Voltage Question??

[Lew L]

So, I've put a volt meter/ USB outlet on my V-Max ( thus the off topic board).

I have 13+ volts at the battery ( a Lithium battery) but 11.9 at the fuse block and the meter itself, where I'm tapping off for the voltmeter. I could tap into the feed wire for the fuse block but space in there is very limited. I know there shouldn't be a voltage drop---------


Any thoughts are appreciated,

Lew L

[Chupaca]

I would guess for a true reading you would have to go directly to the battery and not through the system. Then of course you can calculate the difference between them and add it to the guage and you will have the correct voltage.. I know, not what you had in mind.....

[Easy Rider]

I know there shouldn't be a voltage drop---------

Assuming no, or very little, current flow, there should be NO voltage drop.

If there is, there likely is a bad connection somewhere and it could be the (-) ground side and not the positive.

Now this also could be caused by not using a good ground for some of the readings.

Regardless, you really NEED to find out why instead of just "working around" it.

[Bob Denman]

I think that I'd want to take a much closer look at those connections also: that much loss concerns me.

[wyliec]

I had similar problem on my 2008GS. I have a digital meter that is connected to my battery thru a fuse block. Normally when cruising I show 14.17 volts. Then I connected this to a powerlet outlet:

http://www.powerlet.com/product/powe...-coil-cable/49

Without anything plugged into it, I couldn't get above 13.75 volts on the digital meter. The powerlet outlet that I was plugged into was in parallel where the digital meter was connected. I thought about it for a few minutes, and disconnected the dual cigarette socket, and the voltage on the meter went up. The only thing I noted on the dual cigarette socket was a light that lit, when plugged in, along with the 24" leads. Needless to say I don't use it.

I continue plugging my gps into the original powerlet outlet, and that does not affect the voltage at the digital meter.