On Sun, 20 Jul 2008 02:37:21 +0000, Larry wrote:

" wrote in news:d58baedd-dd67-
:

On Jul 19, 5:22*pm, Brian Whatcott wrote:
..
Still, give a person credit for gun-shyness from a battery fast-
charge
accident! ...

Oh yes. An exploding battery while offshore is a nightmare! I
appreciate the concern. I think Larry is incorrect in his assertion,
but I'm listening because if he convinces me that he isn't then I'm
going to change my ways fast.

-- Tom



I heard a noise about taking the VOLTAGE REGULATOR off the alternator
and putting a manual current control on the field winding so it can be
"cranked up" to whatever charging current some idiot wants. Look back,
I forgot who said it. This is the absolute stupidest idea I've seen
about battery charging. I know why they are doing it. they've been
watching that ammeter that starts out charging like hell for the first
few minutes, then DROPPING LIKE A ROCK as the surface of the plates
becomes replated and the ions in the near-plate electrolyte are used up.
Right there at the surface of the plates, in the worst possible place,
there's a tiny slice of battery that has already charged. When more and
more current is shoved through it, by cranking up the charging (voltage
is the ONLY way to overcharge ANY lead-acid battery) that little slice
turns current directly into heat, gassifying the water at the barrier
into O2 and H2 and heating those plates!

That was me and I didn't put the manual control on to charge faster. I
put it on so if the regulator failed I could control the alternator. I
was commenting that modern regulators run the field at battery
voltage when the battery is low so my manual control couldn't put out
any more voltage then the regulator.

Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct Address is bpaige125atgmaildotcom)