Voltage monitoring LED

[Centaur]

Item 150481634975 looks very neat.

Sparkbright_Products on EBay UK based seem to have a nice range.

Presumably these things can be wired into any circuit that is permanently live when ignition on??:dunno:

Thanks Andy. Ordered one today.:-0)

 

[silverfox.xx]

Fitted mine this evening, brilliant kit.
Ignition on amber
Bike running/charging green
Ignition on, hid lights on, flashing red, lights turned off it goes back to solid red, put battery on trickle charger for 10min, back to amber. Battery must be a little weak, handy yo know.
Its just nice to know what's happening to the system.

I ordered thr 8mm size.

 

[g1948]

Great item. Can you describe the wire fitting process - eg where do you best connect the wires? Cheers.

 

[Rick448]

Glad you found it useful. If you don't get a reply re wiring I'll put a link up when I'm not on my phone.

 

[silverfox.xx]

Great item. Can you describe the wire fitting process - eg where do you best connect the wires? Cheers.

First, Rick448 thanks for the head up on this:bow::bow::bow::bow::bow::bow:

You'll need to lengthen the wires. I heat shrunk the joins and heat shrunk the 2 wires.

I also removed the LED from its housing, squirted clear silicone around the LED and the top of the circuit board and then relocated it into the housing. I then squirted more silicone around the base of the circuit board and covered this in heatshrink. You can't afford to let moisture get into the circuit board of the voltage monitor.

Mine is connected similar to that detailed below;
The red (+) wire connected to the feed to the bikes fuse block (it feeds fuses 1 to 4) Or you can use any ignition controlled positive (+). My live feed from there gives ignition switch control and I have also individually fused it.
Black (-) wire back to battery negative post.

Hope that helps

also see here;
Post 4
http://www.bikersoracle.com/blackbird/forum/showthread.php?t=51855

 

[Rick448]

I wired mine in exactly the same. If you ask the guy to give you longer wires when you order one I'm sure he will oblige. He is very helpful. He sent me some wire FOC.

 

[karlos2000]

this fucking ebay nonsense

so we have a forum for Blackbird owners, but we sometimes pretend eBay doesn't exist ...... jeezus. WTF is this all about ......!?

do we have to pretend every other supplier of bike bits that might fit a Blackbird don't exist either, or just ebay.

Nothing personal, but, surely it would be in Johns interest to say, look, you know I sell this shit and it's good shit to boot; as we all know he's a top guy, but why can't we accept there's a wider world out there?

Makes no odds to me as I think eBay is full of shit and I treat it as such ..... but can we accept the world is not flat?

If I needed bits for by 'bird I would use John BTW, just for the record, especially my bulk orders of WD40, he gives me a great rate on cases of 24

ta

 

[silverfox.xx]

Copy/paste this into a search engine

12v Battery Charge Warning Light,

and you get this on a site I know that does auctions :-0)...

Available in 5/8/10mm LED also look at his other voltage monitoring kit..

 

[silverfox.xx]

Used the bike today for 200 miles, so I can now report how well it functions.

Cold start up, lights off on auto choke it flashes through its 3 colour sequece and immediately goes to green signalling charging 13.2v +.

On tickover engine warm, lights (HID's) on, you get amber, showing 50/100% battery charge but not charging. Blip the throttle and the green charge light comes on.

On tickover engine warm, lights (HID's) on, increase revs to about 1500 rpm and it changes to green, showing charging at 13.2v +.

On tickover engine warm, lights off, you get green, showing its charging 13.2v +

Ran all day showing charging - green.

Value for money.. a bargain. It should be standard kit with every vehicle.

 

[John Mack.]

Got mine today. Fitting it ASAP.@tu*


J.

 

[sib8292]

My query is where/how to mount the LED - what works best please?

 

[silverfox.xx]

Mines mounted on a mini dash thats fitted behind the ignition switch... mounted on the centre curved in bit of the instrument console. Made from a 'L' section of black square drain pipe, 2 small screws hold it to the instrument console..

Not sure if it could be mounted within the instrument console itself, would be ideal though.

Other place in in one of the fairing infill panels, or one of the small instrument boxes/plastic enclosures that Maplins do, and bolt it to the handle bars or DS tape it to the top of the instrument console.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=43710&OrderCode=N49FK

I guess it could be slid in a plastic tube also.

Silicone to waterproof it. I filled an extra heatshrink cover with silicone to waterproof mine. works as a cable strain relief also.

 

[g1948]

Is there any problem in fitting a dial ammeter, rather than the LED type? Several different styles on the auction site.

 

[silverfox.xx]

Is there any problem in fitting a dial ammeter, rather than the LED type? Several different styles on the auction site.

To record amps, you'll need to wire a meter in series with the battery, are you confusing amp (current drawn) with volts to monitor battery condition.
DC current is quite high especially on start up/starter use and therefore cable size could be an issue. If you only want to monitor 'running' load.. you'll need to wire the ammeter in series with those loads.. and you'll need to know what loading you have to select the correct wire feeding it.

Voltage monitoring (voltmeter) is wired in parallel to the battery, ignition switch controlled.

 

[g1948]

Thought that with ammeters installed, how nice a dial would look, rather than a voltmeter LED. My old Lucas ammeters showed real-time charge and discharge when the bike was running, by way of the simple needle movement, thus showing whether under(or over) charge (+ or -)was being output, but not sure if these can be applied with modern bikes and their charging systems, obviously you'd see -/+ amps rather than volts. Think some Kawasakis had ammeters some years ago, just thought a dial would set off the other clocks nicely.

 

[Trumpet]

You are neglecting the fact that modern shunt regulators can fail open circuit, putting excessive voltage across the battery and boiling it. You wouldn't necessarily see that on an ammeter.

 

[g1948]

You are neglecting the fact that modern shunt regulators can fail open circuit, putting excessive voltage across the battery and boiling it. You wouldn't necessarily see that on an ammeter.

Can't be applied to modern bikes then. Thanks for advice. Have ordered one of them ones the OP recommended.

 

[Oldbull]

Has anyone else had any probs with these ???

dont want to drill holes if they aint going to last h1d1ng2

 

[silverfox.xx]

Has anyone else had any probs with these ???

dont want to drill holes if they aint going to last h1d1ng2

I think that waterproofing the circuit board will improve reliability, Mines silicone coated with heatshrink over. I have spoken to the manufacturer and he is looking to improve spec for motorbikes/outdoor use by using adhesive lined heatshrink. In the meantime I'd use my silicone idea. You have to bear in mind that motorcycle use was probably not envisaged at design. Hope that helps. Don't forget he does 3 sizes, 5mm/8mm/10mm.

 

[andyBeaker]

Has anyone else had any probs with these ???

dont want to drill holes if they aint going to last h1d1ng2

No need to drill holes anywhere = loads of places where this tiny thing can be velcrod/zip tied in place.

Mine is going to sit next to the Digigear indicator on top of the instrument pod underneath the screen. Should be reasonably well weather protected there.

When I can be arsed that is.....