One more Appear at the Clearwater Voltage Sentry
by “Burn” and Rick K. for webBikeWorld.com
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Introduction
We very first reviewed the original Clearwater Voltage Sentry in September 2011.
It was installed on the Suzuki DR650SE (Weblog), which was the webBikeWorld Project Bike that year in the “Budget Adventure Touring” series.
Considering that the, a Clearwater Voltage Sentry (aka CVS) has been installed on every single new Project Bike and recent updates prompted this second look.
It’s a “must have” accessory and a single of the 1st to be installed on any new bike, along with a new louder horn and conspicuity lights.
The CVS is very little, really light, straightforward to set up and everything is totally hidden, other than the all-critical LED.
The LED utilizes the familiar “red/amber/green” lighting strategy to let you know at a quick glance if every little thing is OK with your motorcycle’s charging program.
Yes, there are lots of other Volt meters and lights you can use on your bike and we’ve tried a couple of, like the Show Chrome Digital five-Function Motorcycle Volt Meter (review).
But the Clearwater Voltage Sentry is about the simplest there is and it really is incredibly precise, employing an internal CPU (computer) to measure down to a claimed .25% modify in your battery’s Voltage.
The most critical feature is that the CVS functions all the time, each when your bike is parked in the garage for weeks or months and when you’re out riding. Other analog or digital Voltmeters perform only when the bike is running.
Forget analog gauge sort Volt meters they are too tough to read and the printed line calibrations can be off by a mile.
With the CVS, green implies good and that’s all you need to see or know. It is super fast and really trustworthy.
If the battery starts to discharge or the Voltage modifications up or down, you’ll get a warning light from the LED on the Clearwater Voltage Sentry. It’s named a “Sentry” because that is what it is continuously monitoring the battery charge, whether the bike is on or off.
This is especially important on today’s motorcycles, with their numerous electronic gizmos constantly draining the battery, whether or not the bike is parked or not.
And never neglect smaller sized bikes or the less sophisticated kinds, like the Suzuki DR650SE (Blog) or even the new 2015 Kawasaki Versys 650 LT (Weblog).
They don’t have an over-abundance of battery energy to begin with, so it really is critical to know whether or not you’re more than-drawn in the juice division with heated grips, lights, GPS devices and the rest.
In fact, the Versys 650 alternator outputs just 336 Watts at 5,000 RPM (24 Amps, 14 volts at five,000 RPM) and the standard load when the bike is operating (lights, fuel injection, personal computer, fan, and so on.) is about 285 Watts.
That does not leave a lot juice left for accessories and the Clearwater Voltage Sentry is an essential device that will warn you if the battery is going into a deficit.
Clearwater Voltage Sentry kit.
Clearwater Voltage Sentry Updates
The new CVS does not work any differently than the original, so be certain to read our original Clearwater Voltage Sentry overview from 2011.
However, Clearwater Lights has created some running updates to the CVS for the duration of this time. Apart from improving the LED interface, the CVS module is now smaller sized, with updated firmware and it can also be used with the well-known Shorai battery (evaluation), which has a fairly narrow and specific Voltage variety.
The new CVS need to also be usable with other LiFePo batteries, like the Ballistic Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries (overview).
A version of the CVS (the dual battery version with two LEDs) is also utilized by a variety of police departments to monitor the two batteries on their motorcycles, employed for powering the bike and for accessories like lights, radio, sirens, computer systems, and so forth. A marine version is also available.
The Clearwater Voltage Sentry can be utilised with Shorai batteries also.
The updated CVS size compared to a U.S. quarter.
Wiring the CVS
1 of the cool factors about the CVS is that it really is so basic to install. It does not need to have any connection to a unique wire, computer or something else on the bike.
The only connections are a energy and ground. The power (red/orange) lead has an 18-24 Posi-Lock attaching a short harness with a 5 Amp fuse. The energy lead can be connected straight to the battery or the fuse section can be removed if the power lead is connected to a fused, often-on wire.
The black lead is connected to the adverse (ground) terminal on the battery.
We always connect straight to the battery, with the ground wire to the adverse terminal and the power lead to the positive terminal.
wBW Video: Clearwater Voltage Sentry 2016
How It Operates
Clearwater says that it is designed to operate in a temperature range of -40 F to more than 200 F (-40C to 100C).
After it is connected, the microprocessor in the CVS continually monitors the battery Voltage, no matter whether the bike is running or not. As quickly as it senses any adjust in Voltage, the LED will turn on.
To simplify, all you have to keep in mind is “green is excellent”, as Clearwater says yellow is a warning and red is danger. Just like a quit light. For the vast majority of the time, the LED will show green, either a strong or slow blinking.
Sometimes you are going to get a yellow, if you turn the ignition on and the different lights and accessories just before beginning the bike and the alternator isn’t running at a high enough speed to get the battery out of deficit.
Also, on some bikes like the DR650 and Versys 650, the LED will show strong green until the revs come off idle.
The LED will either show solid or blinking colors as follows:
- Quickly Flashing Green: Really rare, overcharging condition, check the alternator and or voltage regulator. Over 14.6 Volts or more than 14.8V with Shorai.
- Slow Flashing Green: Normal when riding and is the most typical LED indication (and the one you want to see) and it indicates that the battery is charging correctly. It indicates 13.two to 14.6 Volts (13.five to 14.eight Volts with Shorai battery).
- Solid Green: Indicates a good battery condition with the bike off but a poor to weak charging condition with the bike running. This can also indicate your accessories are drawing also much power. At times takes place at idle until the engine is revved. Indicates 12.5 to 13.1 Volts (13.2 to 13.four Volts on Shorai battery).
