I've always thought a shift light was a good thing, but primarily for the drag strip. A shift light seems like it is a sort of a panic alert - you get no warning until it comes on, then when it does you have to act quick.
A couple weeks ago I was watching some Formula I racing on Speed Channel and the video that showed the cockpit showed lights on the panel that the commentator said were the progressive shift light that allowed the driver to keep the revs in the power band and alerted him as the rpm's built that he was getting toward the shift point.
I've got a Traqmate data-logger for logging my track day sessions. I was looking on their website last week and saw that they had a "progressive shift light" available. I did some research on it and decided to get it and try it out in my C6 Z06.
It wasn't cheap at $148 but it's nice and small for lots of mounting options. They have a "flat" one with a flat bottom and a curved top, and they have a "round" one that can be mounted around the outside of a motorcycle tach like you see above. They both have 7 lights, and you can get it with either 4 green/2 amber/1 red lights, or 5 blue/2 red lights. I got the flat one with green/amber/red.
You can set the rpm where you would like the first light to come on and where you would like the upper light and your shift alert to come on, the lights are programable to come on in several different styles, the brightness can be adjusted, and there are a bunch of other features.
The display unit is less than 3-1/2 inches long, 1 inch high, and about 1/2 inch thick.
It has 3 wires - ground, +12 volts, and the Tach signal. I pulled out the instrument cluster surround trim and fabricated a small bracket out of piece of metal bracket/strap stock and tie-wrapped it so the unit would be just above my instruments.
I hooked the ground wire under a bolt on the steering column. I found switched +12 volts in the red wire in the bundle going to the sensor just to the left of the ignition switch and used one of the supplied splice-clips to tap into that source of power.
I had previously tapped into a wire to the Tach behind the instrument cluster for an rpm input to my Traqmate, so I just spliced into that wire. Here's a picture from Pipedream's website that shows the back of the instrument cluster:
In the picture above Ed is holding the wire bundle going to the speedometer. The bundle to the left (the larger connector) is the one to the Tach. In that wire bundle is a white wire - that's the one you want to splice into for an rpm signal.
Here's a link to a thread by Pipedreams that shows how to get to that area:
After hooking it up and closing up everything, here's a picture of it (the only thing I've noticed driving around today is that the way I have it mounted it I can only see the bottom half of the turn signal arrows):
The default setup has the first light coming on at 1,000 rpm and the shift point is set for 7,000. I need to figure out where I want the first light to come on at the start of the LS7 power band - I'm thinking 3500. I think I'll set the top of the power band to have the lights indicate the shift point at about 6,900.
I think I'll like the unit on the track during HPDE's. Instead of just a panic light when it's time to shift, this thing will hopefully keep me aware of where I am in the power band and let me know not just when it's time to shift, but will alert me as I approach that point.
Gotta give props to Bob. Great write up on the install. I followed along with my install of the shift light. Programed it the same.
Here is a vid at TWS a few weeks ago. Warning, the sound is crappy. http://www.vimeo.com/4349064
Cheers
__________________
Steve
The Woodlands Tx
08 Z06
03 Annie Vert. RIP
That is so cool ,funny I asked about a shift light on another forum years ago. Once I get all the bugs out of my machine I'm going to get me one installed.
very interesting, Bob, and great write up. did you consider putting it more in the line-of-sight? I realize that'd probably look more 'tacked on' than the in dash location you have.
Nice write-up and Nice install. Thanx for sharing. I totally agree with you re the benefits of the progressive lights--keeps you aware of your power band rather than the "panic" light of old.
very interesting, Bob, and great write up. did you consider putting it more in the line-of-sight? I realize that'd probably look more 'tacked on' than the in dash location you have.
I sat it in different places to see how I might mount it, including on top of the instrument panel, but most places would have had wires running around in view.
The place I've got it works great. With the 7 lights progressively illuminating and then all blinking at the shift point you set up, it's very easy to see - it definitiely gets your attention when it's time to shift!
Corvette Store
Installed a Progressive Shift Light
Once you get it figured out see about posting a vid of it in action, I'd like to see it work 
