Two weekends ago, I drove the Caterham followed by the Westfield. That second drive confirmed the MOG seats are definitely more comfortable for me, but I also noticed they are slightly more reclined, which is a contributing factor. Subsequent experimentation with rake revealed an additional10mm lift in the front of the Caterham's seat is my sweet spot for comfort and driving position; that's the equivalent of one Tillet spacer. Rather than use those spacers, which only achieve partial contact with the seat base given the base isn't parallel to the runners when tilted, I decided to print spacers designed to fit. Certainly not necessary, but it soothed my OCD.
An 80-mile blat Sunday confirmed this seemingly simple change has made a noticeable difference to comfort. For me, the MOGs are still a better fit, but that difference is now far more tenable. I can live with this.
That drive was also a great test for the Beeline. It proved that while it isn't perfect, it's still pretty damn good. The biggest glitch occurred when approaching a street on the right, that from memory, was the direction we needed to take. However, the Beeline indicated the next right turn was still over 8 miles away. As I passed the street, the blue LEDs suddenly flashed twice, indicating the next turn was 50 meters ahead. The display then immediately showed "rerouting" and a few seconds later instructed me to make a U-turn. It felt like an indecisive backseat driver was telling me how to get somewhere, but at least it ultimately got it right.
The other issues are really just annoyances. It appears the Beeline treats a waypoint as a direction point, counting down the mileage until reached and flashing the blue LEDs when 50 meters away indicating you're "almost at the turn." That's fine when a waypoint is actually intended as a stop, but when not, it can be a little confusing for the perpetually paranoid; OMG did I just miss a turn?? There were also a couple of occasions when extremely tight turns resulted in the same behavior. I suspect the road names changed at these points, but it was still a bit confusing, particularly when it's a blind corner and my paranoia tells me there must be a street immediately after the apex.
The magnetic mount worked great with no movement from g-forces. The display position is fine, although I may experiment a bit with a redesign that would place it above the top of the dash and therefore directly in line of sight. Although more optimal for visibility, I'm not sure I want the Beeline to stand out quite that much. With the current dash mount, it looks like some type of permanently attached gauge, and not something for a mouth-breather to opportunistically steal while the car is temporarily parked out of sight for an on-tour meal. Regardless, the original design brief of an easily removable mount that leaves no trace will remain. I have a couple of ideas though and may print some test parts this week.
That drive was also a great test for the Beeline. It proved that while it isn't perfect, it's still pretty damn good. The biggest glitch occurred when approaching a street on the right, that from memory, was the direction we needed to take. However, the Beeline indicated the next right turn was still over 8 miles away. As I passed the street, the blue LEDs suddenly flashed twice, indicating the next turn was 50 meters ahead. The display then immediately showed "rerouting" and a few seconds later instructed me to make a U-turn. It felt like an indecisive backseat driver was telling me how to get somewhere, but at least it ultimately got it right.
The other issues are really just annoyances. It appears the Beeline treats a waypoint as a direction point, counting down the mileage until reached and flashing the blue LEDs when 50 meters away indicating you're "almost at the turn." That's fine when a waypoint is actually intended as a stop, but when not, it can be a little confusing for the perpetually paranoid; OMG did I just miss a turn?? There were also a couple of occasions when extremely tight turns resulted in the same behavior. I suspect the road names changed at these points, but it was still a bit confusing, particularly when it's a blind corner and my paranoia tells me there must be a street immediately after the apex.
The magnetic mount worked great with no movement from g-forces. The display position is fine, although I may experiment a bit with a redesign that would place it above the top of the dash and therefore directly in line of sight. Although more optimal for visibility, I'm not sure I want the Beeline to stand out quite that much. With the current dash mount, it looks like some type of permanently attached gauge, and not something for a mouth-breather to opportunistically steal while the car is temporarily parked out of sight for an on-tour meal. Regardless, the original design brief of an easily removable mount that leaves no trace will remain. I have a couple of ideas though and may print some test parts this week.
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