Digital inclinometer

[TxJeeper75]

I have been using the same style inclinometer my grandfather had in his bronco back in the 80's. Not sure how accurate these really are. I was thinking of upgrading to a digital version, but am unsure of a reliable brand. What types are you all using in your rigs, if any?

 

[JacksonRL]

I have been using the same style inclinometer my grandfather had in his bronco back in the 80's. Not sure how accurate these really are. I was thinking of upgrading to a digital version, but am unsure of a reliable brand. What types are you all using in your rigs, if any?

I think it’d be neat to have one of those. My truck has the readout on the dash. I think it comes with the fx4 package. Not sure. But, not sure how accurate it is either.

 

[terryg]

I had one in my FJ. I think the seat of my pants is more accurate and also has an alarm.

 

[grubworm]

this is my inclinometer...not particularly accurate, but HIGHLY sensitive and its audible alarm signals an immediate end of the ride

 

[shansonpac]

this is my inclinometer...not particularly accurate, but HIGHLY sensitive and its audible alarm signals the end of trail

View attachment 226151

I have this installed in my passenger seat also....

 

[genocache]

IMHO fewer electronics is better. Stay old skool!

 

[Jim SoG]

There are apps for that and other info, but for me, I am to busy to look.....

Jim

 

[Coreymol]

this is my inclinometer...not particularly accurate, but HIGHLY sensitive and its audible alarm signals an immediate end of the ride

View attachment 226151

Haha this is great. I just realized I generally have two with me. One passenger side. One back seat

 

[John Bishop]

This is what I use

 

[ThundahBeagle]

this is my inclinometer...not particularly accurate, but HIGHLY sensitive and its audible alarm signals an immediate end of the ride

View attachment 226151

Mine was originally sold as a passenger-side airbag, but the audible alarm is a value-added feature. And I cant just switch it off

 

[rtexpeditions]

I had one in my FJ. I think the seat of my pants is more accurate and also has an alarm.

I think the gauge / digital versions are designed to override your version and convince you that your rig won't really fall over for another 1 degree of angle.

 

[genocache]

What me worry?

 

[MOAK]

I had one of those ones with the steel ball back in the late 70s. I ended up tossing it. 15 years ago or so, I used one on my phone app, cute, noisy little monkey. I deleted it. The very last thing anyone should be looking at during extreme technical driving is their dashboard.

 

[Ubiety]

I had one of those ones with the steel ball back in the late 70s. I ended up tossing it. 15 years ago or so, I used one on my phone app, cute, noisy little monkey. I deleted it. The very last thing anyone should be looking at during extreme technical driving is their dashboard.

I tried an app for a very short time and found that this particular app drained the device's battery fast. I am also constantly bumping my phone/tablet which means the app is never zeroed correctly. My current truck has a built in inclinometer, from the factory, which is great and all but I never look at it in tense situations. Maybe the best inclinometer would retain a log of "extreme" angles with GPS coords for review afterwards.

Edit - Hmmm, sounds like a fun project! I already have a GPS connected ras pi running in the truck and a very accurate accelerometer just sitting here. Could merge those together to allow the ras pi to collect logs of angles and lat/lons and then post process said logs into a color coded KML. The KML would not only provide a track of my travels but would color code the track to show angles at a glance. Hmmmm.

 

[MOAK]

I tried an app for a very short time and found that this particular app drained the device's battery fast. I am also constantly bumping my phone/tablet which means the app is never zeroed correctly. My current truck has a built in inclinometer, from the factory, which is great and all but I never look at it in tense situations. Maybe the best inclinometer would retain a log of "extreme" angles with GPS coords for review afterwards.

Edit - Hmmm, sounds like a fun project! I already have a GPS connected ras pi running in the truck and a very accurate accelerometer just sitting here. Could merge those together to allow the ras pi to collect logs of angles and lat/lons and then post process said logs into a color coded KML. The KML would not only provide a track of my travels but would color code the track to show angles at a glance. Hmmmm.

Yikes! That’s one heck of a hobby you got there. Lost me with ras pi LOL !!

 

[rgallant]

@Ubiety and you will share that code - it would fun a picture in picture with dashcam footage.

I use the old feels good must be ok system.

 

[Ubiety]

@Ubiety and you will share that code - it would fun a picture in picture with dashcam footage.

I use the old feels good must be ok system.

Agree with seat of the pants; I always try to figure out what the pilot is doing on commercial flights with my butt ;)
But instrumentation and colorful tracks on the map are cool too! ;) Sure, if you are interested I would share. I should have time to get to it in 2025? ;)

 

[Ubiety]

The accelerometer that I originally planned on using for my "vehicle tilt logger" did not work out. Received this one last night and am easily getting data out of it. Will post more info once I have something working in the truck. At the rate that life is going recently that should be in early 2025 ;)

 

[M Rose]

I have been using the same style inclinometer my grandfather had in his bronco back in the 80's. Not sure how accurate these really are. I was thinking of upgrading to a digital version, but am unsure of a reliable brand. What types are you all using in your rigs, if any?

The old analog inclinometer is more accurate than anything digital can provide. The reason being the old school inclinometer is a pair of weighted disks suspended in liquid, and works off of gravity alone. Digital inclinometers use magnetic sensors to gather information of how lev the vehicle is. These sensors can be influenced by other magnetic fields, metal, and even types of terrain that have natural magnetic fields. The sensors then send data to an electronic device that has to calibrate said sensors, calibration makes the sensors less accurate in itself. To calibrate an analog inclinometer the device just needs to be set on a level table to get base adjustments, then when mounted in the vehicle on level ground you adjust the mounting base until everything meets the base adjustments. Yes more work, but 0% loss in efficiency.

 

[Ubiety]

Digital inclinometers use magnetic sensors to gather information of how lev the vehicle is. These sensors can be influenced by other magnetic fields, metal, and even types of terrain that have natural magnetic fields.

MEMS accelerometers are made from silicon and not subject to magnetic fields, etc. Just waved some strong magnets around my new accelerometer and it was not affected. Once calibrated they should not need to be calibrated again.