What is your Alton Charging Voltage versus RPM? Mine is below

I just installed an Alton. Can you tell me what voltages you have at the following rpm with the only load being the ignition?

I have
1000 rpm 11.9 Volts
2000 rpm 13.2 Volts
3000 rpm 13.8 to 14 Volts

DennisMo said:

I just installed an Alton. Can you tell me what voltages you have at the following rpm with the only load being the ignition?

I have
1000 rpm 11.9 Volts
2000 rpm 13.2 Volts
3000 rpm 13.8 to 14 Volts

Click to expand...

Looks about right
What ignition do you have?

Is your battery good and fully charged? The 11.9 at 1000 seems low but that is more dependant on the battery than the alternator output. The Alton alternator is 150 watt single phase, so not overly powerful. Make sure there is consistent clearance between the stator and magnet ring. The magnet ring seems to lose magnetism quite easily.

If you previously had a 3 phase alternator you will find the Alton output a bit lower but there are lots of bikes using them without problems.

Headlamp on at 1000rpm could give you 11.9v.

My Alton with the OEM Lucas Zener/rectifier produced 12.5+ at 1100 RPM (no headlight). Went to 13's almost instantly with RPM above that point, maxed out at around 13.8. Interestingly, "upgrading" (LOL) to a Podtronics reduced voltage by .2v throughout the rev range compared to the OEM. Go figure!

3000rpm mine shows 14.7 volts I fitted a trispark mosfet and it’s never been this good . When I get the chance will check all the figures . Headlight , etc are all LED s so I doubt they will make much difference.

I have a Boyer. And this is after a good run when the battery (that is new) should be fully charged
Dennis

Thank you for your replies.
I checked my Alton AC Volts coming out of the alternator at high idle and it is 14 volts instead of the specified 22 Volts AC
Dennis

DennisMo said:

Thank you for your replies.
I checked my Alton AC Volts coming out of the alternator at high idle and it is 14 volts instead of the specified 22 Volts AC
Dennis

Click to expand...

When I checked my open AC voltage it was 20v at 2000rpm and 36v at 4000rpm

At idle 1000 Rpm I have ONLY 6 V --> should be approx 10-12 V AC
At 3000 Rpm I have 19 V AC. --> should be approx 30 V AC

When I check output voltage at Battery I have at 3000 RPM just 12.6-12.8V DC
What was / is the reason you found for that low voltage?
I have issue that my Battery doens't charge anymore.
Rectifier from BOYER and in the past the battery was charged perfectly.

Regards Lorenz

Lorenz said:

At idle 1000 Rpm I have ONLY 6 V
At 3000 Rpm I have 19 V AC.

What was / is the reason you found for that low voltage?
I have issue that my Battery doens't charge anymore.
I have a Rectifier from BOYER and tried a No Name for CB750
Regards Lorenz

Click to expand...

When you test at idle 1000rpm and only got 6v
Was that with a fully charged good battery?

baz said:

When you test at idle 1000rpm and only got 6v
Was that with a fully charged good battery?

Click to expand...

No, that was AC, I meant at 1000 rpm I have ONLY 6 V AC at the connector at the stator. That was not DC at he Batterie.
Rectifier was disconnected.

Little or no charging at 1000 rpm isn’t a fault.

This is the test procedure sent to me by Alton ( Paul Hamon)…

You must use a multimeter.
Two static tests (engine off):

[1-1] test for continuity between the 2 wires from the AC generator. There should be CONTINUITY between those wires.

[1-2] test for continuity between one (or the other) wire from the AC generator and the motorcycle earth. There should be NO continuity.

Two dynamic tests (engine running):

[2-1] disconnect the AC generator from regulator. Start engine. Check AC voltage between the 2 wires of AC generator. This voltage should reach 20-22 volts AC as soon as you rev up engine (let's say at a high idling rpm).

