Installing a voltmeter: Difference between revisions

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[[Image:volt12.jpg|150px]]

====~~CA Sport Touring [http://www.casporttouring.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=14124&Category_Code=Electronics~~ 5-function meter]====

====Show Chrome 5-function meter====

The five-function meter from CA Sport Touring is larger than the Datel one. It mounts with Velcro. It not only gives you the voltage, but also the time and temperature. It has a pickup in the case and another on a wire suitable for taping to the windscreen with a couple of strips of electrical tape, or a bit of RTV under the suction cup. The temp gauge is nice to have. If you run heated accessories you can readily tell by the voltage whether the battery is charging (13v or so) or discharging (11.4v) or everything is happy, happy, happy (14.7v).

The five-function meter from [[http://www.casporttouring.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=14124&Category_Code=Electronics CA Sport Touring] (and many other places - search) is larger than the Datel one. It mounts with Velcro. It not only gives you the voltage, but also the time and temperature. It has a pickup in the case and another on a wire suitable for taping to the windscreen with a couple of strips of electrical tape or a bit of RTV under the suction cup. The temp gauge is nice to have. If you run heated accessories you can readily tell by the voltage whether the battery is charging (13v or so) or discharging (11.4v) or everything is happy, happy, happy (14.7v).

You can mount it between the gauge cluster and the windscreen using a couple of small L-brackets and double-stick tape - - no drilling or anything permanent. Put tape around the corners so it won't scratch the inside of the windscreen. This offers some rain protection in case the bike gets left out in the rain ~~(this~~ unit ~~does~~ not ~~appear to be~~ waterproof). It hooks up three places: ground & battery (front accessory leads for these two), and a switched power lead, such as a tap into the horn or instrument lighting wiring. The switched lead mainly only activates the LEDs and back lighting. The display is on constantly, as is usual for LCDs.

You can mount it between the gauge cluster and the windscreen using a couple of small L-brackets and double-stick tape - - no drilling or anything permanent. Put tape around the corners so it won't scratch the inside of the windscreen. This offers some rain protection in case the bike gets left out in the rain. This unit '''is not''' waterproof. It hooks up three places: ground & battery (front accessory leads for these two) and a switched power lead, such as a tap into the horn or instrument lighting wiring. The switched lead mainly only activates the LEDs and back lighting. The display is on constantly, as is usual for LCDs.

The nighttime illumination is not that good, but it gives you three LEDs: red, amber, and green, to indicate ~~roughly~~ less than 12.3v, between 12.3 and 12.7v, and over 12.7. You typically get all three when moving, two when stopped without the heaters or brake on, and only the red with either load added. You can't read the display well at night, and the LEDs are invisible in the daylight, so both display methods have merit.

The nighttime illumination is not that good, but it gives you three LEDs: red, amber, and green, to indicate less than 12.3v, between 12.3 and 12.7v, and over 12.7. You typically get all three when moving, two when stopped without the heaters or brake on, and only the red with either load added. You can't read the display well at night, and the LEDs are invisible in the daylight, so both display methods have merit.

[[image:IMG_7082.jpg|250px]]

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 [[Image:volt12.jpg|150px]]
-====CA Sport Touring [http://www.casporttouring.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=14124&Category_Code=Electronics 5-function meter]====
+====Show Chrome 5-function meter====
-The five-function meter from CA Sport Touring is larger than the Datel one. It mounts with Velcro. It not only gives you the voltage, but also the time and temperature. It has a pickup in the case and another on a wire suitable for taping to the windscreen with a couple of strips of electrical tape, or a bit of RTV under the suction cup. The temp gauge is nice to have. If you run heated accessories you can readily tell by the voltage whether the battery is charging (13v or so) or discharging (11.4v) or everything is happy, happy, happy (14.7v).
+The five-function meter from [[http://www.casporttouring.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=14124&Category_Code=Electronics CA Sport Touring] (and many other places - search) is larger than the Datel one. It mounts with Velcro. It not only gives you the voltage, but also the time and temperature. It has a pickup in the case and another on a wire suitable for taping to the windscreen with a couple of strips of electrical tape or a bit of RTV under the suction cup. The temp gauge is nice to have. If you run heated accessories you can readily tell by the voltage whether the battery is charging (13v or so) or discharging (11.4v) or everything is happy, happy, happy (14.7v).
-You can mount it between the gauge cluster and the windscreen using a couple of small L-brackets and double-stick tape - - no drilling or anything permanent. Put tape around the corners so it won't scratch the inside of the windscreen. This offers some rain protection in case the bike gets left out in the rain (this unit does not appear to be waterproof). It hooks up three places: ground & battery (front accessory leads for these two), and a switched power lead, such as a tap into the horn or instrument lighting wiring. The switched lead mainly only activates the LEDs and back lighting. The display is on constantly, as is usual for LCDs.
+You can mount it between the gauge cluster and the windscreen using a couple of small L-brackets and double-stick tape - - no drilling or anything permanent. Put tape around the corners so it won't scratch the inside of the windscreen. This offers some rain protection in case the bike gets left out in the rain. This unit '''is not''' waterproof. It hooks up three places: ground & battery (front accessory leads for these two) and a switched power lead, such as a tap into the horn or instrument lighting wiring. The switched lead mainly only activates the LEDs and back lighting. The display is on constantly, as is usual for LCDs.
-The nighttime illumination is not that good, but it gives you three LEDs: red, amber, and green, to indicate roughly less than 12.3v, between 12.3 and 12.7v, and over 12.7. You typically get all three when moving, two when stopped without the heaters or brake on, and only the red with either load added. You can't read the display well at night, and the LEDs are invisible in the daylight, so both display methods have merit.
+The nighttime illumination is not that good, but it gives you three LEDs: red, amber, and green, to indicate less than 12.3v, between 12.3 and 12.7v, and over 12.7. You typically get all three when moving, two when stopped without the heaters or brake on, and only the red with either load added. You can't read the display well at night, and the LEDs are invisible in the daylight, so both display methods have merit.
 [[image:IMG_7082.jpg|250px]]