In actual fact, a Japanese car company (think it was Subaru, but could be wrong) carried out a test a few years ago (maybe even 10 years ago now), comparing a human mind reading a digital vs analogue speedometer. The brain had to think less, believe it or not, with the analogue speedo compared to the digital. In a digital one, you actually have to 'read' the numbers, in an analogue, your peripheral vision can in many cases guage the position of the needle, and the brain tells you how fast you are going. Think the article said something about you actually spend less time focussing on an analogue than digital readout. Might explain why a $75k 2013 WRX STi has only got an analogue speedo then....
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11-02-2013, 05:38 PM | #8 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 18,989
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having to read numbers or look at a stick..
stick wins.. |
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11-02-2013, 05:41 PM | #9 | ||
Thailand Specials
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Centrefold Lounge
Posts: 49,695
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I like the way the Mazda RX8 is set up:
Digital speed readout with an analogue tacho. But I also like the Honda S2000 setup: All digital The S2000 one is pretty sweet, it updates quickly, that is an S2000 cluster in an Integra. |
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11-02-2013, 05:41 PM | #10 | ||
Lukeyson
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Maitland, NSW
Posts: 2,584
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The BA can have LCD 'digital' speedo enabled - it's called 'Police Mode'. You just need to OBD2 tool to enable it. We've done it by hand with the cheap ELM tool otherwise your ford IDS diagnostic tool turns it on and off. The +2% can also be removed from the Police Mode so that the speed reading is more accurate.
I included the word 'digital' in quotes because in reality the dial is digital too. The Needle in the BA and onwards is computer driven - there are no mechanical linkages anywhere. The same data that is used to display the LCD Police Mode speedo output and is derived from the ABS sensor (Or on the shaft sensor for those early non ABS utes), is also used to drive a stepper motor to set the Speedo Needle position. Same is true for Tacho, Temp and Fuel - all numbers sent ot the Instrument Cluster over the digital CAN bus by either the PCM or ABS modules and converted by chips in the cluster to needle position on the display. I've run with both in my BA, and to be honest, the needles are more intuitive after all these years because I can glance and see where the needle is, as opposed to having to read and comprehend the number being displayed. Lukeyson
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11-02-2013, 05:48 PM | #11 | ||
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Foothills of the Macedon Ranges
Posts: 18,598
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For information to those who have not used the FG digital speedo, it is a far improvement to earlier digital speedos. No comparison. Easier to read, and the way how the numbers change, there is certainly no problem at all using it.
Then with the excellent digital cruise control with the speed setting just below it with adjustment at 1 kph increments, there is absolutely no guesswork when seeing what the exact speed is when passing speed cameras (mine is spot on when compared to the GPS). |
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11-02-2013, 05:51 PM | #12 | ||
Experienced Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Australasia
Posts: 7,730
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Who cares, all OK.....nothing hard to read dial or LCD unless you need glasses Ha ha ha .
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11-02-2013, 07:01 PM | #13 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: On The Footplate.
Posts: 5,086
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Digital tachos are a pain in the bum if they're displaying numbers...needles or graphs are easy enough.
Digital heads up displays are something that I have never understood...why don't all cars have them? The technology is basic at best, and even some cheap cars have had it in the past (Nissan Bluebird of the late 1990's was one). They would simply be an amazing road safety change, with a projection of the basics, even just your speed really, so you don't have to keep glancing away from the road down to the dash board. |
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11-02-2013, 07:45 PM | #14 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: May 2006
Location: In my happy place
Posts: 5,432
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Digital speedos are so 80's
Give me the style of an analogue speedo any day
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11-02-2013, 07:50 PM | #15 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 483
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I like analogue. Knowing from a quick glance how fast you're going, watching it climb, watching videos of them to put the acceleration into perspective. They're just cooler.
Same with rev counters. Would want a digital one of those? Aston Martin came to mind when reading this thread. Them and their counter-clockwise tachometers... |
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11-02-2013, 08:06 PM | #16 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 73
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I like the digital speedo in my fg and don't look at the needle and when I drive my wife's ba find myself speeding more often.
