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First thing I'd do is get another ammeter in the mix. A clamp-on
one, if available, can help a lot with diagnostics. Put it on the
generator output line and see what it reads when the engine is
turning about 2000 RPM with the landing light on. If it is around 10
amps, you need to look elsewhere. Otherwise, I'd look at the
generator, the wiring, and the regulator, which you already have addressed.
The ship's ammeter measures current into and out of the battery (if
it's wired correctly). It only indirectly shows generator
output. If you drain the battery starting and then turn on 5 amps of
load, a 10 amp generator can only show 5 amps on the meter.
Flashing the generator will not make a working generator work
better. Flashing causes residual magnetism to be induced in the
field poles, which allows the generator to "self excite". Once the
generator is generating, the residual magnetism is out of the
picture. If there is none or not enough, it will never start
generating in the first place. (If the residual magnetism is
reversed, it'll generate backwards electricity. This way, you can
have a positive ground system...)
Connecting the generator's field terminal to 12 V (or is it
ground? I can never remember which) should send the generator to
full charge, given sufficient RPM.
There is a current limiter in the regulator which must be matched to
the generator, but with a 12 amp generator, you've got nowhere to go but up...
As Hartmut stated, a faulty battery adds a degree of difficulty to
the troubleshooting process. Get it checked and charged before proceding.
John Cooper
Skyport Services
PO Box 249
4996 Delaware Tnpk
Rensselaerville, NY 12147
518 797-3064
Fax 518 797-3865
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