A7 charging issue?

[BSA500]

I will find find out if the battery is rubbish when the charger arrives. But the measured voltage across the terminal does suggest low output from the reg. I know how to suffer I once had a JG reg that would melt the solder on the dynamo during heavy use

[BSA500]

Right charged the battery and the reg/ammeter shows no change. ie it is reading/doing the same as when the battery was flat. The charger proved the battery is capable of taking and holding a charge so it looks like a DVR reg is the next option at least there will be 2 amps extra flowing to the battery.

[warmshed]

As you have used a meter why have you not measured the voltage with the engine running????

[BSA500]

Yep i did around the 12.8 volt mark. Which is the same voltage as when the battery is near flat.

[duTch]

Yeah-but,yeah-but, just because you have 12v are you still putting out same amps(10), = 120w..?
I got the notion that it's still a 60 watt output whether it's 6 or 12 volts? ie 12v = 5amps..?
 that means that a 55w headlight at idle would surely dim the light?
 As an 'aside' (that's a Shakespeare moment), I had a situation, many years ago, sitting at the lights and a 'well meaning' officer came over and informed me I had no lights, but after  a little rev, he 'went away'....

 I may be wrong about the wattage/output??
 cheers, duTch

[BSA500]

I understand where you are coming from. My issues is that riding around for 2-3 months(150 miles a week) without using the lights I would expect the battery to be fully charged and not near flat. Also when finding out the state of the battery I was surprised to see the reg does not seem to reconise this and supply the battery with enough 'amps' to compensate ie the needle of the amp meter barely rises above the 0(it is a new meter) and when first installed was acting as it should. The proof is that what ever the state of the battery the reg will not push out enough to completely match the demands. BTW the rear lamp is a LED which uses nothing in electrical terms. All connections are clean no rubbing wires etc.

[bsa-bill]

Hi dutch - you didn't mention Ohms, you need to
Don't know how many of us 12 volters ever get around to re wiring our bikes but I suspect we should (it's on my to do list).
it's a simple formula for the relationship of volts, watts, amps but I can never remember it, probably because it so simple; Pythagarus on the other hand I can get my head around no trouble (thank you little Mr Williams my old maths teacher).

Yes it sounds like your getting something for nothing but it does work that way

[Triton Thrasher]

Yep i did around the 12.8 volt mark. Which is the same voltage as when the battery is near flat.

I used a Boyer Power Box dynamo 12V regulator, which regulated the voltage to too low a figure, like that. If the unregulated dynamo, with D and F joined, can light a headlamp bulb and exceed 15V, the regulated voltage should exceed 14V when you rev it up.

A charging system regulated to 12.8V is just about useless.

[BSA500]

My point exactly. I had issues with my car alternator and when I replaced it I was able to see a healthy 14.5 volts across the battery I would hope to see something near that.

[BSA500]

Guess what the v reg decided to work again today. The ammeter went up to about 3/4 amps at full chat. Still going to get a DVR2 seeing as I cannot trust the vreg with winter coming up. I have not touched anything else on the bike.

[BSA500]

Scrub that last post regulator has resumed the norm for it ie not enough.

[duTch]

 Hi Bill back,
  Not totally sure what you mean, maybe the one you're thinking of is E=IR, not to be confused with E=MC°˚(squared), which is the formula for putting bubbles°˚°˚ in beer,(Yahoo Serious)
   
     I had figuers but realised they didn't add up will get back to you on that
 cheers

    500, sounds like the dvr2 is on your list

[bsa-bill]

E=MC°˚(squared)

At last a formula that explains why we're all riding old bikes, now to find a garage with  petrol pumps  from the same time continuum 

[BSA500]

Dvr on and no change looks like the battery. I say no change the ammeter does not dip 1-2 amps on start up as it was with the vreg and from just above tickover with all lights on, stays in the positive but only 1 amp max. Seems the battery is resisting charge?? as after 5 miles with the bike stopped at the traffic lights they dim to that yellow dimness-makes sense?. Nothing I've missed is there can the ammeter influence the charge rate? or does it just 'read' what is going on???. When running along the lights are nice and bright.

[BSA500]

Just checked the charge across the battery terminals and getting 14+ volts. Spoke/email Mike at Dynamo regulaters and he agreed the battery is stuffed prob too many charge/discharge cycles. Also when I tested using the vreg it was only putting 12.8 volts into the battery so look like they both decicded to die which begs the question who killed who