Testing the Rostra cruise control

[B.D.F.]

Excellent! Welcome to the world of closed loop control.  What you did was to shorten the time the Rostra uses to close the loop, which makes it respond faster. That is a good thing when the unit was responding too slow but a bad thing when it surges. It is not a 'right or wrong' situation and some other people have used different setting that they prefer also. The settings I used are quite forgiving and 'soft' for lack of a better word but the result is the system can be sluggish in some circumstances.

This is the root of the problem with the Rostra on high power- to- weight vehicles; it was not originally designed to work in this envelope. All loop closure systems are a compromise but there is a window where a given system usually works very well and a C-14 is outside the Rostra's window.

As always, the Rostra install has become a community development thing and a lot of people have contributed different methods, settings, etc. Lots of different things work, some better than others, especially depending on what the particular person wants or expects. Good on ya' for tinkering and getting a better machine as a result.

Brian

There have been several times I've set my Rostra at 25-30 mph.

I have usually had it in 5th gear at the time.

Mine works pretty well w/o surging at those speeds.

Now, I originally set my dip switches up exactly as Brian suggested in his tutorial.
After about a year of use, it began to annoy me concerning how long it seemed to take to engage at a set speed. I have a friend that I installed one on his GS. He told me one day he had observed the same thing with his, which bugged him as well. He read up as to what each dip switch setting did, and had changed his #2 switch from off to on. This made it engage a lot sooner. Big improvement.

So, I changed mine, and had the same result...with one exception; Mine now takes spells surging.
It seems to be controllable, though. I have to watch about not engaging it if I'm going down a steep grade, or climbing a hill, etc. Otherwise, it has been an improvement.

[C14lvr]

Excellent! Welcome to the world of closed loop control.  What you did was to shorten the time the Rostra uses to close the loop, which makes it respond faster. That is a good thing when the unit was responding too slow but a bad thing when it surges. It is not a 'right or wrong' situation and some other people have used different setting that they prefer also. The settings I used are quite forgiving and 'soft' for lack of a better word but the result is the system can be sluggish in some circumstances.

This is the root of the problem with the Rostra on high power- to- weight vehicles; it was not originally designed to work in this envelope. All loop closure systems are a compromise but there is a window where a given system usually works very well and a C-14 is outside the Rostra's window.

As always, the Rostra install has become a community development thing and a lot of people have contributed different methods, settings, etc. Lots of different things work, some better than others, especially depending on what the particular person wants or expects. Good on ya' for tinkering and getting a better machine as a result.

Brian

Thanks, Bro! And, thanks again for your cool tutorial. Because you took the time to document your pioneering adventure for the adaption of the Rostra to a C14, it has been a huge help, not only to me, but many others.

My friends and I will always be grateful to you, Brian.
My Rostra's been the coolest $300 farkle I've added so far.
Couldn't have done it without your help.

Because of you, I've been able to help several others install theirs, and they absolutely love them!

The last one I've done was just last month. I put an Audiovox 100 system on a 1999 Honda Valkrye.
(1500 GW 6cyl carb'd). It took me 2 years to convince my friend to buy one.
After we finished the install, we went on a 60 mile test ride. He was like a little kid with a new Christmas present! Even after he left my house, and headed home 35 miles away, he called me back to thank me repeatedly, saying how much he loved it.

I told him the real credit was due to you, Brian...for figuring it out.

Another friend that I put a Rostra on his GS is still thanking me... 2 years later!

I really appreciate your contributions to the forum.
It's helped me help others. That's what it's all about...right?
Ride safe.
Bob

[just gone]

Thanks, Bro! And, thanks again for your cool tutorial. Because you took the time to document your pioneering adventure for the adaption of the Rostra to a C14, it has been a huge help, not only to me, but many others.

My friends and I will always be grateful to you, Brian.


I really appreciate your contributions to the forum.
It's helped me help others. That's what it's all about...right?
Ride safe.
Bob

I totally agree and I could not have said that any better, I did try a couple of times and failed.
Well said Bob.

[B.D.F.]

Thank you for the very kind words.

