Hot Rods Classic Instruments GPS Skydrive

Just wondering if anyone has installed in their car the Classic Instruments GPS Skydrive unit that is used for the speedometer. I want to install one in my 32 Roadster and I'd like to hear any feedback, good or bad, especially on where you installed it to have it pick up a satellite.

Thanks guys.

 

I have one in my roadster and it works quite well. I velcroed mine to the bottom side of the cowl on the passenger side in a Wescott body. The only thing I had to change was the power source. The instructions said to use battery power and not switched. I did that and found that if I didn't drive the car weekly, I would have a dead or almost dead battery. I then wired it to the ignition side of the fuse panel and all is okay. I found that the speedo would not begin to work until the end of the block as it searched for signal, less than a tenth of a mile not recorded is much better than low or no battery after sitting. Even with that quirk, I would recommend it to anyone.

 

Same deal here,have one on the Futurliner and the batterys go dead after a a few weeks, I rigged a batt tender on it and no more problem.
Once I got it wired correctly and calibrated it seems to work fine.

 

I hate when people do what I'm about to do, but I'm gonna do it...

I just use the gps speedo I downloaded on my phone.

 

I used The Sky Drive in a 40 I had & hid it behind the divider bar at the windshield but still could see it somewhat It worked great The 40 I have now I used a Dakota Digital GPS 50 2 that mounts under the dash & is hidden & it works as well also but I like it being out of site

 

I'll be sure to make a mental note of the battery drain on it, thank you for the response as I wasn't sure if I could keep it hidden under the dash or not and still have it work. Great to know.

 

Good to know the Dakota one works as well. I'm actually having to buy a Dakota Electronic Fan Controller as I want to have a temp. gauge in each side of my flathead. I have a port on each water manifold so finding this controller is a bonus as I had one sensor tripping the fan, the other was the actual temp. gauge.

 

I know that's an easy solution but I want to keep the mileage on the car legal in case it's ever sold.

 

The blasphemy! Oh, the blatant shame...Sky Drive to electronics on a flathead... (mock horror)

 

^^^^^^^^^Drama Queen

Ray

 

Have one in a 32 roadster.....put it under the seat in the middle. Found some blocking when I get a cell phone, a pistol, and other metal objects laying on the seat just above it. I am moving mine to under the passenger butt area....less shielding. Otherwise, the gizmo works great. Havent run it thru a long tunnel yet.

 

I know, I know...and you certainly made me laugh...but maybe I can redeem myself...I'm running a Vertex Mag...LOL

 

I chuckled when I read pistol...after all I am Canadian.

 

What!!! No carrying of pistols in Canada???? What will I do when we come to Deuce Days in Victoria this summer? I will feel naked.

 

I do wonder if the Mag will affect the GPS unit at all. A friend of mine is running a mag in his flathead powered T sedan and his grandpa can't ride with him because he has a pacemaker. (He did actually switch to a regular distributor to take his grandpa for a ride.)

I know a pacemaker and GPS speedometer sending unit are completely different things, but still something to consider.

 

I'm running a GPS speedo from Speed Hut in my roadster the body is a steel Brookville, so the sensor can't be concealed under a body part. It has a magnetic mount so I just stick it to the floor behind the shift lever and in front of the seat, and it's not too noticeable. I have it on switched power and it takes very little time to come alive.
Speed Hut has an online feature that allows you to tailor the dial face to your preferences, and mine is very close in appearance to the Stewart Warner instruments in the car.

 

Ya know, I got a GPS that I sometimes use on my OT daily. And I've noticed that sometimes the GPS is still reading 35 when my speedo has risen to 40 or so. So that got me to thinking how often do these GPS things refresh?

 

Sometimes mine is a bit hesitant and jerky going up or down, but mostly you wouldn't see enough to notice, much less be a problem.

 

I have Garmin GPS units in my drivers and use them in part because of the speed accuracy compared to the dash unit. I think the Garmins are very sensitive to speed change. I would guess there may be some variability in different brands as well as signal strength reaching the unit.

Ray

 

Do not go to Canada with your Pistol! They don't like that!

 

^^^Hand grenades still allowed?

 

If you've never been to Victoria before you will absolutely love it. Been many times, just not for this event, although maybe I should put that on my bucket list.

 

I was told I would need to run shielded wire for the tach so that should take care of any stray electrical going anywhere other than where it should. Thank you for pointing out the problem your friend had.

 

Isn't it odd that a Garmin will work any where in a vehicle but the aftermarket speedo sensors won't.

 

Ummmm....I don't think I need to check on this one...most likely a no. LOL

 

Antenna size matters, garmin has a relatively large antenna loop, speedo drives are less than a pack of cigarettes.

 

I discovered the Stewart Warner electric speedo with mechanical odometer. Easy to hookup, easy to cal, looks great!

 

One thing to think about is this and I have mentioned it before. We are in the midst of a 7 year solor storm cycle. When we are hit with a big flare it moves the satellites around enough that GPS location for the Civil design industry is not accurate enough, so you have to ask yourself if it is not accurate enough for dirt work will it be accurate enough for your speedometer.

OK back to your regularly schedualed programming.

 

will crap fall from the sky?

 

It does although I am not sure that any important astro physicist has made the correlation between space garbage and solar flares. I suppose that if the solar wind moves satellites around it could speed up the inevitable.