[2-2] connect the regulator to the AC generator with everything as it should be. Start engine. Check DC voltage between the 2 terminals of battery. This voltage should reach 13 volts DC as soon as you rev up engine (let's say at a high idling rpm).

Further than these basic tests, dont forget that the charging system on a motorcycle is not « only » the Alton generator but it is the addition of
- the Alton generator i.e. rotor / stator
- the rectifying-regulator (What type is it ?)
- the battery
- the cables and the connectors between these components
- a proper earthing where it is necessary
Not forgetting the fuse, the fuse holder, etc
But if one of the others above is wrong in some way, the charging will not work, or badly, or (even worse) intermittently.

That is why it is necessary to do all 4 tests, preferably in good order and report them completely.

If the stator checks out resistance wise, which it probably will, it is almost certainly the magnet ring has lost magnetism. If your Alton is under warranty they will probably send you a new one. If it is out of warranty they will sell you a new one. If it is that, when you get a new one check & check again that there is clearance between the magnet ring and the stator. Alton told me that any contact between the magnet ring & stator destroys the magnetism.

@Triton Trash I'm aware and I know that idling doesn't charge the battery.

@ Cliffa This information I do also received from Paul. Excatly the same!

And I reported him excatly the outcome.

After that I do received a mail where he asked me to make some more several tests, I did. But outcome is still the same: No laod of Battery
I have measured again at the open Alternator and I definitely have ONLY 6.5V AC at idle, that's nothing and at 3000 rpm I have less than 20 VAC at the open alternator.
My Boyer-Box has worked good in the past, now it doens't work anymore due to low Voltage.

I will get a AC / AC Powersupply from a friend which is adjustable. I will check by which AC-Voltage the Boyer Box will proper work.
Frankly I assume a weak magnetism is also the key issue. I asked Paul from Alton to test the alternator /stator -rotor.
I'll disassemble it and send him for a test ance he accept.

Such a frustrating problem is a nightmare.

Nortoniggy said:

If the stator checks out resistance wise, which it probably will, it is almost certainly the magnet ring has lost magnetism. If your Alton is under warranty they will probably send you a new one. If it is out of warranty they will sell you a new one. If it is that, when you get a new one check & check again that there is clearance between the magnet ring and the stator. Alton told me that any contact between the magnet ring & stator destroys the magnetism.

Click to expand...

That was the first measurement I did, distance between rotor and stator. I also assumed that maybe an assembly error caused a contact between stator / rotor. But the clearance was OK! If I make a mistake I will be responsible for it, I will never blame others. But I do not find a failure and unit is 1 month out of warranty!

Lorenz said:

That was the first measurement I did, distance between rotor and stator. I also assumed that maybe an assembly error caused a contact between stator / rotor. But the clearance was OK! If I make a mistake I will be responsible for it, I will never blame others. But I do not find a failure and unit is 1 month out of warranty!

Click to expand...

Mine lost magnetism just out of warranty too. I think the magnet ring was approx 130 Euros. At least you are in the EU so won't have to pay the extra import charges that we now have to pay. That added a significant amount for me.

Nortoniggy said:

Mine lost magnetism just out of warranty too. I think the magnet ring was approx 130 Euros. At least you are in the EU so won't have to pay the extra import charges that we now have to pay. That added a significant amount for me.

Click to expand...

I feel sorry to read that. I also sufferring by the BREXIT and do not order at RGM Motors anymore, BUT: RGM has such a part I discover. BUT 450 EURO May you can aks them for help?

Lorenz said:

I feel sorry to read that. I also sufferring by the BREXIT and do not order at RGM Motors anymore, BUT: RGM has such a part I discover. BUT 450 EURO May you can aks them for help?

Click to expand...

Unless it has changed, RGM only sell the complete sprag and magnet ring assembly which is why it is so expensive. Even with the add ons it is quite a bit cheaper to just buy the magnet ring from Alton themselves. I did suggest to RGM that they ought to stock the magnet ring on its own.