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Ammeter with red dot
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<blockquote data-quote="timetraveller" data-source="post: 54233" data-attributes="member: 456"><p>I would expect so. Ammeters are generally very robust electrically and have what is known as a ballast resistor across the back of them to alter the scale. I use one which is nominally 8 amps but it only has to handle that much if the battery is totally flat and the engine is revved flat out. Remember that the ammeter is set up so that it looks at the difference between what is being used and what is available from whatever generator is being used. Although the alternators are able to produce 30 amps the only time that the ammeter would try to pass that is upon starting with a flat battery and running the engine at over 2,000 rpm. What I find is that even if the battery is well down and the ammeter starts to show a large charge when the bike is started, provided that I let the engine tick over at about 1,000 rpm, the ammeter needle drops to less than 6 amps within seconds and if the bike is then left to tick over for another minute or so the charge being indicated drops back to 4 or 5 amps and then to 2 to 3 amps. What is happening is that the battery is very quickly coming up to a 12 to 13 volt level and the alternator senses that and drops back the charge. After mile or so I never see a charge or discharge. Even switching on the 130 watt headlight bulb or using the flashing indicators, 21 watt front and back, the regulator is so quick that any extra drain is so rapidly balanced that the needle stays on about zero the whole time. This is on a twin. On Comets I could not gear up the alternator to double the engine speed, which is what it is on a twin, and so at very low revs it is possible to see a discharge with the headlight and/or heated grips or gloves on. Once over about 1,200 - 1,500 revs on the Comet even that disappears and everything should be balanced. If ever you start to see a continuous charge then either the battery is failing or there is a short somewhere. All this presupposes that all systems, lights, heated clothing, sat nav etc is powered through the ammeter. If something, say a sat nav, has its power taken directly from the battery then the power which that item is taking is shown directly on the ammeter. Magnetoman will probably be able to give us a quick lesson on ammeters if my explanation is too simple.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="timetraveller, post: 54233, member: 456"] I would expect so. Ammeters are generally very robust electrically and have what is known as a ballast resistor across the back of them to alter the scale. I use one which is nominally 8 amps but it only has to handle that much if the battery is totally flat and the engine is revved flat out. Remember that the ammeter is set up so that it looks at the difference between what is being used and what is available from whatever generator is being used. Although the alternators are able to produce 30 amps the only time that the ammeter would try to pass that is upon starting with a flat battery and running the engine at over 2,000 rpm. What I find is that even if the battery is well down and the ammeter starts to show a large charge when the bike is started, provided that I let the engine tick over at about 1,000 rpm, the ammeter needle drops to less than 6 amps within seconds and if the bike is then left to tick over for another minute or so the charge being indicated drops back to 4 or 5 amps and then to 2 to 3 amps. What is happening is that the battery is very quickly coming up to a 12 to 13 volt level and the alternator senses that and drops back the charge. After mile or so I never see a charge or discharge. Even switching on the 130 watt headlight bulb or using the flashing indicators, 21 watt front and back, the regulator is so quick that any extra drain is so rapidly balanced that the needle stays on about zero the whole time. This is on a twin. On Comets I could not gear up the alternator to double the engine speed, which is what it is on a twin, and so at very low revs it is possible to see a discharge with the headlight and/or heated grips or gloves on. Once over about 1,200 - 1,500 revs on the Comet even that disappears and everything should be balanced. If ever you start to see a continuous charge then either the battery is failing or there is a short somewhere. All this presupposes that all systems, lights, heated clothing, sat nav etc is powered through the ammeter. If something, say a sat nav, has its power taken directly from the battery then the power which that item is taking is shown directly on the ammeter. Magnetoman will probably be able to give us a quick lesson on ammeters if my explanation is too simple. [/QUOTE]
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