I currently have the 1715 programmer (single program) and have been reading all of the hype about the XCal2. Does anyone have the SCT6600 chip?? I would think this would be a great option to be able to change programs on the fly. If I am running a performance program and decide to go pick up the boat, it seems to me it would be easier to flip a switch than to take the time to upload/ download a new program, and that's only if I am carrying the programmer with me.

Just looking for some input

 

Hi.

I don't own one, but here is a quickie comparison.

The feature that is identical is that both deliver the same terrific custom tuning if purchased from TP , superior to the 1715.

Some of the differences in features may/may not be important to you, but the xcal2 provides the maximum possible flexibility and 'future-proofing' available in any end-user tuner, for what I'd consider a reasonable delta in price.

I suppose one could always run with a 93 tow-safe tune most of the time... if switching back and forth was an issue, and knowing you'd be doing some towing.

Sorry for the crappy chart; I couldn't get a side-by-side to display properly - dang computers

SCT6600
---------
# of tunes: 4 + stock
Email updates: NO
Return to Dealer for U/G?: YES
Code Scanning: NO
DataLogging/LiveLink?: NO
CAN - capable?: NO
Extreme Tune ready?: NO
Time to switch tunes: Instant
Ties up J3?: YES
Cost: Cheaper


SCT Xcal2
---------
# of tunes: 3 + stock
Email updates: YES
Return to Dealer for U/G?: NO
Code Scanning: YES
DataLogging/LiveLink?: YES
CAN - capable?: YES
Extreme Tune ready?: YES
Time to switch tunes: 5-10 minutes
Ties up J3?: NO
Cost: More expensive


Cheers
Vic

 

Vic - great info!! One question, what is the "J3"??

 

Hi!

The 'J3' port is a connector on the PCM where you would mate the SCT6600 to, after cleaning off the spoogy conformal coating on the edge connector.

If the J3 port is populated, it may interfere with things like Ford's WDS system.

Here's a post that covers it - kinda long...

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...highlight=port

Cheers
Vic

 

Hi LightningCrew,

I would strongly recommend going with the 9400 instead - that is the 3-program *custom* tuned flash device.

The 6600 does NOT always do the tuning change "on the fly" properly all the time (consistently) - it's something I would never trust enough to do that while driving, let's say. Any time I am driving a vehicle that we have just tuned & installed a 6600 on, I shut the engine off, turn the **** on the 6600, and then re-start the engine - I will NEVER switch it on the fly.

Frankly, I have yet to ever see any device be truly and safely "on the fly" like that, meaning a device that actually reprograms the PCM (I'm not talking about some of the "strap-on" fuel adders for diesels).

Just don't think you're going to be able to drive down the road and change programs while you are driving one of these vehicles - the 6600 can't do that consistently enough, nor can any other product we've tested - and we've tested just about all of them for these vehicles.

The 9400 can change programs in under 2 minutes and that's plenty fast enough, and has far better features & do many things that a 6600 will never be able to do, etc. Don't get me wrong, the 6600 is a GREAT product - you get 4 custom tunes at a great price, so some people will prefer that route for it's bang-for-the-buck value - just don't try to change programs while the vehicle is moving - shut the engine off, then change the program # on it's control ****, and then re-start the engine - THEN everything will work correctly!

If you'd like to get up to speed on this, find out all the actual details & how they really work, etc., so you can give that some thought before upgrading that 1715 (our custom tuning will get you darn near triple the power gains that original single-program 1715), please feel free to give us a call & we'll be happy to. We carry the 6600 as well of course, so it doesn't make any difference to us which you go with, but you do need to know the facts about switching programs "on-the-fly" before making any decision based on that being something you can count on - just FYI.

 

Mike - as always, thanks for the great info. Truthfully, I really do not need "shift-on-the-fly". I just thought it would be nice not to have to carry around a programmer all of the time, but I guess it would not be that big of a deal. And the 1715 takes 5-10 minutes to install the program (or at least it seems that long), so I was just thinking of having to do that everytime I needed to change the program. But now that I think about it, I will not be towing as much pretty soon (decided I am getting too old for the wakeboard boat - knees can't take the punishment anymore).

Wow, triple the gains!!! Looks like I need to start saving some money.

 

Hi LightningCrew,

I went back and re-read my response, and edited it a bit as it had some typos, & just didn't read as well as I normally write (though what I said basically still stands).

The 1715, as you very correctly pointed out, does take about 10 minutes for the first-time installation as it has to back up a copy of the stock program & save it in the 1715, and then upload the performance tune - so it's doing both steps that first time. After that, takes about 6 minutes to change programs in the multi-program 1715 ,models that were made starting in September of 2003 (prior to that, they were single-program units that were even slower!)

The XCalibrator 2 is a much faster device, doing the job *far* quicker in those EEC-PCM vehicles like yours - it's about a 3-4 minute first-time install, and about a 2 minute or so program change time after the initial installation.

And yes, compared to the original single-program 1715 units, we getting darn near 3 times the power gain with our current custom tuning - then compared to the newer 3-program 1715's, we're just about doubling those gains.

Just a quick FYI, as I wanted to clarify a bit so as not to create any misunderstanding or misrepresentation between the 2 different 1715's, etc.