Outboard battery charging

[Art]

I have a C-22 with a Johnson 6hp outboard. It has a small alternator on it and a wire that is supposed to be for charging. My question is will this really do any good for charging. It doesent seem to me that there would be enough power to really charge much. Does any one know if it is worth my time to hook this up to my battery?ThanksArt <)))><

 

[Don]

You've got it, might as well use it.

I had same engine on my last boat. I found that it really didn't start charging until the engine was at 1/2 throttle or above. With only a light electrical load (depth sounder, stereo, and occational cabin light) our battery stayed charged.

 

[tomD]

they work.

Depending on how the wiring was left, it should work. Those little rectifiers put out typically 4 amps and will charge/top up a 12V after a few hours. But if they are disconnected and left with nowhere to go, the fuse in them blows (shorts). Under the engine head there is a little sliding connection that disconnects the rectifier from the line and prevents shorting. If you find this disconnected it is probably OK, otherwise it may be cooked, and you need to get it looked at.At least this is what they did on my Nissan 6.

 

[larry w.]

charge

Art; those little alternators on outboards will charge a battery, but they take a long time. If you want to charge the batt while at anchor, think about a solar panel or small gas genset.