John M - Usually a "self exciter" is a standard 3-wire 10SI alternator retrofitted with a different internal regulator to render it self-exciting.
As the others point out, most self exciters need to be spun up to a considerably higher RPM before they'll begin to charge. (However once they start charging they'll continue to charge atlow RPMs same as a 3 wire unit.) There are however "low cut-in" self-exciting units out there - but I've had no experience with them.
Also all self-exciters I've seen pull a small amount of current (on the order of milliamps) when shut down. Generally this leakage current is not a problem - it's usually less than a good battery's self discharge rate.
However I've run across a couple self-exciters that drew so much standby current they would flatten a fully-charged battery in a matter of a week or so.
I'm not particularly fond of self exciting alternators myself....
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Today's Featured Article - Ford Part Number Trivia - by Forum Participants. "Replaced by" means the part was superseded. All of my part books date back to 1964 and New Holland have changed some part numbers. They usually put the old Ford part number on the package. I was suppressed when I looked up the part number of the auxiliary drive shaft because for some reason the part number went through a radical change and it lost its "Basic Part Number". Ford part numbers follow the following rules. Most part numbers are in three parts. The middle part is called the
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