Gadget: Voltmeter

[AR2 Performance]

Is the voltmeter at carrefour water proof? How big is the one shown by AR2 and roughly how much.... Not much space on my bike... So must fine a cute one that will work just fine.... Rather impt to have it... Just in case.... Thanks

 

The pic to taken from choyster's previous post. I am using something 1/3 that size.

[fraggershell]

hi, sorry for the stupid qn. wad's the purpose of a voltmeter? is it mainly for cosmetic purposes?

[Jfor_Jimmy1986]

i dun think any shop provides repair service for voltmeter... this kind of thing, usually spoil already, no choice gotta buy new one....

 

As for LEDs, the electric consumption is quite low, so should not be a problem...

 

 

wahh.. then i so suay.. usually i wash bike, the voltmeter wont spoil one. how come this time spoil....... sian..

 

anyone selling ?? haa

 

ohh.. ok.. so i guess is my spark plug old liao.. cos i feel after i fixed my LED, the bike like no performance...

[AR2 Performance]

hi, sorry for the stupid qn. wad's the purpose of a voltmeter? is it mainly for cosmetic purposes?

 

Its definitely not a stupid question when "sudden" things happen and you do not know why. I learned it the "hard" Voltmeter does provide high aesthetic purposes especially in the 4 wheeler market.

 

But for bikes (especially so for modern performance sportsbikes), our battery type & charging efficiency is not as on par with cars. You won't see gigantic batteries nor huge alternators on bikes.

 

Having a voltmeter (on bike type in this case) is provides a "situation" saver in terms of instant, yet fuss free monitoring of battery condition, charging status, wiring issues, alternator which in various combination leads to either being stranded or accelerating potential electrical issues. Its gives one a piece of mind right at very 2 crucial moments :-

 

1. Turning the ignition key w/o even cranking.

2. After cranking & bike moving.

 

Click back on the previous page (page 11), some reviews on advantages of a voltmeter.

 

I personally don't need figures to to indicate what is vital. That is why I now use a 10 bar LED (finger sized) in favour to a 1 dec-digital display, & it looks clean too. But of course its user preference

 

Always seem to find large ones ard that doesn't fit well on modern compact sportbike consoles. As long it is small, indicative & water resistant, I don't see why a voltmeter is not indispensable or not essential.

[hit.man]

Its definitely not a stupid question when "sudden" things happen and you do not know why. I learned it the "hard" Voltmeter does provide high aesthetic purposes especially in the 4 wheeler market.

 

But for bikes (especially so for modern performance sportsbikes), our battery type & charging efficiency is not as on par with cars. You won't see gigantic batteries nor huge alternators on bikes.

 

Having a voltmeter (on bike type in this case) is provides a "situation" saver in terms of instant, yet fuss free monitoring of battery condition, charging status, wiring issues, alternator which in various combination leads to either being stranded or accelerating potential electrical issues. Its gives one a piece of mind right at very 2 crucial moments :-

 

1. Turning the ignition key w/o even cranking.

2. After cranking & bike moving.

 

Click back on the previous page (page 11), some reviews on advantages of a voltmeter.

 

I personally don't need figures to to indicate what is vital. That is why I now use a 10 bar LED (finger sized) in favour to a 1 dec-digital display, & it looks clean too. But of course its user preference

 

Always seem to find large ones ard that doesn't fit well on modern compact sportbike consoles. As long it is small, indicative & water resistant, I don't see why a voltmeter is not indispensable or not essential.

 

 

you have any pic of the voltmeter you are using? where you got it installed? sounds interesting and just like what i wanted....

[AR2 Performance]

you have any pic of the voltmeter you are using? where you got it installed? sounds interesting and just like what i wanted....

 

No pic at the moment, self installed, under test trial

[Jfor_Jimmy1986]

hey guys,hw do u actually read a volt meter?where the needle hav to be pointing in order to noe ur batt is alrite

 

can anyone ans this qn ??

 

cos i've a autogauge voltmeter which shows 12v when i on my ignition before starting the engine, but then when i start the engine, my speedometer needle go one round again (the 1st round is normal for s4 while on-ing the ignition)

 

does it means that my bike batt is running low ??

 

does bike alarm comsume lot of electricity ??

[hit.man]

can anyone ans this qn ??

 

cos i've a autogauge voltmeter which shows 12v when i on my ignition before starting the engine, but then when i start the engine, my speedometer needle go one round again (the 1st round is normal for s4 while on-ing the ignition)

 

does it means that my bike batt is running low ??

 

does bike alarm comsume lot of electricity ??

 

if your needle goes 2 rounds, you need to change your battery soon.

Alarm should not drain your battery too much... unless your alarm ring non-stop...

[hit.man]

No pic at the moment, self installed, under test trial

 

I was at motoworld just now and I think I saw something that fits your description... a finger size voltmeter... the voltage numbers are printed on the casing, with about 10 LEDs that will light up to indicate the voltage....

