Analog voltmeter

[robertbarr]

OK, I've read through numerous posts here in the Electrical section about various charging system indicator designs, most involving bar graphs or LED's, and I'm pretty certain that what I trust a lot more is the old-fashioned ANALOG voltmeter to show me that my stator is dutifully shoving electrons where they're needed.

Since this is for a bike, I'm looking at marine units. The brand names of Faria and Teleflex keep popping up, and some of the prices are pretty reasonable.

Now, I don't suspect that these items are 100% waterproof, and they're all 2" panel type anyhow (which in theory won't be underwater -- depends on who's piloting the boat, I suppose...). So:

1) How to keep a marine gauge halfway water-resistant

2) How to not re-invent the wheel here.

I've been coveting one of these, in particular:

http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Teleflex-Eclipse-Instruments-Voltimeter&i=73317&aID=601M16A&merchID=4006

.. but perhaps someone else has a cooler analog meter setup?

Plenty of worthy candidates living here: http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...l_8fsd07ynb2_b

I'd want it mounted to the left and below the instrument panel a bit. Appearance isn't crucial, but -- I mean, this isn't Coney Island, either.

[Guest]

Ok I'm going to tune in.

After spending hours making mine up with the 20 LED's etc. I've given up on it as it's just too hard to find somewhere really neat to mount it. I think the only successful way would be to make a PCB for it that is far more condensed than my breadboard way, and that's something I don't have time or facilities for.

If I do what I'm hoping and go the Acewell gauge route I should have some room up front for something like this, although 2" sounds a little large for me...

I'm making a fly screen at the moment which should in theory keep a lot of water off the gauges though, so water resistant should be sufficient for my needs...

[tom203]

If it's got to do with marine, it's overpriced! try my economical solution. Vector plug in meter- cut off plug, it's about 2 inch square and .5 inch thick. I just bent a bracket out of aluminum and bent it to attach to handlebar bolt and superglue the meter to it. Just reads to tenths, do you really need more info???? I thin coated meter with clear silicone to waterproof it. I travel very bumping roads and it still functions! Cheap! a guy in texas has a bunch for $10.