- Joined
- Jan 1, 2017
- Messages
- 349
How do I check the output of my alternator? Is it voltage across the battety terminals?
This has some good information, although for airheads. Much of the science is useful.
http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/amp&voltmeters.htm
The other day my ammeter seemed to be charging a little high on the scale. I pulled the zener blade connection then cleaned it and reinstalled it. the ammeter needle moved back where it normally belongs....
I found that article to be ambivelant and biased. The author says stuff like:
"A voltmeter will give some indication of the state of charge of the battery & system performance. An Ammeter will give a bit more information, mostly unnecessary."
.... then later he says:
"If you have a voltmeter, especially a highly accurate one (although the stock expanded meter IS accurate enough)....it will tell you if the battery voltage is high enough for you to assume it is charged; or not. An ammeter will tell you if current is flowing into, or out of the battery, but will not indicate more."
... that's rediculous. The author will infer that his battery is charging from it's voltage, but he wont infer it from an ammeter which shows direction of current flow in series with the battery. This article is pretty hyperbolic. I would be more swayed by some of the simpler arguments than this guy's "chicken little the sky is falling because of ammeters" hyperbolie.
I feel like I could use either meter, and there is no doubt that a voltmeter can be safer since it's just another parallel circuit on the wiring harness, rather than a series connection on the main battery circuit like an ammeter. If I had to wire my bike again maybe I would go voltmeter the next time, but my ammeter works flawlessly as I said previously. It doesn't bounce unless my blinker is on, and it's very informative although I DO infer that things are working because I know where the pointer should be when my bike is running. I have none of the issues the author warns about or claims has poor accuracy. My wiring harness is a combination of '70 wiring and later model directionals added, with a dip beam and a deleted kill switch circuit. (I turn the key to kill it)
I absolutely acknowledge that a voltmeter is as good as an ammeter, and probably safer to have installed on a bike. BOTH instruments tell you something different about the state of your circuitry, and BOTH require you to INFER the health of your components based on what you see on the instrument. I'm used to having an ammeter, so I know where the needle should be pointing at all times. If it's not, I know there's a problem. The other day my ammeter seemed to be charging a little high on the scale. I pulled the zener blade connection then cleaned it and reinstalled it. the ammeter needle moved back where it normally belongs....