Mounting Tiltmeters

[Harv]

For the longest time I've been looking forward to starting my very own "L2500 Enhancements" thread, but now that the time has finally arrived I've decided it's better to have separate smaller threads that deal with each enhancement individually. This also allows certain enhancements, like this one, to appear in the most appropriate forum, such as "Tractor Safety".

I ordered my R&B Manufacturing Slope Indicators before I even took delivery of my tractor. Since I was buying a previously-owned Kubota I waited only until I was sure that it wasn't aleady equipped with such devices.

As soon as I had my tractor and indicators together I realized that there was no good place to mount them easily. Best results are obtained from mounting them on a vertical surface or using the brackets provided by R&B Manufacturing and fastening them to a horizontal surface.

Much to my dismay, I realized that my new tractor had no horizontal or vertical surfaces anywhere in the vicinity of the control panel -- so I made my own. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I could have modified the brackets provided and achieved a similar result, but I was determined to have a larger black surface to mount to, not only to cut down the glare from my shiny orange machine /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif, but to provide a convenient place to mount future doodads, such as a digital thermometer, clock, switches, etc.

A couple of pieces of strap iron and a piece of black-anodized aluminum (do you computer/electronic dudes recognize where this came from?), and I was all set -- at least for the side-tilt indicator.

For the front-to-back slope indicator I mounted it to the only vertical surface available in that direction, namely my fender-mounted toolbox. Time will tell if this will be a permanent home for that one.

The attached photo shows the setup I am currently using. I am curious about how others (without canopies) have handled this problem. We have received classic support from Rick at R&B Manufacturing -- now we just need the tractor manufacturers to help out a little, too. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[MJB]

As a confirmed "computer/electronic dude" it looks to me like that piece of aluminum is a blank off plate for an instrument rack. It is good to see one put to such a good use./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif MJB

 

[Harv]

MJB -

You win the prize!!!

It is indeed a 19" rack-mount cover plate. I picked up a bunch of these at one of my company auctions way back when I was doing the corporate America thing.

BTW - the distance between the lower uprights on my ROPS is exactly 19 inches. Stay tuned for another enhancement thread. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[glennmac]

Re: Mounting Tiltmeters--Chalkley Technology

Could Chalkley magnet technology be used to mount tiltmeters on appropriate tractor surfaces? Maybe that way one tiltmeter could be rotated to measure front-to-back or side-to-side. Or maybe the magnet could be glued to the tractor, and onto it you could place a cup or a tiltmeter (in either direction).

 

[MChalkley]

Re: Mounting Tiltmeters--Chalkley Technology

Glennmac - Clearly, you have forgotten what happened to heretics during the inquisition... /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

MarkC

 

[Harv]

Re: Mounting Tiltmeters--Chalkley Technology

Glenn -

Use one tiltmeter for both directions???

Whaddya trying to put Rick out of business?

Remember -- I take all ideas seriously, so watch what you say. I'm still working on a way to use magnets to hold a magazine in place so's we have something to read while we're drinking and driving and talking on our cell phones. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Bird]

Harv, that's real neat installation, but I'd have just had to do a little cutting and/or grinding and smoothing on the top corners. I just don't like exposed sharp corners. And of course, you'll have to be careful in the woods and not let a limb hit it.

Bird

 

[Harv]

Bird -

I'm with you on the sharp corners. This is basically the prototype model to test the "proof of concept".

I had this panel in place for nearly all of my culvert projects and it passed with flying colors. During my ill-conceived romp through the woods it tooks a couple of good shots from branches and was unphased.

It's sturdier than I originally thought it would be -- doesn't vibrate and puts the tiltmeter in a perfect viewing position.

Not bragging -- just reporting. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Mounting Tiltmeters--Chalkley Technology

Oh right, Harv.... give us a break!

Like how-the-heck are you gonna read AND watch tv at the same time??

Larry

 

[LazyK]

Re: Mounting Tiltmeters--Chalkley Technology

Don't forget...Harv reads, watches tv, surveils the Forum, tractors and helps the neurally challanged snivelers like me.
Looking at his photo of himself...as a guy 52 yrs. old (less than 1/2 way to the " big re-build! ")...
what ever this dude drinks, I want a couple of cases of it so I'm that young looking after heavy quaffing!