Din get the chance to ask the price though... wait for half hour the salesman din come down...

[AR2 Performance]

if your needle goes 2 rounds, you need to change your battery soon.

Alarm should not drain your battery too much... unless your alarm ring non-stop...

 

When installing a voltmeter, regardless of LED, digital, meter analog, the 3 most basic information it must be able to translate to the user is:-

 

1. Voltage drops below 12.0V~12.3V, indicating not a very strong battery

2. Good charging, (typically up till 14.5V) indicating all is good!

3. Overcharging, (typically above till 14.5V) indicating other component failure that will result in frying your expensive battery.

 

 

Bike alarm consume typically does not consume a lot of current. But the issue is how long your bike is left un-started with an alarm.

 

I was at motoworld just now and I think I saw something that fits your description... a finger size voltmeter... the voltage numbers are printed on the casing, with about 10 LEDs that will light up to indicate the voltage....

Din get the chance to ask the price though... wait for half hour the salesman din come down...

 

Got pic? You got me interested to buy 1 too!

[eFzek17]

On car/bike voltmeters are expensive because they :-

 

1. Provide simple yet vital information before you get stranded or expensive components apart from the battery itself is faulty (i.e rectifier, magnetic coil, wiring loon etc..)

 

2. Asthestic purposes

 

 

 

A multimeter is a great way to monitor your battery condition and also charging condition once in while. Unless periodic maintanence/checkup is done, most motorcyclist will only use them unless something happens occurs like :-

 

1. Weak cranks

2. No cranks

3. Lights flickering

 

So an "on bike" voltmeter is a great way to monitor that before you get stranded. This adds extra cost. Towing, time wastage, take leave etc..

 

But when installing a voltmeter, the 3 most basic information to tell the rider is:-

1. Voltage drops below 12.3~12.5V, indicating weak battery

2. Good charging, indicating all is good!

3. Overcharging, indicating other component failure that will result in frying your expensive battery.

 

This voltmeter by choyster is actually a very simple yet effective voltmeter.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c378/choyster21/My%20Bike/P1030426.jpg

 

1. Small enough

2. Tells you the most basic stuff (more LEDs would be great! )

 

I myself have been using a very similar voltmeter that is almost 1/3 the size of the above and it works great!

 

 

im using this and i can guarantee it looks cool and simple.. no regrets.

[hit.man]

 

Got pic? You got me interested to buy 1 too!

 

They kept it in the glass cabinet leh... cannot discreetly take photo... haha... maybe i will try my luck on that one and give everyone a product review...

[Jfor_Jimmy1986]

 

Bike alarm consume typically does not consume a lot of current. But the issue is how long your bike is left un-started with an alarm.

 

 

 

yea agree.. i think is because of the alarm.. i did not start my engine for 2days, drained alot of battery lehh.. so i just went out with my bike to charge the battery.. now ok liao...

 

sian lehh.. duno whether fixing alarm is good or bad.. aha...

[kambing]

yea agree.. i think is because of the alarm.. i did not start my engine for 2days, drained alot of battery lehh.. so i just went out with my bike to charge the battery.. now ok liao...

 

sian lehh.. duno whether fixing alarm is good or bad.. aha...

 

u use car alarm issit..?

i arm my alarm never start for 4 days..

still can start my baby up..

[Jfor_Jimmy1986]

bike and car alarm consume diff amt of electricity ??

 

but i think i use tt.. got auto start function but i din connect.. afraid CDi burn..

[AR2 Performance]

u use car alarm issit..?

i arm my alarm never start for 4 days..

still can start my baby up..

 

I got no alarm on my bike hehe..

 

But ... as mentioned, alarms (in general) does not consume large amount of juice relative to the mode of vehicle. No problems if your bike is ridden often. Issues come in at pro-long period of no riding.

 

Try not riding for more than 2 weeks. Check the voltage. If the batt is relatively weak/ending lifespan, it might not hold a good health of 12.3V. I had a weak batt on my previous ride, and with 1 mth not started, the HISS itself took up some juice with time. In short, low current consuming devices does no harm unless the batt get weak or ending lifespan. Thats when you get accelerated failures. Treat it like AA batt left in a device & not used for an extended time...

 

Notice the HISS, SAIS & other immobilizers do not blink after a certain number of hrs?

 

About firing up voltage, it is bike dependant (& of course with many other factors). The older model bikes (CBR400 & 03R6) seems to start with a much lower voltage of probably 11.8V. The newer ones apparently doesn't sound very "promising" when cranking at that voltage.

 

Also some voltmeters don't seem to be accurate to a certain extent. There was a model that showed 11.8V when the bike was left "OFF" for only 2hrs.

 

A good practice is to compare the voltage of the wiring loom (fuse/lights/pole lights) when the key is turn, with the actual voltage across the batt itself before fixing the voltmeter on. I took some time to find a low voltage difference (0.02V variation) before mounting. This way, you will be able to to know that ur voltmeter reading is as "true" to your batt

 

By the way, what alarms are recommedable? Bike thefts are high rising...

