LED DC Digital Display Voltmeter Battery Monitor

[krazyman63]

I put in one of these on the wing and connected to a wire that works off the key for obvious reasons but the reading is off by alittle bit then the meter tested at the battery when charging I have 14.4 volts on my meter but at the wire I tapped into it reads 13.1 on the meter and the led display. is there a certain wire I need to find to get the correct voltage reading on the bike ?

[Rambozo]

You are getting the correct voltage at the location you hooked the meter to. There are voltage drops all over the bike. Everything from wire resistance to dirty connectors all cause voltage drop. If you want the voltage at the battery, then that is where you need to measure. If you measure at the alternator, you will probably see a slightly higher voltage. Knowing an exact voltage is less important than monitoring for changes. Having said that, over a full volt is a bit much so it would not be a bad idea to track that down and correct it. Probably just a matter of cleaning connectors. You can trace it with a voltmeter to find where your losing the most working backwards from the battery. Don't forget to check grounds, too.

[krazyman63]

Okay good to know,
Thanks,

[AZgl1800]

I agree with 2nd post.

the currents being pulled thru the smaller gauge wiring in the harness, result in voltage drops.

all wires have a finite amount of resistance. the larger the gauge, the less resistance.
the smaller gauge wires #18 for example, can't handle more then 3 or 4 amps w/o a measurable voltage drop.... and that depends on the length of the wire segment.

Just knowing "what should be" at a certain point, is all you really need.
monitor for changes.