Wiring in a volt meter

[Ian T]

OK I thought this would be simples !!!

Do I wire it in before the battery or after the battery to get the best measure of the voltage.

So where do I go? I know the voltage regulator regulates the voltage from the alternator so is the bit I need to keep an eye on.

So will it be the live from the alternator to the battery and the negative wire to any earth.

If that the case anyone know which one if the wires off the alternator is the live when the engine running. I think there is about four or five.

Or again am I over thinking. Originally I was going to piggy back from the Big Pie four way fuse box I have the spots, heated grips, Sat Nav and USB wired into them and I was thinking of going into double up on the USB one as I know it only live when ignition is on.

Oh yeh the volt meter I have just got has two wires not three as I thought it would be easier 

Help please my ed is frying

Cheers

Ian

[Hondaman]

Absolute accuracy isn't critical.
Ignition switched is good, a feed from bigpies thingy would work well, alternatively, there is a switched live connector on the rhs near the dash that you could tap into for neat installation

[Mudster]

As above, earth lead to a good earth point (or straight to battery) and live to an ignition controlled live.

Don't connect direct to the alternator output as the voltage could be quite high (and likely to blow up an automotive voltmeter) and it's an ac output rather than dc. Needs to be once the alternator supply has been through the regulator/rectifier.

Basically, you are just trying to monitor the battery voltage rather than alternator output.

[greywolf]

#3 at http://www.vstrom.info/Smf/index.php/topic,1461.0.html shows some places to get the switched live feed.

[Hugh Mungus]

Once you have connected it to a switched live and confirmed it's actually working the best thing to do is to connect a multi-meter directly to the battery and compare readings. Do this with engine not running, then at tick-over and then at 3,000 rpm and finally 5/6000 rpm. Compare readings at each point.
Don't worry if there is a difference between the meter readings - as long as they are constant. You will know that for example if the fitted voltmeter is 0.5 volts low or high and you take that into account when you're riding along etc.
You only ever need to be concerned if the volts drop very low or go very high.

[Ian T]

Thanks everyone

Fitting this weekend

Cheers

Ian