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Re: Voltmeters vs. Ampmeters

To: british-cars@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Voltmeters vs. Ampmeters
From: phile@pwcs.stpaul.gov (Philip J Ethier)
Date: Wed, 2 Jun 93 16:49:07 CDT
Andrew C. Green writes>
>This reminds me, btw, of useless a voltmeter seems to be when compared
>with an ampmeter ("ammeter" in the U.S.?). 

Yes

>With a charging problem, for
>example, you get to see the problem expressed in terms of amps of discharge,
>as opposed to a suspiciously low voltage reading that may or may not be
>sinking.

Richard O. Lindsay adds +

+I agree with Andy Green's comments about the usefulness
+of a voltmeter in a car.  ...  For
+my money, the ammeter is a MUCH more meaningful guage.

You guys are just determined to make me put the ammeter back in the Europa
aren't you?  Damn.  It offends my sense of simplicity to run a husky wire 
from the voltage regulator, around the engine compartment, through the 
firewall, along the side of the tunnel, behind the dash to the ammeter, back 
down the tunnel, through the firewall, around the engine compartment to the 
battery which is less than two feet from the voltage regulator.  I figured I 
could skip out on it by just tapping the voltmeter lead off the power line as 
it arrived at the dash, and skip out on the return line.

>This issue has come up before, but I was reminded of it when we acquired
>(with Phil E.'s guidance; thanks, Phil!) our very own Mighty K-wagon last
>week.

Phsaw. Twar'n't nuthin'.

>Fortunately the K-wagon dash has acres of empty space suitable for some
>nice in-dash mounting of proper gauges (Smiths, if possible!).

The ammeter in the Lotus is the only mismatched gauge.  It is a Stewart-Warner.
The rest are Smiths.  They are the kind that has the needle pivot on the top,
so the conventional S-W really looks different.

Phil Ethier, THE RIGHT LINE, 672 Orleans Street, Saint Paul, MN   55107-2676
h (612) 224-3105  w (612) 298-5324     phile@pwcs.stpaul.gov             USA
"The workingman's GT-40" - Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman


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