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- From: bennett@erich.triumf.ca (P.Bennett)
- Newsgroups: rec.boats
- Subject: Re: A Charging Question
- Date: 16 Nov 1992 21:49 PST
- Organization: TRIUMF: Tri-University Meson Facility
- Lines: 27
- Distribution: world
- Message-ID: <16NOV199221493791@erich.triumf.ca>
- References: <1e8nc9INN5gi@morrow.stanford.edu>
- NNTP-Posting-Host: erich.triumf.ca
- News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41
-
- In article <1e8nc9INN5gi@morrow.stanford.edu>, francis@oas.stanford.edu (Francis Muir) writes...
- >I have just gotten around to do something about the electrics on
- >FELIX, my Freedom 21, and the first thing I have done was to make
- >a lead from the Honda 8HP reghulated output to the batteries. Ever
- >the cautious one, I checked out the Honda's voltagwe output with
- >my brand new Fluke digital meter (great device. the Model 10.)
- >and was surprised to see it register anywhere from -0.2 to -0.5 volts.
- >My first cry was one of anguish, but it occurs to me that a regulated
- >charger output might show very anomalous readings on essentially
- >open circuit. Any ideas?
- >
-
- An alternator requires some field current, drawn from the battery, in order to
- work, so I would not be surprised to see no output with no battery connected.
- Once the alternator is running it will supply it's own field current, and, if
- the battery is then disconnected, the output voltage may rise so high that the
- rectifier diodes will be destroyed. With a battery connected, the battery
- serves as a sufficient load to hold the voltage within safe limits.
-
- With the battery connected, and the engine running, you should see about 14.2
- volts if the battery is near full charge, less if the battery is low.
-
- Peter Bennett VE7CEI | Vessels shall be deemed to be in sight
- Internet: bennett@erich.triumf.ca | of one another only when one can be
- Bitnet: bennett@triumfer | observed visually from the other
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, B.C., Canada | ColRegs 3(k)
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