I bought this voltmeter for the purpose of monitoring my electrical system, of course, but again with the narrower specific intention of ameliorating a fundamental short-coming of (dare I say?) classic-era mopars, namely their wiring and specifically their continued use of an in-dash ammeter. That is, I was going to remove and discard my factory ammeter and replace it with a voltmeter, this being installed in the factory dashboard in the factory location. This particular Sunpro unit was chosen because it is a near-perfect physical and visual fit and match. I learned of this happy felicity from various Mopar forums, which gave the details of the swap. In fact, there are several applicable Sunpro voltmeters, and you'd choose depending on the dash that you had to work with. In my case, I was putting it into a 1973 Dodge D-100 pickup, so I wanted a unit where the needle swung from the top, and with a black face. As always with old cars, a potent pyscho-social theme (or themes!) runs through it. There is an astonishing amount of argle-bargle on the web about ammeters vs. voltmeters, and even more astonishing is how the (exclusively male) participants seem really to be trying to say something about their masculinity, their childhood, the meaning of reality, etc.,etc.. In fact, the entire topic cogently sub-divides into two topics: 1) Are ammeters or voltmeters the best choice for monitoring your vehicle electrical system? (why not both?) and 2) That aside, is their indeed any element of problematicism attending to the installation of ammeters in the typical old-car dash? In considering the first point, well, it depends. Both pressure and flow are important, but - long term or short term (or instantaneous), battery or alternator, equipment and usage, use and care of the vehicle, etc., etc. are some relevant variables in what you're looking for and what you're attending to. To usefully generalize, ammeters are relics of the generator era, which is characterized by such elements as low draw equipment and accessories, low output generators, no output at idle, primitive batteries, generally simple and mild electrical systems. We're talking maybe a 30 Amp system, with few electrical draws, and no charging at idle, all of which rewards close scrutiny of the charge and discharge situation in real time. Again, the relatively cheap ammeters installed in nearly every dash were comfortable with this level of current flow. Then too, it was a different world where relatively unrushed assembly line workers with a relatively high work-ethic could and would install wiring with nuts on studs and such-like electrically over-adequate connecters and fittings. It was an appropriate and trouble-free arrangement. Modern cars and trucks, ever-increasingly, are all different. They have many accessories, much equipment, generally high current draw - 100 Amps or more is ordinary. Also, alternators easily provide this level of current, and will do do at idle. In a different work environment, much more and much more complicated wiring is installed by rushed and frequently unhappy assembly-line workers with snap-on and plug-in fittings. The relevant key to knowing how these facts apply to our base question is that (and I'm especially talking Mopar here, and light trucks much longer yet) is that these vehicles were so wired that ALL vehicle current (save starting) flowed through these internal-shunt in-dash ammeters, and of course they got hot at it - current flowing through plugged-in wiring harnesses. So, you have much less importance in a constant view of your charging particulars, as with a generator, and perhaps a desire to get a medium-term view of your electrics - thus favoring a voltmeter over an ammeter, and in fact, all new cars have voltmeters, if they have anything such at all. But yet, that analysis, favoring a voltmeter, still ignores the real difficulty - indeed danger - of an in-dash (and internal-shunt) ammeter with these levels of current flow, which is that they get very hot, they melt themselves, they melt the (plastic) dashes, and they start fires - and even if none of this occurs, the high heat levels promote oxidation in the connectors , which leads to higher resistance and more heat, and deteriorates the plastic insulation and plastic-sheathed connectors. This all actually happens, and your truck with a small factory alternator feeding a small over-all draw gets along OK - though you learn not to, for instance, use the High setting on your heater fan because of this - but you start adding high-draw stereos, driving lights, etc., and then put on a high-amperage alternator to feed them, and you're overloading the never-thicker-than-it-had-to-be wiring, the snap-in firewall connector, and, particularily, the ammeter. Obviously, these are potential problems, but they are real, and ammeter melt-down does occur.So, then , both theoretically, but also in the practical facts of running an old car, an old Mopar, especially an old Dodge pickup, we find that the ammeter is problematic, and is best replaced by a voltmeter. If you wish-and remember that your in-dash ammeter is situated at the end of longish (and thinnish) wires from the battery, starter, alternator, and headlamps - you can install a digital shunt ammeter, with the shunt on the other side of the firewall in the engine compartment, and using short (and thick?) wires. That, then, is why I bought this voltmeter - this particular model because others who had gone this way before me taught that it was a virtual bolt-in , and the face was a very close - entirely acceptable - match to the other in instruments. There are, in fact, several other areas of D-100 wiring that beg for up-grades, but those are other stories. And, the Sunpro gauge was very well-made-especially for $15.

