"Wireless" Tachometer Ideal For Small Engine Maintenance
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Troubleshooting and fine-tuning your small engines and older large engines is made a lot easier with the TA100 Smartach+. The wireless tachometer and engine analyzer provides rpm measurement and ignition peak voltage measurement using secondary ignition pickup. It also records minimum and maximum readings.
"It's designed for distributorless, conventional, magneto and most spark ignition systems," explains Berge Baronian, General Technologies Corp. (GTC). "Where it will be most useful is on old tractors and trucks, forklifts and small gas engines."
The hand-held, battery-powered TA100 has a view screen with touchpad and keys for a number of cycles (2, 4, 6 and DIS), number of cylinders (1 to 12) and functions (peak kV or rpm.) The secondary ignition pickup doesn't require the unit to be part of an actual circuit. The attached, flexible antenna sensor provides readings simply by being held against spark plug/ignition coil wires or near the distributor, coil pack or closely gathered spark plug/ignition wires.
When GTC provided FARM SHOW with a unit to evaluate, we shared it with several professional mechanics. While all agreed that it had limited application in newer engines, especially those with on-board computer-controlled electronics, small engines were another story.
"This would have been great to have when I was setting up new mowers," says Jerry McCabe, McCabe Repairs. "Each one had to be tuned to the recommended rpm's to optimize mowing. With this, you wouldn't have to hook anything up to get a reading."
McCabe allowed that it would make it easier for his small engine mechanic to determine whether a problem was electric or fuel-related.
The TA100 can be used to identify individual cylinder rpm's as well as overall engine rpm's. The kV function displays the relative strength of the ignition pulses in spark plug wires. While variation in ignition peak voltage of 25 percent is normal, higher voltage readings can indicate a lean fuel mixture, too wide a spark plug gap, a damaged, loose or disconnected wire, or a broken core in the wire.
Readings that are abnormally low can indicate spark plug problems, a broken wire core, a short circuit or other partial or full disconnection, a rich fuel mixture or low cylinder compression pressure.
"If you have a 4-cylinder engine with one cylinder misfiring, you can find the problem cylinder quickly just by comparing the readings and looking for a variation on one," says Baronian. "We have built a great following for the TA100."
Baronian adds that a new model is being introduced in 2011. It's the TA500. It will offer the same functions, but is designed for use with newer engine ignition systems as well as conventional older engines.
The TA100 has a suggested retail price of $220. However, Baronian says it's regularly discounted by retailers to around $150. The TA500 is expected to have a suggested retail price of around $500, but final costs are subject to component price increases.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, General Technologies Corp., #121 - 7350 72nd St., Delta, British Columbia, Canada V4G 1H9 (ph 604 952-6699; toll free 800 440-5582; info@gtc.ca; www.gtc.ca).
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Wireless Tachometer Ideal For Small Engine Maintenance ENGINES Engines Troubleshooting and fine-tuning your small engines and older large engines is made a lot easier with the TA100 Smartach+ The wireless tachometer and engine analyzer provides rpm measurement and ignition peak voltage measurement using secondary ignition pickup It also records minimum and maximum readings It s designed for distributorless conventional magneto and most spark ignition systems explains Berge Baronian General Technologies Corp GTC Where it will be most useful is on old tractors and trucks forklifts and small gas engines The hand-held battery-powered TA100 has a view screen with touchpad and keys for a number of cycles 2 4 6 and DIS number of cylinders 1 to 12 and functions peak kV or rpm The secondary ignition pickup doesn t require the unit to be part of an actual circuit The attached flexible antenna sensor provides readings simply by being held against spark plug/ignition coil wires or near the distributor coil pack or closely gathered spark plug/ignition wires When GTC provided FARM SHOW with a unit to evaluate we shared it with several professional mechanics While all agreed that it had limited application in newer engines especially those with on-board computer-controlled electronics small engines were another story This would have been great to have when I was setting up new mowers says Jerry McCabe McCabe Repairs Each one had to be tuned to the recommended rpm s to optimize mowing With this you wouldn t have to hook anything up to get a reading McCabe allowed that it would make it easier for his small engine mechanic to determine whether a problem was electric or fuel-related The TA100 can be used to identify individual cylinder rpm s as well as overall engine rpm s The kV function displays the relative strength of the ignition pulses in spark plug wires While variation in ignition peak voltage of 25 percent is normal higher voltage readings can indicate a lean fuel mixture too wide a spark plug gap a damaged loose or disconnected wire or a broken core in the wire Readings that are abnormally low can indicate spark plug problems a broken wire core a short circuit or other partial or full disconnection a rich fuel mixture or low cylinder compression pressure If you have a 4-cylinder engine with one cylinder misfiring you can find the problem cylinder quickly just by comparing the readings and looking for a variation on one says Baronian We have built a great following for the TA100 Baronian adds that a new model is being introduced in 2011 It s the TA500 It will offer the same functions but is designed for use with newer engine ignition systems as well as conventional older engines The TA100 has a suggested retail price of $220 However Baronian says it s regularly discounted by retailers to around $150 The TA500 is expected to have a suggested retail price of around $500 but final costs are subject to component price increases Contact: FARM SHOW Followup General Technologies Corp #121 - 7350 72nd St Delta British Columbia Canada V4G 1H9 ph 604 952-6699; toll free 800 440-5582; info@gtc ca; www gtc ca
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