charging sytem battery voltage indicator LED http://www.sparkbright.co.uk/

Paul LeClair

Paul LeClair

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Location
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
just dealt with Andrew Ferguson    andrew@sparkbright.co.uk  http://www.sparkbright.co.uk/

I bought two of his SparkBright Eclipse 8 LED auto dimming units to add to two of my Laverda triples to keep track of the charging systems and batteries.

at this point in time, 14.50 GBP for one Eclipse 8 unit, plus 1.50 GBP shipping by Royal Mail to Canada.

really quick response, looks like an excellent product, tiny, and as an LED minimal current draw.

Paul LeClair
 
Blimey  ???  A classic case of a solution looking for a problem. Why do people insist on making over-complicated solutions for such a simple requirement? You'd need a bloody colour chart to interpret the damn thing.

Who wants to know the voltage anyway? It's too much information. All you need is something that will let you know if the charging system stops working. If there's no problem with battery charging, the warning should be off, letting you enjoy the ride - not distracting you with a light show of varying colours and intensity. You don't need a warning light to warn you that nothing is wrong FFS.

Cam
 
Robberyman and others have bemoaned the absence of the GEN light function when using Red's Mk1 charging upgrade kit.  If nothing else it tells you when the ignition is left on (and the neutral light is being it's usual vague self).
Marcel the instrument dude should find a way to stealthily incorporate one of those sparkbrite thingies into the GEN light position in the ND clocks.  That would be cool.
 
Dellortoman said:
Blimey  ???  A classic case of a solution looking for a problem. Why do people insist on making over-complicated solutions for such a simple requirement? You'd need a bloody colour chart to interpret the damn thing.

Who wants to know the voltage anyway? It's too much information. All you need is something that will let you know if the charging system stops working. If there's no problem with battery charging, the warning should be off, letting you enjoy the ride - not distracting you with a light show of varying colours and intensity. You don't need a warning light to warn you that nothing is wrong FFS.

Cam
Click to expand...


Yep.  :)

    Keith
 
John Wilson fitted one of his colour coded gizmo's to my bike while I was testing some way beyond me high tech Regulator he had built,after a while I forgot where it showed discharge and charge.Plus I spent to much time watching it while riding.Bit like those G meters on Supercars.Bang it on to see what the G meter does instead of watching the bloody road.
 
I'm a big fan of the voltage gauge on my Audi A4:
Turn on ignition - I can see my battery voltage.
Start engine - I can see the charging voltage.

Surely it can't be that expensive?
 
I bought a few of these at ebay ;
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1pc-New-Mini-Three-Line-LED-Small-Panel-Meter-Display-Digital-Voltmeter-DC0-100V-/300839064471?ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

Cost nothing more then $2,50 including shipping and handling.
Have it on my car and bikes and works perfect  :D
Good with this DVM is that it has a potmeter for exact adjustment of the voltage at the operation value (13 Volt)
 
I have somehting like this to mount on argy but still haven't figured out how to get wires up to the top of the dash without drill a hole on the top of the dash which i think I will have to do. Also have a digital tacho to mount next to it seeing as the real tach is destined to never work...

The beauty of these is it has a clock, battery voltage and temperature so I can take a pic of the temp and post it in the weather thread to annoy the fuck out of LeClair.... :D :D :D :D :D

http://www.ebay.com/itm/In-Out-Battery-Monitor-Car-Truck-LCD-Temperature-Thermometer-Clock-Voltage-Alarm-/200998591249?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2ecc731b11&vxp=mtr
 
I've had sparkbright on my Jota for couple of years and usually I pay no attention to it. Simplifying: On idle it's usually flashing red (not charging) and while riding, it's green (charging). So, if it would be flashing red while I'm riding it would make a difference and would catch my attention. Useful.

There is one occasion when it may have saved my day. I've made some changes to wiring on my bike and the ?precautionary wiring loop through light switch? (VR-VB) has been bypassed. Because of that, I always MUST have the headlight on. Otherwise there is a risk of over-voltage. And so it happened, for some reason the headlight was off and sparkbright gave me a flashing red/green warning. Switched the light on and all was back to normal. Again, useful.
 
I have ridden a voltmeter of this type.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LCD-Cigarette-Lighter-Voltage-Digital-Panel-Meter-Volt-Voltmeter-Monitor-Car-/181252449122?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a337ce362

My concern is not only the lack of burden but excess voltage when the regulator-rectifier fails. This fault me "cold" and a battery.

Greetings.
 
Dellortoman said:
A classic case of a solution looking for a problem.
Who wants to know the voltage anyway? It's too much information. All you need is something that will let you know if the charging system stops working.
Click to expand...

Cam, under-charging is not the only problem.
As I found with the Guzzi 1100 Sport in my avatar, which has had a recent regulator/rectifier failure and is chucking 14V into the battery at just above idle, and 16.5V at 3500rpm.  Consequently it's parked pending arrival of a new reg/rec unit.
A unit that lets you know about over-voltage is not such a bad thing.....certainly better than the old exploding battery acid on the extremities......
 
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