I used the guts from this gauge and modified the cluster on my '85 Jeep to replace a melted ammeter. With the needle repainted white you almost can't tell it's not original! It works great and is very nicely priced.

I bought this voltmeter for the purpose of monitoring my electrical system, of course, but again with the narrower specific intention of ameliorating a fundamental short-coming of (dare I say?) classic-era mopars, namely their wiring and specifically their continued use of an in-dash ammeter. That is, I was going to remove and discard my factory ammeter and replace it with a voltmeter, this being installed in the factory dashboard in the factory location. This particular Sunpro unit was chosen because it is a near-perfect physical and visual fit and match. I learned of this happy felicity from various Mopar forums, which gave the details of the swap. In fact, there are several applicable Sunpro voltmeters, and you'd choose depending on the dash that you had to work with. In my case, I was putting it into a 1973 Dodge D-100 pickup, so I wanted a unit where the needle swung from the top, and with a black face. As always with old cars, a potent pyscho-social theme (or themes!) runs through it. There is an astonishing amount of argle-bargle on the web about ammeters vs. voltmeters, and even more astonishing is how the (exclusively male) participants seem really to be trying to say something about their masculinity, their childhood, the meaning of reality, etc.,etc.. In fact, the entire topic cogently sub-divides into two topics: 1) Are ammeters or voltmeters the best choice for monitoring your vehicle electrical system? (why not both?) and 2) That aside, is their indeed any element of problematicism attending to the installation of ammeters in the typical old-car dash? In considering the first point, well, it depends. Both pressure and flow are important, but - long term or short term (or instantaneous), battery or alternator, equipment and usage, use and care of the vehicle, etc., etc. are some relevant variables in what you're looking for and what you're attending to. To usefully generalize, ammeters are relics of the generator era, which is characterized by such elements as low draw equipment and accessories, low output generators, no output at idle, primitive batteries, generally simple and mild electrical systems. We're talking maybe a 30 Amp system, with few electrical draws, and no charging at idle, all of which rewards close scrutiny of the charge and discharge situation in real time. Again, the relatively cheap ammeters installed in nearly every dash were comfortable with this level of current flow. Then too, it was a different world where relatively unrushed assembly line workers with a relatively high work-ethic could and would install wiring with nuts on studs and such-like electrically over-adequate connecters and fittings. It was an appropriate and trouble-free arrangement. Modern cars and trucks, ever-increasingly, are all different. They have many accessories, much equipment, generally high current draw - 100 Amps or more is ordinary. Also, alternators easily provide this level of current, and will do do at idle. In a different work environment, much more and much more complicated wiring is installed by rushed and frequently unhappy assembly-line workers with snap-on and plug-in fittings. The relevant key to knowing how these facts apply to our base question is that (and I'm especially talking Mopar here, and light trucks much longer yet) is that these vehicles were so wired that ALL vehicle current (save starting) flowed through these internal-shunt in-dash ammeters, and of course they got hot at it - current flowing through plugged-in wiring harnesses. So, you have much less importance in a constant view of your charging particulars, as with a generator, and perhaps a desire to get a medium-term view of your electrics - thus favoring a voltmeter over an ammeter, and in fact, all new cars have voltmeters, if they have anything such at all. But yet, that analysis, favoring a voltmeter, still ignores the real difficulty - indeed danger - of an in-dash (and internal-shunt) ammeter with these levels of current flow, which is that they get very hot, they melt themselves, they melt the (plastic) dashes, and they start fires - and even if none of this occurs, the high heat levels promote oxidation in the connectors , which leads to higher resistance and more heat, and deteriorates the plastic insulation and plastic-sheathed connectors. This all actually happens, and your truck with a small factory alternator feeding a small over-all draw gets along OK - though you learn not to, for instance, use the High setting on your heater fan because of this - but you start adding high-draw stereos, driving lights, etc., and then put on a high-amperage alternator to feed them, and you're overloading the never-thicker-than-it-had-to-be wiring, the snap-in firewall connector, and, particularily, the ammeter. Obviously, these are potential problems, but they are real, and ammeter melt-down does occur.So, then , both theoretically, but also in the practical facts of running an old car, an old Mopar, especially an old Dodge pickup, we find that the ammeter is problematic, and is best replaced by a voltmeter. If you wish-and remember that your in-dash ammeter is situated at the end of longish (and thinnish) wires from the battery, starter, alternator, and headlamps - you can install a digital shunt ammeter, with the shunt on the other side of the firewall in the engine compartment, and using short (and thick?) wires. That, then, is why I bought this voltmeter - this particular model because others who had gone this way before me taught that it was a virtual bolt-in , and the face was a very close - entirely acceptable - match to the other in instruments. There are, in fact, several other areas of D-100 wiring that beg for up-grades, but those are other stories. And, the Sunpro gauge was very well-made-especially for $15.

