FYI FORD MustangSteve's Ford Mustang Forum / Revisiting Rocketman Cougar gauge conversions

**Posted by MS** 5/27/2024 12:10 PM

Ok, I understand this guy that converts gauges has had some really tough times lately.
But, it has been over a month since my parts were supposed to ship. I have written a cordial email asking if he has any idea of an ECD on my gauge. All I am asking for is a response. That does not seem too huge a task to me. I also ran a parts business single-handed and the idea of just shutting down and not communicating with customers just doesn’t sit well.
I counted that he has over 70 orders in line on his website. At $100 each, that is over $7,000 he is sitting on customer money with no output.
I am starting to be very concerned about this situation.
Do you think I am asking too much to just get an email response from this guy?

Meanwhile, I am bidding on a NOS AMP gauge just in case I never hear from my old stuff again.

**Posted by TKOPerformance** 5/27/2024 1:19 PM

I went back and reread his post of the other forum. All of this seems to have happened about 2 weeks ago, and there are no updates since then that I could see. My thoughts on this are tread very, very lightly. It sounded as though his wife was making a turn for the better, but having been in situations like this before with people's health a turn for the better can turn into a turn for the worse without any warning, and when it does business is the last thing on your mind. I always try to give folks the same kind of grace in a situation like this I would hope for, and I don't expect them to do what I would do (like say responding to emails). Some folks are mentally tough and seem to juggle everything life throws at them like its nothing, and others get easily overwhelmed especially when contemplating the loss of a spouse. Back in '21 I went through it with my wife. I thought I was handling everything, but turns out some stuff fell through the cracks, and I ended up with some damage control to do. She didn't want to tell anyone other than close family, so few knew what was going on. Hindsight being 20/20 I would have handled things differently if I had to do it again, but that's easy to say being on the other side of it. So are you asking too much? Maybe. I would let it play out a little longer, maybe send a follow up email in a week, etc.

**Posted by BobE** 5/28/2024 5:45 AM

MS - tough call as TKO points out. Give it another week or two, as this is a business, he has a responsibility to his customers also ... especially since they have already paid for the product.

**Posted by John Ha** 6/02/2024 7:19 AM

Just thinking out loud - wouldn't it be possible to use one of the other gauges as a voltmeter? If the gauge coil resistance is about 12.5Ω and the applied voltage you want at center deflection is 13V, I think all you'd need to do is add an 90Ω 3W resistor in series with the gauge. Wiring-wise, you'd connect one end of the resistor to the red wire for the ammeter and the other to the gauge, then connect the remaining gauge terminal to ground.

If my math is correct, you'd have the pointer at the high line at about 18V and at the low line at about 8V. It'd be somewhere in between at the voltages between those values - varying the voltage applied rather than a sender resistance.

While I've done the math, I haven't actually tried it. I have a spare temperature gauge here - maybe I'll do some tinkering a bit later today during the rain and lightning. What could possibly go wrong?

Last edited by John Ha (6/02/2024 8:28 AM)

**Posted by MS** 6/02/2024 2:50 PM

Great idea, John
Those gauges are designed to run on a pulsed voltage signal. How would that affect your plan? I have an extra oil pressure gauge and this sounds like it has some potential.

**Posted by John Ha** 6/03/2024 5:37 AM

The solid state CVU conversion generates a constant 5V to the gauges, and I don't know of anyone that's had issues with those. This does materially the same thing - the currents through the circuit are the same as those with the CVU and senders.

That's kind of a crappy answer but it's all I can think of. I suppose I could leave one connected for a few hours and see if there's drift in the reading. I know the resistors got a little warm (pleasantly warm - not nearly too hot to touch) during my impromptu experiements, but that would be normal.

Last edited by John Ha (6/03/2024 8:34 AM)

**Posted by Greg B** 6/03/2024 8:19 AM

I just got a shipping notice from them. So things must be going better for him. It should really pick up now for him now that the devilcar part is out of his shop!

**Posted by MS** 6/03/2024 8:40 AM

I received my shipping notice today, also. Great news!

**Posted by Nos681** 6/03/2024 1:51 PM

This is what I have been using on the 65 for the gauges.

The first regulator failed due to too much heat on soldering.
I’m still on the second one.

You can find the 5v voltage regulator in many electronic item power supplies.

You don’t need to really know the internals, I’m sure the electronics guys will love it.

**Posted by Rudi** 6/03/2024 2:00 PM

That’s the same LM 7805 IC chip I used to make the 5v regulator.
It’s long gone since the cluster was replaced with Autometer gauges which run on 12 v.

