My Datel Installation.

[Badcat]

Since I intend to do more riding this winter and have purchased heated gear I thought it was time to install a Datel voltmeter that has been highly recommended on this forum. The entire installation took 45 minutes. I used the backing plate to hold it in place and a bead of silicon on the underside for water resistance. The meter is connected directly to the battery at this time. In the future I will attach it to my Fuzeblock and one of the switched outputs. The meter reads within a tenth of a volt of what my Fluke voltmeter reads at the battery terminals. When the bike is in the garage it is on a battery tender so I am not worried about the meter discharging the battery when the bike sits.

 

[Mcgyver74]

Very nice!!, where did u get the Datel?

 

[Badcat]

Very nice!!, where did u get the Datel?

Thanks. I got the Datel meter here.

Burk

 

[pinhead]

Nice job, Burk. That's the same place I installed mine.

It does catch some sun glare in this location and can be hard to see during the day, but I've found that I really only need to monitor it when I've got both heated gear and aux lights going at the same time, which happens to be at night.

Instead of running it through my Fuzeblock, which is way back under the seat, I just installed a seperate, dedicated relay right up next to the battery. I don't know if it makes it more accurate due to less resistance, it just happened to be easier at the time.

 

[Wanderer]

Looking sexy. The blue is uncommon, as is the 4 digit readout but I like how it matches.

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Nice job, Burk. That's the same place I installed mine.

It does catch some sun glare in this location and can be hard to see during the day, but I've found that I really only need to monitor it when I've got both heated gear and aux lights going at the same time, which happens to be at night.

Instead of running it through my Fuzeblock, which is way back under the seat, I just installed a seperate, dedicated relay right up next to the battery. I don't know if it makes it more accurate due to less resistance, it just happened to be easier at the time.

Exactly how I mounted and installed mine, but my bike is cleaner. Sun glare is problematic, but goodenuf.

 

[Roy Epperson]

How much clearance is there between the bottom of the Datel and the "stuff" below?

 

[Duster19]

How much clearance is there between the bottom of the Datel and the "stuff" below?

On my Gen 1 there is a lot going on underneath that panel. You have enough room, but I wouldn't say you have a ton of room. This was the main reason I added my Fuzeblock.

Dave

 

[ionbeam]

How much clearance is there between the bottom of the Datel and the "stuff" below?

On a Gen I with the two wire LED Datel there is plenty of room under it, but you have to be sure to locate it in the clear zone.

Another take on the Datel, the LCD only comes in a 3-1/2 digit model:

This picture does a poor job of showing the back light. I made my back light switchable. At night it looks like an OEM gauge.

 

[bang-n-gearz]

sweet.. .I installed mine with standard bezel that is offered with it. Took about two weeks to arrive. Nice to have since mine is an 05 and running FF50 lights and Escort.. sitting idle after warming up I am at about 12.2 volts

Buck

Dls.TX

 

[saltywheels]

How much clearance is there between the bottom of the Datel and the "stuff" below?

On a Gen I with the two wire LED Datel there is plenty of room under it, but you have to be sure to locate it in the clear zone.

Another take on the Datel, the LCD only comes in a 3-1/2 digit model:

This picture does a poor job of showing the back light. I made my back light switchable. At night it looks like an OEM gauge.

How did you do the switching. Looks very sharp. I have a honking big grounding block just about under there, but think I might still be able to get away with my Gen-1. What about the vertical portion on the side panel? Thks

 

[ionbeam]

...How did you do the switching

Any old water proof switch, switch J1, pin 3 wire from the Datel to ground. Ground = back light; no ground = no back light.

In truth the LCD is more trouble and $$$ than what it is worth unless you really want a LCD meter. The normal Red or Blue LED meters are very easy to hook up, having just two wires that go directly to the battery or an ignition switched relay that goes directly to the battery.

The LCD meter has 12 pins, 6 down each side. The LCD meter itself runs at +5 VDC even though it can measure voltages up to +/- 100 volts. To accommodate this I purchased (more $$$) the optional PCB and populated it with U1 (LM7805 a 5 volt regulator) and C2, a filter cap. Then I shorted together SG2 to put the decimal point in the correct location. SG4 had to be cut to allow for U1 being installed. The PCB did come with the mating connector and pins. When the assembly is complete there are three wires coming out of connector J1 -- one wire from + battery; one wire from - battery; J1, pin three is for the back light as described earlier. One of the perks of my job is being able to either environmentally coat or pot the whole mess once assembled. The connector is nice because it makes it easy to unplug when removing panels.