I used the guts from this gauge and modified the cluster on my '85 Jeep to replace a melted ammeter. With the needle repainted white you almost can't tell it's not original! It works great and is very nicely priced.

I purchased this gauge for my boat. Installation was a breeze! Simple 2 wire hookup. Great gauge. Had to drill a 2" hole for installation but it does come with a mounting bracket.

Comes with a light that illuminates the dial when turned on. I purchased this to monitor a solar generator that I built. I use a switch to disconnect it when not needed to avoid power drain caused by the light bulb. After I installed it I found that the new inverter purchased for the same project has a digital voltmeter already on it so this one doesn't get used as much now. I was easily able to mount this on a battery box and wire it directly to the battery. Comes with 2 threaded posts with nuts and washers for making electrical connections. Bulb can be wired separately from meter, too. Perfect for such a project.

I purchased this to retrofit in the cluster of a '66 Mustang (to replace the useless charging meter that never worked). I essentially gutted the meter to install it into the cluster, but the result looks almost stock (and it gives me a working gauge!).

At stated, it didn't work. Gauge has one job, and it did not do the job.

A couple of years ago I experienced a problem with the ammeter in the dash of my 1978 Dodge pickup. The solution was to replace the ammeter with a voltmeter. This voltmeter, while slightly different from the gauges in my Dodge, (The needle is red instead of orange.) was a close enough match as the meters on my truck were pivoted from the top of the meter instead of the usual bottom of the meter.I carefully cut the case away from the meter and with just a little bit of modifications to the Dodge inner dash and finding the correct wire from the ignition key, I was able to convert from an ammeter to a voltmeter. Yes this voided the warranty of the meter, but I wanted to have the meter mounted in my dash.

I bought both the voltmeter and ampmeter when they had Prime Shipping. They both function well and were not difficult to install. I'm very pleased with how easy they are to read and how how nicely they fit with the black dash of my lawn tractor.

I purchased this gauge for my boat. Installation was a breeze! Simple 2 wire hookup. Great gauge. Had to drill a 2" hole for installation but it does come with a mounting bracket.

Comes with a light that illuminates the dial when turned on. I purchased this to monitor a solar generator that I built. I use a switch to disconnect it when not needed to avoid power drain caused by the light bulb. After I installed it I found that the new inverter purchased for the same project has a digital voltmeter already on it so this one doesn't get used as much now. I was easily able to mount this on a battery box and wire it directly to the battery. Comes with 2 threaded posts with nuts and washers for making electrical connections. Bulb can be wired separately from meter, too. Perfect for such a project.

I purchased this to retrofit in the cluster of a '66 Mustang (to replace the useless charging meter that never worked). I essentially gutted the meter to install it into the cluster, but the result looks almost stock (and it gives me a working gauge!).

At stated, it didn't work. Gauge has one job, and it did not do the job.

A couple of years ago I experienced a problem with the ammeter in the dash of my 1978 Dodge pickup. The solution was to replace the ammeter with a voltmeter. This voltmeter, while slightly different from the gauges in my Dodge, (The needle is red instead of orange.) was a close enough match as the meters on my truck were pivoted from the top of the meter instead of the usual bottom of the meter.I carefully cut the case away from the meter and with just a little bit of modifications to the Dodge inner dash and finding the correct wire from the ignition key, I was able to convert from an ammeter to a voltmeter. Yes this voided the warranty of the meter, but I wanted to have the meter mounted in my dash.

I bought both the voltmeter and ampmeter when they had Prime Shipping. They both function well and were not difficult to install. I'm very pleased with how easy they are to read and how how nicely they fit with the black dash of my lawn tractor.