Ultragauge vs Scangauge II

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EZDog said:
I have both and each has features that are better than the other to me.

I got the SG first and love that the cable disconnects from the unit,I have cables in my Tundra and Sprinter and can easily move the SG as needed between them.
It could not be much more simple to use though and mounting is just a Velcro strip anywhere I want it to be.
The display is unreadable maybe 60% of the time now though and that sucks in any color I try,it is just old now and mine does not seem to read transmission temp at least I have never been able to get it o?

The UG is a work of art design wise at first compared to the SG mostly for the legible screen and options for designing the pages.
Upon further use though it was clearly designed by some moron it seems as the buttons are on the back which pretty much rules out many mounting options that I could use if they were on the front????
I simply can not understand the reasoning for this?
So I have a single page in use and I still get a lot more out of this than the SG in the end.


I will be ordering a WiFi model myself soon I am sure.
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I like the buttons on the back of the UG, keeps the face night and clean. There are three buttons, enter, up/down. Doesn't get munch simpler than that.

If you use Velcro you can mount it to the dash and then pull it off when you want to use the buttons, which you shouldn't use while driving anyway.
Also you can change the color of the screen with different color clear plastic placed over the screen.
 
Hate to hijack but for the money, a reasonably priced Samsung Android tablet does everything very well. You can get pretty much any reading with the torque app, can set it to do cool things like auto screen off when you turn the car off, split screen nav/music.

It's really not even the same. This is where android shines as an all in one solution.

IMG_20180702_210444.jpg


IMG_20180702_210528.jpg
 
jrmudder84 said:
It’s been almost a year. Any new updates On the two?
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I went with the Scangauge II and like it a LOT. Did the transmission temp X gauge. I mounted mine on the steering column and have Intake, Transmission, Engine temps along with Voltage.
 
I also went with ScanGauge II (in both our 80 and 100) and like it for its simplicity. Steering column mounted and monitor trans temp, intake temp, coolant temp, and voltage.

I picked up my second ScanGauge from Advance Auto using one of there good discounts and ended up getting it for around $110.
 
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jrmudder84 said:
Why do you like that one better?
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Why Mr. Plow prefers his SG-II versus the UG

X-Gauge, I think it's called. It allows you to input a variable to pull literally any data from the ECU. Here, this is commonly used to read transmission temp; which I find extremely valuable as I live in a place that regularly reaches excess of 100°F. The last thing I need is my transmission to overheat on hot mountain roads – this allows me to drive & tow with confidence.

Customer support. SG's customer support is amazing. Don't believe me? Give them a call, they're so nice and willing they'll probably even kindly walk you through how to paint a car if you were to simply ask. No outsourcing, all USA.

The device's backlight. You can change all the RGB values in increments of 1 to perfectly match the color of your SG's screen to the color of your dashboard. It's great.

Device reliability. The thing's a tank. I've had my single SG-2 in three cars now, dropped it, beat it up, used to read codes from buddies rigs on the trail, etc. It still feels and acts brand new. It's never glitched or failed me once.

Why Mr. Plow prefers his SG-II to a Bluetooth solution (eg. Android tablet)

I'll never use my Android tablet for reading codes nor monitoring temps. I love my dash-mounted Android tablet, but it's just not for this purpose. Why? I use Bluetooth for my discreet music system (a headless amplifier & Bluetooth receiver tucked behind the dashboard, so no head unit nor FM/AM radio). Having to pause my music, change the Bluetooth connection and open an app to monitor my temps is simply unacceptable. Also, on expeditions, I'm always using Avenza or Google Maps to navigate. I'd prefer to keep that app open and fullscreen (not multi-view) as it's very important. With a SG-II, I'm able to listen to music, monitor temps in a bullet-proof hardwired manner and navigate at the same time.

Hopefully this helps someone out there :)
 
Mr Plow said:
Why Mr. Plow prefers his SG-II versus the UG

X-Gauge, I think it's called. It allows you to input a variable to pull literally any data from the ECU. Here, this is commonly used to read transmission temp; which I find extremely valuable as I live in a place that regularly reaches excess of 100°F. The last thing I need is my transmission to overheat on hot mountain roads – this allows me to drive & tow with confidence.

Customer support. SG's customer support is amazing. Don't believe me? Give them a call, they're so nice and willing they'll probably even kindly walk you through how to paint a car if you were to simply ask. No outsourcing, all USA.

The device's backlight. You can change all the RGB values in increments of 1 to perfectly match the color of your SG's screen to the color of your dashboard. It's great.

Device reliability. The thing's a tank. I've had my single SG-2 in three cars now, dropped it, beat it up, used to read codes from buddies rigs on the trail, etc. It still feels and acts brand new. It's never glitched or failed me once.

