Linear Logic Scangauge II

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Shadow
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Re: Linear Logic Scangauge II

Post by Shadow »

I sold my SG II long ago for an Ultragauge. I found it to be a better unit and a better value as well. I'm surprised nobody mentioned Ultragauge yet.

http://www.ultra-gauge.com/ultragauge/index.htm

And yes, I realize this is an old thread...
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Re: Linear Logic Scangauge II

Post by RITmusic2k »

Eh, the info's still useful; I hadn't heard of the ultragauge before - thanks for the link!


Watkins, the best gauge I ever managed to get to work successfully was the digital boost gauge I described in the original review. Instructions for coding in the XGauge are in this thread: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=202184
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Re: Linear Logic Scangauge II

Post by theholycow »

The Ultragauge has some distinct advantages and a couple minor disadvantages. However, if you were to have any trouble deciding, I believe the price advantage might sway your decision. Instead of $160 for the SGII, the UG is a mere $60.
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Re: Linear Logic Scangauge II

Post by Shadow »

theholycow wrote:The Ultragauge has some distinct advantages and a couple minor disadvantages. However, if you were to have any trouble deciding, I believe the price advantage might sway your decision. Instead of $160 for the SGII, the UG is a mere $60.
What are the disadvantages? And yes, the price makes it an excellent value. My favorite thing about the Ultragauge is the open/closed loop icon. It just takes a quick glance and you'll always know...
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Re: Linear Logic Scangauge II

Post by theholycow »

One disadvantage is the lack of programmable custom gauges (compared to SGII's XGauge function). It comes by default with the ability to display stuff that the SGII requires you to program an XGauge for, which is a big advantage, but it's still limited to what it comes with.

The UG doesn't automatically reset current trip MPG, miles, and fuel consumed the way that SGII does. Some would call this an advantage, some would call it a disadvantage.

There's also the cable. It doesn't disconnect from the UG. The RJ45 connected SGII cable provides distinct advantages. It's easier to route the cable through small spaces. It can connect to the rear or end of the SGII. You can have cables buried in the dash of each of your vehicles and switch the SGII from one vehicle to the next as easily as ejecting and inserting a CD in your stereo. You can carry a spare cable for pulling codes on your friends' vehicles.

You can daisy-chain the SGII (if you have that kind of money!)...but with the better interface/screen/etc of the UG you won't want to daisy-chain it.

The UG doesn't display DFCO as 9999MPG, it keeps displaying whatever your MPG would be without DFCO. I'm pretty sure it considers that usage in its averaging, so if you do a lot of DFCO it might not average as accurately as a SGII. You can at least see it with the open/closed loop display.

The UG's warranty supposedly will be voided if it experiences temperatures above 170 degrees (as in, left on a black dashboard on a sunny day - a SF Bay user on another forum reports his reached 173 degrees last August). It tracks its temperature as long as it's plugged in. You wouldn't want to leave it on the dash all day in the summer with the windows closed.

None of those disadvantages are dealbreakers. If I were in the market now I wouldn't even consider the SGII, I'd buy the UG and spend the other $100 on something else.

Some advantages besides price and automatic recognizing of more data include:
- Far superior interface
- Bigger, better screen showing more data at once
- Switch between pre-set screens of chosen data (vs. SGII's single screen and having to flip through dozens of gauges each time you want to change one of the four displays)
- Looks nicer, the SGII looks like it belongs in the 1970s
- Has slightly automated code reading that warns you of pending codes

Edit: Also, doesn't the UG come with a suction cup mount or something? The SG comes with adhesive velcro...lame...
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Re: Linear Logic Scangauge II

Post by six »

I had to relegate myself to an SGII for the Acura since it is not CAN like newer cars. I really really miss my MSD Dashhawk that I had in the MS6. I think that is the best digital gauge of all. It's the most expensive, but it has so much more functionality.

http://www.dashhawk.com
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Re: Linear Logic Scangauge II

Post by watkins »

RITmusic2k wrote:Watkins, the best gauge I ever managed to get to work successfully was the digital boost gauge I described in the original review. Instructions for coding in the XGauge are in this thread: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=202184
That doesnt mean much when I have a good old analog mechanical gauge sitting in the light switch hole.
Meh. I only really use it for a few things any way.
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Re: Linear Logic Scangauge II

Post by Shadow »

theholycow wrote:One disadvantage is the lack of programmable custom gauges (compared to SGII's XGauge function). It comes by default with the ability to display stuff that the SGII requires you to program an XGauge for, which is a big advantage, but it's still limited to what it comes with.

