Ammeter + Voltmeter

[DSjachna]

Anybody installed both? Would like to see description & pictures of your setup.

 

[FF LC FREAK]

Are you talking about having both in the stock gauge cluster? I have not seen that. However, adding a volt gauge is super simple. There's just 2 wires to hook up - positive and negative. Personally, I like having both. The ammeter tells me what my battery is doing. The volt gauge tells me what my alternator/voltage regulator is doing.

 

[lostmarbles]

I added a voltmeter because the -50/+50 ammeters in the stock combination meters never show any needle movement.

I put it alongside an air gauge for my planned diff locks (and the lights are to tell me when my diff locks are engaged, green for rear and red for front):

The wiring needs a feed for the gauge back-lighting that needs to liven up when you turn on your side/park lights.

And the voltage-sensing feed needs to liven only when the ign switch is turned on (to avoid a battery drain when your vehicle is sitting idle/unused).


So I took the feeds from my combination meter like this:

 

[DSjachna]

Are you talking about having both in the stock gauge cluster? I have not seen that. However, adding a volt gauge is super simple. There's just 2 wires to hook up - positive and negative. Personally, I like having both. The ammeter tells me what my battery is doing. The volt gauge tells me what my alternator/voltage regulator is doing.

I'm replacing the stock gauge cluster with a Dolphin/Shark gauge set which includes a volt meter in a 3"3/8" gauge which also includes Fuel,Temp.& Oil. The Volt meter requires a + & - source which, originally, I assumed the White & LB wires for the original ammeter would provided. Now I'm not sure this well work. However, discussed with BTB, not sure they understood what I was asking, but came away from conversation with the understanding that I could, in fact, tie the original White & LB wires into the new voltmeter even though there is a big size discrepancy been the original wires and new voltmeter wires. Now that I'm understanding more, would like to find a different source within the original harness for the needed +,- and save the original White and LB for a new Ammeter mounted somewhere outside the new gauge cluster. Help!!

 

[DSjachna]

Taking a second, third, & fourth look a the 78's USA wiring diagram, why couldn't I use the wires for the Full Throttle Position Switch from my +, - connection to the new Voltmeter.? My 78 is Desmogged so the FTP wires are unused.

 

[65swb45]

Answered your other thread.

 

[norm123]

Here's what i did for my ammeter replacement...just a voltmeter i extracted and made fit in the cluster, with some re-wiring it went without a hitch. not perfect, but it works, and is backlit pretty nice at night

 

[JohnVee]

My memory is foggy, but I don't think you can just put a voltmeter where the ammeter was and use the same wires - the ammeter wires aren't + and -. I installed a voltmeter and I think it was necessary to join the 2 ammeter wires together to bypass/disable the ammeter.

That said, it should be very easy to simply add a voltmeter somewhere while keeping the stock location ammeter.

 

[lostmarbles]

My memory is foggy, but I don't think you can just put a voltmeter where the ammeter was and use the same wires - the ammeter wires aren't + and -. I installed a voltmeter and I think it was necessary to join the 2 ammeter wires together to bypass/disable the ammeter.

That said, it should be very easy to simply add a voltmeter somewhere while keeping the stock location ammeter.

With the early -30/+30 ammeters all the main juice goes through the ammeter so what you say certainly applies there John (and you do indeed need to "bridge the gap" to keep the current flowing).

But a 1981 has the -50/+50 ammeter that is simply sensing voltage drop across the main fusible link (so it's really a millivoltmeter that's calibrated in a units of current) so there's no need to "bridge the gap" and Norm's new voltmeter can just use one of the original ammeter wires (that conveniently passes through a 5A fuse already) and an earth wire for voltage-sensing.

 

[JohnVee]

With the early -30/+30 ammeters all the main juice goes through the ammeter so what you say certainly applies there John (and you do indeed need to "bridge the gap" to keep the current flowing).

But a 1981 has the -50/+50 ammeter that is simply sensing voltage drop across the main fusible link (so it's really a millivoltmeter that's calibrated in a units of current) so there's no need to "bridge the gap" and Norm's new voltmeter can just use one of the original ammeter wires (that conveniently passes through a 5A fuse already) and an earth wire for voltage-sensing.

Good info. I wasn't aware of the 30 vs 50 difference.

 

[Bambi Girl]

Hi All
Volt / Amp gauge
After all my problems with the AGM battery i wanted to know is it charging or not.
I found this volt / amp gauge on EBay it looked good so I made a purchase and glad I did.
Very very happy with this product as It does much more than I expected the photos tell the story. Now there is no guessing on the condition of the start battery,
I have it mounted passenger side ( left side here down under ) between the heater box and the Aircon.
Nat loves it as it's something she can play with while driving along.
Girls and there toys!
Cheers

...via IH8MUD app