Wiring in a battery charge monitor

[comanche91]

The fuse install detailed here http://www.mzriders.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=3967&p=21280&hilit=rectifier#p21280 does a good job of protecting the regulator/rectifier module, but it does nothing to indicate if your battery is charging to specs while riding. A good way to fix this problem is wire in an aftermarket LED charge monitor that indicates the voltage input to the battery.

I chose the Signal Dynamics 1050 battery monitor found here: http://www.signaldynamics.com/products/Modules/huvm.asp and it works great. It's easy to hook up (only requires IGN-switched 12V and ground). The multicolored indicating LED is external, so it can be mounted anywhere it's visible. I picked up the 12V and ground inside the headlamp shell, and mounted the module in there also with tie wraps. I mounted the LED on the fork next to the ignition switch into a drilled 1/4" hole. The mounting bezel for the LED is included with the kit. The LED colors indicate the voltage applied to the battery as below:

Flashing GREEN - Voltage above 15.25 VDC
Steady GREEN - Voltage above 12.9 VDC
Steady AMBER- Voltage above 12.6 VDC
Steady Red - Voltage above 12.1 VDC
Flashing Red - Voltage below 12 VDC

I got a nice steady GREEN while driving. A good modification, inexpensive, will work with all 12V motorcycles, and it's nice to know your battery is charging as it should be before it's too late. In the picture below the LED looks like it's YELLOW but it is GREEN.

[95SaxonTour]

Pretty cool mod, Don! You can hardly see it-super stealth.

I was going to run a led charge guage and mount it where you
have it, but your install looks alot cleaner. The fuse mod is the
first order of business this weekend. I don't know about the Silver
Star, but removing the seat of a Tour is a royal pita.

I do like the classic look of the Silver Star's guage cluster. Nice to
see that the mph is the minor reading on the speedo too. Is it back
lit in red light at night too?

Ryan

[comanche91]

Thanks Ryan. You can see from the tach that I'm at about 1500RPM when I took the pic; that's about when the LED changes from amber to green indicating a normal charge voltage on a healthy battery. Since it's winter I'm not riding as much I suspect the green light will come on earlier when the battery's fully charged. The illumination gauge back lighting is normal incandescent yellow - hey it's old school.

[95SaxonTour]

Don,

Where did you tap in for the power to the light? Brown wire to headlight?
I have my heated grips plugged into that wire.

Ryan

[comanche91]

Don,

Where did you tap in for the power to the light? Brown wire to headlight?
I have my heated grips plugged into that wire. Ryan

I picked up IGN switched 12V from the "city" light circuit, the grey wire. The city light is always ON whenever the IGN switch is ON, and is on the same circuit as the tail lamp running light. But I'm not sure it the Saxon has a city light. And all brown wires on my bike are ground. Do you have a multimeter or test light? It's important to get the polarity right to the module. On my Silvy, the headlamp LOW beam is GRN; the HI beam is WHT. The GRN LOW beam will also work as the IGN 12V input to the box, as it's always on. Your Saxon may be different - gotta verify it w. a test light.

[95SaxonTour]

Your right, Don

I have the grips on the low beam yellow wire. Didnt want to overload the
charging system running high beam and grips.

Ill probably splice in for the guage on the grey city light wire too (yep, Tours
have em too)

Ryan