The UG doesn't automatically reset current trip MPG, miles, and fuel consumed the way that SGII does. Some would call this an advantage, some would call it a disadvantage.

There's also the cable. It doesn't disconnect from the UG. The RJ45 connected SGII cable provides distinct advantages. It's easier to route the cable through small spaces. It can connect to the rear or end of the SGII. You can have cables buried in the dash of each of your vehicles and switch the SGII from one vehicle to the next as easily as ejecting and inserting a CD in your stereo. You can carry a spare cable for pulling codes on your friends' vehicles.

You can daisy-chain the SGII (if you have that kind of money!)...but with the better interface/screen/etc of the UG you won't want to daisy-chain it.

The UG doesn't display DFCO as 9999MPG, it keeps displaying whatever your MPG would be without DFCO. I'm pretty sure it considers that usage in its averaging, so if you do a lot of DFCO it might not average as accurately as a SGII. You can at least see it with the open/closed loop display.

The UG's warranty supposedly will be voided if it experiences temperatures above 170 degrees (as in, left on a black dashboard on a sunny day - a SF Bay user on another forum reports his reached 173 degrees last August). It tracks its temperature as long as it's plugged in. You wouldn't want to leave it on the dash all day in the summer with the windows closed.

None of those disadvantages are dealbreakers. If I were in the market now I wouldn't even consider the SGII, I'd buy the UG and spend the other $100 on something else.

Some advantages besides price and automatic recognizing of more data include:
- Far superior interface
- Bigger, better screen showing more data at once
- Switch between pre-set screens of chosen data (vs. SGII's single screen and having to flip through dozens of gauges each time you want to change one of the four displays)
- Looks nicer, the SGII looks like it belongs in the 1970s
- Has slightly automated code reading that warns you of pending codes

Edit: Also, doesn't the UG come with a suction cup mount or something? The SG comes with adhesive velcro...lame...

You're probably right about all the disadvantages. I never used mine for the fuel economy-related functions...I just used it for a few select gauges.

As for the temperature concerns, I never removed mine in the summer (it was pretty much permanently mounted) and it never gave me any issues. I'm surprised that they void the warranty for exposure to high temps. I mean, the interior of my vehicle surely gets scorching hot in the summer and none of the electronics suffer because of the extreme temps. So I'd think that something like the Ultragauge would be designed to withstand a high temperature environment. I wonder what kind of circuitry is inside the thing that could be sensitive to high temps?
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Re: Linear Logic Scangauge II

Post by tankinbeans »

I have an SGII, but I can't get the speedo on the gauge to match the speedo in the car. If I get a friend to ride with to set the gauge based on speed of the vehicle at a given time (say I'm traveling at 60 mph according to the car's speedo, and the gauge on the SGII reads 58 and I have my friend add 2 mph to the gauge so that it will read 60) the gauge's trip will be off slightly. Then next tank I will dial it back my one and it will be off in the other direction (it'll read too many miles the first tank, and too few miles the second tank). I've tried adjusting this many times and can't seem to get it right.

I know that THC has given me some tips before, but I've tried those and cant quite get it right. I primarily use this for MPG tracking so that I can eek out every mile I can as fuel cost is high as a percentage of my monthly budget. Is there something I can do to get this working correctly so that the gauge will track the number of miles correctly and thus give me a more accurate mileage number? Or should I just roll without an adjustment to the gauge and be happy when the mileage number I calculate (which I do every tank) is higher?

Also, how long does it take to calibrate the fuel usage correctly? Or is it just going to be necessary to adjust the fuel used after every fill up? I've tried adjusting this multiple times, but the amount of fuel used never quite matches either.

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Re: Linear Logic Scangauge II

Post by theholycow »

How far off is the distance? Try adjusting based on distance from a whole tank instead of speed at a given moment; your data sample then is much larger.

When you fill, you're supposed to adjust the amount you filled and it will take that into account. Even with perfect fill habits it will be slightly different each time. It's no substitute for manually logging your hand-calculated fuel economy if you're interested in that much accuracy.
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Re: Linear Logic Scangauge II

Post by Rope-Pusher »

theholycow wrote:How far off is the distance? Try adjusting based on distance from a whole tank instead of speed at a given moment; your data sample then is much larger.

When you fill, you're supposed to adjust the amount you filled and it will take that into account. Even with perfect fill habits it will be slightly different each time. It's no substitute for manually logging your hand-calculated fuel economy if you're interested in that much accuracy.
Forget the calculations, the gas is already burned by then.
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