[DeTomaso] Amp gauge

Sat May 19 06:54:10 EDT 2012

12 volts!

:-)

On May 19, 2012, at 2:00 AM, Tomas Gunnarsson wrote:

> My point is that you have no idea of what system voltage the transition from
> discharge to charge happens at.
> 
> Tomas
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com
> [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com]On Behalf Of Kirby Schrader
> Sent: den 19 maj 2012 03:26
> To: Tomas Gunnarsson
> Cc: detomaso at realbig.com
> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Amp gauge
> 
> 
> Well, the voltage starts increasing instead of decreasing.
> It does take some getting used to, I'll admit.
> 
> I really like the fact that all those heavy wires are gone from under my
> dash.
> 
> 
> On May 18, 2012, at 1:49 PM, Tomas Gunnarsson wrote:
> 
>> Yes, but the voltmeter won't tell you when you're starting to charge
> again.
>> 
>> Tomas
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Larry - Ohio Time Corp [mailto:larry at ohiotimecorp.com]
>> Sent: den 18 maj 2012 19:52
>> To: 'Tomas Gunnarsson'; detomaso at realbig.com
>> Subject: RE: [DeTomaso] Amp gauge
>> 
>> 
>> True Tomas, but if you are not charging over 12 volts you soon will have a
>> problem and best start turning stuff off.
>> 
>> Larry - Cleveland
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com]
> On
>> Behalf Of Tomas Gunnarsson
>> Sent: Friday, May 18, 2012 1:18 PM
>> To: detomaso at realbig.com
>> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Amp gauge
>> 
>> Having had a car with both a volt and an ammeter installed I've come to
> the
>> conclusion that if I can only have one of the two, it's the ammeter. With
>> the resolution of a normal dash gauge the voltage reading doesn't tell you
>> squat about whether you are discharging the battery with 10A or charging
> it
>> with 10A. Most people are probably better off without any of the two, if
> you
>> can't interpret the reading you're just going to be nervous. Most other
> cars
>> get by with the alternator idiot light. :-)
>> 
>> Tomas
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Kirby Schrader [mailto:kirby.schrader at gmail.com]
>> Sent: den 18 maj 2012 18:42
>> To: MikeLDrew at aol.com
>> Cc: guson at home.se; mikael_hass at mail.tele.dk; detomaso at realbig.com
>> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Amp gauge
>> 
>> 
>> On Fri, May 18, 2012 at 10:32 AM,  <MikeLDrew at aol.com> wrote:
>>>>>> Actually, the *correct* way is to connect the load to the ammeter.
>>> That way the ammeter reads correctly under all circumstances.   You WANT
>> to run
>>> all electrical loads through the instrument that is designed to measure
>> all
>>> electrical loads. :>)
>> 
>> I disagree and can not at all see how this approach is valuable...
>> That's the way my GT40 came 'incorrectly' wired.
>> As you turned things on (fans came on, A/C compressor, etc. etc.),
>> the ammeter kept climbing as it measured all the loads. Do you really
>> care?
>> I suppose for bragging rights. Look at me!!!! 83 amps!!! Woohoo!
>> 
>> In my case, the ammeter would be pegged 90% of the time. It gave me
>> absolutely no information other than more than 30 amps was going
>> somewhere. I had no idea if the alternator was keeping up with the
>> load and charging my battery or not.
>> I re-wired it so it read only the current being supplied to the battery.
>> Now I had information I could use and work with. I grew up as a hick
>> country farm boy on a farm in Kansas and every piece of equipment was
>> set up this way.
>> 
>> It is the classic ammeter hook up as Thomas described. You want to
>> know how much the alternator is supplying to charge the battery. If it
>> is reading positive, you are supplying all you need to the system plus
>> whatever the battery is requiring to be charged.
>> 
>> If it is negative, you have a problem. Your alternator is not keeping
>> up with demand _and_ your battery is not being charged. The battery is
>> supplying what the alternator cannot and then your battery is dead.
>> 
>> That is information that can be used.
>> 
>> As as a side note.... I used to think voltmeters were useless, but
>> over the years I have become a convert. The voltmeter will tell you
>> everything you need to know AND it does not require large gauge wires
>> and current to be routed to/through your dash.
>> 
>> Both cars now have voltmeters.
>> 
>> And I ain't changing my mind on this one.
>> So there.
>> :-)))
>> 
>> FWIW,
>> Kirby
>> 
>> 
>>> 
>>> With the various fan/headlight relay kits out there (Moseley/Boschert/
>>> Volts of Confidence/home-made), an aux fusebox is powered from the
>> ammeter.
>>> When the fans kick on, the ammeter shows an initial drop, then the needle
>>> comes back up as the voltage regulator steps up to allow the alternator
> to
>>> produce additional power.
>>> 
>>> Mike
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