- Strong Yellow: Battery wants recharging, either commence the bike and run it previous idle or if the LED shows yellow even though the bike is operating, it indicates you are drawing a lot more energy than the alternator is generating (or possibly a defective alternator). Indicates 12.1 to 12.4 Volts (12.9 to 13.1 Volts for Shorai).
- Solid Red: Weak battery, start off and run the engine for a while or connect a charger. If this persists after charging, the battery needs to be replaced. If this occurs although the bike is running, your alternator is undesirable or severely overloaded. Indicates 11.six to 12. Volts (12.7 to 12.8 Volts on Shorai).
- Flashing Red: Indicates a “flat” or defective battery. Indicates much less than 11.five Volts (12.7 Volts on Shorai).
The incorporated grommet can be utilised to flush mount the CVS. See the photo at the starting of this assessment.
Mounting the CVS
We’ve been quite sloppy with the CVS installations in the past, by basically zip-tying the LED to any handy upright on the handlebar. The kit comes with an “L” shaped plastic bracket and a mounting grommet for the LED.
The grommet slips more than the end of the LED and two modest arms on the grommet have little nubs that catch the back of the plastic ring at the base of the LED, holding the LED in spot in the grommet. The grommet can then be pushed into the L shaped bracket.
But this time, we decided to go expert and flush mount the LED on the dashboard of the Versys by drilling a hole and making use of the grommet for the flush mount (see the photo at the prime of the page or the video under for the results).
This is effortless to do on the Versys 650 simply because the black front panel on the prime of the fairing is simply removed, which then offers access to the back of the instruments and the panel molding.
Be certain to “Measure twice, reduce as soon as”, as the saying goes. It’s normally greatest to drill a small pilot hole very first, to avert a bigger drill bit from “walking”. The grommet wants a 6 mm (1/four”) hole, so we initial drilled a hole with a 1/16″ drill bit, then used the 1/four” bit to bring it to size.
Attempt to hold the drill as close to perpendicular to the surface as achievable to ensure a true hole. The plastic on the dashboard is fairly soft, so it does not take significantly stress at all and the bit is by means of.
After that was carried out, we cleaned up the front and back of the hole with a modest round file with fine grade teeth.
Push the LED cable via from the rear of the hole, attach the grommet and very carefully push the “legs” of the grommet back via the hole. We then used some silicone adhesive gobbed on the rear as a security to hold it in place.
A hot glue gun would most likely perform but we couldn’t match the tip of the glue gun behind the panel on the Versys.
As you can see, it is a very nice and clean “factory look” installation and an unexpected bonus is that the LED light reflects slightly on the raised portion of the dashboard, as you can see in the video.
Original vs. New Clearwater Voltage Sentry
The original Clearwater Voltage Sentry handle module or CPU/microprocessor measured 38 mm wide by 32 mm tall by 19 mm thick. The updated version measures just 30 mm by 15 mm by 20 mm.
You never need to see the CPU, so it really is not needed to locate or mount it anywhere visible. You only need to have to see the LED.
A 5 Amp fuse and holder is included.
You never want to mount this so it can be viewed, but the info is printed on the CPU for reference.
This is the original Clearwater Voltage Sentry CPU.
Conclusion
The Clearwater Voltage Sentry is yet another “need to have” device that is specially useful on smaller motorcycles with marginal electrical capacity. That consists of our new 2015 Kawasaki Versys 650 LT, with its meager 336 Watt alternator output.
The CVS is easy to install, requiring just a energy and ground connection to the battery or to any other “always on” energy lead and a ground point.
The CPU can be hidden anywhere on the bike and the only factor needed is to have the LED positioned so that it can be viewed by the ridre.
The LED light color sequence may seem a bit confusing, but it truly is not Just don’t forget that slow flashing green is very good.
That’s the light you will most likely see when you happen to be riding. If you see solid green, yellow or red, something’s incorrect with your bike’s electrical program.
We’re convinced that the LED light warning technique is greater than a digital or analog gauge and Clearwater also claims the CVS is hugely accurate. And the ideal component is, the $ 59.00 value hasn’t changed in five years.
Far more netBikeWorld:
| wBW Review: Clearwater Voltage Sentry | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: Clearwater Lights | List Price: $ 59.00 |
| Colors: N/A | Made In: U.S.A. |
| Overview Date: February 2016 | |
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►Your Comments and Feedback
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Not all comments will be published (information). Comments may be edited for clarity prior to publication.
From “R.L.” (February 2016): “I noticed your YouTube and web site entry on the Clearwater Voltage Sentry. I have been utilizing their resolution (and the one particular specially created for Shorai LiFePo4 battery, apparently discontinued these days) for effectively more than a year. I really like it to bits, as it indeed provides a very good swift view of the battery-status.
Even so, two points I would like to make:
The LED is very vibrant in the evening/night, next to the reality that the flashing might be a wee bit distracting. I have installed it on the side of my fuel tank-rail (on my BW R1200RT), so I can see it in any instance, even when parked. I personally consequently would not suggest it to be installed into the direct view of the rider.
The LED is not a lot protected other than from the tubing, my LED broke 1 of its pins within a week or so. I strongly advise making use of a (Radio Shack?) LED holder to make certain mechanical strengths and vibrations. Or use a fair quantity (blob) of silicone glue to encapsulate its finish.
The LED utilized is the Everlight MV5439A with a widespread Cathode, which is a wee bit uncommon compared to other applications exactly where bi-colour LED’s are getting employed.
PS: As usually, Clearwater’s help is a lot more then outstanding and it is fairly an accurate/spot-on answer. Unlike some of the solutions of other vendors, like panel instruments.”
2016 Updated Clearwater Voltage Sentry Review
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