There is a fair few differences. The ones you see on there now ranging from $89USD to $110USD before shipping are the v1 models as well.
Below are some of the key differences between the v1 and these newer models. Forgive me if this is too long, but I’m in the process of writing some of this stuff up for the product description for them on the webstore and for the new thread on here, so might as well post it here as well for those interested to have a read now.
Screen configuration can be changed on these, the v1’s it’s fixed.
The v1’s have fixed KPH/KPA/C & MPH/PSI/F, the newer models you can select any combo you want. I myself am a KPH/PSI/C guy, would have given me the ****s with KPA on there.
The v1’s use an analog cable going from control box to the gauge, it’s got a crap load of wires in it so it’s really thick and it’s also too short for MR2 installs. This cable would not easily be extended and so each sensors cables would need to be extended individually instead for a MR2 install. The newer models use a 4 wire serial cable, apart from the benefits of using serial to transfer sensor data, it’s easier to run the cable and with the stocks I’m getting made up I am getting them made up in 3m lengths so they are long enough for MR2 people to install without having to extend themselves. Depending on how this install of the sample unit goes, we might find other cables that need extending for mid/rear mount engine car installs and I can get that sorted.
The control box the sensor’s connect too is no longer really just a very basic analog pass-through box. It’s now much bigger and a digital box that handles all the sensor data coming in internally before converting to a serial data signal and sending to the gauge. This has also allowed them to add in some fault detection, such as the unit can detect a short on a particular sensor and then have the screen display an error message so you know which sensor is causing a problem. The control box itself is much more advanced, the older v1 models it really was nothing more than a pass-through box, this newer model it’s truly a control box.
These have daisy chain support, link multiple screens or supported external gauges like tacho’s.
The warning alarm system is more advanced now, if a warning is triggered apart from the unit beeping, it will highlight the sensor which triggered the alarm on the screen. If the screen you have selected does not currently have the sensor which triggered the alarm displaying, the bottom left hand cell on the gauge is now a multi cell. So let’s say Oil Temp triggered a warning alarm, but it’s not currently setup on the screen, you have boost in the bottom left of the screen, where the boost is will change to a highlighted Oil Temp along with the unit beeping so you know exactly which sensor has triggered the alarm.
They now have the option also for an external warning light similar looking to a shift light, this is a separate product I will probably get a couple in. Basically if these are installed into a track car and someone is racing, even with the unit beeping and a highlighted sensor on the screen, the driver may not notice. So this extra warning light can be placed somewhere in the cabin where the driver can easily see it, if an alarm is triggered he will see the big warning light and know to take a look at the gauge.
The v1’s ended up being made by a few different factories, so quality between factories varied, especially with the sensors. The factory I am dealing with was the first to produce a v1 and then the other factories followed. I sampled some gauges and gear from another factory that made v1’s as well while looking around, I found their sensors to be much lower quality. Had heaps of their map sensors die on me or DOA and they blamed shipping which is a load of crap. This factory I’m dealing with now their samples of the v1’s I sold none had any sensors fail or DOA.
My aim is to be able to offer these to Au people at the same price or below what they could import for themselves. Also to have the kits customized to some degree to meet varied install needs, such as getting extended cables or any other minor but helpful changes that make them better than just importing themselves.
Just like the v1 models these newer ones will be eventually copied by other factories and sold. So again there will be a bunch of them on the market with varying quality, I have sort out the original factory that made these first which also seems to be the one which takes pride in selling them with quality sensors and components. I only learned yesterday they source their OLED screens for them from Taiwan. There will be a point where there is going to be pretty crappy quality versions of these out there, most likely at a lower cost and I see the opportunity to be able to sell the good quality ones here.
Another difference is I will be doing a bundle of these along with a wideband sensor for those wanting a wideband setup as well. This should come in around the $350 mark, these wideband are USA made and come with a genuine Bosch 4.9 sensor. This gauge along with wideband for $350 is a pretty decent deal.
Anyway, post is way way too long, so I will stop there lol. Will refine this info some more and create a new thread asap.
post edited by dave_101 - 2016/08/27 12:33:20