JerryKnight.com

(Those stupid Red Stripe commercials…) I finally decided to order the new and improved ScanGauge automotive computer, since a friend might be interested in the other one. I ordered direct from Linear Logic, the designer and manufacturer (smart folks if you ask me), instead of Think Geek, because LL included shipping in the price. I’m fairly certain that Think Geek would have charged for shipping, and their price was the same as buying direct. That, and since I knew I’d be thrilled with the ScanGauge II, I figured I’d let the extra profit margin go to the designers instead of the retailers. Nothing personal, Think Geek (There’s no way they’re reading this). So, as advertised, the Mk2, as I’ll call it, is about one fourth the overall size of the Mk1. This makes it much easier to fit in more visible places, such as on the dash. The Infiniti has a very low-angle windshield, so there is not much room for a box to sit on the dash. The Mk2 fits nicely. Another big improvement: on the cable, they hardened the OBD2 plug (no more loose wires) and put an RJ45 jack to plug into the ScanGauge box. Not only that, but they put two cable ports on the box: one on the back and one on the right side, so it might be possible to panel-mount it. Very nice. However, the adhesive-backed velcro strips they provided would not stick to the dash at all. Didn’t even slow down when I tried moving the ScanGauge after applying the velcro. I’m pretty sure it’s because I put a generous coat of protectant (like Armor-All) on the dash not too long ago. I had seen those non-skid, non-permanent pads that they make so you can put your phone or iPod on the dash and not have it slide around, so I picked one up. It too can slide across the dash, but it provides enough friction that I can lodge the ScanGauge between the dash and windshield and it stays put under normal driving conditions. Besides the smaller size and the improved screen and backlight (it can be a number of different colors), the biggest change is the addition of fuel tank capacity. Since it knows how much gas you’re burning (it has to for the MPG meter to work), if it knows the capacity of your fuel tank, it can approximate how much gas you have left in the tank. From that, it can give you an estimate of how far you can travel on the current tank (based on an average fuel consumption rate). Since you have to tell it when you fill up, it can also keep a separate set of statistics for the current tank of gas: things like average MPG, average speed, etc. The Mk1 could do this for the current trip, current day, and previous day, but the Mk2 adds the gas tank feature. So all in all, it’s a worthwhile upgrade. The price is a bit more, from ~$130 to ~$170, but given the improvements, I think the increase is justified. It’s a much more professional form factor than the brick that was the Mk1. They claim that they’ll also soon release a USB cord so that the Mk2 firmware can be updated and some kind of information can be transferred off of the ScanGauge. Not sure what that means, but I’m all for firmware upgrades. So go get one today. Read my other ScanGauge post if you haven’t already. Note: The Mk1 and Mk2 designation is entirely my own. The official product title is the ScanGauge II.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS