How's this look, assuming it fits (thinkin' it should):
http://bluesea.com/category/5/21/products/5028 (http://bluesea.com/category/5/21/products/5028)
Can also get it without the cover, but figured the cover would help better against the elements and also can hold two spare fuses. I'm thinking of eventually being able to use an electric vest &/or gloves for winter riding (depending where I go after Cali) so the extra two fuse spots could be useful for that among other things, or just storing a couple extra spares. The cover also has label spots for which fuse goes to what.
We wouldn't need one with a negative bus would we? They have one but don't think it applies.
Looks tasty. Mine wasn't high tech.
You wouldn't need the negative bus, but it would come in handy for the additional circuits.
I added an auxilliary power center up in the fairing on mine. Hooked it to the battery. Negative runs direct to negative post & positive runs through a 40A relay. The relay is tapped into the license plate light circuit so it turns on & off with the key. I now have 6 circuits available with relatively easy hookup. If you want just a couple extra circuits, the underseat location would work fine. See what the dimensions of the one with the negative bus are & if it will fit in the OEM location. Could make for a real slick install.
H2O
I also added in additional circuit under my dash. Makes for a clean installation, though I attached it to the panel. On the left photo, right of the photo is a ground bus, and the left is a 6-fuse block. On the far right is the switch to my running lights, seen on the photo to the right. After doing this, I probably might do it a different way, but this works. I'll be putting in a voltmeter on one of the fuse banks. With 55 watt running lights, I'm pretty much tapping out my generator when it's all on.
(http://www.pbase.com/moffetb/image/82715334/medium.jpg)
| (http://www.pbase.com/moffetb/image/80754080/medium.jpg)
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The fuse box looks like the one I saw at the NAPA store today. Decent l'il box. :)
that fuse box is the same one as on my Venture. I suggest NOW. You remove those running lights. The Vision only has a 20A alternator or ~260w. Just with your running lights and headlight your sucking 165w. Now touch the brake...theres 27w x 2...don't forget all the other little lights and electricals that are on. You are really maxed out.
My venture has 420watt alternator. I know that IT is almost maxed out with my pair of 55w access lights plus a few other items I have on it. With my Venture and the driving lights on. I have maybe 80w spare.
If you want to be seen. I suggest you just get a pair of aftermarket replacement turn signals. They have identical replacements but take 1157 bulbs. That's what my '83 has. They are listed in the D-K catalog.
Quote from: jasonm. on July 23, 2007, 07:30:12 PM
You remove those running lights
Running lights are a misnomer. They are normally off, and only turned on when I think they will help. No, I don't think they make me more visible during the day.
Brian
I have 55W aux lights as well. I keep an eye on my volt gauge. As long as I'm not running anything else - like cooling fan, turn signals, brake light, etc. I maintain over 14volts. As more electrics come on, the voltage drops. With everything on, the voltage never gets above about 12.5. I am just going to get a pair of 35W bulbs to put in the aux light housings. Will give me a much larger cushion for electrical use. PIAA makes the right style bulb and it puts out 55W and uses only 35W. Spendy, but excellent quality.
Exceeding your charging system capacity is not a reason to remove the lights. Just remember that you are running at the ragged edge of available power & prolonged use could drain the battery. However, under these circumstances, the R/R is not working nearly as hard to shunt the extra power to ground. Thus, less heat created and hopefully longer lasting charging system components.
Keeping an eye on the volt gauge keeps the chances of draining the battery to a minimum.
H2O
http://www.action-electronics.com/fuses.htm
About halfway down the page. They have 4, 6, and 8 fuse blocks. Its what i used, and it works perfectly. Just get some spade connectors and heat shrink tube, instead of my unneccesarily-hard-soldering-job.
Shiny. :) Now I just need to get the soldering and other tools and remember how to use 'em. ??? I knew the basics at one time about, ohhh, ten years ago. ::)
Quote from: Aelwulf on July 23, 2007, 10:59:35 PM
Shiny. :) Now I just need to get the soldering and other tools and remember how to use 'em. ??? I knew the basics at one time about, ohhh, ten years ago. ::)
Just make sure that you are getting the right solder for your iron. It is very frustrating using high temp solder with a low temp iron. ::)
Also make sure that you use solder flux. The past works the best and is less messy then the liquid flux. Twist all the connections together and then solder. That way if the solder becomes weak it will still hold together. Also make sure to get heat shrink to help add some strength and to weather proof the connections.
