Charging Systems 101 - How does your alternator and battery REALLY work?

This video demonstrates how the alternator and battery of a properly functioning charging system really work with respect to the accessories. Although I demonstrate this with a small version on the bench, this could easily be scaled up. IE - four 300 amp alternators and ten batteries. The principals are the same.

[richardheine]

Thanks, Tony. Great combination of visual demo and verbal explanation. The two DMMs really help you understand which direction the current flows under various conditions.

[rolandjacques]

Excellent step by step explanation.

Its amazing how much confusion exists in Car Audio on this subject. Keep up the good work.

[Flaco...]

Man i'm glad i found you on here! I've got ur first book and pickup good info off it, with these videos it just makes it that much better .. Thumbs up man

[KlaskeyProductions]

Senior EE student and I'm just now learning what a ground lift does!

[seagangstab]

A million thanks and a million thumbs up to you! Just changed my life a little:)

[blownolds]

You can not load test an alternator with a DMM. You need a carbon pile load to do so. I use a Snap-On MT3750.

[mexflix]

So for car audio, If I understand correctly, As long as I have an alternator that is supplying enough amperage to take care of the demands (headlights, ignition system, accessories, amplifiers, etc.) and maintain the surface charge of the battery, then the stock battery would suffice. This is listening to the audio system with the vehicle running. Is there something else to it? How does the voltage regulator effect this? How does the fluctuation in demands from the amplifiers effect things?

[mexflix]

Was trying to keep an eye out. Did I miss the video?

[paulhart]

this was fantastic! learnt so much, thank you!

[Marzec]

Maybe you could put a video together to show how using a capacitor can add excessive load on a weak charging system.

[mnovo]

Nice demo. Removing the earth ground just means you've created a floating power supply like another battery. Negative is not the same as earth ground because the transformer separates both currents and the rectifier converts the AC signal to DC.

[blownolds]

Stay tuned. I will answer your questions in upcoming videos. For now, let's just say that upgrading your stock battery to one like that of an XS Power is never a bad idea.

[tacomabanga]

how do you check the amp output of an alt? i got a fieldpiece sc77 true rms multi meter to use to check it

while riding around voltage is around 13.4v or so, and when i stop at stoplight it goes anywhere from 10.6v to 12.8v with hid's on and thats it, stereo off, i got big 3 in 0guage, dunno whats wrong with it

[tacomabanga]

its a clam meter also, didn't know if it would do dc amperage

[SaucyBegger]

this is a very good video and a quick learning guide also, its clear and strait forward. good work and thanks, i enjoyed watching this video

[mexflix]

Looking forward to it. I'm subscribed but thought I'd check back just in case I missed something somehow.

[vincentbwalya]

My dashboard on the car shows a battery sign, its now 4 days but I have never experience a battery drain, what should I do so the display goes off completely each time start the engine? It is irritating me guys

[Sixalienasa]

Stone the Crows Dude could you make it any more complicated?

[blownolds]

You still need the load. Google Snap-On MT3750 . . . that's the ticket!

[El-Leion]

where the heck is the alternator, I'm having trouble getting anything out my alternator, I'm using it on a bicycle, easily does 3, 000rpm.. only giving out  1v WTF