Sun tach question

What model(s) Sun Tach was available during the early 60's? Would it need a transmitter? or not? Got any pics? Thanks for the help, later shawn

 

I belive all the early ones need the transmistter / sending unit

 

Well if you consider 64 early a 1 piece was available. I still have the 10 grand 1 piece I bought in June of 64 and it still works. I even have the receipt for it. I don't know when they hit the market though

 

I have one too from around that era as well that does not need the box..i don't remember exactly what year, but it was around 65 or so.

 

So the early to mid 60's was the transition years between the transmitter box and the stand alone tach? Seems like I need to find some more info. Thanks,later shawn

 

It really depends. There were a number of arrangements of tachs available during the late 50s and 60s.

A tachometer is really an electronic system to convert the signal from the ignition system to visual readout, normally in the form of a D'arsonval movement or galvanometer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanometer

The D'arsonval movement typically takes an input of something like 1mA for full scale deflection with a linear needle displacement, such that .5mA of current would show the needle in the middle of the scale, other values of current follow in a linear fashion. The Sun tachs that require a transmitter are in fact nothing more than a D'arsonval movement with the +/- connections on the back. If the tach you have has no guts besides the movement inside, then you need a sender.

I have seen the integrated sender/tach units with both the later solid state circuitry and the early mercury batteries. The early integrated units seemed to be just a 6" extension on the back of the gauge, that housed the same circuitry as the external sender, complete with the mercury batteries. The later units seemed to be a bit more compact.

I realize this might not answer your question, but the reality is that all tachs require some circuitry to accomplish their mission, and tachs of all eras were available as integrated units.

 

Actually I'm looking for something that will be simple. I don't want to be stuck hunting down a transmitter if I find a tach that I like and needs one. It seems like they are hard to come by and kind of expensive. But I guess they say if you want to play you got to pay, lol. Thanks,later shawn

 

The word simple and old Sun tachs don't get along. Your option could be to talk to Williamson's Instruments. http://www.williamsons.com/ I don't have any experience with them but they are the only outfit I know that specializes in old instrumentation on a commercial scale.

 

My 1961 Honest Charlie catalog lists a NEW 1 piece Sun tach.

They also listed the 5000 and the 8500 with a red football on the dial tach that requires a transmitter. The one piece looked just like it but it did not have the red football.

My 1963 Big Ed's Speed shop catalog still lists them both with the 1 piece still marketed as being new. This catalog lists the NEW Super Sun tach with the much larger sweep on the dial.

The Dixco was a 1 piece tach that looked like the first Sun. That is the one that us poor boys would hang on the column for decoration more than any real street racing. In my neihborhood the Dixco was considered a clone but they seemed to perform well. The Dixco later copied the Super Sun large sweep tach too.

 

The Sun SST 2 piece was still available in the spring of 65 as I purchased one of those then for a drag car

 

Did you try a Sun Tach search here? Lots of info posted. I have a 10 grand Sun Electric Corporation unit-needs no transmitter.

 

Hi

I had Williamson's redo an early 6 volt Sun tach for me some time back, converting it to modern electronics. It is a 6 volt, positive ground and works fine and looks just like new. I am now going to 12 volts and am going to use a redone SW so I no longer need the Sun. If anyone needs it make me an offer.
Jan in Ojai, CA

 

I am running a Tach Drive Magneto and just purchased a Mechanical Tach. But, if I were to run a Dizzy, I would go this route with a Sun Tach

http://beiautomotive.com/tachmainpage.htm

 

doing a Sun Tach search here under = Re: is a SW/Sun tach transmitter something a guy could build? destructo said in '04 he was told they would charge $180 to do conversion.

 

do you want to sell the one in the box?

 

I have a question about the transmittor, do they still make batteries that fit in those things?

 

I have heard people have found after market batteries, but they do not work properly. They state that the tach will not read correctly at low RPM.

 

1961 catalog. No 270 sweep tachs.




The 63 catalog. Notice that there is no color stripe on this one piece model. I don't know what year the color stripe was added.



The facing page of the 63 catalog. This must have been the first year for the Super Sun to warrant a whole page devoted only to it. The first Super Suns used the transmitter also. It must have been later when the SS lost the transmitter.

I have a buddy with a 62 409 that used the Sun tach as a factory option. He had one of the tach people convert it to work without the battery. He claims that it does read but he said for some reason it wasn't accurate enough to use in a race car. Basically it is just ginger bread with a moving needle. This was over 5 years ago. That new circuit board looks very interesting to me.

 

HRM Nov 1960 / Sun model 'FZ'



HRM APR 1962 / Sun model 'SST'



CC

 

You are the best Tommy! Now I'm looking for a FZ 88 N. I wish I could find some tach cups for three fifty!!

 

Don't get sticker shock if you find one. They get pricey due to the demand for the 62 409 clones.

EDIT: I'm wrong on this statement...the 62 409s used the Sun with the transmitter not the one piece.

 

Hey guy's thanks for the tons of info. I see there is some choice in the look in those years tachs. I like a little color, not so much the B+W. I guess using one with a transmitter won't be so bad now. I now see what transmitter I need to use and I saved the BEI link so that will be usefull in the near future. Once again, thanks a bunch. later shawn

 

I do have another question now. Will these transmitters work with modern electronic ignition? Or do I have to use a points dizzy? Thanks later shawn

 

I haven't had any luck getting any old tachs, sender or not, to work with electronic ignition.

 

They don't make the batteries anymore and the reason that the new ones don't work well is because of the drop off curve as they discharge. The voltage to the to sender as well as the pulsewidth has a direct effect on what the sender shows. the voltage on a modern AA battery starts showing a lower voltage fairly soon and therefor makes the tach read wrong. The mercury batteries that were used stayed close to the proper voltage and then just died very quickly at the end.


We had to redesign our replacement boards (which don't use batteries) recently, but the new one is working fine. We just tested it with an Ignitor I and it puts out the correct signal. Multiple discharge ignitions will not work because it can not discren which sparks are on one cylinder so it treats them all as a cylinder firing... if it can even keep up.

Which electronic ignition are you trying to use it with Four-thirteen?

 

I just want to use the factory mopar electronic ign, maybe with a hotter coil. later shawn

 

I was just experimenting with the stock mopar electronic ignition. The test might not be repeatable, and I certainly didn't control all the variables, so it could stand to be done again.

I just checked out your boards, they look pretty cool. I didn't know anyone else besides the aforementioned vendor who was working on such items. Totally badass.

One of my back burner projects is to build a self powered board for a magneto. Its on the breadboard, I just haven't had a chance to do any vigorous testing on it yet.