Silca Launch Tattico Bluetooth Mini Pump

Technology! Why wouldn’t you want it everywhere? Silca are making a new, bluetooth enabled hand pump that connects to your phone then uses it to display PSI. One of the tricky things to negotiate in designing a mini pump with a gauge is trying to save as much space as possible while leaving the gauge still readable. With most smartphones now using enormoscreens, Silca have chosen to bump the gauge off the pump body altogether and connect to a phone instead.

So far they’ve avoided calling it an ePump, and it seems like they might have designed it right – you don’t need the display or the bluetooth connection running just to to put some air in a tyre! If you do want to use a PSI gauge though, they say it’s this simple:

• Download iGauge app from Apple iTunes or Google Android apps
• Engage TATTICO pump head on the valve stem and move the valve lever to the lock position
• Start the iGauge app on your mobile device
• The app will indicate “SEARCHING”
• Begin adding air to the tire. This will wake the Bluetooth transmitter and sync with the mobile device
• Continue pumping until you reach the desired tire pressure
• Closing the app and storing the pump will put the Bluetooth transmitter in hibernation

We realise some people are happy just using a calibrated thumb, but others are absolutely obsessive over hitting the correct tyre pressures. We can see this pump might be useful for short trips and holidays, and maybe saves a bit of space on a separate PSI gauge or a bigger pump with a readable gauge attached. This might not have made any sense just a few years ago, but with phones getting a bit tougher and more of them now coming with decent IP water- and dust-proofness ratings, it seems a little more viable.

The Silca Tattico is rated up to 120PSI, apparently accurate to plus or minus 2%, and the clever bit of the gubbins is in a fully sealed, waterproof and shockproof part of the pump body. Find out more over at silca.cc.