# Gauges,"The Best, and the not so best" **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Automotive\ **Created:** [November 5, 2006, 6:41am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735 "2006-11-05T06:41:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anonymity](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/anonymity/32/7215_2.png) [@Anonymity](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Anonymity)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 6:41am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735/1 "2006-11-05T06:41:48Z")
what is the best gauges? where do you get the biggest “bang for the buck”?.. i like the [http://www.nippon-seiki.co.jp/defishop/product/br/br\_top.html](http://www.nippon-seiki.co.jp/defishop/product/br/br_top.html), but they do not make a A/F ratio gauge. i have found this one that i think matches but is the price to good to be true(if i had to ask it must be true)[http://www.prosportgauges.com/Prosport%20Digital%20Gauges.htm](http://www.prosportgauges.com/Prosport%20Digital%20Gauges.htm) what is the best gauge for the price? ---
**Author:** ![Lopros86](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/lopros86/32/7301_2.png) [@Lopros86](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Lopros86)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 7:20am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735/2 "2006-11-05T07:20:15Z")
You have picked the right brand sir. Defi hands down makes the best gauges. The ones you are looking at however, don’t utilize the defi link system. That is good if you are only running a gauge or two, or if you never want to add more gauges at a later time. If you are looking for expandability and are looking at hooking up 3+ gauges, i would look at the ones that utilize the defi link system. Its much more versatile and easier to use. How much are they, that the price is too good to be true. I know Defi’s usually run around $200+ a gauge. Cliffs: Defi \> \* Just know whether or not you want the defi control link system. ---
**Author:** ![double\_j](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/double_j/32/7380_2.png) [@double\_j](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/double_j)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 7:49am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735/3 "2006-11-05T07:49:44Z")
It’s too bad Defi doesn’t offer a boost gauge that doesn’t go into vacuum. Diesels have no throttle plate, therefore no vacuum. Looks like I am going to stick with VDO. ---
**Author:** ![Anonymity](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/anonymity/32/7215_2.png) [@Anonymity](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Anonymity)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 8:01am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735/4 "2006-11-05T08:01:04Z")
> [@double j](#): > > It’s too bad Defi doesn’t offer a boost gauge that doesn’t go into vacuum. Diesels have no throttle plate, therefore no vacuum. > > Looks like I am going to stick with VDO. that is true. ---
**Author:** ![Shockwave179](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/shockwave179/32/7496_2.png) [@Shockwave179](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Shockwave179)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 11:29am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735/5 "2006-11-05T11:29:43Z")
Prosports are nice I have 2 of them. Alot of the Subaru guys are using them instead of spending a shitload of money on the defi link+gauges. ---
**Author:** ![layzie](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/layzie/32/7599_2.png) [@layzie](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/layzie)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 11:31am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735/6 "2006-11-05T11:31:54Z")
defis or spas depending on what ur looking for. i had defi bf gauges and sold them for dual digital spa for exact read out and more space comes in black or white face and green and red light up, dual read outs with warning lights. not the flash like the defis or some of the features but gives the exact read out [http://www.spatechnique.com/product\_pages/dualgauges.asp](http://www.spatechnique.com/product_pages/dualgauges.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Anonymity](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/anonymity/32/7215_2.png) [@Anonymity](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Anonymity)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 12:47pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735/7 "2006-11-05T12:47:49Z")
> [@Shockwave179](#): > > Prosports are nice I have 2 of them. Alot of the Subaru guys are using them instead of spending a shitload of money on the defi link+gauges. do they have any problems with the A/F and volts gauge? > [@layzie](#): > > defis or spas depending on what ur looking for. i had defi bf gauges and sold them for dual digital spa for exact read out and more space > > comes in black or white face and green and red light up, dual read outs with warning lights. not the flash like the defis or some of the features but gives the exact read out > > [http://www.spatechnique.com/product\_pages/dualgauges.asp](http://www.spatechnique.com/product_pages/dualgauges.asp) i like the dual gauges but i am looking for an A/F gauge ---
