A mod i came up with some might like?
#71
#72
back in 86 Harley fitted volt meter gauges as standard equipment
like many of their "improvements" over the years original standard equipment is now accessories
having the volt meter as standard equipment has proved useful and alerted me to problems before I was left stranded on the side of the road
like many of their "improvements" over the years original standard equipment is now accessories
having the volt meter as standard equipment has proved useful and alerted me to problems before I was left stranded on the side of the road
#73
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Mountain Top, Alabama
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Thanks for the tip!
I just ordered a small green LED 2 lead volt meter from Amazon. The reviews referred to the green light as not annoying like a red or blue light. OK...
My plan is to connect it to the charger leads very close to the charger (Maybe inside the cover?) and velcro or tape the display to the top of the HD Smart Charger where you are looking at it when you look at the charger (Same width).
My thought here is that with the charger unpluged from the 110 volt source, connect tender leads to the bike and battery voltage will show on the display.
Then plug the charger into the 110 volt recepticle - output of the charge will then show on the display.
Best of both worlds, if you see what I mean...
I just ordered a small green LED 2 lead volt meter from Amazon. The reviews referred to the green light as not annoying like a red or blue light. OK...
My plan is to connect it to the charger leads very close to the charger (Maybe inside the cover?) and velcro or tape the display to the top of the HD Smart Charger where you are looking at it when you look at the charger (Same width).
My thought here is that with the charger unpluged from the 110 volt source, connect tender leads to the bike and battery voltage will show on the display.
Then plug the charger into the 110 volt recepticle - output of the charge will then show on the display.
Best of both worlds, if you see what I mean...
Last edited by TheGrandPoohBah; 12-28-2013 at 03:26 AM.
#74
#75
Thank you for sharing.
#76
Just assembled the first of three volt meters. It's nice being able to see the actual voltage rather than just a green light.
Just a thought though, an old or weak battery may not have the necessary cranking amps to start the bike, regardless of whether the voltage is good.
Just a thought though, an old or weak battery may not have the necessary cranking amps to start the bike, regardless of whether the voltage is good.
Last edited by bigdaddy33; 01-02-2014 at 04:11 PM.
#77
#78
INTEReSTING THOT THERE,,,,, could do that. A digital readout would be best I think but that's a pretty cool idea
#79
Thought of it when I first saw your thread but I've been away for the holidays and haven't got a chance to investigate it yet. I always thought it would be a good idea if all lights were on a relay so they don't come on until after the engine fired up. You cant get an accurate static reading from the OEM volt meter when you turn the switch on 'cause all the lights are sucking power.
#80
My digital voltmeter arrived yesterday on the slow boat from China, but at $1.34 and 17 days, I'm not complaining. I picked up one of those two-prong trailer plugs at TSC, stripped a tiny bit of insulation from each wire, soldered the leads from the meter to the wires, and taped it all up. As previously mentioned, plug it in and if it doesn't work, flip it. Not sure why everyone is getting bunched up about "mounting it" on your bike--it's not staying there all the time, just when the tender is plugged in. It does work without the tender, too, which is nice--since I have all my battery tender pigtails wired the same, I can use this meter on my bike, wife's, the tractor, the RV, etc. Used blue electrical tape on the end that goes to the battery and red for the end that goes to the charger. Now even a caveman could hook it up.
Thanks again to the OP for this idea!
Thanks again to the OP for this idea!