convert to 12 volts question

henryv1111 · Aug 4, 2015

Can a horn button be used to excite a Hitachi alternator instead of light or Diode?
This is on a IHC 300.

Jim Becker · Aug 4, 2015

(quoted from post at 08:39:23 08/04/15) Can a horn button be used to excite a Hitachi alternator instead of light or Diode?
This is on a IHC 300.

No. You can use any of an assortment of manual switches if you want to do it by hand each time you start the tractor. But it needs to be a switch for feeding battery voltage to the alternator. Typical horn buttons are grounding switches and can only be made to work if you also add a relay.

rvirgil_KS · Aug 4, 2015

I use one for an ooga horn (fun for parades)so should work for alternator excite. It is a simple 2 post in/out switch. Only problem with using for alternator is remembering to activate it each time you start engine. Diode is very simple to install. From L (vertical spade looking at back side) to switched side of ignition switch, marked band of diode toward alternator. Picture is how I did one on Super H

old · Aug 4, 2015

If your talking about the add on horn button you find at auto parts store yes they will work just fine. I have one machine that uses the light switch to excite the alternator and one that has a ballast resistor doing it and had one that we used an oil pressure switch to do the job

teddy52food · Aug 4, 2015

Simplest is with an oil pressure switch. When the pressure closes the switch, the alt starts charging.

David G · Aug 4, 2015

why would you want to fart around with that?

TheDurk · Aug 4, 2015

For that matter, the Hitachi will self-excite if you just run the RPM's up to about 3/4 throttle for a few seconds. I ran it that way until I tracked down the exact light I wanted.

TheDurk · Aug 4, 2015

For that matter, the Hitachi will self-excite if you just run the RPM's up to about 3/4 throttle for a few seconds. I ran it that way until I tracked down the exact light I wanted.

tractorguy2 · Aug 4, 2015

I have seen tractors that used door bell buttons.

cuby · Aug 5, 2015

I use a diode from a old rectifier bridge that has at least one good diode from a delco Alt.and solder wires to it.

NoNewParts · Aug 5, 2015

sure

there are as many ways to excite an alternator as there are tractor owners......
do it however you want.
Makes it more fun when I get it down the road.....now what is this for?

while I usually use diodes/idiot lights, I knew an old guy that always tapped into a headlight wire because it was right there, or used a horn button excite.
asked him why, and he said the tractor would run for days on just the battery, only needed the charge if he had to use the lights, or on the way back to the barn,
why send that much current thru the points all the time?
I shrugged, ok gotcha...to each his own.

techinny · Aug 10, 2015

I was going to run a deep cycle battery and just charge it every so often instead of installing an alternator, but my go to guy for alternator and starter work told me to install an alternator, more voltage in the system the hotter the spark will be making more power.

Chance M · Aug 12, 2015

I need some advice.

My one wire im gonna install says it excites just under 2500 rpm. Seeing the pulley is smaller than the drive pulley then I shouldn't have to run the engine up to max throttle to excite it. Or even half if I had to guess. Is my thoughts correct on this. Cuz if I gotta wind my engine up just to get it to excite I'll add a button of some kind.

You guys with first hand experience please give me some insight. Thanks

C

convert to 12 volts question

henryv1111

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Jim Becker

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rvirgil_KS

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old

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teddy52food

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David G

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TheDurk

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TheDurk

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tractorguy2

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cuby

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NoNewParts

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techinny

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Chance M

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