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  #1   IP: 137.103.82.227
Old 10-21-2019, 07:56 AM
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Time for new regulator and how to MacGyver one

Heading home yesterday into the NorEaster presented two problems. One was I was getting a bit wet and cold and the other one was no alternator output

A wool sweater helped the first issue. I was a bit annoyed with the second issue. A quick test showed the alternator was fine, it was the regulator that died. The thing is about 25 years old, so I can't say I didn't get my money's worth out of it. I have enough battery capacity to run without an alternator for some hours, but I wanted to see if I could still charge somehow. Some digging in the spares revealed a spare bulb for the running lights that I connected between 12 volts and the field terminal. The light lit up and I got a steady 12.9 volts It wasn't really charging, but I wasn't losing power either.
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  #2   IP: 32.211.28.40
Old 10-21-2019, 09:50 AM
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Al Schober Al Schober is offline
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Good for you!
A higher wattage bulb would have less resistance, allow more current to flow, and give more charging voltage/current.
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Dave Neptune (10-21-2019)
  #3   IP: 99.30.185.198
Old 10-21-2019, 10:13 AM
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Joe, Clever solution to get you home. In a slightly related situation, I have a "trickle charge" setup in my daily driver that allows me to maintain a spare utility battery in the trunk. It is fed from the cigarette lighter outlet and uses a low wattage 12v. bulb in series to limit the current flow. The outlet is only hot while I'm driving.
Tom
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  #4   IP: 97.93.70.7
Old 10-21-2019, 10:30 AM
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Joe, nicely done "Mac" .

Dave Neptune
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  #5   IP: 137.103.82.227
Old 10-21-2019, 10:51 AM
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Thanks! You could vary the voltage if you had more bulbs

Last edited by joe_db; 10-21-2019 at 11:23 AM.
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  #6   IP: 97.93.70.7
Old 10-21-2019, 12:53 PM
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Joe, I had a fast charger I built when working on boats. Very often the batteries would be dead so I mounted a 55apm Motorola to a small Briggs & Stratton. The pulleys would not spin the alt quite fast enough so I removed the regulator mounted a voltage gage and took the exciting wire direct to the field. I could control the voltage using a potentiometer and being mindful of temps. This would get the engine started in a hurry at remote locations. It was part of my tools and mounted in a tote box to carry.

Dave Neptune
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  #7   IP: 137.103.82.227
Old 10-21-2019, 01:55 PM
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I always wanted to make one of those.
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  #8   IP: 137.200.32.54
Old 10-22-2019, 11:13 AM
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https://theepicenter.com/emergency-p...ect-drive.html
This place has the brackets. Winter project maybe if I can get around to it. This would be a great thing at an airport too for firing up dead airplanes.
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