**Posted by Nos681** 6/03/2024 2:08 PM

**Posted by Nos681** 6/03/2024 2:16 PM

Rudi wrote:
That’s the same LM 7805 IC chip I used to make the 5v regulator.
It’s long gone since the cluster was replaced with Autometer gauges which run on 12 v.

The LM 7812 is the 12v voltage regulator if needed for a project.

**Posted by Rudi** 6/03/2024 3:08 PM

Do Autometer gauges need a regulated 12v supply?
Mine seem to be working with whatever voltage it’s getting.

**Posted by Nos681** 6/03/2024 9:49 PM

I don’t think so.

If it works, don’t fix it Rudi. 😂

**Posted by Greg B** 6/06/2024 3:56 PM

Here it is guys! Looks to be worth the wait. Next steps are to paint the needles to match, (got a small jar of that testors paint from hobby lobotomy) install the white vinyl overlay, and put it in the dash.

And I started talking of doing this in-between Christmas and New years. Took six months to get everything.

**Posted by TKOPerformance** 6/07/2024 5:07 AM

Rudi wrote:
Do Autometer gauges need a regulated 12v supply?
Mine seem to be working with whatever voltage it’s getting.

I've always just wired them to keyed power, so I would say no. They seem to work fine on whatever system voltage happens to be.

**Posted by Rudi** 6/07/2024 8:53 AM

TKOPerformance wrote:
Rudi wrote:
Do Autometer gauges need a regulated 12v supply?
Mine seem to be working with whatever voltage it’s getting.
I've always just wired them to keyed power, so I would say no. They seem to work fine on whatever system voltage happens to be.

Yeah, me too, but the Lt threw me a curve ball with the mention of a 12 v regulator.
I wondered if he knew something I didn’t.
Other than a bouncing tach at idle and the incorrect reading gas gauge my Autometer gauges seem just fine.
Anyone have an idea why the electric tach bounces a couple of hundred revolutions at idle only, Autometer had no answer.

**Posted by MS** 6/07/2024 3:54 PM

I received my converted VOLTS gauge today. Looks good! But now the other gauges look dingy😩

**Posted by BobE** 6/08/2024 5:04 AM

MS wrote:
I received my converted VOLTS gauge today. Looks good! But now the other gauges look dingy😩

Glad to hear you received the voltmeter. Is the printing on the gauge a better match for the original than what I had pictured in my recent post?

**Posted by BobE** 6/08/2024 5:09 AM

Rudi wrote:
TKOPerformance wrote:
Rudi wrote:
Do Autometer gauges need a regulated 12v supply?
Mine seem to be working with whatever voltage it’s getting.
I've always just wired them to keyed power, so I would say no. They seem to work fine on whatever system voltage happens to be.

Yeah, me too, but the Lt threw me a curve ball with the mention of a 12 v regulator.
I wondered if he knew something I didn’t.
Other than a bouncing tach at idle and the incorrect reading gas gauge my Autometer gauges seem just fine.
Anyone have an idea why the electric tach bounces a couple of hundred revolutions at idle only, Autometer had no answer.

Rudi - Just wondering if you have an MSD and other electronic type ignition that might make "noise" that the tach is picking up?

**Posted by Rudi** 6/08/2024 8:49 AM

Well Bob I do have a Crane optical triggered distributor and high output coil but tach issue is recent.
The thing worked fine for years after it was installed.
As usual with these old cars my guess most electrical problems are an iffy ground somewhere.

**Posted by Greg B** 6/08/2024 10:01 AM

I put the gauge in there, and tested it for shorts. This is a picture with it at 13.8 volts. Now, as my luck would have it, I cannot find my artwork. So, I'm guess I'm just going to paint these needles all the same and hope I can find them. They have to be in my mess somewhere...

**Posted by BobE** 6/09/2024 4:42 AM

Rudi wrote:
Well Bob I do have a Crane optical triggered distributor and high output coil but tach issue is recent.
The thing worked fine for years after it was installed.
As usual with these old cars my guess most electrical problems are an iffy ground somewhere.

Could be a ground issue, if so, I'd suspect the tach ground. Also, check for good contact of any connections of the ignition signal wire to the tach.

**Posted by MS** 6/10/2024 8:50 PM

Greg, you opted to keep the AMPS text? Mine says VOLTS

**Posted by Greg B** 6/11/2024 7:49 AM

I did with the gauge conversion order. BUT only because I have my own white face overlay to put on it. Then I went and lost it. I've searched everywhere. I gave up and ordered two new ones from where I got this one.

image upload

Here is what it looks like. I hope I get the same quality in the repeat order.

Last edited by Greg B (6/11/2024 7:55 AM)