Quote:
Originally Posted by jeff88
Not sure how facetious you were trying to be, but I will respond with a facetious answer nonetheless... It will be pretty hard to drive with one hand, shift with the other and hold a string up in the air with my third hand! Also, I like to follow the law: don't derive and drive!  |
I wasn't being facetious at all! Just suggesting a genuine K.I.S.S. 100%-mechanical solution.
Hang the pendulum from the rearview mirror, with the pendulum weight "centered" over a 6" x 6" piece of white cardboard with concentric rings (like a bullseye target) drawn on it.
The longer the pendulum length, the further apart the 'rings' will be.
The distance between each concentric 'ring' would indicate inclination. You could even do 1º increments (if you do the algebra/trig correctly) if you're really good at drawing concentric circles (use a compass).
To "calibrate" the device, simply "center" cardboard directly under the pendulum with the car on level surface, then "verify" the accuracy by driving up a known incline (a home driveway). Use: "rise-over-run" to calculate (trig table) the driveway inclination angle.
