Not neccessarily
Ross,
It all depends on how it's wired.
If it goes directly to the battery and there's always a place for the output from the alternator to go to, it's NOT a problem.
If it does go through the switch, and the alternator has nowhere to send its output, it could fry the diodes.
Lots has to do with answers to the earlier questions, though.
This is true for outboards as well as the inboard engines with alternators. So many people have their alternators still wired through the switch. Newer electrical system design suggests running the alternator output AWAY from the switch and directly to the house bank, with whatever method is used (switches, combiners, echo chargers, etc.) to provide charging to the reserve bank.
It all depends on how it's wired.
(Since we've discussed this many times before in threads about electrical system designs, one could do a search on this exact phrase and come up with many more detailed discussions of why this is a critical bit of information for anyone with an alternator on their boat.)
Ross,
It all depends on how it's wired.
If it goes directly to the battery and there's always a place for the output from the alternator to go to, it's NOT a problem.
If it does go through the switch, and the alternator has nowhere to send its output, it could fry the diodes.
Lots has to do with answers to the earlier questions, though.
This is true for outboards as well as the inboard engines with alternators. So many people have their alternators still wired through the switch. Newer electrical system design suggests running the alternator output AWAY from the switch and directly to the house bank, with whatever method is used (switches, combiners, echo chargers, etc.) to provide charging to the reserve bank.
It all depends on how it's wired.
(Since we've discussed this many times before in threads about electrical system designs, one could do a search on this exact phrase and come up with many more detailed discussions of why this is a critical bit of information for anyone with an alternator on their boat.)