And it is great to hear all the positive feedback too because before I 'published' (posted it on an Internet forum.... not 'real' publishing), I was pretty wary of liability, real or imagined, and people getting cranky if they had trouble with this project. It has been something like 5 or 6 years now and so far, not a single complaint- my collective thanks to all the humans out there. :-)   To be sure, some folks have struggled a bit here and there but to the best of my knowledge, no one I have had contact with about the Rostra has failed to get one up and running.

Yep, the forums are great avenues for sharing information, and even getting to know new people and having a few chuckles. Unfortunately, they do need to be properly monitored and limited or a handful of 'missing link' types make a mess for everyone but that said, they are still the only way I know of for a given community of people with something in common, to shave information, ideas and so forth regardless of distance, time zone or anything else. The last limitation is language but quite a few people blow through that barrier too by speaking the language of the forum, usually English, and some do it better than some of the native language speakers.

Brian

Thanks, Bro! And, thanks again for your cool tutorial. Because you took the time to document your pioneering adventure for the adaption of the Rostra to a C14, it has been a huge help, not only to me, but many others.

My friends and I will always be grateful to you, Brian.
My Rostra's been the coolest $300 farkle I've added so far.
Couldn't have done it without your help.

Because of you, I've been able to help several others install theirs, and they absolutely love them!

The last one I've done was just last month. I put an Audiovox 100 system on a 1999 Honda Valkrye.
(1500 GW 6cyl carb'd). It took me 2 years to convince my friend to buy one.
After we finished the install, we went on a 60 mile test ride. He was like a little kid with a new Christmas present! Even after he left my house, and headed home 35 miles away, he called me back to thank me repeatedly, saying how much he loved it.

I told him the real credit was due to you, Brian...for figuring it out.

Another friend that I put a Rostra on his GS is still thanking me... 2 years later!

I really appreciate your contributions to the forum.
It's helped me help others. That's what it's all about...right?
Ride safe.
Bob

[just gone]

The last litaimiton is lauaggne but qutie a few pelpoe blow thurgoh that barirer too by spnakieg the lagnuage of the fourm, uslulay Ensligh, and some do it betetr than some of the navite laaungge spekears.

Brain, wheemovr colud you be reirnfreg too?   

[B.D.F.]

Actually, it was a compliment to some members who did not learn English as a first language, not a knock against anyone else. And certainly not you. Just a comparison. I have the greatest respect for anyone who not only 'knows' a non- native language, but actually commands it and uses it well. Not an easy task, at least in my own personal experience (I can hurt the ears of both Germans and Dutch speakers.... and amuse and disgust them all at the same time :-(   ).  And occasionally, there are those who command more than two languages, such as Martin: Spanish is his native language I believe and so assume he speaks that well but he works in Germany so again, I assume he speaks German well and I know his English is excellent. Now the thing to remember here is that Spanish is very different from both German and English so learning those would be more of a challenge than, say, Italian or French which share the same language base (Dutch and English are Germanic languages, very different from the Romance languages).

Brian

Brain, wheemovr colud you be reirnfreg too?   

[just gone]

Acautlly, it was a colenmmpit to some merembs who did not leran Eniglsh as a fisrt lagagnue, not a kncok agsiant annoye else. And celniarty not you. Just a corsmpaoin. 

Yeah, I knew that, I just wanted an excuse to use a typoglycemia text generator.

[JS_racer]

Close to pulling the trigger on a roster,  sure hope no one takes offense to me posting here.
First,  is there a latest and greatest 09 guide somewhere? And is the lit switch upgrade worth while?  Last,  for elements,  is the covers and a dab of silicone all that's needed?

Thanks so very much for the time,
Joel

[just gone]

First, is there a latest and greatest 09 guide somewhere? And is the lit switch upgrade worth while?  Last,  for elements,  is the covers and a dab of silicone all that's needed?

I think Brian's guide is still the best one out there.

 By the lit switch, (I think they are all back lit) I assume you mean the one with the "Engaged" light? I didn't get that one but I did add an engaged light of my own a year later and I think it's worth having. Mine works fine, but yes if I were to do it over again I'd spend a few dollars more and get the switch with the engaged light on it.

