Installing a voltmeter: Difference between revisions
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There are many different kinds of gauges available, but if you ask anyone who ever drove an old American car, the digital ones are much easier to use. Your local auto parts store may have what you need. You can also look at [http://www.jcwhitney.com/Voltmeter-Gauges/600002127.jcw JC Whitney], or search the internet. The first part of this article shows a Datel voltmeter. Later we'll show one from CA Sport Touring, which doesn't require you to cut into your fairings and is about half the cost. | There are many different kinds of gauges available, but if you ask anyone who ever drove an old American car, the digital ones are much easier to use. Your local auto parts store may have what you need. You can also look at [http://www.jcwhitney.com/Voltmeter-Gauges/600002127.jcw JC Whitney], or search the internet. The first part of this article shows a Datel voltmeter. Later we'll show one from CA Sport Touring, which doesn't require you to cut into your fairings and is about half the cost. | ||
==[http://www.digitalmeter.com/ Datel voltmeter]== | |||
The first step with the installation of your meter is to find a suitable location. Put everything on your bike that you usually carry, such as a tank bag, and find a good place. Take careful measurements, because '''you only get one chance to not screw up your fairing.''' Ensure that you can see the voltmeter with a quick glance. On this Ninja 650R the meter was mounted low and to the left, but on the 250, due to a different tank bag, it was determined that up near the windscreen was better. | The first step with the installation of your meter is to find a suitable location. Put everything on your bike that you usually carry, such as a tank bag, and find a good place. Take careful measurements, because '''you only get one chance to not screw up your fairing.''' Ensure that you can see the voltmeter with a quick glance. On this Ninja 650R the meter was mounted low and to the left, but on the 250, due to a different tank bag, it was determined that up near the windscreen was better. | ||
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[[Image:volt12.jpg|150px]] | [[Image:volt12.jpg|150px]] | ||
==Show Chrome 5-function meter== | |||
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). | 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). | ||