Smd anolog volt meter question

[ChucklezZ 10+ year member]

how accurate is it or what's the difference when using it in the cig lighter port instead of wiring to the amp?

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[jaeguerra909 10+ year member]

That things so overpriced lmao

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

DROK Digital Car Voltmeter LED Red 12/24V Generator/Battery Voltage Monitor Cigarette Lighter Plug DC 8-30V - Amazon.com

There you go. Mine was just as accurate as a DMM measured at the battery terminals

 

[NASTY08IMPALA 5,000+ posts]

DROK Digital Car Voltmeter LED Red 12/24V Generator/Battery Voltage Monitor Cigarette Lighter Plug DC 8-30V - Amazon.com
There you go. Mine was just as accurate as a DMM measured at the battery terminals

Yes but then again ur measuring.voltage of whole car not.the amp which is what u want ..u wana wire one directly to amp

 

[SounDrive Pro Seller]

Yes but then again ur measuring.voltage of whole car not.the amp which is what u want ..u wana wire one directly to amp

If you have sufficiently sized wiring the voltage will be the same throughout the car.. Any voltage drop at the amp that isn't present anywhere else is caused by resistance in the wire

 

[NASTY08IMPALA 5,000+ posts]

If you have sufficiently sized wiring the voltage will be the same throughout the car.. Any voltage drop at the amp that isn't present anywhere else is caused by resistance in the wire

Still dont trust it ..thats why i do it right

 

[SounDrive Pro Seller]

Still dont trust it ..thats why i do it right

Either way is doing it right; that's why you calibrate the voltmeter with a DMM

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Still dont trust it ..thats why i do it right

If you have a different voltage at different points of your electrical system you're doing something terribly wrong and some more runs of power and ground will do you far more good than an overpriced Chinese volt meter with Steve Mead's name slapped on it.

 

[NASTY08IMPALA 5,000+ posts]

If you have a different voltage at different points of your electrical system you're doing something terribly wrong and some more runs of power and ground will do you far more good than an overpriced Chinese volt meter with Steve Mead's name slapped on it.

Very true im not promoting the smd product at all ...im just not a fan of cig volt.meters ..i wana know whats going.on directly at my amp ..not that i have any voltage drop to speak of just nice to know

 

[NASTY08IMPALA 5,000+ posts]

Either way is doing it right; that's why you calibrate the voltmeter with a DMM

Yes and when i calibrate it im doing it at the amp not the battery or cig lighter ..just piece of.mind

 

[neo_styles 10+ year member]

Very true im not promoting the smd product at all ...im just not a fan of cig volt.meters ..i wana know whats going.on directly at my amp ..not that i have any voltage drop to speak of just nice to know

The point that Tenacious and hispls are trying to convey is that you're talking about a closed-loop electrical system. Voltage should be the same across all points of that system. Doesn't matter whether you take it from the lighter, from the amp terminals, from the battery, or even from the HU (some display voltage). They'll all be the same. But if you take the extra steps to wire a voltmeter to read directly from the amp, more power to you. Neither way is "right" or "wrong" as, electrically, it's all the same.

 

[NASTY08IMPALA 5,000+ posts]

The point that Tenacious and hispls are trying to convey is that you're talking about a closed-loop electrical system. Voltage should be the same across all points of that system. Doesn't matter whether you take it from the lighter, from the amp terminals, from the battery, or even from the HU (some display voltage). They'll all be the same. But if you take the extra steps to wire a voltmeter to read directly from the amp, more power to you. Neither way is "right" or "wrong" as, electrically, it's all the same.

Oh i know they all should be the same ..but with some of he ridiculous questions and setups that get brought up here on daily basis ..im just cautious and weary i guess

 

[NASTY08IMPALA 5,000+ posts]

I mean what if u have a sketchy connection of wires at the cig lighterl or the cheap prongs om the plug get loose and dont.make contact well ...idk abt u but witu my system on blast nuthing stays plugged into the cig lighter ..it all rattles loose ..like my car charger for my phone

 

[Silverado SS 10+ year member]

I think the whole CT Sounds volt meter in the knob will catch fire, at least I think it should it can help a lot of the new guys be on top of there voltage which we all know is very important

 

[bbeljefe]

There are two things to consider with this meter. First, it's an analog meter rather than a digital meter and that means it responds more quickly to voltage drops, because it doesn't sample the voltage every X milliseconds, it simply displays the voltage in real time... all the time. That said, so does a $17.00 needle displayed analog voltage gauge you can buy at any parts store. But the problem with those meters is that the flex we bassheads like to see on our windshields and body panels also makes the needles on those meters jump around to the point that we can't get an accurate reading.

Second, and this applies to any meter... electricity travels at the speed of light so all points on even a 30' long limo truck should be the same. However, resistance changes that rule and, resistance manifests itself in myriad ways. So even though the cig lighter plug "should" be the exact same place, electrically speaking, that the amplifier power terminal is, it isn't.

In the end, the SMD meter is the most accurate voltage meter you can buy if it is monitoring the voltage at the amplifier input. But even then, only if it is securely attached at the amplifier being monitored.

As for being over priced, if you're chasing tenths of a dB in the lanes or if you're running your daily electrical and amplifiers at the threshold of their safe limits... I would argue that the ~$80.00 investment is dirt cheap insurance.

For the rest of us, CT Sounds' meter onboard the bass knob or the average inexpensive volt meter (connected at the amp) will suffice.

And another thing about that CT Sounds bass knob... it also has a clipping indicator. I recently took on that line and when I installed two of their 1400.1s strapped in my daily, I put the bass knob right next to my DD-1 when I gain set. The clipping indicator lit at almost the exact same time the DD-1 distortion light lit. In fact, it lit a few milliseconds before, rather than after. That and the performance of the amps has convinced me that I made a good decision in representing them.