Measure Voltage Drop Re: <VV> HPT!!

[FrankCB at aol.com]

John,
    Let's see.  If we have 2/10 of a volt drop then the voltage at the 
headlights might be 14.0 volts instead of 14.2 volts.  Therefore, using your 3.5 
power number, the ratio of the brightness of the bulb from the higher to lower 
voltages will be (14.0/14.2)^3.5 = 0.95 so the lower voltage fed light is 95% of 
the brightness of the higher voltage fed bulb.
    Can you actually see that kind of a difference?????
    Regards,
    Frank "calculatingly" Burkhard

In a message dated 2/24/05 7:10:44 PM Eastern Standard Time, JVHRoberts 
writes:
A few tenths on a 12v system is more than I'd like to see, especially since 
incandescent bulbs, like the headlights, have a brightness proportional to the 
3.5 power of the voltage. 
So, the real question is, why add something that does this, and you don't 
need?


In a message dated 2/24/2005 5:36:10 PM Eastern Standard Time, FrankCB writes:
John and Les,
    Granted there is a voltage drop across any fuse or circuit breaker.  
Question is, how significant is it?  Measure the voltage drop across the 
fuse/breaker with all the devices operating - headlights/radio/A/C/heater etc. on.  If 
it's only a few tenths of a volt difference between one side of the 
fuse/breaker and the other, as I suspect, and your alternator is putting out 14.2 volts 
as it should, then you're not losing a significant part of the voltage.  If 
that's true, I would keep the fuse/breaker installed.
    Frank "measure before deciding" Burkhard