[DeTomaso] Amp gauge

Sat May 19 11:07:21 EDT 2012

I completely agree with you Kirby. I see an amp gauge perhaps useful in
the design of a car but once a car and electrical system is designed to
carry a specific load, reading the load is a bit unnecessary unless there
is a problem. Problems can come in many sorts.

An amp meter is useful in that it can give you some idea of load in a
problematic situation but it isn't going to give your critical info. Is
your alternator charging, before you start up what is your voltage, etc.
When you know where your voltage is in charging you know anytime the
voltage comes off that mark you have an issue and often load has nothing
to do with it. A short would; in that case you just look for the smoke.

I can see the wow factor in an amp gauge but with a properly designed car
it just doesn't give you the critical info a volt gauge does. Great, your
headlights are on and your fans are on and you can see what the load is.
If your alternator cannot keep up the car was improperly set up
electrically.

Gary

>
> 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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