AMP METER OR VOLT METER? Which would be better?

Discussion in 'General Maverick/Comet' started by sgaugeguy, Oct 12, 2009.

  1. sgaugeguy

    sgaugeguy Bob Kraus

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    I will be purchasing gauges in the near future. I will be getting a trio which will include a mechanical oil pressure & electric water temp. gauge. Im not sure which to get for the third one? A volt gauge or an amp gauge. I was leaning towards an amp gauge but I thought I would ask you guys. I also need to know what it mean when the amp gauge needs to be shunt? The gauge I was looking at stated that it was NOT internally shunted? Ive never heard of this word nor do I know what it means! Any help would be Great. Thanks ... Bob
     
    sgaugeguy, Oct 12, 2009
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  2. 72MAVGRABHER

    72MAVGRABHER Maverick Mechanic

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    A meter shunt involves meter movement with a small current rating to be used to measure a much larger current. For example, 1 milliamp through a meter coil will represent 1.5 amps by shunting most of the current through the 0.1 Ohm resistor. (amplifying)

    I would get a voltmeter.. more practical for everyday driving. If when the car is running and you see the meter drop below the 14-12 safe range to say 11 or lower, then your alternator is prolly going bad and your battery will then support the current load until it dies. You dont HAVE to have either.. its just a guage for people like me that keep an :16suspect out on things...
     
    72MAVGRABHER, Oct 12, 2009
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  3. mavdog71

    mavdog71 Member

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    Volt meter is my vote safer

    Amp meter runs all the voltage thru the meter if the meter goes bad your dead in the water ( ROAD )




    I lost a volt meter on a back road late one night in the rain NO LIGHT in the dark almost got hit by a truck
     
    mavdog71, Oct 12, 2009
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  4. Mavman72

    Mavman72 Gone backwards but lookin' forward

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    The reason for a shunt is so you dont have all that amperage going inside the car...(an ammeter is a fire hazzard if it shorts out)Go with a volt meter,much easier to understand whats going on in the system.An ammeter will fluctuate depending on current usage at any given moment.
     
    Mavman72, Oct 12, 2009
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  5. Cpt. Bondo

    Cpt. Bondo Member

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    I would also recommend the Volt Meter for daily driving.

    Other than shorting out the wiring when I least needed it to happen (read that as the middle of no where), I've also had an amp gauge catch fire and almost burn one of my old trucks down. Luckily I had a full fire extinguisher in the bed box to put the dash out with.

    Needless to say, I haven't trusted or run an amp gauge ever since.

    -Scott H.
     
    Cpt. Bondo, Oct 12, 2009
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  6. facelessnumber

    facelessnumber Drew Pittman

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    Well, I'm gonna go against the flow here and say I prefer an ammeter if I have to choose one or the other. To me it's not a matter of either/or. One's not a replacement for the other; they don't do the same thing, and I think what an ammeter has to say about what's going on with the system is more useful to me.

    But yeah, if you don't wire it right, use a shunt or at least leave yourself a fast and convenient way to bypass it, an ammeter can be dangerous if it fails. Voltmeters are idiot proof.
     
    facelessnumber, Oct 13, 2009
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