... a couple of typos but, very well put. just ONE day of practical application in the field, on the road ...

--- On Wed, 11/23/11, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM> wrote:

> From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
> Subject: Re: Dash Cluster Substitute + Reproduce It ?
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Date: Wednesday, November 23, 2011, 9:14 PM
> Very right one Jim !
> 
> absolutly ..
> when� what you really need to know is 'is something
> too much, or not enough'
> , and quickly,
> analogue wins every time. ..
> whether for speed, coolant temp, fuel level etc.
> 
> I think the digital world suffers from what engineers 'can
> do' .if they can
> make 25 jee-whiz capabilities on something they will..
> which is not REALLY better very often.
> 
> what I hate..
> pressing a button ..
> say for volume control on a tv remote..
> and having to wait to see if anything happens.
> I generally seriously dislike everything that is digital.
> 
> Right now I can't think of anything that is really better
> being digital.
> and you're very right ..
> mental process of anologe information is generally much
> faster/easier..
> I suppose in clocks ..
> 'time' ...digital might not be so bad ..
> but a mid-range deflecion on the temp guage is processed by
> the brain 10
> times faster than 178.90 degrees F is.
> OK..............digital display of radio stations is
> better.......
> but I still want a KNOB to turn .
> not a button to push ! ........to change frequencies.
> 
> 'enigineers are the enemy almost.
> If I was King ..
> ALL Automtove Engineers would have to work in the field, in
> the dirt and
> grim ..
> in the trenches, so to speak, on cars..
> BEFORE they are every allowed to design or engineer on
> them..
> and ..........speaking of design ..I LOVE 'design'
> ..............since it's
> ART ..
> and engineering something ofen is short in the art
> department.
> and Art ..
> is really where it's at.���Live life as
> Art.� Fix and preserver and
> refurbish vanagons ..
> in a totally artful way.
> it's super rewarding.
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jim Felder" <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 12:20 PM
> Subject: Re: Dash Cluster Substitute + Reproduce It ?
> 
> 
> > I'm not an industrial designer but I have worked with
> many of them on
> > human
> > interface projects. They hate digital readouts for the
> reason you mention!
> > Digital readouts require the re-creation of a context
> for the numbers
> > every
> > time you look at them, where the operating scale of an
> analog gauge
> > provides its own context without thinking about it.
> You can get around the
> > problem with a known context like percentage, but that
> is not always what
> > you want.
> >
> > Jim
> >
> > On Tue, Nov 22, 2011 at 1:50 PM, Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@q.com>
> wrote:
> >
> >> Read a study a few years back that showed it takes
> 2 - 3 times as long to
> >> recognize a digital number as it does to recognize
> a needle position.
> >>� Short time, but it's still eyes and brain
> off the road.
> >>
> >> Karl Wolz
> >> Sent from my electronic umbilicus
> >>
> >> On Nov 22, 2011, at 10:38 AM, Jeff Schwaia <vw.doka@GMAIL.COM>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> > Personally, I hate digital
> speedometers.� I find the constant changing
> >> > of
> >> > the MPH reading to be distracting.� Does
> look nice though...
> >> >
> >> > Cheers,
> >> >
> >> > Jeff
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > -----Original Message-----
> >> > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]
> On Behalf
> >> Of
> >> > Alistair Bell
> >> > Sent: Monday, November 21, 2011 2:29 PM
> >> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> >> > Subject: Re: Dash Cluster Substitute +
> Reproduce It ?
> >> >
> >> > I think I want something like this for my
> van, mounted on cluster cover
> >> to
> >> > give me some info (that currently I can't
> fully see due to poor
> >> sightlines).
> >> >
> >> > http://gokartsusa.com/dunebuggyspeedometer.aspx
> >> >
> >> > Not saying this one will work, but you get
> the idea.
> >> >
> >> > alistair
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > On 2011-11-21, at 9:11 AM, neil n wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> Hi all.
> >> >>
> >> >> On thesamba.com there's a thread on
> adapting a Fox cluster to the
> >> Vanagon.
> >> >> I can't find the thread right now, but it
> should be there. The thread
> >> >> content was aimed, in part, toward the
> Suby crew, but IIRC, the swap
> >> >> is
> >> >> applicable to any Vanagon.
> >> >>
> >> >> What would it take to reproduce a new
> cluster housing? Is it even $
> >> >> feasible to do this? Thoughts towards
> this?
> >> >>
> >> >> Does it have to be made of plastic? I bet
> a 3D printer could make a
> >> >> prototype for (casting?) purposes.
> >> >>
> >> >> I guess it all comes down to someone
> taking the ball and investing $
> >> >> to
> >> >> make it happen. I'm just thinking that at
> the very least, a plastic
> >> > housing
> >> >> could be reproduced then one could
> install parts specific to their
> >> >> model
> >> >> year. That said......
> >> >>
> >> >> Is the housing the same for all model
> years? I imagine there's
> >> differences
> >> >> in the amount and positioning of warning
> lights.
> >> >>
> >> >> OTOH, maybe there's enough Vanagons in
> the bone yard to provide
> >> >> suitable
> >> >> parts.� (?)
> >> >>
> >> >> Neil.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> On Mon, Nov 21, 2011 at 8:33 AM, george
> jannini
> >> >> <georgejoann@gmail.com>
> >> >> wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> Fonman, I've just gone through somewhat
> the same dash crap as you-
> >> >>> original problem was a broken speedo
> cable, but the job devolved into
> >> >>> my being forced into finding, then
> assembling the best parts that I
> >> >>> could come up with from 4 spare dash
> pods, all of which suffered from
> >> >>> varying degrees of
> dinged/cracked/broken plastic and/or
> >> >>> folded/broken/missing contacts where
> the console attaches to the
> >> >>> wiring harness.
> >> >>>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> --
> >> >> Neil n
> >> >>
> >> >> 65 kb image Myford Ready For
> Assembly� http://tinyurl.com/64sx4rp
> >> >>
> >> >> '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"� http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
> >> >>
> >> >> Vanagon VAG Gas I4/VR Swap Google Group:
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engine
> >> > s
> >>
>