Datel voltmeter

bicyclist said:
I finally got around to installing a Datel voltmeter in the speaker grill. It was a simple installation. I removed the fairing pockets and the dashboard or meter cover or whatever you want to call it. Behind the speaker grill is a box used for mounting the speaker (see pic). I made a filler piece to go behind the grill from a piece of car detritus found along the road during a bicycle ride. I find all sorts of valuable stuff while I'm out pedaling. The filler piece is intended to keep water out. A little saw blade on a Dremel tool did a neat job of cutting holes through the filler and the grill. The voltmeter is held in place with a brass compression fitting (see pic). The last pic shows the meter in action with the bike at idle. Now I can monitor the charging system while loading it with heated gear, lights, etc.
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Bicyclist

I liked what you did with your install so I ordered a volt and a temp gage from Cyclemax. When I went to install them in the speaker grills they were very hard to see. So I placed them in the top of the left cowl pocket cover. It takes away some of the space in the pocket witch is not much of an issue because I don?t use it very often. Thanks to all of you for sharing what you did. It was a great starting point.

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Silver Ranger said:
Bicyclist

I liked what you did with your install so I ordered a volt and a temp gage from Cyclemax. When I went to install them in the speaker grills they were very hard to see. So I placed them in the top of the left cowl pocket cover. It takes away some of the space in the pocket witch is not much of an issue because I don’t use it very often. Thanks to all of you for sharing what you did. It was a great starting point.

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That's a great looking installation, I think I may have to copy your's. Question: Does the thermometer use a remote probe or does it just monitor the temp inside the cowl pocket? That's been one of my concerns regarding thermometers on bikes, so many of them seem to be off relative to the real outside temp and I think it's because of their lack of a real sensor/location.

Thanks for sharing!

LL75
 
larrylarry75 said:
That's a great looking installation, I think I may have to copy your's. Question: Does the thermometer use a remote probe or does it just monitor the temp inside the cowl pocket? That's been one of my concerns regarding thermometers on bikes, so many of them seem to be off relative to the real outside temp and I think it's because of their lack of a real sensor/location.

Thanks for sharing!

LL75
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The sensing unit has a 24? long wire. I put two holes in the pocket and inserted rubber grommets. One for power and one for the sensor wire. I then drilled a hole in the plastic that goes from the pocket area into the steering column area. I also put a grommet in this location that is sung to the sensor. This way the grommet will hold the sensor in place. This will allow me to remove the sensor if need.

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Added the thermometer to my cowl a few months ago, must get round to adding a voltmeter to match on the other side.
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OK, tell me one thing: how did you cut the hole so neatly? I like the way it looks there.
 
I tested mine today to see how well it reads temp. It was 78 and it read 82 on the freeway. When I pulled up to my house it climbed to 93. I will need to find a way to move the sensor down and forward.
 
As to cutting holes neatly - patience and a Dremel.... Cut a sticky label a touch smaller than the required hole, fix sticky label in place, tiny drill in each corner and trim carefully with disc cutter between the holes. Fine tune hole with (sharp) craft knife if need be. Doesn't take too long once decision made to cut!!
 
moriniman2011 said:
Added the thermometer to my cowl a few months ago, must get round to adding a voltmeter to match on the other side.
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I think that's an excellent location for the meter. Tilted slightly down, as it is, it shouldn't be obscured by reflection. Mine sometimes is. I should probably move mine and install the thermometer on the opposite side.
 
The pocket cover is cheap to replace. I think I paid $14 for the one I ruined by drilling the holes wrong when I put my volume control there.
 
Silver Ranger said:
I tested mine today to see how well it reads temp. It was 78 and it read 82 on the freeway. When I pulled up to my house it climbed to 93. I will need to find a way to move the sensor down and forward.
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I like your pocket install. Did you move your sensor? Still like the gages location on the pocket?
 
I've got a Datel voltmeter and thermometer I'm not using. If anyone's interested I'd sell them for half-price (whatever that was) and postage.

If they don't work when you get 'em, don't pay me. If they do work, pay me. I'll trust anyone on the Forum until I learn that I can't. :)
 
Phil Tarman said:
I've got a Datel voltmeter and thermometer I'm not using. If anyone's interested I'd sell them for half-price (whatever that was) and postage.

If they don't work when you get 'em, don't pay me. If they do work, pay me. I'll trust anyone on the Forum until I learn that I can't. :)
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I'll take 'em. I'll send a msg with my address if not taken by others.
 
[...I'll trust anyone on the Forum until I learn that I can't...]

Hey, have I got a bridge to sell you and it's one-owner with low mileage!
 
Frosty said:
I like your pocket install. Did you move your sensor? Still like the gages location on the pocket?
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I have not moved the sensor. I just don't have the time. My plan was to run a tube as far down and forward as I could and still get the sensor to stick out about 1/2 way. This would make it simple to remove and install the sensor when needed.
 
Frosty, I bought a Kisan Chargeguard from Katherine (Elzilla on the Forum).

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Frosty, I've got two voltage indicators -- the Kisan Chargeguard and the control for the Honda heated handgrips. When voltage drops below what the battery needs to stay charged, the LEDs on the handgrip control start to blink. I'm sure somebody at Honda designed them that way, but Honda doesn't tell us anything about it.
 
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