[AR2 Performance]

bike and car alarm consume diff amt of electricity ??

 

but i think i use tt.. got auto start function but i din connect.. afraid CDi burn..

 

Technically, it shld be almost the same... untill the alarm sets off.. treat is as

 

bike alarm sounding device = our OEM disc horns

car alarm sounding device = HELLA/STEBEL horns

 

Thats shld paint a picture well

[kambing]

bike and car alarm consume diff amt of electricity ??

 

but i think i use tt.. got auto start function but i din connect.. afraid CDi burn..

 

actually there's no difference between a car alarm and a bike alarm..

 

though i did read somewhere in sbf before ppl claiming car alarms draining their bike batt..

that why ask u..

 

anyway,

do u have a perimeter sensor?

a friend of mine had his batt drain very fast cause of that..

 

I got no alarm on my bike hehe..

 

But ... as mentioned, alarms (in general) does not consume large amount of juice relative to the mode of vehicle. No problems if your bike is ridden often. Issues come in at pro-long period of no riding.

 

Try not riding for more than 2 weeks. Check the voltage. If the batt is relatively weak/ending lifespan, it might not hold a good health of 12.3V. I had a weak batt on my previous ride, and with 1 mth not started, the HISS itself took up some juice with time. In short, low current consuming devices does no harm unless the batt get weak or ending lifespan. Thats when you get accelerated failures. Treat it like AA batt left in a device & not used for an extended time...

 

Notice the HISS, SAIS & other immobilizers do not blink after a certain number of hrs?

 

About firing up voltage, it is bike dependant (& of course with many other factors). The older model bikes (CBR400 & 03R6) seems to start with a much lower voltage of probably 11.8V. The newer ones apparently doesn't sound very "promising" when cranking at that voltage.

 

Also some voltmeters don't seem to be accurate to a certain extent. There was a model that showed 11.8V when the bike was left "OFF" for only 2hrs.

 

A good practice is to compare the voltage of the wiring loom (fuse/lights/pole lights) when the key is turn, with the actual voltage across the batt itself before fixing the voltmeter on. I took some time to find a low voltage difference (0.02V variation) before mounting. This way, you will be able to to know that ur voltmeter reading is as "true" to your batt

 

By the way, what alarms are recommedable? Bike thefts are high rising...

 

i got 2 ride bro..

rarely ride the one wit alarm..

usually ride out my wave..

the other ride must fix alarm..

cause at my mscp..

i've been in the statistic 3x liao

currently using the steel-mate 2 way LED..

the scorpio was my 1st choice..

but realli out of budget

[kambing]

Technically, it shld be almost the same... untill the alarm sets off.. treat is as

 

bike alarm sounding device = our OEM disc horns

car alarm sounding device = HELLA/STEBEL horns

 

Thats shld paint a picture well

 

yeap correct..

the siren/horn as well as the blinking signals are the ones that will drain the batt..

for the lights.. can consider LEDs..

they consume lesser than conventional bulbs..

so when ppl try to be funny wit ur bike..

it'll light up like a chrismas tree..

everybody will notice

[Jfor_Jimmy1986]

actually there's no difference between a car alarm and a bike alarm..

 

though i did read somewhere in sbf before ppl claiming car alarms draining their bike batt..

that why ask u..

 

anyway,

do u have a perimeter sensor?

a friend of mine had his batt drain very fast cause of that

 

ehh btw whats an perimeter sensor ??

[AR2 Performance]

ehh btw whats an perimeter sensor ??

 

Perimeter sensor, also commonly known as non-contact sensors or proxmitiy sensors in the industrial trade.

 

Detects Interior OR Exterior Perimeter motion by measuring reflected ultrasound. This used this to prevent activity around (exterior) your motorcycle/car in our field of discussion in this thread. This way, the alarm sounds when it detects motion surrounding your motorcycle. Good for preventing "meow meows" from sleeping/scratching/pee-ing on your baby too!

[NoLicense2]

juz went to find out..

currently there are quite a number of designs of voltmeter faces..(analogue ones...)(meaning those with a needle one lah..)

range from $28 bucks to $45

$28--- one colour (orange)

$38--- 7 colours (7 colours lah!!)

$45--- nicer looking face but one colour only.. (white I think)

all DIY

(pm me and I'll tell u where to look for them... )

for ur reference b4 going to install them...

 

and when install, ask ur mech to try not to let the voltmeter face upwards... (if possible... )

 

can tell me where to buy?

thanks./..

[DeSpErOdO]

anyone can tell me where can i buy volt meter.budget around 30-35bucks

[Jfor_Jimmy1986]

anyone can tell me where can i buy volt meter.budget around 30-35bucks

 

LAB selling abt the price 30 - 35 bucks..

 

u can neg with him...

[DeSpErOdO]

LAB selling abt the price 30 - 35 bucks..

 

u can neg with him...

do u mind telling me a shop address.Thanks