Thanks to all you guys for the info. Still think that I will use an ammeter unless someone out there will sell me a SW Stage 3 Voltmeter. I want all of the gauges match. SW Stage 3 gauges have the needles mounted horizontal (almost horizontal) and not vertical.
This is speaking to an alternator install and is totally correct. If you're running a generator, an ammeter will give better info due to the differences in how the two produce power.
The nice thing about an amp gauge is that it gives instant notification if something is or isn't on (like Tommy said) Here's a few amp gauges on this thing. 7 amp gauges & only 2 volt gauges. Gives you an idea of whats really important (on an airplane at least)
Only issue with the aircraft photo is, remember an engineer sized and spec'd each of those amp meters to the system it was used in!
I **** canned my perfectly working alternator and rebuilt a generator for it. It has more than one wire but I'm smart enough to figure it out
The stock ammeter in my 49 Ford doesn't connect to the power wire. The wire goes through a coil on the back of the gauge.
i don't see the need for one. i'm powering the ignition, headlights and dash lights at night and my tail/brake lights.
If you have a minimalist car, you can get away with a generator. Although not always; I used to own a '64 Comet and on dark, cold, rainy nights the generator couldn't keep up with the lighting, heater, and wiper loads and I'd have to turn the heater off to allow it to 'catch up' until the windows started to fog... The largest automotive generator I've ever seen was only 50 amps, most were 30. And when your generator fails in Nowhere, Wyoming, just try to get parts or a replacement....
If you have A/C, electric cooling fans and power windows this is really not the best site for you. You need a street rod site. None of my cars have that fancy stuff All my cars start immediately unless they have been sitting a lot. If I do have to crank it a lot to get fuel into the carb., it only takes a few seconds for the generator to replenish the supply into the battery. We need to compare apples to apples. I don't want a street rod...I want a hotrod. I just realized that I don't even have a heater in any of my toys. I took the radio and heater out of my 56 to make it the bargain ba*****t Mainline model that was sought out for it's light weight in the 60s (racing) We don't need no stinkin' heaters. You young guys will not understand.
The Jalopy Journal
