[The Gonz]

With everyone navigating by voice/phone, the attraction of a GPS is waning, and since my last model began playing up, having trouble booting and not holding charge even when powered, it is time for a new role for the FD's top centre dash pocket, visible here just above the CD player.

What else can go in this space and still make it useful without the monstruous beast this example shows?



Gauges! Relive the 60s, 70s and 80s in the new 10s with an ensemble of testosterone-pumping eye candy!

Here are the parts for my project:

Boost gauge, for the CRDI's punchy little turbo:


Compass, to compensate somewhat for the loss of GPS:


Voltmeter, to keep an eye on the electrics:


All ordered and on the way, and here's the 3D design for the panel I'll print to mount them where the GPS used to be.


The i30 logo is printed as a thinner etched surface to have some blue LED glow show through. More to come when the parts arrive. 

[The Gonz]

Some measuring and designing today, with some updates to the panel:

From the front it will start out smooth with the bezels from the boost gauge and voltmeter providing the relief.



The smaller diameter compass will feature a backlit bezel effect to balance with the boost gauge, as well as extra depth support for the orb that it is. The bezel effect is accomplished by thinning out the 1.5mm panel to .5mm.



In this way, both this and the i30 logo are seen by adding a blue dash illumination LED behind the panel.

It occurs to me that a very slight change in dimensions can make this suitable for DIN and 2DIN applications.

[Paolo5]

Very impressive! LOVE the compass!

[The Gonz]

A bit of an update:

- increase in compass bezel diameter and thickness to match the boost guage (now that it's arrived and I can measure it)

- estimating the compass stem to measure 9mm in diameter, a modification to fix it in place by simply inserting and reattaching the suction cup

- based on some feedback, removal of the i30 logo and vertical centering of the voltmeter as a result

[The Gonz]

You wouldn't believe (maybe you would) how long some eBay product is taking to be delivered. I'm still waiting for my dash mod items, so in the meantime I designed an alternative compass...

My current 3D print project is to create a magnetic compass to feature in the top pocket panel beside my yet-to-arrive digital voltmeter. The compass will turn on a vertical pin and will align using a neodymium button magnet pressed into the centralised box.

The aircraft-style display will be provided by a black paper sheet with white (translucent) lettering pressed into the circular frame and illuminated by an internal blue parkers-on LED.

A DIY way to approximate the much more bulky and expensive outcome. If you look closely, the magnet box is already aligned to account for magnetic declination in this part of the world.

[The Gonz]

Well, this afternoon I received a second version of an eBay example of design stupidity in yet another floating ball compass pointing south instead of north. Hit RETURN ITEM, get my money back and keep the item (what for?) and I'm now committed to this homemade rotor-on-a-pin design of mine.

Since the custom panel has what I judge to be a 20 degree rake off the vertical, I've needed to change the shape of the paper band from cylindrical to conical, or more precisely to a frustrum, which is the flattened pattern of a right truncated cone.

Using a bit of trigonometry, thus:

28^2 = 26.3114^2 + (40-r)^2
40 - sqrt[28^2 - 26.3114^2] = r
r=30.4235, R=40, H=28
2Pir=191.1565, 2PiR=251.3274
191.1565=xt
251.3274=yt
R/r=y/x=251.3274/191.1565=1.3148
R/r=(x+28)/x=1.3148
x=rH/(R-r)=30.4235x28/(40-30.4235)=88.9530
y=x+H=88.9530+28=116.9530
t=2Pir/x=6.2832x30.4235/88.9530=2.1490
T=180t/Pi=180*2.1490/3.1416=123.1264deg
* cone top angle = 123deg
* band from 89 to 117mm

I need to print an arc of 123 degrees and then construct my band bounded by radii 89 and 117mm.

Ah, maths, the language of the universe!

[AlanHo]

After my eyes recovered from being glazed over I decided that "flattened pattern of a right truncated cone" must relate to you inadvertently sitting on an ice cream.

[The Gonz]

After my eyes recovered from being glazed over I decided that "flattened pattern of a right truncated cone" must relate to you inadvertently sitting on an ice cream.

Scrap the compass idea Gonz, there's a compass app for your phone if you're that inclined to get yourself lost  

[The Gonz]

Scrap the compass idea Gonz, there's a compass app for your phone if you're that inclined to get yourself lost  

Craig I've got a ton of free compass and offline GPS map apps. I just don't want to have to handle a phone to use them.