Alfred Lord Tenniscourt
Recruit
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2020
- Messages
- 3
I know, I know... Just throw an alternator on it. But I really like the simplicity of the old direct drive unit. And it's already there... And I'm a cheapskate, who thinks $300.00 to throw an alternator on a boat is too much money.
I looked up an old thread about using an old Ford external voltage regulator. It had me going for a minute, but it was ultimately a dumb idea. Obviously, there is no field coil in the old, permanent-magnet generator; so there is no way for the voltage regulator to limit power to the field coil, as one would in an electromagnetic alternator.
Instead, since the old permanent magnet generator can't be switched off, power has to be "resisted down" using a varistor type device on the output side. Soooo, my plan is to build a power supply with a diode bridge and a smoothing capacitor, and run the theoretically DC power from that to a solar charge controller that will limit voltage output.
Anyone else tried it? I think I can do both my engines for around $150.00. And when it's done, I should have a nice setup that will give me real-time voltage and charging current readouts, cut power to accessories at a given cut point in the case that the batteries are getting discharged, and that can be set to use any type of battery. I also get to keep my old-fashioned direct drive generators. What could go wrong?
I looked up an old thread about using an old Ford external voltage regulator. It had me going for a minute, but it was ultimately a dumb idea. Obviously, there is no field coil in the old, permanent-magnet generator; so there is no way for the voltage regulator to limit power to the field coil, as one would in an electromagnetic alternator.
Instead, since the old permanent magnet generator can't be switched off, power has to be "resisted down" using a varistor type device on the output side. Soooo, my plan is to build a power supply with a diode bridge and a smoothing capacitor, and run the theoretically DC power from that to a solar charge controller that will limit voltage output.
Anyone else tried it? I think I can do both my engines for around $150.00. And when it's done, I should have a nice setup that will give me real-time voltage and charging current readouts, cut power to accessories at a given cut point in the case that the batteries are getting discharged, and that can be set to use any type of battery. I also get to keep my old-fashioned direct drive generators. What could go wrong?
