DC Volt Meters

[cruiserlarry]

Damn it Scott. I don't know where to put that gauge in my truck.

I feel for you bro - I was thinking the same thing....

[DaveK]

Well.............the voltmeter arrived today. Very small, well sealed, simple (2 connectors on the back +/-) and bright enough to see at night and during the day. In spite of its small size, the digits are easily readable from quite a distance. I am going to install an inline switch to give me the option of avoiding any light distraction at night.

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[OLLIE]

Wow. That is compact.

[DaveK]

Installation complete. It's size makes finding a location easy. In driving around today and last night, I was satisfied that the light is adequate for both extremes.

At the bottom right of the photo below, is the on/off switch for the meter.

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[sdnative]

That looks good. Almost factory. Now you need to wire it inot the factory dimmer control. How is the blue at night? I have a stereo with blue LED lighting and it is very distracting at night. So much so that I almost took it out until I figured out how to turn it off. I would much prefer green.

[Fetus]

Very clean installation, Dave.

[cruiserlarry]

Looks great - I'll check it out when you stop by tomorrow

I'm thinking of getting one and hooking it to a 3-way switch so I can check both batteries w/ one gauge. looks cleaner than the other gauges I've seen, and the size is awesome for tight spaces. I agree with Eric about the blue color, but everyone is different - I'll see what other choices are available and decide from there...

[DaveK]

Thanks guys for the kind words.

As far as the blue color is concerned, couple of notes. This particular meter was available in two colors, red and blue and I think some of the other meters may be available in green as well. I chose blue because my color blindness makes it very difficult to see red (especially) or green. For those with full color vision, the red (and probably the green) may be a better choice. The brightness of the blue, for me, makes it very easy to read.

At night, the blue is borderline "too bright" and that is part of the reason why I installed the on/off switch. Alan Appelgate has suggested another solution, that will "cool it off", consisting of the installation of a piece of neutral-density filter material (available at places like Hobby Lobby). Personally, with 2 nights of driving, it seems ok. Time here will tell. If there is a way to "dim it" without affecting the accuracy of the readings, I will install it.

Part of its value has been monitoring the battery(s) when we do the nets. It gives me an idea what effect our long winded discussions are having on the battery. On HF, it is even more helpful since the power used is greater.