Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (June 2010, week 3)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
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)
Comments: To: "Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\"" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <4C194E06.6040600@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

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 >


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.