The best way to get back in practice is to get a small spool of wire (or scrap wire if you have it) and practice on that. You want to have almost no ohms after you solder the to pieces together when you are practicing. If you have even 1-2 ohms (which doesn't sound like much) you are causing resistance in the line and will create an excess voltage drop in the circuit. Shoot for less then .5 ohms on any connections that you are doing. Any voltage drop incured by the .5 ohms or less will be so negligable that you wont notice any difference. Ideally you should have 0 ohms at the connections, but it is pretty hard to get a solder connection that good. Best I have gotten is .05 ohms.
Most of the electrical solder I have bought has flux in it.
:) I use, on
ALL my
permanent connection's, blue butt connector's...which have a low heat solder ring inside a length of translucent, adhesive lined polyolefin (shrink) tube.They take the guess work out of the soldering process, give superior current flow and tensile strength AND give a waterproof seal... 8) They are also available in ring and spade's, in Blue, red and yellow "sleeve's".
Insert wire's, heat the shrink tube at both end's until its...shrunk!!!...heat the solder pellet ring until it melts and your done 8) 8) 8)
8).......TIGER....... 8)
Think I've seen ones like that, I'll have to look for 'em. :)
Don't solder it, really, its a huge pain in the ass and it's unneccesary compared to using spade connectors and heat shrink tubing.
I had a huge pain of a time getting mine soldered, and i'm pretty good with it.
For me talkin' about soldering would be the wire to the connector, not the the connector to the fuse box. :)
Quote from: inanecathode on July 25, 2007, 01:44:36 AM
Don't solder it, really, its a huge pain in the ass and it's unneccesary compared to using spade connectors and heat shrink tubing.
I had a huge pain of a time getting mine soldered, and i'm pretty good with it.
The problem that I see with using crimp connetors is that over time they come loose. I am a radio maintenance tech for the Air Force (working mostly on hand held and vehicle radios). When I first started working at my job we had so many problems with the connectors sheathing getting brittle and cracking/falling off over time and thus allowing the crimp to get exposed to the weather and corroding and eventually making a poor connection.
A few years ago we started soldering and using heat shrink tubing on all of our electrical connections and our failure rate is down to say 1% as opposed to almost 40% failure rate on the connections.
If you are using the proper solder and iron combination along with a good flux then the connection will be very strong, there wont be any expose wire (the flux actually makes the solder go up under the sheathing) and then cover it with heatshrink for added protection (manly so it can't ground out on anything) and you will have a very low resistance (.05-.2 ohms) connection that will last for many years. I've never had that kind of success using crimp connectors and shrink tube.
The stuff that Tiger mentioned seems very intriguing. Never heard of it before, but I might check it out and give it a try sometime.
Oooh ok, if you're soldering the connector to the wire that's what i'd do :P
Sorry about the confusion XD
To be honest, I'm just to damn lazy. I just yank out the crimp tool and hope for the best. :P
I soldered my wires directly to the lugs on the fuse box. no problems 7 years later....
i dare not look in there. I glued the seams to the box shut.
my fuse box (http://www.xz550.com/replmntparts_files/fuseblock.jpeg) has the lugs on the outside & a cover for the fuses.
This is what I'm starting to modify to use in my bike. Have not figured out how to mount it yet.
(http://rylibweb.man.ac.uk/spcoll/walk/walk11ax.jpg)
I see three ceramic fuses. One for each phase of the stator ;D
How about sliding dovetails on top of the fuel tank. Would look like a wooden tank bag and show off your wood & metal working skills at the same time! ;D
H2O
Quote from: Aelwulf on July 26, 2007, 02:11:31 PM
Quote from: h2olawyer on July 26, 2007, 02:07:11 PM
show off your wood
:o :-X
Get your mind out of the sewer and back into the gutter where it belongs! :D
H
2O
ROFL
Had to reread that a few times :D