Digital 5-Function Volt Meter

[user 711]

So I bought the Signal Dynamics Dual LED License Plate Frame from casportouring.com and on impluse I added the Digital 5-Function Volt Meter to my cart without doing the research to see how unsuitable it is for the task. When it arrived I found that its not waterproof, and far too wide to mount cleanly anywhere on the FJR without sticking out like a sore thumb.

Anyway, I'm glad to say that I've found the perfect spot for it which solves both problems. Voila!

The V-Strom handguards have a flat leading edge that accommodates the volt meter perfectly and mounting it in the left guard lets the wires naturally lead out on the right (looking at it) of the unit. And I can still see all but the rightmost edge of it while riding. The wires are crappily thin, but I surrounded them with heat-shrink tubing for added protection. There is an external temperature sensor which I haven't found a good spot for yet, its coiled up under the glove box. Riding through the snow(!) and rain this evening I found the handguards protect the unit pretty well and there were only a couple of drops of water on them.

Despite its lackluster build quality there are some nice things about this unit. Its red and black wires are connected to an unswitched source so I get an always-on clock, volt meter and thermometer. There's an orange wire that hooks up to an ignition-switched source which turns on the back light and audible black ice alarm when the engine is on. My biggest gripe now is that there doesn't seem to be a way to calibrate the volt meter - it reads 0.2 - 0.3v less than my digital multimeter which I trust more.

Now I just have to be careful when washing the FJR - which I rarely do anyway!

 

[twowheelnut]

I had that POS and had it switched. With no internal battery you'd always have to reset the mofo. Nice placement, too.

What are those droppy thingies all over?

 

[Rogue]

I had that POS and had it switched. With no internal battery you'd always have to reset the mofo. Nice placement, too.
What are those droppy thingies all over?

I'm not sure but I think its called water. I heard that it falls from the sky in some places! :cold: :cold: :cold:

I don't belive it though.

 

[radman]

 
What are those droppy thingies all over?

Those are the tears of laughter that shot out of my ducts at your cleverness! Oh, my sides are splitting.....

 

[BrunDog]

I have one of those pieces of shit.

I concur on what you said, but I figured, for ~$25, if it works for a while, then craps out - oh well. Besides, it is not like I pour the miles on...

I opened up the unit to see if it could be sealed. It can't. Not without a lot of time and energy, at least. But the good news is it is so open, that water should drain out as quickly as it comes in.

I put my sensor above the headlight housing, just behind the front fairing (in the groove between the headlight and the fairing. I figured this would keep the sun off it (black, of all cheap-ass things), the roadway radiated heat off of it, and would allow un-engine-heated air to reach it while underway.

I am making a bracket to mount it below the speedo, and I will post pictures when I git-er-dun.

-BD

 

[nusman68]

Besides, it is not like I pour the miles on...

Look out BD...you're about to get Skooterized! :bleh:

 

[Rogue]

it is not like I pour the miles on...

Oh man... You are just asking for it! :bleh:

 

[user 711]

I put my sensor above the headlight housing, just behind the front fairing (in the groove between the headlight and the fairing. I figured this would keep the sun off it (black, of all cheap-ass things), the roadway radiated heat off of it, and would allow un-engine-heated air to reach it while underway.-BD

Hmm, gotta try that.

One interesting thing about reading the internal temperature on the unit is that it reads about 8 deg F higher than actual, being stashed away like it is. I've got Dual Star grip heaters wired for max heat but I don't think that'll affect the temp readout much, so the handguards must be doing a pretty good job at keeping the colder air off the unit / my fingers.

 

[BrunDog]

I only use the external sensor mounted as I said above.

You know, WRT the voltmeter and the temperature, I don't rely on it for absolute readings, but much more for relative ones. I would want to know when the temp is dropping or getting higher than than expected or than it feels. I would also want to know that my battery is more or less loaded, though I don't have much drawing from it (living in South FL, a widders vest is pretty much unnecessary).

So if it reads 13.9 volts when the actual battery is 13.7, I personally don't really care. I certainly don't expect much from that $25 POS, but I like having it as additional running diagnostics.

Oh, and on the miles comments, yuck it up, fellas. I am about to go on a 250 mile ride tomorrow, so I expect my ODO to increase ~17%!! :bleh: :bleh: :bleh:

-BD