Date: Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:47:48 -0400
Reply-To: dhundt@BENDBROADBAND.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hundt <dhundt@BENDBROADBAND.COM>
Subject: Re: 12.2 V at rest ('85 Westy w/2.1L)
In-Reply-To: <4C194E06.6040600@gmail.com>
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Mike,
For the 2 gauge wire, try your friendly local welding supply (Norco in Bend), or a farm supply store (Big R in Redmond), either should have it available. It isn't cheap, though.
Don
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\"" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Date: Wednesday, June 16, 2010 6:19 pm
Subject: Re: 12.2 V at rest ('85 Westy w/2.1L)
> Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
> > Hi Rocket,
> > not sure if I made it clear ...
> > though I think I mentioned it twice...
> > I had a fat volt less charging voltage at the battery than at the
> > alternator with engine running and alt. charging.
>
> Well, by golly, you're right. I did overlook that.
>
> When the battery has been freshly discharged turning the starter, it's
> going to be hungry for energy and will draw a lot of amps and
> there will
> be fewer volts at the battery than are present at the alternator
> due to
> resistive losses in the alternator > battery wire.
>
> As one drives along, the battery will draw fewer and fewer amps as it
> tops up, and pretty soon the voltage at the battery will be very close
> to what's coming out the alternator. Other loads on the battery, like
> headlights, will continue to cause fixed voltage losses.
>
> In other words, if you got no serious loads hung off the battery, you
> could pretty bring a battery to full enough charge through a 22 gauge
> wire if you drive long enough.
>
> But if one does not routinely drive very far, the battery may not have
> enough time to become sufficiently charged so that its charging
> currentdrops much. Under such conditions it would benefit the man
> or woman who
> doesn't make long trips to provide a low resistance connection between
> the alternator and battery, so as to jam as many coulombs into the
> battery in as short a time as possible, especially if they do their
> short trips in the dark with the headlights on.
>
> As for that alternator to starter wire . . . well, that's going
> the long
> way around, isn't it? Why bring the current from the battery to the
> alternator then to the starter? Just bang in a chubby wire from
> the batt
> to the starter and be done with the middleman.
>
> My van would benefit from that. I'd like to find some hefty 2 gauge
> primary wire for that but my Ace Hardware only has 10 gauge. Who's got
> the good pricing on wire like that?
>
> > about what is good charging voltage ..
> > I think lower is better for longer battery life.
> > Higher is better for good starting cranking.
>
> It's all a balance. A little good beer makes me feel cheerful and
> gregarious. Much more and I'm embarrassing Mrs Squirrel . . . and, the
> next morning, myself.
>
> --
> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
> 74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
> Bend, OR
> KG6RCR
>
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