Using electronics with my unregulated outboard

[nickjaxe]

Hello all I have a 16ft dory type boat fitted with a 55hp yamaha BE origin outboard from about 1991, as far as I know going by the handbook the alternator has no regulator, I think it puts out about 17 volts last time I had a volt meter on it, so at the moment for my sounder\ vhf \ gps I run them through a seperate battery not linked to the engine so hence it dont get charged and I have to trickle charge it at home, the thing I was wondering what kind of voltage will these things be ok to, I know the gps is ok to 40 volts but not sure about the others, I would like to do away with the second battery and run everything off the one battery, hope sombody can enlighten me.

Regards Nick in cheshire.

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by nickjaxe on 12/08/2003 19:14 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[jfm]

dont worry, just connect to 17v

You are right, in fact lots of outboards have unregulated alternators and you therefore have 17v when running. I have never found this a problem. As you say modern electronics is all 7v to 35v type stuff, but even older kit seems fine, I mean kit that does not actually say 7-25v is ok on the label, and just says 12v. Of course different kit might vary, but I have found 17v to be fine on Lowrance Sounders dated from about 1995, a humminbird vhf dated 1981, and various others I cant remeber. Even stuff like nave lights and the little 12v illum bulbs in the tacho etc seem to be fine

I would howvver check/calibrate any fuel guage and power trim guage that works on a rheostat (where the guage is really a voltmeter) in case the reading is wrong..... it might say your fuel is more than it really is!

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[ballena]

you should be Ok the Battery connected across the output will keep the voltage from rising too high. Make sure that the battery is not overcharging and getting warm as could explode if allowed to run low on electroloyte

<hr width=100% size=1>V8's rule!

 

[tripleace]

here goes..

prepare gunds for blasting.

Why not fit a regulator in line before battery?

engine feeds 17 volts through regulator which limits volts to battery to 12 /14 volts?

have I missed something...



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[ccscott49]

As long as the output from the outboard is connected to the battery, it should be fine, (as long as it's DC!! some were AC lighting coils) thats what it's for, charging a battery, if the battery gets a little warm, a diode connected in series, with the pos lead, will drop it a volt or two, to stop the battery overcharging. Have a search for this subject, it's been brought up a few times before on one forum or another.

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[nickjaxe]

Regulator in line that sounds simple, can anybody sujjest were I could get one or what type.

Regards nick.

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[Geoffs]

As Colin says, the best 'regulator' is a battery. You could go to Maplin Electronics and buy a 12v regulator, but you'd need a bit of electronic expertise to fit it (mount on PCB with a few other components.)

If you are reading 17volts with a DC meter then it's 17v DC. Check the voltage with the battery connected and engine running, shouldn't exceed 14.5V. If it is AC, then a diode, or bridge rectifier even better, will sort it. Again Maplin will source. Need correct current rating, 10amps I would guess.

<hr width=100% size=1>Old Chinese proverb 'Man who sail boat into rice field, soon get into paddy'