Lazy K - Chip

 

[LazyK]

Bird...I'm curious about an item mounted on your canopy, upper 2 o'clock position. A tiltmeter ?

Lazy K - Chip

 

[LazyK]

Harv...nice set-up and fabrication. I take it that the width and height (top edge) are functionally meter related. Is the mounting position of your panel unique to you and your operating "seat?"

Lazy K - Chip

 

[Bird]

Chip, in the center of the front of the canopy, you can see the trapezoidal light (has the black grid on the face). Just to the right of that, as you look at the picture, you can barely see the edge of the back side of the tiltmeter; however, that is the 7489 tiltmeter that has since been moved to the right side of the canopy for a front to rear reading, and in it's place is now the new 25 tiltmeter for a side to side reading (and it got to 18 degrees today when I was mowing, which I don't like AT ALL). I'm guessing that what you're asking about is the round shiny object almost in the corner of the canopy (left of the light as you're looking at the picture) and that's my rear view mirror. I didn't have one on my last tractor and I got tired of turning every few seconds when I drive on these country roads to see if anything was coming behind me.

Bird

 

[Bird]

Yep, Harv, that really does put the tiltmeter in the right place for viewing; much better than having to glance up at the canopy as I have to do.

Bird

 

[glennmac]

Re: Mounting Tiltmeters--Chalkley Technology

Hey, I wasn't trying to be heretical. (My heresies are well planned.) I just ordered a tiltmeter and this was a serious technical question.

People are trying different mounting techniques. I don't have a canopy and Harv's method is far to complex and time-consuming for me. Probably requires advanced, MIT-level tools that I don't understand -- like drills and wrenches.

Seriously, I'd like to mount my meter on my grill guard but be able easily to move it somewhere else when hogging. Sounds like a strong magnet might work, but I haven't seen the meter yet nor the kind of magnets you guys are using.

 

[Harv]

Chip -

I didn't intellectualize it that much. It's just a 19-inch panel mounted vertically on the dash. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[Bird]

Re: Mounting Tiltmeters--Chalkley Technology

An interesting thought, Glenn. If the magnet is strong enough to keep the tiltmeter from moving around, I don't see why it wouldn't work.

Bird

 

[Harv]

Re: Mounting Tiltmeters--Chalkley Technology

Glenn -

There's enough chain-yanking on this board (I yank as hard as anyone) that I'm not always sure of my footing. /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

My real concern with mounting tiltmeters with magnets is the calibration issue. Unlike Chalkley Cups, tiltmeters must remain absolutely fixed to the tractor in order to guarantee any degree of accuracy. These magnets, although powerful, are still subject to being moved from whatever position you place them in.

Even a slight shifting of a few degrees would render your slope indications meaningless, so I think it's best to use a more secure means of attachment.

I was hoping this thread would attract some input as to how others have mounted their meters. All I've heard about so far is from canopy owners. Anybody else out there?

 

[PaulB]

Re: Mounting Tiltmeters--Chalkley Technology

Regarding the magnet - I think, but I threw out the ddirections so I can't double check, that my tiltmeter instructions specifically stated to NOT have the meter anywhere near a magnet. If my memory is correct, my guess is the little floating football in the glass tube is ferrous.If anybody out there did keep their instructions, please look that up, or maybe Rick will pick up on this post and we can hear directly from the horses keyboard.

 

[PaulB]

Harv - looking at your mounting board picture (nice job by the way), my dash is similar to yours, but smaller. It is at what looks like a similar angle off of vertical, which I guessed to be 15 degrees. I KNOW Ricks instructions say to mount to a vertical surface, but I held my tiltmeter vertically and at a 15 degree angle off of vertical (to approximate the angle of my dash), and at all angles of tilt in the horizontal plane (i.e. the way we read it), there was no error induced by moving the vertical angle of the meter. So...I took the paper off the double sided sticky tape and stuck the meter on my dash. I THINK this is OK, as I THINK I adequately tested the meter at vertical and nonvertical positions before I decided to mount it there, but if I did something really stupid hopefully Rick will pick up on this thread and let me know.