12 Volt conversion Marker light?

Thanks for the post on my 12 Volt wires smokin' problem. I am going back home to work on and thought I would ask you all where do you mount these marker lights?

Thanks,

Dave Brown

I did what I always do when adding an alternator to a tractor etc that was previously equiped with a generator.

I just went to the auto parts store and bought a voltage regulator for a 1968 Dodge Charger. This retgulator used to be mechanical but now all of them are electronic but work the same. Actually all the chrysler products of this era used the same simple two wire regulator-cutout set up on their alternators and I have never found a more simple fix to any and all alternators that have a hot wire and a field wire connection that you can easily identify. All you have to do is to connect a wire to the regulator that is made hot when the ignition switch is in the "on" position. The other wire comes out of the other end of the regulator and is marked "field". Run this wire to the field of the regulator. It doesn't care if it is Ford, Delco or Chrysler as long as you can find the field connection to the alternator. Of course you must have the "Battery" wire connected to the altenator and it hot at all times.

Been using this arrangement for years on lots of different alternators and the first one I did was on my 65 IH backhoe and it is still on it after about 20 years.

Zane

The type 194 "side marker lamp" recommended by many is satisfactory, though sub-optimal in my opinion. The on resistance is a bit too high to get the alternator to begin to charge without "jazzing" the engine to 1200 RPM or so. It will still feel a bit like a "one wire" alternator. But almost any reasonable use of the tractor will charge the battery OK. The mounting depends on whether or not you want the "idiot light" to be visible from the operator's seat. I've found the the bare bulb can often be stuffed through an extra hole in the hood or dash (added for an unknown function years ago by a previous owner), and held in place with a grommet. If you don't care about an idiot light, just wrap it up with tape and secure it behind the dash and under the hood. Just buy the bare bulb and socket; you shouldn't need to mess with something as big as requiring a "two inch hole".

The cheap "Made in China" idiot light, based on a light emitting diode, mountable in a 1/2 inch hole, and available at most auto supply stores, is completely unsatisfactory. Its "on resistance" is way too high to provide sufficient field current to excite the alternator. You will have to provide some other source of field current with this one.

If you want to get the most out of your 10SI alternator, I recommend adding a 1N5401 or equivalent diode in series with a 10 ohm, 10 watt resistor, to supply the field current. You can optionally connect a lamp in parallel with the resistor to provide an idiot light function. Even the Chinese LED will work when hooked up that way.

Another reasonable alternative is the use of a double-pole, single throw ignition switch, aka an ignition switch with an accessory position.

With either of the above setups, the 10SI will turn on and charge the battery at anything above 500 RPM. No "jazzing" required.

For extra credit, the Delco CS-130 or CS-121 alternator has superior low RPM charging performance, is smaller than the 10SI, doesn't need the "pigtail" jumper to S2, and is less fussy about the idiot light value than the 10SI. Cost is the same as the 10SI at the "pick your part" junkyard. But this is getting into "advanced alternator hacking"...

'course if'n ya wants a dashpanel mounted idiot light, I'm sure an intellegent person could figgure out where to mount one. Afterall, its optional equipment but mandatory for feedback control (P-1 of your 12 volt Delco 10-SI alternator) so you can STOP your engine when you turn the ignition key OFF..... ....Dell, a 12 volt advocate for the right reasons and knows 7-ways to do it right the first time