I ordered a couple of those LED Voltage gauges mentioned by Marty and Cam in another thread and they arrived yesterday. Not being the cluest bloke with the green smoke I need to find an easy switched 12-volt connection and an earth. I don't want to compromise the ignition at all. I am not super keen to enter the forbidden Headlight area, sleeping dogs, and all that. Any tips for finding the best way to tap supply. I was thinking one of the extra horn spades as I have 2 unused connections there. How about earths, not keen to run all the way to the battery. I will probably buy one of those piggyback spade connectors
Picking Up
- Thread starter Vince
- Start date
DaveB
Junior member
- Location
- Modbury North
I added one to my Guzzi 1100 Sport, with power through a relay tapped into the power to the rear tail light. Comes on as soon as ignition turned on. In other words, a relay is installed on output side of battery, with the switch on the relay tapped into the tail light wire (so as long as voltage is going to tail light the relay remained powered) then other side of the switch would go to voltage gauge.
You can go without the relay if you wish, but I use the relay to provide reliable power to horns, accessories etc just for safety’s sake.
You can go without the relay if you wish, but I use the relay to provide reliable power to horns, accessories etc just for safety’s sake.
chrisk
Hero member
- Location
- Brisbane, Australia
They use ten tenths of power Vince, just find a switched power in the spaghetti filled headlight, and piggyback off that.
Dellortoman
Hero member
- Location
- Tasmania, Australia
If you don’t wanna delve into the headlight, you could lift the tank and use a power wire to the coils. It won’t mess up the ignition. Earth the other wire to the coil mount or anywhere else convenient.
martymoose
Hero member
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
It’s only 12 volts what could possibly go wrong?
martymoose
Hero member
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
Don’t you have a USB plug on your dashboard vince? I hope that is switched power. Splice into the back of that?
It's not switched, permanent 12 volts, and it's used to power my Phone as a GPS. I am going to tap off my coil. I did have switched power up there for the heated grips but there now directly connected to the battery, they have a chip that turns them off when the ignition is off or power drops below 12 volts. Nothings happening this long weekend, it will be hell and well over 40 in there.