[AT] How do you polarize a voltage regulator??

Mike Sloane msloane at att.net
Wed Jun 16 03:47:00 PDT 2004


Actually, the amperage is determined by the load, the regulator only 
changes the voltage. A battery must be charged at a higher voltage than 
its nominal rating. So, for instance, a 6 volt lead acid battery needs 
about 6.75 volts to bring it up to full charge. A "solid state" 
regulator can do that job very precisely, but a magnetic contact 
regulator has to be adjusted very carefully. (The closer to the ideal 
charge rate, the longer a battery will last.) So when you measure the 
voltage of a running engine at the battery, it will vary between a 
little over 6 volts to 6.75 volts, depending on the state of charge. 
Lane's number of 6.46 volts reflects the fact that the ignition system 
is discharging the battery while the generator/regulator is working to 
bring the charge back up. If he were to measure the voltage immediately 
after using the starter, he would see a much greater voltage as the 
system recovers from the heavy drain of the starter. The same would be 
true if he turned all the lights on, etc.  I am sure that one of the 
engineers in the group can do a better job of explaining this.

Mike

Larry D. Goss wrote:

> Huh!?  I thought the regulator adjusted the current to the battery and
> that the voltage stayed reasonably constant.
> 
> Larry
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of R Mull
> Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2004 8:25 PM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: Re: [AT] How do you polarize a voltage reagulator??
> 
> Unless he has had the battery on a charger  and it is fully charged
> already.
> 
> Thanks,
> Robert Mull
> Woodstock, Georgia
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <DAVIESW739 at aol.com>
> To: <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2004 9:15 PM
> Subject: Re: [AT] How do you polarize a voltage reagulator??
> 
> 
> 
>>6.46 is not enough it should be around 8 volts  to charge the battery.
> 
> 
>>Walt Davies
>>Cooper Hollow Farm
>>Monmouth, OR  97361
>>503 623-0460  
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>AT mailing list
>>http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>>
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
> 
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
> 

-- 
Mike Sloane
Allamuchy NJ
Email: (msloane at att.net)
Website: <http://www.geocities.com/mikesloane>
Tractor images: <www.fotki.com/mikesloane>
Work: none - retired

Politics Is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to 
realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.- Ronald 
Reagan, 1911-2004, 40th US President




More information about the AT mailing list