voltmeter and stuff

Sandy803 · Posted: May 8, 2009, 2:54 pm Post subject: voltmeter and stuff

So I just put in a voltmeter on my 83 Heritage and I'm not sure if it is wired in a good location. I wired it into a blue wire in the headlight cowling that is part of a bigger connector. My first question is, where is the best place to wire in a voltmeter. The wire that i used does have the same voltage as the battery at idle and when it is running.

Next question. I charged up the battery last night and when I fired it up this morning voltmeter was showing approx. 13-13.5 volts. Stayed this way for probably 15 miles and then started to go down. Ended up at around 12.5 i would guess, the voltmeter has LED lights, with corresponding numbers underneath, and held there. I am pretty sure that it should be up around 14 when running. Any Ideas what this might be from. the stator or the rectifer would be my guess.

I saw the post from jayel about how to test them and i will give it a try when i get a chance. Until then I will keep an eye on it and keep it charged up at night.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Retiredgentleman · Posted: May 8, 2009, 3:18 pm Post subject: Re: voltmeter and stuff

The blue is likely the taillight circuit. It will work using that wire, but a light brown wire might be a better source for the meter feed.

You're suffering from the most common problem on these bikes, a poor charging system. At idle you like to see 13.5 volts, and running down the road 14 to 14.5 volts.

Most common problem areas; brushes worn out (too short), rotor resistance from slip ring to slip ring needs to be about 5 to 6 ohms.

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Sandy803 · Posted: May 9, 2009, 12:10 am Post subject: Re: voltmeter and stuff

thanks. I will check them out and see what i can come up with.

jayel · Posted: May 9, 2009, 12:15 am Post subject: Re: voltmeter and stuff

I agree, light brown would be better, kind of all points circuit feed, blue is meter lights, tail lamp

Sandy803 · Posted: May 9, 2009, 2:40 am Post subject: Re: voltmeter and stuff

Am I safe in assuming that the light brown wire can be found in the headlight housing

jayel · Posted: May 9, 2009, 7:16 am Post subject: Re: voltmeter and stuff

yes that headlight is packed with more wires than is possible to get back in there, it's like one of those joke boxes that the spring snake jumps out of when you open it

jimmythetrucker · Full Member Joined: Mar 12, 2008 Posts: 1283

Why not just wire the voltmeter across the battery?

jayel · Posted: May 9, 2009, 8:51 am Post subject: Re: voltmeter and stuff

jimmythetrucker wrote:

Why not just wire the voltmeter across the battery?

needs to be switched ON/OFF also usually have a meter back light in them

jimmythetrucker · Full Member Joined: Mar 12, 2008 Posts: 1283

OK. Why not wire it to the hot side of the coil?

jayel · Posted: May 9, 2009, 11:38 am Post subject: Re: voltmeter and stuff

would work just fine, just depends on where you want to run wires to

jimmythetrucker · Full Member Joined: Mar 12, 2008 Posts: 1283

jayel wrote:

would work just fine, just depends on where you want to run wires to

Still about wiring the thing across the battery: they taught me in tech school that a volt meter doesn't draw any current. It just measures the voltage drop from one point to another. The volt meter is like a water pressure gage or an air pressure gage in that respect.

aybe they were wrong to say so or maybe the meters have changed since then (1969), but a body could test it for themselves: Hook one side of an ammeter to the positive post on the battery. Hook the positive lead of the voltmeter to the OTHER side of the ammeter. Touch the negative lead of the voltmeter to the negative post on the battery and watch the ammeter while you do so. If the volt meter draws any current, it'll show there and then.

The light on the volt meter can be hooked to the same source as the other "dash lights".

Retiredgentleman · Posted: May 9, 2009, 12:23 pm Post subject: Re: voltmeter and stuff

Voltmeters do draw current, but it's a very , very small current. So, yes you could connect a voltmeter across the battery if you wish. You would have a constant small drain on the battery. With a healthy battery and a robust charging system, probably would work OK.

jayel · Posted: May 9, 2009, 12:32 pm Post subject: Re: voltmeter and stuff

jimmythetrucker wrote:

The light on the volt meter can be hooked to the same source as the other "dash lights".

