New dual gauge that replaced POS redundant clock....
 

Ever since my Lasik surgery the close up work is a PITA...so Ingo helped me put the new dual CHT and voltmeter in......the voltmeter works as well as the lights, but I need a little more time to run a wire back to the thermocouple on the spark plug....but here's the gauge.

Thanks again Ingo.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1079836254.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1079836275.jpg

Mike,
That looks sweet and is exactly what I've been thinking about. Where did you buy the gauge?

John

What happened with the surgery? You can't see closeup now?

-Wayne

Is that a Westach unit?

Until I decided to take the computer instrumentation route I was planning on getting one of their EGT/CHT gauges.

Yes it's a Westach. The Lasik allows me to see a gnat's ass on a wall 30 feet away, but me up close vision sucks....looks like I need a tune up. I need reading glasses to read and up close work gives me a headache.

You're experiencing Lasik's nasty little secret. You trade nearsitedness for far.

Nice guage. I assume you term your clock as the "redundant POS" because you have a clock in the radio? Sometimes I think I must be the only person on the planet with a perfectly functioning stock clock in my SC. It works so well in fact that I moved it down on the console when making room for another guage that required a line of vision mounting spot.

looks like a class act to me.. http://www.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/wat6.gif

I was thinking about replacing the clock with something a little more useful too. I was thinking about this though:

http://www2.vdo.com/vdo/end_consumer/ec_product&fza=&ID=631.aspx

Anyone installed one of these?

Here's the deal with Lasik; Nearsighted old farts may sometimes avoid presbyopia (reading glasses) because the poorly shaped eye helps them accommodate for close vision. When the nearsightedness is gone, so is the defect that allowed you to avoid reading glasses.

Presbyopia is to a large degree due to the eye's lens becoming less pliant as we age. It is unavoidable. If you are near 40 years old, get ready.

Yeah....I'm 46 and was JUST starting to have to have longer arms for reading. I was a -8.00 on contacts...so blind that I once bent over to pet my pet Siamese cat (Igor) and the cat turned out to be my cowboy boots....at least I had an excuse...the boots WERE dark brown and light brown.....

As to the gauge...I was thinking of using the DME wiring loom as the path back to the engine for the thermocouple...unless someone had a better idea? It gotten windy AND cold today,,,,Ingo was up until 5am last night/morning and I had to go to see the kids baseball game.....

We didn't get to work on it till close to 6pm....of course he was a hrting unit,,,,,:p

Oh yeah....the only b!tch is that the back light is brighter than the stock VDO gauges....gonna have to put a rheostat on it to tone it down....

Mike-
Your eyes will gradually balance out over time and you'll be able to see the gnats ass at 20 ft (instead of 30) and will probably be able to do some close work again. Unfortunately, the effects of lasik are not permanent and your eyes will continue to change shape and pliability (as mentioned) over time. There's a certain degree of overcorrection inherent in the early effects of lasik.

LOL, Mike!
Thanks for sharing that!!

Less than 24 hours ago, I completed my 2 year renewal of my CFI Certificate ( Flight Instructor ). Session is done via a 2 day course and includes a multitude of topics and speakers. One of the fellow members of our group just happened to be an Eye Doc whom performs Lasik. He wound up giving a 1.5 hour presentation on the procedure.

He was very clear that you will give up close vision for the procedure, and this little tidbit is glossed over when anyone gets the sales pitch. He himself will never have it done, wears glasses now for distance, but due to the amount of closeup work he does, he will never have Lasik.

He concluded by say he loves the term they ( Lasik Docs ) use-"Sculpturing the cornea". He says what we are really doing is "Burning the sh** out of your cornea ".

Just take a black permanant marker to the bulb until you get the amount of light you want.

Shoot - you beat me to that post!

-Wayne

I was thinking ... just take an old, gray, tungsten-vapor-deposited #1895 bulb ... that should 'tone' it down a bit!

Make that two of us. Both the clock in my SC & in my Cab are spot on.

Great idea for clock replacement!

My clock is spot on as well, but that is probably the coolest aftermarket gauge I could imagine for our cars. It is perfect, and appears just as aviationesque as the stock ones.

Mike, the Dollar Store has reading glasses. Apparently, our eyes are "wear parts."