From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Proposal to replace ammeters with volt-meters on instrument panels to better indicate battery condition to the driver.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 163\6\ img178 | |
| Date | 30th June 1932 guessed | |
| -2- 25 H.P. dynamo, but there would be the same danger of overheating the dynamo in the winter position where full charge could be obtained without any lamps alight. Arising out of this last consideration we have to remember that whilst undoubtedly it should be a reasonable thing to expect that a driver should take sufficient interest in his charging-switch and battery to cut off the charging at times when the battery is already well up in this respect, we do not give him any means whatever of forming an opinion as to the condition of the battery. The ammeter provided is of course quite useless for the purpose. With some car systems ammeters are not included, merely an indicator showing charge or discharge. I am suggesting that we seriously consider eliminating the ammeter from our instrument-patch in future and supplying instead a volt-meter which will immediately and definitely indicate to a driver that it is up against him to charge his battery or not. Actually, I suggest the ammeter is doing more harm than good to us in any given car the thing which matters most to the driver is whether his battery is in a decent condition or not. The rate of charge or discharge is only a source of worry very often and quickly reflected on us. We may know quite well that the dynamo on a car is not up to the load being taken out of the battery, but I suggest we do not want to rub this fact in to the owner of the car too much, he will undoubtedly be much better informed and served in the way I suggest above. I should like E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} and Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} carefully to consider this proposition. PN.{Mr Northey} | ||