LCGB Forums

After 2 sizes I am looking into fitting an engine temperature gauge if some sort.
Only issue I have is that my TS1 runs without a battery and all the ones I have seen KOSO SIP etc; seem to need a 12V battery supply.
Can anyone recommend one that has its own built in battery or am I misunderstanding the fitting instructions

I've been looking at the Gamma tech, seems it will run from ac or dc so you should be able to wire it ac easily enough by running a wire from your live output on the regulator, or alternatively dc by using an inteliconverter from Anthony Tambs. No battery needed.

I use these -> http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trail-Tech-TTO- ... 1693522946

I have a Stage 6 rev counter / temp gauge, they run on their own small battery. Backlight needs power but I just took the live feed off my speedo light connection.

Temp gauge needs the plug ring which I've not managed to fit on my RT head. My top end is coming off shortly so I intend to make a connection on a head fin close to the plug instead of using the ring.

http://www.pedparts.co.uk/product/777/stage6-rev-counter-and-temp-gauge-clocks

+1 for the intelliconverter. Great bit of kit.

the sky drive analogue type are self powering.

^... +1

A lot of them have readouts that are too small to be of practical use unless you have youthful vision.
if you're expecting your engine to hit the red zone, then you want something that stands out sufficiently to let you know. Something that records the max temp with reset could be useful.

Norrie, how do you find the Trailtech units? Very good little device, I ground away a slot in my RT195 head to accommodate the plug ring and routed the wiring to the front. My problem is with the gauge itself. I posted on here but didn't get a reply, which surprised me as Clive at Trailtech said that Lambretta owners are his biggest customers.
The gauge units seem to be very sensitive to vibration. I mounted the gauge to a stainless bracket behind my legshield which I isolated with rubber washers, but when the engine runs the gauge cycles through the three available readings, time/temp/max temp at a fast rate and the gauge is unreadable.
So I fixed a block of foam between the gauge and still used long bolts to hold the gauge to the bracket with the foam as isolation....same problem.
The only way I can get it to work is to have no mechanical fixing holding the gauge to the bracket, so I'm using a block of foam and self adhesive Velcro. I'm on my third different unit which Clive has kindly changed over as the cycling of the gauge through the readings causes some of the cells in the LCD's to fail after a while.

hi m8 heres my GP setup



i run with NGK B9/B8 ES plugs & NGK resister type suppressor cap & have no problems.
i believe you can run with a BR grade plug with the same result

the only thing that annoys me with this CHT unit is it changing on the run between the 3 settings :- Time/current CHT/my Max CHT

Good size readable display. Pity about the scrolling issue.
Use a resistive cap or a resistive plug but not both, unless you like weak sparks.

Anyone got any feedback on the Trail Tech Vapour or any of their 'dashboard' type units?

I'd ideally like one of Anthony Tambs Gamma units but he doesn't seem to be building them at the moment

I don't believe its a resistive plug issue. Its vibration.

With the unit hard mounted its scrolls through the CHT/Max CHT/Time screens. If it did that on a 5 second cycle that would be fine as you could see each reading, but it's like 5 times a second, and its unreadable.
Mine only works when its totally isolated from the frame, with no hard mounting. mines on a 10mm block of foam held by self adhesive velco. Even using the large block of foam with loosely fitted nuts and bolts it cycles through the screens.

Norrie, you say yours is OK with a resistive plug cap, then you say it cycles through the readings, which is it ??

Its stable enough to read it m8, doesn't do as yours
I did one for a mate in same fitments & his does as like mine !!
It's fine for maybe 10 secs but then changes to either time or max temp & back again

I just want it to run set as current head temp

My SIP clock has an absolute eppy if I've no ignition suppression at all. A restive plug resolves it.

Koso do a nice little AC to DC converter that you can hide behind the hornstem. https://www.digital-speedos.co.uk/acces ... lator-p252 Just tap into the lighting brown or from the horn feed. I've used these several times to power Stage 6 EGT's etc.

I’ve just bought the Koso one from SIP. I specifically bought that as the connection is compatible with screwing into an AF Mammoth cylinder head. Somewhere along the way, I missed the salient point that it is DC battery supplied

Yes, you guessed it, I’m AC. So, are the options for me (i ) the Koso converter mentioned in the post above from Wack and (ii) the Intelliconverter?

Microlights use engine CHT (cylinder head temperature ) and or EGT (Exhaust gas temperature) probes that are self powered.These are "K" type thermocouples that work on the principle that the thin probe combines two dissimilar metals. This when when heated will produce a voltage.This voltage is proportional to the temperature and is reliable.The gauge is 2"diam but would require a seperate power supply if dial face illumination is required.
Because the consequences of an overheated engine in aerial use could be serious ,the early two stroke engines were closely monitored in flight.Wisdom had it that of the two warning systems ,CHT or EGT, it was the EGT that was more important ,in that it showed an instantaneous temperature rise as opposed to the CHT that critically lagged . If in flight an oil seal or carburetor malfunction occurred the EGT could give adequate time for a forced landing with reduced power as opposed to total seizure.
I see many parallels in the use of using a 2 stroke microlight engine (Robin,Rotax,Cyuna etc) being hard pressed to deliver absolute maximum power for sustained periods and tuned Lambretta engines.
I see these instruments cropping up now and then on ebay and suggest they would be an ideal solution to engine temperature monitoring.

TrailTech... fabulous ittle unit.
No battery required.
If ordering for Lambretta, specify when ordering as you need an extension to get all the way to the headset.
I run mine in Fahrenheit so I can see the increase in temperature more quickly than in Celsius.

CHRIS in MARGATE wrote:TrailTech... fabulous ittle unit.
No battery required.
If ordering for Lambretta, specify when ordering as you need an extension to get all the way to the headset.
I run mine in Fahrenheit so I can see the increase in temperature more quickly than in Celsius.

Yes fitted the exact same one in the end,just takes a bit of fiddling to get the sensor positioned under the plug on a TS1 head.hopefully winter project of a BGM head will allow easier fitting.