Spitfires, Volvos, temperatures and single wires...

[jtbo]

So I did build today new temperature logging system, pc records temperatures every minute or so and draws boring graph. Then I would like to have pretty temperature dial, so I did grab carb temperature dial from Spitfire, calibrated it and now it shows current temperature, bit cold weather eh?


I would like to get proper needle too, but that is not currently possible, maybe someday if I write whole new software for that stuff.

Our metoffice claims that it is only -3C outside, they are trying still kick dead global warming stuff and they don't see how that train did pass long ago

Oh yes, I'm not too familiar with Spitfire instruments, but I guess they did not came with ambient temp gauge, not even in option?

I could of course make nice V300 ambient temp gauge looklike, but I would need very good photo from one that has even light all around and of course preferrably without a needle, however I have had not lot of luck in finding one yet.

[Chris_C]

Spitfire does have lots of added coolness range is pretty much perfect for you too.

[jtbo]

Yes sir, range is indeed pretty close to my needs, maybe tenner or two more to colder end should do it

[jtbo]

Needle colours are wrong, but I find that real colour is not too well working in computer screen, maybe if it would be possible to set a bitmap to needle it would work better, but it is somewhat ok like this too, first one is bit photoshopped from ambient gauge instruction sheet, 2nd one is one that I believe Tom did post to the ambient gauge thread, I would need to modify that a bit still, colours are not to my liking yet and it is low on contrast, but it is photo of magazine photo, I believe, so not quite bad for that

[jtbo]

Global warming, winter is already here, earliest since 1900 is 10.10 by metoffice, so it seems warming has changed to cooling

[jtbo]

If someone likes to build similar temperature monitoring system, cost is around 5 euros and there is less than 10 parts to solder, with laptop it is possible to measure temps in car too or temperature of any space where might be some equipment that needs temperature monitoring.

I guess picture from this site explains a bit, standard serial port 9-pin connector on other end and data + gnd in other end where you can add upto 30 meters of phone cable and those ds18s20 sensors along to cable.
http://www.mrsoft.fi/adapteri.htm

There is 24 hour graph of 9.10:

[tommysb]

So what are you using as the actual temperature probe? I need something to thermostaticly maintain the temperature of some homebrew....

[jtbo]

Dallas 1-wire DS18S20 sensor, make hot glue coat to it and you can soak it, just better test that alcohol does not make hot glue to melt before actually implementing such probe

DS2405 and DS2406 are switch to control some relays or whatever, those could be useful and you can use same wire to transmit temperature data and switch control, you just need some software to control those, this is finnish software http://www.mrsoft.fi/ohj01.htm that should be able to do some temp based relay control, but I believe there are also english programs that can do much better, just google 1-wire software or something like that.

I know only Log Temp and Lämpömittari softwares, but there should be some others.

Edit: from that mrsoft link, you find Log Temp software that has option of english language.

Here is direct URL to download Log Temp, I believe finnish is bit difficult for most of board users
http://www.mrsoft.fi/dl/01/logtemp-setup-2-24.exe

[Jos360]

Gave me a good idea. I haven't been working with Samurize in a long time, but i could still make this:

http://i38.tinypic.com/2uosz84.jpg

Shows memory use in % with the rev counter, Laptop battery level in ecometer and outside temp from my village in the temp.meter.

Works like a charm. I even set the warning level for an empty battery to 38% in Windows so i get a warning when the gage hits the redline Only thing is that the rev-counter runs out of its limits, because i wanted the percentage to run along with the numbers.

[jtbo]

Looks great!

If you go over 70, then you are just beating crap out of your cpu anyway, so scale is ok

[jtbo]

I kind of stuck to this temp gauge (yes, that is accurate current temperature in here):