Date:         Fri, 21 May 2010 16:19:46 -0700
Reply-To:     "Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\"" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\"" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Voltage surges
Comments: To: David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net>
In-Reply-To:  <4bf71114.9753f10a.58ce.39a4@mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

David Beierl wrote:
> At 06:33 PM 5/21/2010, Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\" wrote:
>
>> This doesn't sound to me like a voltage regulator problem.
>
> Nope, me either.  Gotta be a load, and I think you've nailed it below.
> Though I'm curious that it's an increase and not a decrease.

A brief hiatus in the charging? My MMPT solar controller lifts the load
from the panels for a moment every few seconds to check open-circuit
voltage -- the analog ammeter I can inline dips when that happens. The
manual says that the controller uses the information to calculate the
optimal loading for the next chunk of time.

> Lots of modern battery chargers will pulse-charge at more-or-less full
> output once the battery leaves the deep-drained condition.

Disconnecting the wire from the aux battery's + terminal will sort out
this one, fershure. I gotta run me a dedicated line to the charger's
input instead of daisy-chaining it off the engine battery.

The headlights could use relays and dedicated fat wires, too. Who's got
the good kit for an '84?

--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Bend, OR
KG6RCR