Why Mr. Plow prefers his SG-II to a Bluetooth solution (eg. Android tablet)

I'll never use my Android tablet for reading codes nor monitoring temps. I love my dash-mounted Android tablet, but it's just not for this purpose. Why? I use Bluetooth for my discreet music system (a headless amplifier & Bluetooth receiver tucked behind the dashboard, so no head unit nor FM/AM radio). Having to pause my music, change the Bluetooth connection and open an app to monitor my temps is simply unacceptable. Also, on expeditions, I'm always using Avenza or Google Maps to navigate. I'd prefer to keep that app open and fullscreen (not multi-view) as it's very important. With a SG-II, I'm able to listen to music, monitor temps in a bullet-proof hardwired manner and navigate at the same time.

Hopefully this helps someone out there :)
Click to expand...

Just so people aren't confused, you can easily stream music to the bt45 or vais and also monitor and simultaneously. You can connect to a bunch of bt devices at once.

The maps thing is different and understandable. I have a cell mount too so maps can be on the tablet while obd on the cell or vise versa. To each their own though.
 
Own and use both but SG gets my vote. SC has updated and programmed my SG a few times since 2005 a no charge. Customer support and ease of operation is the best. Try to adjust your MPH with a UG. It can be done after a lot of WHAT?
 
Ramathorn15 said:
Just so people aren't confused, you can easily stream music to the bt45 or vais and also monitor and simultaneously. You can connect to a bunch of bt devices at once.

The maps thing is different and understandable. I have a cell mount too so maps can be on the tablet while obd on the cell or vise versa. To each their own though.
Click to expand...

I'm curious as to how the Torque app is holding up? I already have the Wi-Fi ODB scanner, and need an app that I can use with my Apple devices to display all the cool info...especially trans temp....and on an 06 LX470.

Still think Torque is the best app?
 
I looked into both the Torque app and OBD Fusion app. I chose OBD Fusion as it gives me the ability to down load my specific year and model of Toyota PIDs, we’re a multi Toyota family.
Maybe I just didn’t see that feature with Torque.
I’ve been running it for a couple of months on an old iPhone 5 with out issue.
 
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Love my ScanGauge II, though the Torque app on the tablet (from Ramathorn15 above) sure looks pretty!

IMG_4850.JPG
 
Reviving this to see if there's been any change of heart as to what people prefer. eBay gave me a 15% off and I can get an SCII for about $120, but I'm still on the fence. I see that the UG v1.3 has added trans temp to be monitored but I can't verify if it's compatible on our LCs or not, or if it's really that necessary (because if not, I'll get the UG and drop money elsewhere on eBay).

Any feedback is appreciated, feel free to convince me of which to buy (just don't bother about getting me to go Bluetooth lol, I prefer something stand-alone at the moment.)
 
mrahc said:
Reviving this to see if there's been any change of heart as to what people prefer. eBay gave me a 15% off and I can get an SCII for about $120, but I'm still on the fence. I see that the UG v1.3 has added trans temp to be monitored but I can't verify if it's compatible on our LCs or not, or if it's really that necessary (because if not, I'll get the UG and drop money elsewhere on eBay).

Any feedback is appreciated, feel free to convince me of which to buy (just don't bother about getting me to go Bluetooth lol, I prefer something stand-alone at the moment.)
Click to expand...

Get the UG, it's smaller and fit the interior looks better. And mounting to the glass you can mount it anywhere and not block your view.
 
Spike555 said:
It says right in the owners manual not to place the UG in the windshield directly in the sun. The SG does not have a windowmount. So you can’t blame the unit, you have to blame the user.
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In AZ, it doesn’t have to be in the windshield for the heat to kill it. I’ve seen two UG’s die after a month of summer temps. (Grabted, it’s super hot here). The UG definitey looks nice, but it is so finicky with temps. Scan Gauge is significantly more reliable and more robust.

Aside from the temp/screen issues, the UG buttons were super finicky. Had to wiggle them sometimes. There is a reason it’s so cheap
 
Somebodyelse5 said:
In AZ, it doesn’t have to be in the windshield for the heat to kill it. I’ve seen two UG’s die after a month of summer temps. (Grabted, it’s super hot here). The UG definitey looks nice, but it is so finicky with temps. Scan Gauge is significantly more reliable and more robust.

Aside from the temp/screen issues, the UG buttons were super finicky. Had to wiggle them sometimes. There is a reason it’s so cheap
Click to expand...

Mines been fine for over 6 years, no finicky buttons or anything, but then again I don’t live on the surface of the sun. Lol
 
Spike555 said:
Mines been fine for over 6 years, no finicky buttons or anything, but then again I don’t live on the surface of the sun. Lol
Click to expand...

It’s hot for a couple months, but nothing rusts and the rest of the year is perfect ;)
 
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