maylar
VIP MEMBER
- Joined
- May 13, 2007
- Messages
- 4,213
Just as an FYI for fellow Lithium battery users -
A voltmeter is of course the ultimate voltage monitor, but short of that there are a few intelligent devices that can provide more info than the archaic WLA. One is the Eclipse LED monitor from SparkBright - http://www.sparkbright.co.uk/sparkright-eclipse-battery-voltage-monitor.php
This is available with LiFe calibration at no extra charge. I had one and I hated it - it just wasn't bright enough in daylight. And it didn't fit the headlamp shell without fiddling.
There is also a Charge Warning Light (CWL) available from https://www.improvingclassicmotorcycles.com/products.htm
One option with that is to use the OEM charge indicator, which is plenty bright. The device monitors not only voltage, but it also senses alternator ripple, which is an indicator that the battery is charging. The light will not go out unless the voltage is above the threshold and there's ripple from the charging system.
Unfortunately, they don't offer it with Lithium thresholds. 12.6 volts for a lead acid battery is too low to be useful for Lithium. So, I modified the threshold by adding a small diode (1N914 or 1N4148) in series with the sense wire. This raises the switch point by .6 volts to 13.2 volts, which is appropriate for Lithium. The only down side is that the 15 volt overcharge threshold is now 15.6 volts, which is dangerous. I intend to implement a separate monitor to handle that.
A voltmeter is of course the ultimate voltage monitor, but short of that there are a few intelligent devices that can provide more info than the archaic WLA. One is the Eclipse LED monitor from SparkBright - http://www.sparkbright.co.uk/sparkright-eclipse-battery-voltage-monitor.php
This is available with LiFe calibration at no extra charge. I had one and I hated it - it just wasn't bright enough in daylight. And it didn't fit the headlamp shell without fiddling.
There is also a Charge Warning Light (CWL) available from https://www.improvingclassicmotorcycles.com/products.htm
One option with that is to use the OEM charge indicator, which is plenty bright. The device monitors not only voltage, but it also senses alternator ripple, which is an indicator that the battery is charging. The light will not go out unless the voltage is above the threshold and there's ripple from the charging system.
Unfortunately, they don't offer it with Lithium thresholds. 12.6 volts for a lead acid battery is too low to be useful for Lithium. So, I modified the threshold by adding a small diode (1N914 or 1N4148) in series with the sense wire. This raises the switch point by .6 volts to 13.2 volts, which is appropriate for Lithium. The only down side is that the 15 volt overcharge threshold is now 15.6 volts, which is dangerous. I intend to implement a separate monitor to handle that.