Inclinometer/Clinometer/Tiltmeter with back light?

[LI-ghtcycle]

Heya all, I'm on the look-out for another gadget to put on my bike, and wanted to see if anyone else has come-up with a better idea.

So far, I can get some pretty in-expensive and nifty gadgets for 4x4's, some even with a compass included!

Well, I can never settle for easy or average, so I've found a back-lit tilt meter for cheap, but, at the same time I'd much rather find a combo tilt meter/compass (I only care about incline of course, not side to side) with a back light that would be set-up for 12VDC.

I just found on Ebay a pretty good deal, $19.75 shipped and it even has a back-light:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Clin...Accessories&hash=item3cb26d3a59#ht_725wt_1165

This has more bulk than I need, but the added compass is nice, I have seen on the bar inclinometers for bikes, but they aren't cheap and have some unhappy customers.

Comments?

Thanks!

 

[amberwolf]

I'm sure my suggestion is far more complex than you are wanting, but I'll toss it in anyway, since if I could do it myself easily I'd already have one.

Driving it might be a tad difficult, but it would be really cool to just put a meatball display (horizon indicator) from an aircraft cockpit on there.

Most should run from 28VDC, and probably could be driven from servo controllers of one type or another. Likely can be found as salvage in various junkyards that have old planes and whatnot; probably even on ebay. A 3-axis accelerometer and a PIC or similar could be used to derive the tilt information used to drive it.


A similar thing could be made with any round ball and three servo motors, again driven from a PIC/etc. with data from the accelerometer. I'd venture that there is already an Instructable or two about doing something like this, even.

A less precise (more wobbly, with every bump and vibration) version could simply be a floating-ball compass, as you can see the tilt forward and backward and sideways and the rotation right there; it just doesn't show the degrees of tilt as it is. Repainting the outside of the clear sphere the compass is in with some markings for degrees relative to the compass circle would then give you that information, too. Some of the wobble could be damped by using a higher viscosity fluid, like an oil, rather than the water that's commonly used in the sphere (but the sphere might not float in it the same).

If the markings are engraved in rather than just painted on, they may be more visible under backlit/edgelit conditions. Using UV reactive paint to make them more visible would also allow UVLEDs to be used for the backlight, which would be purplish everywhere that the reactive paint doesn't fluoresce.

 

[Salix]

I have purchased one of these cheap inclinometers. They are very jerky on a bike , hard to read and mount accurately.
In fact they are rubbish for our needs. I hope you can find something, but my Garmin GPS unit is really excellent.

 

[dogman dan]

I guess it would take a good instrument to measure incline on the fly, but a protractor and a plumb bob could do it stationary.

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

Wow, that would be awesome AW! I just wish I could get one that would fit both my budget and ideally be a compass AND inclinometer on the same globe.

Thanks for the in-put Salix, I guess I will have to hold out for a better version or just get a smart phone with a GPS app or something would make a lot more sense.

I have been trying to figure out how I can get either an ultra mobile PC or compact lap-top to take on the road, but more and more it just makes sense to use a smart phone that can do what I would want the PC to do.

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

Well, I guess this will be the one I end up using after all, I just have to make sure I get the handlebar size right.

I hate to pay $25 + Shipping, but now that I think about it, to have the good fluid that is anti-vibration, that might just be the cost of such a inclinometer.

 

[Rassy]

LI, I have one of those, and don't really care for it. Been sitting on the shelf for over a year. It's yours if you want it. I'll even deliver it as I'll be passing through Oregon City twice the week of December 20. Let me know.

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

LI, I have one of those, and don't really care for it. Been sitting on the shelf for over a year. It's yours if you want it. I'll even deliver it as I'll be passing through Oregon City twice the week of December 20. Let me know.

WOW!!! An early Christmas present!!

Thank you very very much! That would be wonderful! If you want, I could pay shipping as I will hopefully be on the road for at least a short trip before Christmas, just let me know, I can send paypal or what ever works for you.

 

[Rassy]

LI, that will be okay, no charge, just PM a mailing address.

 

[amberwolf]

I had another thought.
There are a number of projects on this page:
http://www.stm32circle.com/projects/list.php
that could be combined to make a useful bike computer, including the compass and inclinometer functions, using the accelerometer and whatnot built into the STM32 Primer1 and Primer2.

I have the Primer1 but have not succeeded in learning enough programming to even get a "hello world" kind of thing going right every time.

If someone capable of programming could take the following projects and combine them, creating an integrated UI for them that usefully displays the information generated, it could be a nice way to start with a full-bike controller.
http://www.stm32circle.com/projects/project.php?id=115
http://www.stm32circle.com/projects/project.php?id=107
http://www.stm32circle.com/projects/project.php?id=99
http://www.stm32circle.com/projects/project.php?id=116
and probably others contain bits that would be helpful.