**Author:** ![dozr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/41988e/32.png) [@dozr](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/dozr)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 1:35pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735/8 "2006-11-05T13:35:32Z")
Dan usually people stick with a different solution for A/F since only a wideband will give you accurate numbers. Take a look at the Innovate WB A/F… You might be able to link a DEFI gauge into this, I am not sure. Talk to mike. ---
**Author:** ![layzie](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/layzie/32/7599_2.png) [@layzie](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/layzie)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 1:38pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735/9 "2006-11-05T13:38:42Z")
why not just get a real wideband aems are good priced ---
**Author:** ![Protonus](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/protonus/32/7382_2.png) [@Protonus](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Protonus)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 1:47pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735/10 "2006-11-05T13:47:44Z")
Doesn’t matter what a/f gauge you get, unless it’s wideband it’s basically nothing other then a dancing light show. As such, if you’re going to get one, the best IMHO is the cyberdyne digital bar graph one. Most A/F gauges have lights around the outside edge and a single light is lit. This is tough as hell to read as it bounces around. THe bar graph style keeps all bars lit up to the one it’s reading at, which makes reading it quickly a cinch. And it’s dirt cheap: [http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=CYB-7009&N=700+4294925228+4294822093+115&autoview=sku](http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=CYB%2D7009&N=700+4294925228+4294822093+115&autoview=sku) or the even cheaper summit brand which I have: [http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=SUM-G2986&N=700+4294925228+4294925227+4294822093+4294908392+4294908347+4294891600+115&autoview=sku](http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=SUM%2DG2986&N=700+4294925228+4294925227+4294822093+4294908392+4294908347+4294891600+115&autoview=sku) I have one only to make sure that my 02 sensor is working properly as I am running a modified stock tune and as such it is heavily reliant on this sensor working, and my sensor is an old skool unheated 1 wire. Using it to determine your actual a/f ratio is worthless. ---
**Author:** ![Shockwave179](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/shockwave179/32/7496_2.png) [@Shockwave179](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Shockwave179)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 1:54pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735/11 "2006-11-05T13:54:20Z")
> [@fastandcheap](#): > > do they have any problems with the A/F and volts gauge? I don’t think so…but why not just get a wideband? ---
**Author:** ![99\_civic\_si](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/99_civic_si/32/7319_2.png) [@99\_civic\_si](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/99_civic_si)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735/12 "2006-11-05T20:52:23Z")
Hey, an A/F gauge isn’t usless when you use the narrowband output from your wideband and run that to the A/F gauge 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![N\_CTRL](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/n_ctrl/32/4982_2.png) [@N\_CTRL](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/N_CTRL)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 12:46am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735/13 "2006-11-06T00:46:47Z")
> [@Protonus](#): > > Doesn’t matter what a/f gauge you get, unless it’s wideband it’s basically nothing other then a dancing light show. As such, if you’re going to get one, the best IMHO is the cyberdyne digital bar graph one. Most A/F gauges have lights around the outside edge and a single light is lit. This is tough as hell to read as it bounces around. THe bar graph style keeps all bars lit up to the one it’s reading at, which makes reading it quickly a cinch. And it’s dirt cheap: > > [http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=CYB%2D7009&N=700+4294925228+4294822093+115&autoview=sku](http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=CYB%2D7009&N=700+4294925228+4294822093+115&autoview=sku) It doesn’t say that this is a wideband gauge…is it? Or for that matter, what’s needed for it to read wideband. ---
