First time using a multimeter

[BBrowning]

In addition to the above, and I mentioned reacquainting myself to a multimeter in a range I don't normally use, this Wagner Halogen Headlamp (or something like it) can be a good was to check and test to be sure you are in the right range-

H4656, Wagner Sealed Rectangular Halogen Beam (Low) (18533)

Low Beam Halogen, 18533, low beam halogen, low beam, halogen, federal, wagner, H4656, Wagner Sealed Rectangular Halogen Beam (Low) (18533), LITE, Lights, Lamps, Bulbs, Head Lamps, H4656 Halogen Headlight Bulb, H4656 HALOGEN SEALED BEAM, 01-AH-4656, H4656BULB, 15-34656, 02144913, 08312707...

www.unityparts.com

• Design Volts Secondary: 12.80
• Design Watts Secondary: 35.00
• Design Amps Secondary: 2.73

OM

We use to do this quite often in the Automotive world. Put the head light in series with the battery cable and the Battery post. When you had a harness short or some such and needed to have a good resistance to take some of the load while you looked for the issue. Pulling each circuit fuse until the light went out would identify the short or draw. Then a methodical harness wiggle or device disconnect on that particular circuit. Could take time but sometimes the smoke would let you now exactly where Later in the business we had better tools, Thermal Imagers, Power probes, etc, So this old reliable way stayed on the shelf. Parasitic draw is a major issue in the New Automotive world.

 

[adamchandler]

Yeah, I think above people were right, it was 1.5 MAH which wasn't much. I may have gone to the extreme here:

I still haven't figured out which accessory is causing the issue. But it was definitely NOT my front wheel.

 

[adamchandler]

 

[adamchandler]

Okay but seriously, I replaced the battery, I ruled out it was anything OEM and was most certainly an accessory I installed myself (even though nothing has changed in years).

List of accessories going through a PDM 60 (which is controlled by an ignition switch)

1. PDM 60
2. Thinkware M1 Dashcam
3. Qi wireless iPhone charger from MotoPowerPuck
4. Denali Soundbomb
5. Sargent Heated Seat w/ controller
6. Garmin Zumo XT
7. Clearwater Erica + Sevina + Darla + Billy Brake light
8. Powerlet for heated gear I've never used
9. RLink GPS monitor (theft + creates a GPX file every time I ride and puts it on dropbox for me)
10. ....I think that's it.

but none of those devices has changed in 2+ years.

So I've done the only thing I can do which is I decided to fix the problem once and for all. I pick this up on Friday:

I'm going to ditch the PDM60 and give the https://www.neutrinoblackbox.com/ a try. I'll also be ditching a few things:

1. Sargent Seats support OEM heat so I'll be ditching their heat controller
2. Eliminating a dashcam since in 5 years I've never even used it..well just once but that was to make sure it was still working after 3 years installed
3. Eliminating the Powerlet
4. Eliminating the sound bomb

I've also decided that I don't have enough lights so Clearwater is making me a custom harness that supports (2) Dixis, (1) Erica, (1) Sevina. I'm going to try to see if I can have them do Darlas as well but we're pushing beyond 25 amps maximum for each circuit on the Neutrino.

So I'm simplifying the accessories situation quite a bit.

FYI Moderators, I'll start a new thread for the new bike but this was super helpful and I appreciate everyone coming in to lend a hand.

 

[pauls1150]

As in what OldCamper said in Post 19?
This is an issue with "auto-ranging" instruments - they sometimes can't decide where they should be, or they get mis-interpreted by the user. Is your instrument analog (swinging needle) or digital? Sometimes a user will be looking at the wrong Scale on the face of an analog device.
Clarification: mA is miliamps of current, but mAh involves how long the source can supply the current before it's depleted.
Reminder: some states have laws limiting the number of headlights you can have illuminated at the same time.
OK, it wasn't the front wheel; maybe it's the back?

 

[adamchandler]

As in what OldCamper said in Post 19?
This is an issue with "auto-ranging" instruments - they sometimes can't decide where they should be, or they get mis-interpreted by the user. Is your instrument analog (swinging needle) or digital? Sometimes a user will be looking at the wrong Scale on the face of an analog device.
Clarification: mA is miliamps of current, but mAh involves how long the source can supply the current before it's depleted.
Reminder: some states have laws limiting the number of headlights you can have illuminated at the same time.
OK, it wasn't the front wheel; maybe it's the back?

Relevant to this thread on the lights topic. My current setup (Headlight + OEM Fog Lights + (1) Erica + (1) Sevina + (2) Darla lights, if you see me riding, you’ll see yellow Darla fog lights at 10% power (lowest setting) and the headlight. My setup is that 99% of the time. Only when I engage high beams does every light go to full power. I used that a lot in West Virginia back roads when I drove overnight home. I tent to drive until i can’t anymore then setup my tent in the dark (have only ever hit a deer once) but I’ve never used my high beams during the day or at night when anyone else is around.

