RE: buying a potter and Solar panels/batteries

Eric Johnson (etj@nwlink.com)
Wed, 9 Jun 1999 12:17:38 -0700


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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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> I second above opinion...
>
> I also have an 8Amp alternator on my 8HP Nissan... Only charges
> when run at
> start position or above. Actually discharges at idle...

You sure it discharges? I agree that it doesn't generate enough voltage to
charge the battery
at low RPMs (I've run it hooked up to a digital tester and you really gotta
rev it up to get over 13 V), but i'm 99% sure its diode protected. In fact,
i believe you can get the magneto in two configurations - the 'running
light' version technically cranks out AC, or you can get the package with
the rectifier that puts out DC (well, warbly recitifed AC anyways, I'm sure
its UGLY on a scope). I even seem to recall it was a half-wave rectifier
circuit and I couldn't figure out why they didn't go with a full-wave -
seems to me the batteried would get charged faster (perhaps too fast? maybe
thats why its half-wave).