Critique of Proposed Wiring Diagram

I've started to take on the rewiring project and first up is a diagram. I'm looking for input, so input away.

Link to full size drawing in case it's cut off 73 Wiring Diagram



Link to page in web site New Wiring Harness

Some notes:
I want an ammeter - even though the general consensus is they are dumb, prone to failure and really don't tell you anything useful. But - I like gauges
I'm planning on using the Fuzeblocks FZ-1 Fuse block
Halogen Headlight with relays (and parking light)
3PH alternator/Podtronics
Trispark
Horn Relay

Thanks for looking.

Impressive graphic napa.
Wheres your real charging system indicator, volts meter?
I like the amp too because I also love swinging needles but don't expect to be able to judge which side of -/+ needle swings to more or less at the rpm rates it'd matter most.

Also are you using standard 1" cube size automotive relays. Might want to look for the 1/2 size same amp rating kind, often found in stereo/electronics supply. I"m still looking for the 1/2 szie relay connector plugs, instead of female blade crimp type.

21st century now, might consider power taps for radar, GPS, phone and heated grips and such.

For extra fancy, plastic push in fuses can be gotten with LED that lights when blown.
http://www.google.com/images?client=fir ... 00&bih=319

Well since you asked - I'm fitting an analog ammeter that has a clear plastic body, and I wanted two types of lights, one for night time illumination and one for voltage indication. I've made a plexiglass collar the will go around the meter body as a clamp to hold it in the shell (never really understood how those stupid little tabs where supposed to work), but also as a mount for two LEDs. One for lighting and one for voltage. I already had been running a little circuit I found on the old NOC-L site with heritage from the BMW Airheads site that uses a couple of resistors, a couple of zeners and an LED that glows red when voltage drops below 12v something and goes off when above - sort like the one Jorg now sells (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=513392). I was just going to use that. However the new space age versions have blinky capability (something like this one http://www.norbsa02.freeuk.com/goffyelectrex.htm) to show more than some one dimensional info, and so of course, I'm attracted by the wizbang possibilities. I also may do something with a uController.

For relays, I found the cool Panasonic ones on Eastern Beaver http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Elec__Products/Relays/relays.html. Although only 20A, should be more than enough. Very nice in they are small and seem well built.

As for accessories - I have one switched fuse position left and they wil go there, when I decide what I "need".

Those fuses that have LEDs are cool. I might have to own a few. Any experience with them?

What programs make diagrams like that? windows or mac?

Yes I like the color change LED for voltage, when it matters most, creeping up rough drive way ready to brake/dodge deer or rock or limb falls, on 1.2 ah batter with brights on, so know about how low before slipping clutch or running rpm up in 1st w/o stalling out when brake light comes on. Waldrige I think sells the single color change indicator that replaces the assimulator lamp in head light shell.

Thanks for the Panasonic relay lead. Its a smaller square, unexpected to me. The 1/2 size I found were 1" square but 1/2 the depth.

I'm going to put a amp meter in my almost pure stock Combat for show only, not hooked up as will have the LED to tell me which side of charging I'm on.

Glad to share in your plotting and planning of your special flavor of Commando.

What will you use to hold the loom runs together?

Steven hobot

British Wiring http://www.britishwiring.com/Comp.htm sells something called "Harness Tape". (Page 8 of their catalog.) It's a "self bonding PVC, but not self adhesive" tape in 3/4". I was going to try that with some nylon cable ties. What say you?

Pelican - I'm using Visio (Microsoft - ugh) running Parallels on a Mac. Works OK, but I have the old 2003 version and can't get printing to work - gee doesn't that sound familiar? I exported as a GIF for the web page. There are Omnigraffle and ConceptDraw. I tried ConceptDraw a while back and although it worked OK, didn't get the results I'd hoped for. I should probably look at them again as Visio is, well, Visio.

Thanks for that

Wouldn't bother with an ammeter myself, you're putting another thing in line with the total current flow that adds resistance and could break down. Monitoring the voltage with an expanded-range voltmeter should be enough to tell you all you need to know. (Actually it can tell you more than your current measurement will!) Either an LED monitor or a moving-needle based device with a range of say 10 to 16 volts is the go. Got a design for an LED one that I did for solar battery charge 'health' kicking around somewhere...

Amen on extra wire resistance to suck on meager charger. Just use thick-ish wires and it'll work as good as it ever did from factory in the past. But hey, its still cool to have someone installing amp meter for bragging rights and a smirk every time its dancing needle is glanced at. I tired to oil fill dampen one - it leaks around the bezel. Messed up that lens trying super glue, ugh, super glue runs real easy and it dissolves a path as it goes.

I had planned on using 12G wire for the ammeter run. I am worried about too much loss. I want the stupid headlight shell mounted piece of 1930's tech. However, if it's problematic - I'll just pull it.

I put an ammeter on my bike for much the same reason as you. The 1930's nostalgia appealed to me. I've lived with it for a long time and I've found there's a lot of information to be had from it that a voltmeter can't tell you. Idling with lights on and an electric jacket going it's negative. On the road it goes to positive long enough to charge the battery back up then it goes to near zero again. 90% of the time it reads near zero, there just isn't much current going into or out of the battery most of the time. It's in the exceptions where an ammeter can tell you things a voltmeter can't. If it reads negative when it would normally read positive or zero then the alternator is going or there's a leak someplace. If it reads positive longer than it should then the battery isn't holding a charge. The advantage with the ammeter is that it tells you in real time. And they look nice. This winter I'm adding a voltmeter. Belt and suspenders...

As usual rider Patton enlightened me to follow his ways, so will run main battery feed through Trixie Combats amp meter to see what it shows and if I can keep the meter in the hole on rough rides until another big animal removes it or me. hobot

so all the fuses in your fuseblock are switched?

No, fuses 1-4 are unswitched and 5 and 6 are switched.

Why not put a Switch with the appropriate amp rating in parallel with the ammeter.That way if it fails for any reason you can simply bypass it?

Good idea, however it would be very simple to just rewire in the battery compartment to bypass the whole thing - i.e. take the lead from the battery and connect directly to the fuse block. I could do that by the road in about a minute. I also don't really want any more connections of any type in that line.

In my opinion I do not think you should run the whole system through an ammeter. i have a whole collection of melted ammeters (sacrifices to joe Lucas). The plastic ones fail quickly when using halogen lights as they draw a lot of power. The ammeters housed in the metal body stand up a lot better. Also use marine wire as it comes tinned and is more resistent to vibration.

How efficient is the ignition being run through a fuse block instead of straight off the batterylike most people do? Just wondering because I'm working on how I want to wire mine up too.