Member Contributer kaldek Posted April 5, 2006 Member Contributer Share Posted April 5, 2006 Hi folks, I have just fitted a signal dynamics Heads-Up Voltage Monitor (HUVM) to my '02. Pics and fitting instructions to come, but it's worth pointing out right now that Signal Dynamics have reprogrammed these units. I was freaking out about my voltage until they E-mailed me this (within 24 hours no less!): Because of "cold weather operating conditions", where folks are using electrically heated gloves, etc., the "trigger points of the voltage monitor have been changed as follows: Here are the modified voltage monitor trip points: Above 15.25 Blinking Green Above 12.9 Steady Green Above 12.6 Yellow Above 12.1 Red Below 12.0 Blinks Red So if you are about to buy one of these, you might get the new unit with the old status info sticker, and freak out like I did (it used to only flash red below 10 volts). What the change basically confirms is that your voltage monitor is only really useful while the engine is running and you're riding along. You basically need to ignore it while the engine is stopped or you're idling at traffic lights. Unless, that is, my bike should be pumping more than 12 volts even at idle.... EDIT: Bike charging system is fine but the bike's ignition-activated circuits suffer a voltage drop compared to the battery. See further posts for info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rivcyko Posted April 5, 2006 Member Contributer Share Posted April 5, 2006 Good. Very good. Told 'ya they wrere great to deal with. Glad they hooked you up so quick! :beer: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum CEO HispanicSlammer Posted April 6, 2006 Forum CEO Share Posted April 6, 2006 Yea it should be around 13v even at idle. I have been thinking of getting this unit from Kisan Tech, they give vfrd a 10% discount but then its not just a voltage meter its also a battery charger too. It has real battery testing and amperage reading. I think its a bit too expensive so I havent gotten one but I like the idea of just having an onboard battery charger, you know I am one of those guys who rides the bike right into the motel room, why not hook up the charger to the wall outlet too? http://www.kisantech.com/index.php?cat_id=5 border='0' alt='user posted image' /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer kaldek Posted April 6, 2006 Author Member Contributer Share Posted April 6, 2006 Yea it should be around 13v even at idle.I have been thinking of getting this unit from Kisan Tech, they give vfrd a 10% discount but then its not just a voltage meter its also a battery charger too. It has real battery testing and amperage reading. I think its a bit too expensive so I havent gotten one but I like the idea of just having an onboard battery charger, you know I am one of those guys who rides the bike right into the motel room, why not hook up the charger to the wall outlet too? http://www.kisantech.com/index.php?cat_id=5 border='0' alt='user posted image' /> <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Whoa! Expensive alright! A good investment still though? Anyway if my voltages are out of whack so much then perhaps I've caught this just in time. You know I *did* notice that the stator wires (three yellow) have a burn mark inside the rubber cover - perhaps I have the same problem that Miguel had with one phase burned up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rivcyko Posted April 6, 2006 Member Contributer Share Posted April 6, 2006 LOl. :beer: For that price, I would figure the least they could do is make the, "1", match. LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer dutchinterceptor Posted April 6, 2006 Member Contributer Share Posted April 6, 2006 I added a switch to mine and I only turn it on when I'm running accessories. I screwed up and bought the top mount unit but the led stuck up enough where I could still conceal it. It's a pretty cool gadget. border='0' alt='user posted image' /> border='0' alt='user posted image' /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer kaldek Posted April 6, 2006 Author Member Contributer Share Posted April 6, 2006 I added a switch to mine and I only turn it on when I'm running accessories. I screwed up and bought the top mount unit but the led stuck up enough where I could still conceal it. It's a pretty cool gadget. border='0' alt='user posted image' /> border='0' alt='user posted image' /> <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ouch - I couln't bring myself to drill a hole in my painted fairing right there. I put mine on the inner fairing under the handlebars. Actually, too far under the bars and now I can't see it at all. LOL! I'll move it later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer kaldek Posted April 6, 2006 Author Member Contributer Share Posted April 6, 2006 Well I just fired the bike up in the carpark at work. Red flashing light for static voltage (below 12v apparently). Bike starts & runs fine and goes to green (12.9v+) at idle! The voltage monitor is nifty because it has a 50khz sampling rate and when I hit my indicators, the LED would flash green/orange as the indicators pulled the voltage down. However, it went back to flashing red when I hit the high beams. It wasn't doing this when the engine was hot though - it kept telling me my voltages were <12.0v at idle then. Is the R/R and/or stator known to behave differently at temperature? Also, is it fair to say that overcharging issues appear to be the R/R and undercharging issues appear to be the Stator? Or is it possible for the R/R to do both... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer jeremy556 Posted April 6, 2006 Member Contributer Share Posted April 6, 2006 flashing red when I hit the high beams. You may want to throw a multimeter on and check your charging system. Mine never dips below 13 volts. I did have a bad R/R though that would put out 16V+ with the high beams on (normal otherwise though). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer kaldek Posted April 6, 2006 Author Member Contributer Share Posted April 6, 2006 You may want to throw a multimeter on and check your charging system. Mine never dips below 13 volts. I did have a bad R/R though that would put out 16V+ with the high beams on (normal otherwise though). <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hmm well it would flash green at me if that were the case (15.25V+). I'll need to compare the LED status with that of my multimeter when I get home. Bugger - wish I'd brought it with me to work! Actually, when my ECU was tripping off about 2 weeks ago I strapped my multimeter to the bike. The charging system was working perfectly back then - steady 14.0V while riding and hovering around 13V or so when idling. Since then I've replaced that notorious 30-amp fuse. Hmm, I wonder if the fuse melting was a symptom of something wrong with the R/R? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer kaldek Posted April 6, 2006 Author Member Contributer Share Posted April 6, 2006 Okay - problem diagnosed! The location where I'm taking power for the voltage monitor is suffering a voltage drop compared to the battery voltage, of anywhere between .5 and 1 volt. This is causing the voltage monitor to freak out and tell me that my voltages are "like, too low, man!" (that would be a red flashing light). This is the same place I chose to power my SmarTire tire pressure monitoring system, and is where the bank angle sensor draws power. Am I asking too much? Maybe I need to set up an "accessories" circuit, which has its own relay and draws direct off the battery (when the igniton is on). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer kaldek Posted April 6, 2006 Author Member Contributer Share Posted April 6, 2006 Well that was a waste of four fracking hours. Without engaging my brain first, I decided it was a "good idea" to try and source power for the voltage meter from the R/R. Only AFTER I splice the wires do I realise that, well, DUH - the R/R *always* has power from the battery even when the ignition is off. So then I repair the splice I made in the wire and put it all back together, but still I find that practically everything at the front of the bike - headlights included - is 0.5 volts down compared to the battery. WTF?! Somewhere in the system I must have some high resistance, but who the frack knows! Now I gotta pull the bike apart *again* later on once I've expended yet another few hours researching just where the resistance must be. In the meantime I have a voltage meter which is constantly telling me that my voltage is too low. Sigh...I'm freakin' worn OUT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer kaldek Posted April 8, 2006 Author Member Contributer Share Posted April 8, 2006 OK, problem has finally been resolved. I will post a full "Howto" on the fix later, but I basically set up a new accessories circuit, powered directly off the battery and activated by a relay which is hooked into the tail light. I'm now seeing battery voltage at the voltmeter. Wheee! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rivcyko Posted April 8, 2006 Member Contributer Share Posted April 8, 2006 Shhwwweeet! :thumbsup: Glad you were able to come to a resolution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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