Just to make the install more of a pain in the ass, I used a three position switch so that I can CLICK -- the switch and have the meter on all the time; CLICK -- meter on only with the ignition; CLICK -- meter on with the ignition and the back light enabled.

You can download a PDF on the meter and a PDF on the PCB that are very detailed on how it all works and goes together.

The 12 pins on the LCD meter:

The PCB that solders to the 12 pins and holds the 5 volt regulator plus has the quick disconnect J1:

The details on the PCB:

I really wanted a LCD meter, my eyes don't handle the bright LED meter very well and the only options with the LED are ON and OFF.

 

[Fred W]

I bought two of these 5 function LCD meters a few years back when I still had the old Kawi Concours and I ended up installing one of them on the Aprillia Pegaso that I had, but it never made it on the Connie before that was superseded by the FJR.

It worked out pretty good on the dual sport bike. But they aren't fully water-proof so you do have to take steps to make it so.

I was thinking of installing the 2nd one (that I still have on the shelf) into my Jeep Wrangler, but just haven't got around to it yet. I'm such a procrastinator...

Oh yeah... the Feejer and Viffer both got the red led Datel treatment:

(Da' Viffer needed a charge!!)

 

[Badcat]

How much clearance is there between the bottom of the Datel and the "stuff" below?

I would guess at least 1/2". I insulated the screw terminals just in case.

b

 

[Badcat]

...How did you do the switching

Any old water proof switch, switch J1, pin 3 wire from the Datel to ground. Ground = back light; no ground = no back light.

In truth the LCD is more trouble and $$$ than what it is worth unless you really want a LCD meter. The normal Red or Blue LED meters are very easy to hook up, having just two wires that go directly to the battery or an ignition switched relay that goes directly to the battery.

The LCD meter has 12 pins, 6 down each side. The LCD meter itself runs at +5 VDC even though it can measure voltages up to +/- 100 volts. To accommodate this I purchased (more $$$) the optional PCB and populated it with U1 (LM7805 a 5 volt regulator) and C2, a filter cap. Then I shorted together SG2 to put the decimal point in the correct location. SG4 had to be cut to allow for U1 being installed. The PCB did come with the mating connector and pins. When the assembly is complete there are three wires coming out of connector J1 -- one wire from + battery; one wire from - battery; J1, pin three is for the back light as described earlier. One of the perks of my job is being able to either environmentally coat or pot the whole mess once assembled. The connector is nice because it makes it easy to unplug when removing panels.

Just to make the install more of a pain in the ass, I used a three position switch so that I can CLICK -- the switch and have the meter on all the time; CLICK -- meter on only with the ignition; CLICK -- meter on with the ignition and the back light enabled.

You can download a PDF on the meter and a PDF on the PCB that are very detailed on how it all works and goes together.

The 12 pins on the LCD meter:

The PCB that solders to the 12 pins and holds the 5 volt regulator plus has the quick disconnect J1:

The details on the PCB:

I really wanted a LCD meter, my eyes don't handle the bright LED meter very well and the only options with the LED are ON and OFF.

Nice! If I do it again that is what I will use. I like electrical things, the more complicated the better!

Just gotta remember not to let the smoke out.....

 

[road runner]

Since I intend to do more riding this winter and have purchased heated gear I thought it was time to install a Datel voltmeter that has been highly recommended on this forum. The entire installation took 45 minutes. I used the backing plate to hold it in place and a bead of silicon on the underside for water resistance. The meter is connected directly to the battery at this time. In the future I will attach it to my Fuzeblock and one of the switched outputs. The meter reads within a tenth of a volt of what my Fluke voltmeter reads at the battery terminals. When the bike is in the garage it is on a battery tender so I am not worried about the meter discharging the battery when the bike sits.

I put mine in the same location, but I wired it to the windshield retract wire after it got unpluged so it's key on power only.

 

[old Pilot]

Since I intend to do more riding this winter and have purchased heated gear I thought it was time to install a Datel voltmeter that has been highly recommended on this forum. The entire installation took 45 minutes. I used the backing plate to hold it in place and a bead of silicon on the underside for water resistance. The meter is connected directly to the battery at this time. In the future I will attach it to my Fuzeblock and one of the switched outputs. The meter reads within a tenth of a volt of what my Fluke voltmeter reads at the battery terminals. When the bike is in the garage it is on a battery tender so I am not worried about the meter discharging the battery when the bike sits.

Very nice. I like the blue. May be another winter project for me.

 

[Wanderer]

I went against the convention and mounted mine high:

 

[Badcat]

I went against the convention and mounted mine high:

I thought about a higher location but my question was how bright it is at night and would it cause night vision issues? A switch to turn it off at night would cure that i guess. I really like the higher location.