After installing the series
regulator, I decided the SV650S needed something to monitor
the charging system. A bit of google searching turned up the
Programmable LED Voltage Monitor from
Gammatronix
in the UK.
If you need to monitor something other than a 12V system,
it can also handle 6V and 24V systems. More importantly, for each of
these nominal voltages, you can choose from 6 different voltage
maps and they're quite relevant
for motorcycles. Autospeed has a helpful
review
covering operation and programming.
For example, mode 3 lights up solid green when charging and green/red
flashing when overcharging (>15V). When charging stops and the voltage drops a bit, the
operation changes to a low power mode with a brief
blink every couple of seconds to indicate battery condition,
green blink = happy descending thru yellow blink to red blink to
completely unlit as the battery voltage decreases past 11.8V. This
blinking takes about 1/2 ma and is suitable to leave connected to the
battery voltage indefinitely.
The one I like is stealth
mode 4. When things are healthy, the LED is off completely, nothing lit
up on the dash. Overcharging is indicated by red/green flash, while
lower voltages (<12.4V) cause yellow, slow yellow, red, slow red
and fast red as the voltage decreases towards 10.5V. This integrates
nicely with the SV650S which has no indicators on (except maybe
high-beam) during normal running.
Installation
The voltage monitor requires a 14mm hole (1/2" drill and a bit of filing) and I located it towards the right
of the dash under the other indicator lights. To change modes, I snake
my thumb under the dash and push on the little programming button.
Wiring
For a voltage source, I spliced wires with female bullet connectors into
the leads for the front running light. The voltage monitor wires travel
under the instruments to connect
to this switched voltage source with male bullet connectors. On the SV650S,
this light and the voltage across it are live in RUN and PARK positions.
Availability
With only a gentle hint, my darling daughter got me this for Christmas
from the
Gammatronix
eBay store. They sell other voltage monitor variants but this
is the only one with stealth mode.
Results
The voltage monitor has been exercised in the basement with the
Suzuki battery and a charger to check out the modes, then installed and
wired into the SV650S in the cold garage (January 2015,
Ottawa). I briefly installed the battery to check out the bike wiring.
Test rides will come in the Spring after the snow and salt leave the streets.
This little gizmo is working out fine (May 2015). It's set on stealth
mode 4, so the light is not lit when the charging voltage is greater
than 12.5 volts and less than 15 V. When you first turn on the
ignition, it lights up yellow or red to show that the charging cirtuit
is not charging, and more importantly, to let you know that the voltage
monitor is really working.
Once
the engine is running, the light is off most of the time. If I'm
stopped and the engine is idling, it stays off unless the brake or turn
signal is activated, dragging the voltage down.
Couldn't ask for more.