**Author:** ![Protonus](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/protonus/32/7382_2.png) [@Protonus](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Protonus)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 12:02pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735/14 "2006-11-06T12:02:40Z")
Ack no multi quote here. Ay yi. > [@99\_civic\_si](#): > > Hey, an A/F gauge isn’t usless when you use the narrowband output from your wideband and run that to the A/F gauge 🙂 … yes it is. Narrowband implies exactly that. That it’s only accurate around the midpoint of the reading range. Anything outside of stoich and the accuracy becomes essentially non existent. So if you are using the narrowband output you still have narrowband accuracy. Here is a graph showing the issue. ![http://www.protonus.ws/img/cars/o2grph.jpg](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/uploads/speedlife/original/3X/b/f/bf0ce194011e82bd2e6b149ab32b3a5264472693.jpeg) Only a gauge specifically setup to be a wide band gauge, running off a wide band 02 signal is accurate and should be used for tuning. N’CTRL: The gauge I posted is NOT a wideband gauge. It’s a normal a/f gauge. In order to read wideband 02 you need a wideband 02 sensor and controller, and then a gauge designed for that particular setup. Most of the gauges etc are not compatible between setups. Whoever provided the wideband setup can get you their own gauge, for instance if you have an Innovative LM-1 you’d get hte Innovative Wideband gauge. ---
**Author:** ![Johnnylude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2acd7d/32.png) [@Johnnylude](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Johnnylude)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 12:34pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735/15 "2006-11-06T12:34:16Z")
DEFI is by far the best… but youll be paying $$$ for them. Get some autometers they work just fine! ---
**Author:** ![dpm90iroc](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/dpm90iroc/32/4966_2.png) [@dpm90iroc](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/dpm90iroc)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 4:19am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735/16 "2006-11-07T04:19:37Z")
> [@Protonus](#): > > Doesn’t matter what a/f gauge you get, unless it’s wideband it’s basically nothing other then a dancing light show. As such, if you’re going to get one, the best IMHO is the cyberdyne digital bar graph one. Most A/F gauges have lights around the outside edge and a single light is lit. This is tough as hell to read as it bounces around. THe bar graph style keeps all bars lit up to the one it’s reading at, which makes reading it quickly a cinch. And it’s dirt cheap: > > [http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=CYB-7009&N=700+4294925228+4294822093+115&autoview=sku](http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=CYB%2D7009&N=700+4294925228+4294822093+115&autoview=sku) > > or the even cheaper summit brand which I have: > [http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=SUM-G2986&N=700+4294925228+4294925227+4294822093+4294908392+4294908347+4294891600+115&autoview=sku](http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=SUM%2DG2986&N=700+4294925228+4294925227+4294822093+4294908392+4294908347+4294891600+115&autoview=sku) > > I have one only to make sure that my 02 sensor is working properly as I am running a modified stock tune and as such it is heavily reliant on this sensor working, and my sensor is an old skool unheated 1 wire. Using it to determine your actual a/f ratio is worthless. Good info, thanks, want a quick read to know I’m safe ---
**Author:** ![99\_civic\_si](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/99_civic_si/32/7319_2.png) [@99\_civic\_si](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/99_civic_si)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 9:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735/17 "2006-11-07T09:13:00Z")
hmmmm. but doesn’t the wideband controller just basically take the wideband information and convert it to a narrow band signal with precision? The controller is doing all the outputting. It’s not like you are taking the wideband output directly from the sensor to a gauge. ---
**Author:** ![Carbonfiberhooded](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/carbonfiberhooded/32/7608_2.png) [@Carbonfiberhooded](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Carbonfiberhooded)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 5:18pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735/18 "2006-11-07T17:18:35Z")
> [@Johnnylude](#): > > DEFI is by far the best… but youll be paying $$$ for them. Get some autometers they work just fine! Autometer A/F is the dancing light show. It tells you rich and lean and thats about it. Autometer boost gauges have been known not to be the most accurate. Just ask JSkrapper. Stewart Warner makes some good, cheaper then Defi gauges too. ---
**Author:** ![Anonymity](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/anonymity/32/7215_2.png) [@Anonymity](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Anonymity)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/gauges-the-best-and-the-not-so-best/19735/19 "2006-11-07T18:07:44Z")
nice information, i gather more and then pull the trigger