12v plug

[Mike Hagen]

Voltmeters (DVMs) are very high impedance. They may look like a Meg or 10 Meg ohms resistance load. Thus either + or - connections could have thousands of ohms back to the battery, and you would read 12V OK - UNLOADED! Kinda like, does a tree make a sound in the forest when it falls and no one is there? It is ohms law. Put a light bulb or substantial load at the DVM terminals, then the voltage will all be dropped by the resistance back to the battery. For example, got only 6V on your bulb, then you got the equivalent of the bulb hot resistance on the way back to the battery. On either + or -, or combination of both. You can figure out which side the resistance is on by measuring from one side of the battery at a time. You have the everyday problem that people have hooking up their trailer lights! Especially boat trailers soaked in salt water! I NEVER use CRIMP SPLICES! I have seen them fall apart or get all corroded. Twist, solder, shrink wrap! Don't depend on frame ground for accessories, give them their own ground back to the battery. Like Jeff said, it is not nice running current thru bearings! Mike KLR RED 04 Go see my KLR Lighting and Accessory Box. It has a #14 wires on both side direct to the battery. http://members.dslextreme.com/users/mikeydog/