Wayne.B wrote in
news
On Wed, 23 Jun 2004 08:50:10 -0400, "Doug Dotson"
wrote:

You can go up to a 160 amp alternator without having to
resort to a large frame dual belt model.

========================================

Doug, can you cite some references on that? I've never heard of
anyone recommending 100+ amps without dual belts. I used to run a 120
amp Balmar on one of my old sailboats with a single belt. Frankly it
left a lot to be desired even at 50 to 60 amps - lots of squealing and
chewed up belts. It would never get even remotely close to 100 amps,
even for short periods. The belt slip was just too much for it.



Lionheart's big alternator has only one belt on the alternator's crooked
pulley. It only draws 100+ amps for a few minutes, so if you keep the belt
tight it's fine.

Why does everyone think a 200A alternator is going to charge house
batteries at full current for 20 minutes and end up with a fully-charged
set of house batteries? That's CRAZY! The amount of current it will draw
has NOTHING to do with the peak current an alternator puts out. The
alternator puts out its rated output until the battery voltage rises
somewhere near the regulator's set voltage, then the current drops
DRASTICALLY to a more sane level to safely charge the plates. A surface
charge quickly raises the voltage, then the real charging begins SLOWLY
creating the chemical reaction, we hope, that recovers most of the lead
sulphate in solution back to lead plates before it crystalizes and falls
into the bilge of the battery.

Your boat can no more fully charge your boat battery at really high
currents than your local garage can fully charge your car battery in 20
minutes. It's just a SURFACE charge! To fully charge the house batteries
takes HOURS of SLOW charging to re-plate the lead which takes TIME!!

Sorry......

Larry

The funniest thing at any marina is a boater with a new 4KW inverter
carrying his electric heater down the dock with a big smile on his face.