Cheap Voltmeter

[fljab]

I like this company; they have inexpensive components of all types if you know how to incorporate them in whatever farkle you can dream up.

I noticed tonight this VDC meter; not as fancy as a Datel, but lots cheaper:

https://www.bgmicro.com/MET1031.aspx

Just thought I'd pass it on...

 

[Fred W]

My only concern with that meter is that it doesn't say it is waterproof. That is a key feature for anything that you'll be permanently installing in a faring panel as it will get soaked.

Another alternative is the Datel clone available at Cyclemax Ohio. I bought two of these (one installed in V-strom, other as a spare) and it appears identical to the Datel meter at less than half of the price. Because they are fully encapsulated in epoxy they are pretty much submersible. The only external connections are two screw lug terminals for the +12V and ground.

 

[ionbeam]

That meter is a knock-off of a Datel LCD panel meter. The meter is designed to run on either 9 VDC or 5 VDC and will not take voltage over 12 volts. To make this meter work it has to have a circuit board added which takes motorcycle voltage and converts it to 5 VDC and then you have to add a second set of wires to sense system voltage and then add scaling resistors to get the range correct. The LCD meter isn't as rugged as the LED meter and the circuit board has to be encapsulated.

Datel LCD meter installed on my FJR, daylight shot and internal, switched back light:

The back light numbers are solid and easy to read, it is an artifact of the picture that makes the numbers look faint.

I liked it when it was working but it is not motorcycle rugged so I now have the LED meter installed.

============================================================================================

This is what the meter alone looks like, it is a 12 pin device.

This is the add-on PCB on which you have to build the 5 VDC regulator and filter. It also needs to have a couple of conductors cut to isolate 5 volt ground from motorcycle ground. You also have to build a power filter, cut one of the SG pads to select where the decimal point goes, add an input scaling resistor and then purchse a 6 pin connector to go on the bottom center of the PCB.

This is how the PCB goes on the meter's pins. After the PCB has been assembled it slides over the pins then gets soldered on. The connector does make it easy to unplug the meter when you pull the dash panels.

 

[fljab]

Hey, I said it was cheap!

I looked at the range, and one of them is 20VDC so figured it would work; thanks for the clarification ionbeam!

 

[RaYzerman19]

My only concern with that meter is that it doesn't say it is waterproof. That is a key feature for anything that you'll be permanently installing in a faring panel as it will get soaked.

Another alternative is the Datel clone available at Cyclemax Ohio. I bought two of these (one installed in V-strom, other as a spare) and it appears identical to the Datel meter at less than half of the price. Because they are fully encapsulated in epoxy they are pretty much submersible. The only external connections are two screw lug terminals for the +12V and ground.

+1 Fred. Got a couple of these too, work great and I've transferred one to the FJR, had it over 4 years now....

 

[garyahouse]

Another alternative is the Datel clone available at Cyclemax Ohio. I bought two of these and it appears identical to the Datel meter at less than half of the price. Because they are fully encapsulated in epoxy they are pretty much submersible. The only external connections are two screw lug terminals for the +12V and ground.

Well, thanks again Fred Dub. I was just thinkin' that I was done spendin' all my money on farkles, and I saw your post above. Great. Just great. Here we go again. I just ordered the meter you described. It better be as good as you said, or I won't be telling everybody how much I appreciate your input on this forum... again.
Gary

darksider #44

 

[Fred W]

Hah.

I'm pretty sure that I can live with that either way, Gary.

But I bet you'll be thankin' me in the end.

BTW - Take it from me... You're never done spending your farkle money. Word.

 

[garyahouse]

Fred Dub:

You said, "BTW - Take it from me... You're never done spending your farkle money. Word."

That did it. I'm getting me a new credit card. How do you spell your last name again?

Gary

darksider #44

 

[HIGHLANDER]

Here's another new option,,,,,,,,,,,have not tried it yet.

ANOTHER OPTION

 

[Fred W]

That one looks good, and the price is right too.

Curious that it requires a B+ as well as the voltage being sensed/monitored, but they do not mention what range the B+ needs to be.

Also strange that they are calling it an LCD when it is obviously an LED display.

 

[ionbeam]

...Curious that it requires a B+ as well as the voltage being sensed/monitored, but they do not mention what range the B+ needs to be...

If this meter is designed as most 3-1/2 digit meters are, the input voltage range is 8-28 volts and the meter will display up to 20 VDC.

 

[Fred W]

...Curious that it requires a B+ as well as the voltage being sensed/monitored, but they do not mention what range the B+ needs to be...

If this meter is designed as most 3-1/2 digit meters are, the input voltage range is 8-28 volts and the meter will display up to 20 VDC.

Understood.

But the Datel (and its clones) being two wire devices must have integral voltage regulator for the meter's B+ (which must be something less than the meter's minmum +8V). A device like this one that has a separate power and sense connection should have a spec for the power lead. IOW - you may not be able to just connect the two + leads together and feed it 12V. You may have to regulate the B+ down externally.

 

[ionbeam]

Reply out of range. Not much help for the Forum. I'm taking this off line and will discuss with Fred directly.

Fred and I had a Cross Post, I was making an edit to my first post when he replied. The input voltage now has more info on a mouse over.

 

[FJRGuy]

...Another alternative is the Datel clone available at Cyclemax Ohio. I bought two of these (one installed in V-strom, other as a spare) and it appears identical to the Datel meter at less than half of the price. Because they are fully encapsulated in epoxy they are pretty much submersible. The only external connections are two screw lug terminals for the +12V and ground.

+1 Fred. Got a couple of these too, work great and I've transferred one to the FJR, had it over 4 years now....

I have this one too and it's been working fine dangling form the bike in the garage. Just never got around to installing it yet!

However, it appears that it may not be available anymore since cyclemaxohio.com has become cyclemax.com. You'd probably have to call them to confirm.