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11-02-2013, 08:11 PM | #17 | ||
Banned
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,223
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I drive VE's and FG's all the time and whenever I get into another car without a digital speedo I find it so damn irritating. If I was shopping for a car it would be a deal breaker for me.
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11-02-2013, 08:24 PM | #18 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: NSW
Posts: 4,343
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My car has analogue, but I can also display digital if I choose too.
I never use digital, Id rather bring up the Fuel Consumption, range to empty, or outside temp in the place of the digital speedo. |
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11-02-2013, 09:14 PM | #19 | |||
Clevo power!
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 512
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Quote:
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11-02-2013, 09:30 PM | #20 | ||
Cruising...
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Perth
Posts: 3,819
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Yeah, needle and dial for me. Especially if it doesn't go through 50 computers to move on my cluster.
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12-02-2013, 08:21 PM | #21 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 684
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needle and dial for me, digital is very try hard.
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12-02-2013, 09:32 PM | #22 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,128
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I would compare it to watches - much prefer analogue watch to digital ...
Last edited by SumoDog68; 12-02-2013 at 09:39 PM. |
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12-02-2013, 09:42 PM | #23 | ||
Fixing Ford's **** ups
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: In a house
Posts: 4,759
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Digital fades after a while...(does anyone have the issue with EF/EL odometres being dull?) Analogue doesn't.....So it's needles and dials for me
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A wheel alignment fixes everything, when it comes to front end issues. This includes any little noises. Please read the manual carefully, as the these manufacturers spent millions of dollars making sure it is perfect.....Now why are there so many problems with my car, when I follow the instructions to the letter?....Answer, majority rules round here Lock me up and throw away the key because I'm a hoon....I got caught doing 59 in a 60 zone |
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12-02-2013, 09:44 PM | #24 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Salamander Bay
Posts: 5,427
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I am dyslexic and find the digital speedos difficult to process quickly where I am able to interpret a needle quickly by position
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Everyone starts off with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the experience bag before the luck bag is empty. "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." Start a new career as a bus driver Rides: FG2 XR6 stock at this stage but a very nice ride xc 4 DOOR X CHASER 5.8 UNDER RESTO |
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12-02-2013, 09:50 PM | #25 | ||
FG Falcon fan
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Canberra, ACT
Posts: 913
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With the needle you cant dial in exact speeds and u spend more time looking at the dial to get your cruise control choice just right. This is my key thingo.
At the very least cars should have both options. Last edited by turbodewd; 12-02-2013 at 09:51 PM. Reason: k |
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13-02-2013, 12:44 AM | #26 | ||
Fairlane Ute
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 408
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+1 for the analogue needle, used to have the digital speedo in the old ea fairmont ghia.
The neadle is easier to read when given the opurtunity in dads ve I will always look at the needle and not the digital read out. Just my 2 cents. |
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13-02-2013, 05:36 PM | #27 | ||
FG XR6T trayback
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: N-W NSW
Posts: 1,312
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If you had a flash screen for half a second of a digital and an analogue speedo doing 103 Kph, you would get the digital one right every time.
The analogue one would only be a guess, as a bit over 100 or bit over 90. More time is used reading a needle than a digital readout. |
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13-02-2013, 06:56 PM | #28 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Victoria
Posts: 836
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I've driven a Toyota Yaris with just the digital speedo (in the center of the dash of all places) and I found that while I was more aware of the exact speed I was going, I was also more intent on getting my speed exactly right. While in an analog speedo car, I will be happy with "almost right". Was frustrating after a while trying to keep it on exactly 60 for example.
But then again maybe I just have OCD.
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13-02-2013, 07:03 PM | #29 | |||
XR50th
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 354
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Quote:
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13-02-2013, 07:38 PM | #30 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 300
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somehow i don't think my 'analogue' automatic Fortis Flieger timepiece would lo9ok anywhere near as classy as it does if it was digital. Same goes for my Clubbie....
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