5 Function Digital Volt Meter

[jonathan180iq]

I should be receiving my volt meter in the mail on Monday, along with my anodized sport pegs.

I'll write an install and review once it's one the bike to let anyone who is interested know if it something that is worth the time.
It only cost me $25.
It has 3 small screens which display TIME, VOLTS & TEMP respectively.

I don't care too much about outside temperature but it will be nice to have. The clock setting is going to be nice, as will the ability to see when my battery is being drained and when it is charging. It'll also be nice to be able to see, on the fly, if my charging system or battery is starting to break down.

What I need to know, from those in the "know", is where on the bike I can tap into a hot line that is hot when the bike it off.


Also, does anyone think that this little device will drain the battery while sitting overnight, if I wire it to always be on.

I'd hate to have to set the time every time I got on the bike.


http://www.postimage.org/aV1blMci.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aV1blMci)

[Easy Rider]

Also, does anyone think that this little device will drain the battery while sitting overnight, if I wire it to always be on.


No certainly not overnight. Over a period of weeks......now that might be a different story.

The obvious answer for where to connect is: All the way back to the battery, with an inline fuse. Other points can be found by tracing the main + battery cable.....or by putting a meter on fuses with everything OFF. I suspect the only thing hot when off is a line to the ignition switch and/or a main power relay.

Consult the wiring diagram in service manual, but they can be a tad confusing sometimes.

[jonathan180iq]

I ride everyday so the several week thing would never happen. If I did ever let it sit that long, I'd just disconnect it.

Yeah, wiring schematics scare me, as do most things with wiring, but I'm getting better with them.

I'll probably run a direct line to the battery; that's a good idea.

What power fuse would you suggest?

[Easy Rider]

What power fuse would you suggest?

RTFM! :)

The instructions should tell you. I'd think that 5A would be plenty.

[jonathan180iq]

Thank. I'll let you know how it goes.

[jonathan180iq]

This thing is pretty nice. The temp reader is cumbersome and it probably would be better suited with a shorter wire. They give you 10 feet and you can't cut, due to the sensor.

As you can see, I mounted it to the handlebar risers. The kit comes with some decent quality velcro. So, it is semi detachable.
It also comes with 10 feet of connecting wire, which can be cut and split.

While sitting, I get a fairly constant reading of 12.4-12.6 volts.
While riding, I'm seeing 13.6-13.8 volts.
When parked with the engine off but the lights on, I see 11.9 volts consistently.

Not a bad little addition for $25.

There are 3 wires, one 12v directly to the battery, one ground, and one 12v on ignition. All wires ruyn under the tank and are stowed away nicely inder the "glove box".

My wiring is getting better everyday.


http://www.postimage.org/aV1lHWPr.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aV1lHWPr)

[Easy Rider]

As you can see, I mounted it to the handlebar risers. The kit comes with some decent quality velcro. So, it is semi detachable.


Pretty neat. One caution though.

I think you will want to think about alternative mounting options.

The adhesive on the velcro will fail fairly soon......meaning the second or third time the bike sits out in the Georgia sun for more than a few minutes. Well......maybe not that soon 'cause it probably isn't very heavy and appears to be mostly horizontal but it WILL fail due to heat; it's just a matter of when.

[Sarris]

Where did you get the new toy from??

Also;
1. Is the face lighted?
2. Do all the guages go on & off with ignition except for the clock?
3. Did you modify your tach bracket to align with the speedo better than most?
4. Where did you tap the ignition on connection from?

Sorry for the Q & A.

:tup:

[bigwonton]

Nice mod! Does the manufacturer give any indication as to the waterproofness of the voltmeter?

[jonathan180iq]

I'll answer all of those questions in one post.

Easy,
I've thought about the possible failure of the velcro and, when that day comes, I'll worry about that then. Also, I'm lucky enough to only ever park in one of two places, a parking deck for work and a shaded carport at home. So, sitting in the sun for hours isn't something that will likely ever happen. If it does, as I mentioned before, I can disconnect the unit and shade it somewhere.

Sarris,
This particular model came from Denniskirk.com but they all around. Just punch in a search for 5 function digital volt meter.
The model is backlit with 3-4 green LEDs and stays on all the time. It's not very bright but not very dim either, if that makes sense.
I bent my tach bracket slightly to line up with my speedo; yes. Also, remember that my speedo is a little bit smaller than everyone else.
I ran the RED line to the battery. The orange line to the gauge, the ignition line, is spliced into the running light line of the tail lights. I didn't feel like taking the headlight housing apart and finding a good wire in there. The black is bolted to the mounting bolt of the coil.

Biggie,
I don't think this thing is very waterproof. I'm sure it'll take a splash or two but I wouldn't dowse it.

[jonathan180iq]

Good news!

The device also has an internal thermometer to go along with the ridiculous 10ft. exterior thermometer. So, I switched it over to measure temp internally and cut all of the 10ft wire off.

Everything still works great, just don't switch it back to external temp.

This really cleans up the whole shebang and works great.