The Murph covers work well for the front of the switch, and I used Permatex Ultra Grey (mostly for color matching) around the perimeter where the back of the switch is mounted to the metal plate I mounted it to. I also have a rather ugly mess of the same silicone on the rear where the wires go through the metal plate into the switch with a black split tube wire protector over them and more silicone around that. I later put some black Sugra over the silicone on the rear wire entry just to make it look better. So far no water problems and I've ridden in rain for many hours. I think Brian opened up his switch and filled it with grease (dielectric?) so there was no way for the water to get in it.

[C14lvr]

I suggest you order the switch with the engage light and remember to get a second relay for it.
Uses the same relay as the one for the brakes. Get it from Murph.
My friend didn't listen to me, bought a used one off Ebay, then found out you can find a normally open relay everywhere...but trying to find a normally closed one's a lot tougher.

2 reasons I prefer the switch with the engage light...
1) there have been times I've thought sure I pressed the button hard enough and correctly, it didn't engage, and a quick glance tells me I didn't because the lights out.

2) if you ever have a problem with the system, it's a clear indicator if it's a mechanical problem or an electrical issue. Makes it quick and easy.

It's just nice to have a visual indication when the cruise is engaged.

Oh, and silicone's your friend here... Pop the switch cover, coat it good, replace, make sure the seam in the cover's sealed good, and pay close attention to the back where the wires exit and seal there good.

Brian's posted pics of previous switches he's had to replace from corrosion.

Mine's lasted 3 years with no issues so far, and I've ridden in lots of rain.
But I also live in Oklahoma... Brian lives up north...
Bob

[B.D.F.]

I went through a few switches trying to use silicone sealant to make them waterproof. In the end, I just used a heavy coating of grease on the pc board inside the switch, left it unsealed and have had the same switch on the bike for at least three years. Still carry a spare on long trips though- once burned, twice shy.

By the way, there are two different types of switch out there: one has Klixon type switches; these are small 'pop discs' that flex to make the switch contact. I have never found a suitable solution to make these corrosion proof. The other type uses the P.C. board itself as the contact, and the back of each switch is has a conductive pad on it so when you press a button, it shorts the P.C. board traces. These switches respond very well to grease, which makes them virtually corrosion- proof, and the switches work find right through the grease.

Brian

Close to pulling the trigger on a roster,  sure hope no one takes offense to me posting here.
First,  is there a latest and greatest 09 guide somewhere? And is the lit switch upgrade worth while?  Last,  for elements,  is the covers and a dab of silicone all that's needed?

Thanks so very much for the time,
Joel

[Rhino]

I used the non-lighted, no engage light, control pad that came with the Rostra from Murphs kits out of the box. No grease, no silicone, mounted to the top of the left handle bar and it hasn't given me any problems.

[JS_racer]

Thanks so much guys,  helps a lot,  lighted engaged switch sounds like the ticket  and thanks for the protection options.
Last I checked on murphs,  Brian's guide has pictures not displayed.  Hmm

I'll place my order with murphs,  might as well toss in a few other things too,  have a bit before spring to get stuff installed.

 
Joel

[just gone]

Last I checked on murphs,  Brian's guide has pictures not displayed.  Hmm

I just checked on Murph's  (using Windows XP, Firefox browser) and all nine photos showed up just fine.
Try a different browser, or another computer.

[JS_racer]

I just checked on Murph's  (using Windows XP, Firefox browser) and all nine photos showed up just fine.
Try a different browser, or another computer.

yep, all good now,    (same computer and browser)

[C14lvr]

JS_racer,
When I ordered mine 2 yrs ago from Murph, at that time if you requested the switch with the engage light, he would swap it out with the standard switch he usually puts in the kit at no extra charge.

Not sure if he can still do that, but he did it for me, and it was much appreciated.
He has to go through a bit of extra trouble to order that particular switch in.

Maybe Gary might see this, and be willing to chime in?

Don't forget to get the second relay, too.

Once you get this thing installed and working, you'll be asking yourself how you ever got by without it!

They're an awesome upgrade. Well worth every penny and work.
Enjoy!
Bob