Tachometer

Listees, I need to install a tachometer this winter, and I need some advice. I have the Indigo electronic ignition, a late model A4 engine. I have looked at units at West, and Defender and Moyer. The VDO unit looks interesting but the specs say it needs an input from the electronic ignition. I don't know what that would be. Any suggestions? Thx, David Dobbs CAL 29 411

In years past. tachs would obtain a signal from the primary side of the ignition. At the distributor or at the coil. You then calibrate the tach for 4,6 or 8 cylinder engine to correlate the pulse train to rpm's. I would suggest consulting your electronic ignition manual or go on line for info on the Indigo ignition module. Do not guess at it...a connection to the wrong wire may burn out the tach, elect ign module or both. Not sure if your interfacing the Indigo to a conv point-cond based distributor or an electronic sensing dist with a stator wheel or it has a calibrated flywheel sensor....if it's the former...pick up the signal off the dist primary.... Bob Virgalla Cell: 203.733.5006 ~~~_/)~~~ From: david dobbs <tm… [at] yahoo.com> To: "Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com" <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 3, 2012 7:07 PM Subject: [Cal_Boats] Tachometer Listees, I need to install a tachometer this winter, and I need some advice. I have the Indigo electronic ignition, a late model A4 engine. I have looked at units at West, and Defender and Moyer. The VDO unit looks interesting but the specs say it needs an input from the electronic ignition. I don't know what that would be. Any suggestions? Thx, David Dobbs CAL 29 411

I am guessing that the OP has a normal coil/ distributor and no electronic ignition. Therefore, the conclusion below is probably excellent. Allen On Tue, Jan 3, 2012 at 7:29 PM, Bob Virgalla <vi… [at] yahoo.com> wrote: > ** > > > In years past. tachs would obtain a signal from the primary side of the > ignition. At the distributor or at the coil. You then calibrate the tachfor 4,6 or 8 cylinder engine to correlate the pulse train to > rpm's. I would suggest consulting your electronic ignition manual or go > on line for info on the Indigo ignition module. Do not guess at it...a > connection to the wrong wire may burn out the tach, elect ign module or > both. > > Not sure if your interfacing the Indigo to a conv point-cond based > distributor or an electronic sensing dist with a stator wheel or it has a > calibrated flywheel sensor....if it's the former...pick up the signal off > the dist primary.... > > Bob Virgalla > Cell: 203.733.5006 > ~~~_/)~~~ > *From:* david dobbs <tm… [at] yahoo.com> > *To:* "Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com" <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> > *Sent:* Tuesday, January 3, 2012 7:07 PM > *Subject:* [Cal_Boats] Tachometer > > > > Listees, > I need to install a tachometer this winter, and I need some advice. I > have the Indigo electronic ignition, a late model A4 engine. I have looked > at units at West, and Defender and Moyer. The VDO unit looks interesting > but the specs say it needs an input from the electronic ignition. I don't > know what that would be. Any suggestions? > Thx, > David Dobbs CAL 29 411 > > > > > > >

David check this diagram out... http://www.atomic4.com/detign.html First take is the yellow wire is the coil primary, ie the tach pick-up Bob Virgalla Cell: 203.733.5006 ~~~_/)~~~ From: david dobbs <tm… [at] yahoo.com> To: "Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com" <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 3, 2012 7:07 PM Subject: [Cal_Boats] Tachometer Listees, I need to install a tachometer this winter, and I need some advice. I have the Indigo electronic ignition, a late model A4 engine. I have looked at units at West, and Defender and Moyer. The VDO unit looks interesting but the specs say it needs an input from the electronic ignition. I don't know what that would be. Any suggestions? Thx, David Dobbs CAL 29 411

david... do not waste $$$ on tach ...look at gps and keep bumping gas control down to match hull speed a tach is a waste on A 4 they idle @ 500 and they A BOMB at around 4000....get a MAX PROP 1st ... oh yeah put the sails UP..shut eng OFF ..sail the boat if get a tach you will fine that you will burn more gas because you will run A 4 harder BUT your hull speed and prop pitch determin your correct RPMs ...we motored our Cal 36 for 88 hours straight New Port Beach to Stanta Cruz she has mech tach drive..we found that eng SOUNDED BEST @ 5.5 kt (we have V drive 2:1 reduction) our Cal 29 "Noah's Kid" we could go full tilt 7.5 Kt with indgo 3 blade 10" we switched to Max Prop we can go 7.5 kts 1/4 throlal (i can not spell)...now our Cal 30 dose 7.1 kts just off of idle not sure what prop is on that boat but we 'DO ATOMIC 4' helen hates the smell of diesel when we brought the Cal 36 from Santa Cruz though the 'Gate' to redwood city ..we came in with the flood tide I'm looking @ Garmin gps and we are doing 11.5 Knots I started to throttle back eng ...to idle still doing 6 kts...then throttle back to 2200 rpms.. and back up to 11.5 and surfed though the gate any way that was the only time I looked at tach...on a Cal with a ATOMIC 4 (atom smasher 4)...you can take a old dwell gauge some have a tach also.. but you probily tossed out with those points..any way let me know if a TACH makes you a better sailer ..HAPPY New YEAR !! edward (helen) From: david dobbs <tm… [at] yahoo.com> To: "Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com" <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 3, 2012 7:07 PM Subject: [Cal_Boats] Tachometer Listees, I need to install a tachometer this winter, and I need some advice. I have the Indigo electronic ignition, a late model A4 engine. I have looked at units at West, and Defender and Moyer. The VDO unit looks interesting but the specs say it needs an input from the electronic ignition. I don't know what that would be. Any suggestions? Thx, David Dobbs CAL 29 411