Article [13] ST1300 - Add On digital voltmeter

Re: Add On digital voltmeter

Bones said:
OK, so would a good place to hook up a voltmeter be the Fuzeblock which gets its feed straight from the battery, or should I just go with whatever looks convenient?
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I'd say the fuzeblock is a good idea... if you tap into a different power source with lots of stuff between the battery and the meter, I'm thinking the reading could be skewed a little.

I'm no electrician, for that matter I'm barely a novice mechanic.. LOL..

Where are you planning on putting the meter?
 
Re: Add On digital voltmeter

I'm guessing your fuse block has a relay so it's not always on that would be a good place for power. Whatever looks convenient would also work it just might show a little more variation as whatever is on that circuit turns on and off.

If I was in there anyway I would run it to the fuse block. If I wasn't I would not hesitate to hook it up to a convenient switched spot.

The only thing I wouldn't do is hook it up so it's always on.
The led will drain the battery.
 
Re: Add On digital voltmeter

Bones said:
OK, so would a good place to hook up a voltmeter be the Fuzeblock which gets its feed straight from the battery, or should I just go with whatever looks convenient?
Click to expand...

A switched fuseblock would be your best bet as long as it's fed with a large enough gauge wire to minimize voltage drops when high current devices are used.

Ray
 
Re: Add On digital voltmeter

Here's another example. This is a Datel with the optional bezel, mounted on the right side.

Marshal
 

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Re: Add On digital voltmeter

I like the bezel look, but already bought the little meter that Mellow found.

OK, so I checked the measurements and the Datel and Mellow-meter are the same size.

Pretty cool, I thought. So, I went to order the bezel on the Datel website for $6..easy enough, right?

Well, they add $5 for handling and another $8 and change for shipping - and the doggone little plastic bezel was over $20!!! Pretty hard to justify that.

Woof.
 
Re: Add On digital voltmeter

Biker George said:
I like the bezel look, but already bought the little meter that Mellow found.

OK, so I checked the measurements and the Datel and Mellow-meter are the same size.

Pretty cool, I thought. So, I went to order the bezel on the Datel website for $6..easy enough, right?

Well, they add $5 for handling and another $8 and change for shipping - and the doggone little plastic bezel was over $20!!! Pretty hard to justify that.

Woof.
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Ouch! Mine wasn't much less at $9 for shipping and handling combined. What the heck: we're doing our bit to dig out the country from a recession.

Marshal
 
Re: Add On digital voltmeter

On my 1100, I mounted the round voltmeter, with red LED readout, where the headlight adjustment knob was and relocated the knob in the left fairing pocket. I connected to one of the hot wires for the meter lights behind the speedometer/tachometer. I show 13.1 to 13.2 volts as normal and 12.9 with accessory lights on. I was running with an HD crowd (slowly) and saw the voltage drop to 12.6v after twenty miles or so as the radiator fan was on more than it was off. A few months later I decided to replace the four year old battery. Don't worry about a voltmeter that is off compared to another one. You only need to know what is normal for your bike and note any deviations from the norm.
 
Re: Add On digital voltmeter

I got one of the Datels. Here's it, with the bike on. I installed it in the right speaker grill.
 

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Re: Add On digital voltmeter

Mcreviver said:
On my 1100, I mounted the round voltmeter, with red LED readout, where the headlight adjustment knob was and relocated the knob in the left fairing pocket. I connected to one of the hot wires for the meter lights behind the speedometer/tachometer. I show 13.1 to 13.2 volts as normal and 12.9 with accessory lights on. I was running with an HD crowd (slowly) and saw the voltage drop to 12.6v after twenty miles or so as the radiator fan was on more than it was off. A few months later I decided to replace the four year old battery. Don't worry about a voltmeter that is off compared to another one. You only need to know what is normal for your bike and note any deviations from the norm.
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What round meter do you have?
 
Re: Add On digital voltmeter

I may have identified a problem with my Datel voltmeter's placement. I have the meter mounted on the right, below the bin cover (see reply #45 for photo).

With no bars on the temp gauge, the voltage shows between 13.9 and 14.0 at idle (2,000 rpm). With one bar and 1,100 rpm idle, the power rests at 13.7 volts. It pretty well stays there while on the move.

While stopped in 75 degree traffic today, I saw the meter dip to 12.5 volts, then drop to 12.1 volts, both at idle. The cooling fans came on, so I expected a voltage drop; just not that much of one. When the fans cycled off, the voltage stayed about 12.5. Later, after the bike had cooled to the touch in the garage, the voltage was back to 13.9.

The only reason that I could see this happening would be because of the meter's reading being affected by heat. That is not supposed to happen until the temp gets up to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The temp in the bin must get that hot, so I'd guess that the heat is what is lowering the voltage reading.

I'm going to wrap some thermal insulation tape around the meter to see if that improves things, but won't do that for about a week. As the meter seems to read correctly once moving and/or when cool, I'm not too concerned that the actual voltage is dropping. Summertime heat may make more of a difference, more often, so I need to find a solution to this.

If you have experienced heat-related meter error, what have you done to correct it?

Marshal
 
Re: Add On digital voltmeter

Thanks Marshal, I'll keep and eye on mine even if it's not the Datel I doubt it's all that different.
 
Re: Add On digital voltmeter

Mellow said:
Thanks Marshal, I'll keep and eye on mine even if it's not the Datel I doubt it's all that different.
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Joe:

I'd bet dimes to doughnuts, that the meters that you and I have are the same, except for the plus/minus sign sticker on the bottom side. What are the odds of the same bezel fitting both (prior post), or the same brass template being supplied in both kits (your photo)?

Marshal
 
Re: Add On digital voltmeter

Mellow,
I have been smokin on the idea of this install. Do you find the LEDs to be a nuisance during night riding? Is there away to dim the light?

Thanks,

Sal
 
Re: Add On digital voltmeter

ST4Sal said:
Mellow,
I have been smokin on the idea of this install. Do you find the LEDs to be a nuisance during night riding? Is there away to dim the light?

Thanks,

Sal
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No, the one thing I like about where I put them is they are not in the line-of-sight. Even so, they aren't piercingly bright so I don't consider them distracting even if they were more in front of me.

I'm assuming putting anything in-line to reduce the brightness would also reduce the voltage reading... but, I don't know for sure.
 
Re: Add On digital voltmeter

If this is the typical 2 terminal led voltmeter putting anything (resistor) in line with it will reduce the voltage reading and likely leave the brightness the same. The readout itself is likely 2.2v or so for red.
 
Re: Add On digital voltmeter

Perhaps the use of window tinting film would reduce brightness. I assume that those films do not use adhesive, so you could apply a small piece to cover the meter and remove it when you don't need it.
 
Re: Add On digital voltmeter

Correction: the one I have is the one in Mellow's link. So far, I like it. I wired it directly to my auxiliary fuse block.
 
Re: Add On digital voltmeter

Ray - nm6r - installed one just under the dash and between the handlebars which looks good.[/QUOTE]

Any pics of this? I was thinking the same location for mine but had a concern with interferrence with the steering.

Greg
 
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