Back to the blue meter light wire which is fed by the brown wire .... circuit-lar argument Laughing

HndaTch627 · Posted: May 9, 2009, 3:52 pm Post subject: Re: voltmeter and stuff

jayel wrote:

yes that headlight is packed with more wires than is possible to get back in there, it's like one of those joke boxes that the spring snake jumps out of when you open it

there is nothing but truth in this statement. Wired it into the hot side of the coil for my bike since I use a relay on the coil itself. 14V constant above 1500 RPM using Pamcopete's upgraded voltage regulator.

jimmythetrucker · Full Member Joined: Mar 12, 2008 Posts: 1283

Retiredgentleman wrote:

Voltmeters do draw current, but it's a very , very small current. So, yes you could connect a voltmeter across the battery if you wish. You would have a constant small drain on the battery. With a healthy battery and a robust charging system, probably would work OK.

How much current? If you say the draw is very, very small, you should have some idea how big it is. I'd test it myself but I only got one meter.

Retiredgentleman · Posted: May 10, 2009, 12:27 am Post subject: Re: voltmeter and stuff

jimmy;
The voltmeter I have on my bike now ( cheap 2" meter I bought at Wal-mart) draws 35 ma, or .035 amps. Some voltmeters (analog) have a much more sensitive meter movement and draw only microamps. Anyway you look at it, its a tiny current.

jimmythetrucker · Full Member Joined: Mar 12, 2008 Posts: 1283

RG -- OK, I'm with you. The instructors at Ft. Bliss must have been talking in relative terms (no SIGNIFICANT draw) when they said "no draw".

HndaTch627 · Posted: May 11, 2009, 3:51 am Post subject: Re: voltmeter and stuff

jimmythetrucker wrote:

RG -- OK, I'm with you. The instructors at Ft. Bliss must have been talking in relative terms (no SIGNIFICANT draw) when they said "no draw".

remember that in automotive terms a 1 amp draw is really nothing on a charging system capable of 60-100 Amps but on a bike that only makes about 13-14amps on average every little bit counts.

TeeCat · Posted: May 25, 2009, 1:45 pm Post subject: Re: voltmeter and stuff

RG, I'm looking at getting a voltmeter. If it has a backlight, will it likely have two wires: a hot and a ground, and will the hot wire power both the meter and the light?

And assuming that I'm looking at a two-wire setup, what's the best way to splice into the light brown in the bucket? And IIRC, I might have a vacant ground in the bucket.

Guess I really need to get the meter before I ask too many questions.

TC

Retiredgentleman · Posted: May 25, 2009, 3:17 pm Post subject: Re: voltmeter and stuff

I'd say that all analog voltmeters come with a back light. My meter came with a back light, but I removed it. My mounting location did not have room for the back light because it protruded too much out of the back of the meter. I don't drive at night anyway.

If the meter has a back light, then yes it could be powered from the same power supply that the meter is measuring. A more appropriate feed for the meter light would be a blue wire in the headlight bucket, which is the colour for the speedo and tach meter lights.

For my hook-up, I just found a light brown in the bucket that had bullet connectors. Disconnect that bullet connectors and those 2 connectors become the connection point. Made up a "Y" piece of wiring, such that it is inserted into the light brown connectors I found, and that leaves 1 bullet connector to feed to the meter. Also found an unused black (ground) bullet connector for the negative feed to the meter.

I always solder and heat shrink my electrical connections.

TeeCat · Posted: May 25, 2009, 6:07 pm Post subject: Re: voltmeter and stuff

I'll have to plan in terms of what kind to get, RG. I have a steering damper and Ace bars, so I'll be limited in terms of mounting points.

aybe I'll get a small circular one with a black face and black bezel.

Sandy803 · Posted: May 25, 2009, 6:43 pm Post subject: Re: voltmeter and stuff

I bought the one that is available from Mikes. Small little thing, with LED display. Comes with a bar mount, but you can take it off and mount it to the handle bar cover with some 3M tape as well. It does have to leads, hot and ground. hot powers the lights.

gordo · Posted: May 25, 2009, 8:01 pm Post subject: Re: voltmeter and stuff

I got one from Mike's also. Wired it to the ignition switch, when I turn the key on, the meter come's on.Around town or less than 60 mph, 2 green led's.65 +mph I get 3 green's. It is expensive for that meter, but I like it ,knowing how my system is doing on the road. I do have several small analog meter's that came out of worn out jump boxes, but no resonable way to put in a backlite, this one even let's me know when I run the high beam, as I don't get the response from it like usual. Just my 2 cents worth. Laughing

Retiredgentleman · Posted: May 25, 2009, 9:12 pm Post subject: Re: voltmeter and stuff

gordo, not everyone is aware of how useful a voltmeter is for things other than reading voltage. You pointed out a good example for checking your high beam.

With the analog meter you can see the voltage get pulled down after a starter motor start, and watch as the regulator brings the voltage back up to normal. Brake light and turn signal operation is easily confirmed simply by glancing at the voltage dips on the meter.

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