Battery charger recommendation???

[steplift20]

It is a Schumacher. That's funny. Still works. H

[cfelton]

Spare is right, I have to give it a little speed to make it start charging first then it usually works well.

[scook]

It was a happy thought, getting by for less than a hundred bucks plus a little time in the shop, but lots of my time is spent at a slow troll for Salmon, so I'd probably better stay with a conventional setup.

[scook]

Got a Marinco 10 amp onboard charger to charge and maintain the batteries, now I need to take care of the alternator.

The stator is shorted to ground. It tested that way on the engine and tested the same on the bench (.2 ohms either lead to ground). The regulator seemed to test OK with partial diagnosis but the body is cracked and I don't trust it - time for an external alternator.

I don't have time right now for fabricating anything in the shop so will need a kit. The question is whether a one wire type will work for my use.

Earlier in the thread I learned that the one wire doesn't charge until RPM's reach 1500. Does it quit charging when you drop below 1500 without shutting down the engine? I do a lot of slow trolling but always spend several minutes running at around 3000 RPM getting to where we fish and getting back to the ramp.

I need some education and need to get the boat going - the Spring Salmon are starting to run
up the river. I appreciate your help.

Spareparts - if you see this, please check your PM's.

[THEFERMANATOR]

A standard GM 10 SI will charge once it hits roughly 1500RPM's, and will continue to charge until you shut it off. A true 1 wire will begin charging at idle as they have a different regulator in them. Also keep in mind that teh charge sense wire for a GM 10 SI should NOT be wired directly to the ignition wire. A GM 10 SI can backfeed enough power to keep the igntion wire powered with the key off. I hate putting in a new alternator and having problems shutting them off after the install.

[scook]

Thanks Ferm - how do I know I'm getting a true one wire and where would you go for the whole kit, including what's needed to hang it on my Mercruiser 170?