The new bike will be setup with these lights:
(2) Dixi + (1) Erica + (1) Sevina. The inner lights of the Dixi (basically like a Darla) will be at 10% all of the time and colored yellow. The rest will be high beam only. Those 4 lights together draw 25 amps at 100%. It’ll be about 330 watts at 100%. Clearwater is actually building me a custom harness because no one has wanted that much power on one harness before. But I’d never ever run them around people or cars. It’s dangerous. My passion for night riding and overnight road trips is strong and I’m not sure I’ll ever give it up. I’m driving to MaxBMW on Friday overnight in my truck to pickup the new bike, 12 hours each way.

 

[pglaves]

Relevant to this thread on the lights topic. My current setup (Headlight + OEM Fog Lights + (1) Erica + (1) Sevina + (2) Darla lights, if you see me riding, you’ll see yellow Darla fog lights at 10% power (lowest setting) and the headlight. My setup is that 99% of the time. Only when I engage high beams does every light go to full power. I used that a lot in West Virginia back roads when I drove overnight home. I tent to drive until i can’t anymore then setup my tent in the dark (have only ever hit a deer once) but I’ve never used my high beams during the day or at night when anyone else is around.

The new bike will be setup with these lights:
(2) Dixi + (1) Erica + (1) Sevina. The inner lights of the Dixi (basically like a Darla) will be at 10% all of the time and colored yellow. The rest will be high beam only. Those 4 lights together draw 25 amps at 100%. It’ll be about 330 watts at 100%. Clearwater is actually building me a custom harness because no one has wanted that much power on one harness before. But I’d never ever run them around people or cars. It’s dangerous. My passion for night riding and overnight road trips is strong and I’m not sure I’ll ever give it up. I’m driving to MaxBMW on Friday overnight in my truck to pickup the new bike, 12 hours each way.

I understand your intent but have some trepidation. The human eye takes some time to adjust from a bright environment to a dimmer, darker environment. So riding along in muule deer, wild hog, and wild burro country at night with all the great high beam lights blazing, if I suddenly meet a car coming around the curve or popping up on that hill, when switch to low beam I am in trouble. In my mind the amount of light on high beam and on low beam needs to be approximately similar. Aiming, of course, must make the difference between high and low beam configurations.

 

[adamchandler]

I understand your intent but have some trepidation. The human eye takes some time to adjust from a bright environment to a dimmer, darker environment. So riding along in muule deer, wild hog, and wild burro country at night with all the great high beam lights blazing, if I suddenly meet a car coming around the curve or popping up on that hill, when switch to low beam I am in trouble. In my mind the amount of light on high beam and on low beam needs to be approximately similar. Aiming, of course, must make the difference between high and low beam configurations.

Definitely dialogue for another thread. Until cars have short-range RF transmitters that alert other vehicles that they're approaching, I'm going to put my ability to see the road ahead and animals ahead of the speed of people's adjusting eyeballs to the light. I am very conservative with my high beam usage as in I'm in the middle of nowhere, maybe a car every 2-3 minutes at most and then I turn them on.

 

[pglaves]

Definitely dialogue for another thread. Until cars have short-range RF transmitters that alert other vehicles that they're approaching, I'm going to put my ability to see the road ahead and animals ahead of the speed of people's adjusting eyeballs to the light. I am very conservative with my high beam usage as in I'm in the middle of nowhere, maybe a car every 2-3 minutes at most and then I turn them on.

I do understand. Your 40 year old eyes adapt much quicker than my 79 year old eyes, with one artificial lens and one remaining cataract. What won't work for me may work OK for you. Carry on!

As for the middle of nowhere, on Google Maps find the "Glaves Adobe". Welcome to the middle of nowhere.

 

[akbeemer]

I do understand. Your 40 year old eyes adapt much quicker than my 79 year old eyes, with one artificial lens and one remaining cataract. What won't work for me may work OK for you. Carry on!

As for the middle of nowhere, on Google Maps find the "Glaves Adobe". Welcome to the middle of nowhere.

Wow, you can tell that you've made it to the Big Time when your residence is identified by name on G Maps. Closest I ever came is that night I resided in the Princess Anne County Jail. It appears you have a small bit of civilization nearby in the form of a General Store.

 

[adamchandler]

I do understand. Your 40 year old eyes adapt much quicker than my 79 year old eyes, with one artificial lens and one remaining cataract. What won't work for me may work OK for you. Carry on!

As for the middle of nowhere, on Google Maps find the "Glaves Adobe". Welcome to the middle of nowhere.

Hey now, I’m 37!

I’m not helping myself, am I?