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Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Fri Aug 13, 2021 9:52 pm
by Micky67keane
I have just completed a DC conversion using a scootronics "wassel" regulator and a 12v 7ah battery.
I followed the wiring to the letter with the brown feed wire connecting to the +ve wire as it comes out of the regulator into the +ve terminal (-ve to earth and -ve battery) of the battery so that incase the battery failed the stator would still feed the lights.This doesn't seem to be the case and while out the other night my lights began to dim dramatically and I had to wing it home quick.The lights were only working on the battery which wasnt getting charge.
On measuring the DC voltage it was 11.8v on low revs.
Does anyone know where Ive gone wrong or what would cause
a)battery not to charge
b)lights to not work direct from regulator.
Many thanks,Mick.

Re: Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Fri Aug 13, 2021 10:34 pm
by missing lynx
What stator are you using? I have a wassel dc conversion using a dc converted uni stator and it produces over 13v on tick over which drops to 12 1/2 v with lights on

Re: Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Fri Aug 13, 2021 10:54 pm
by Micky67keane
Its an Indian electronic stator I think.Ive ordered a new one from Scootronics....

Re: Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Sat Aug 14, 2021 7:23 am
by MickYork
Are you getting voltage into the regulator ? it will fluctuate greatly (hence the regulator to stabilize the voltage) it could be as high as 20 - 30 ac volts

Re: Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Sat Aug 14, 2021 9:28 am
by Micky67keane
Hi Mick,yes Im getting AC voltage into regulator,not sure how much.Will check later.
Cheers

Re: Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Sat Aug 14, 2021 9:34 am
by Micky67keane
This is the diagram I went off

Re: Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Sun Aug 15, 2021 7:20 pm
by coaster
Micky67keane wrote:.........On measuring the DC voltage it was 11.8v on low revs.


Yes but what does it read when you rev it? The voltage should go up with revs and top out about 14 volts with no lights and around 13 volts with them on. The max wattage for the headlamp should be 25 watts, tghe stator will be fighting a loosing battle if you have a 55/60 watt headlamp

Re: Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Sun Aug 15, 2021 9:06 pm
by MK Monty
Do your lights work as normal without the engine running if not your battery is flat or it is not connected properly. One of the great things with this system is that everything works without the engine, the engine then tops it all up

Re: Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2021 10:42 am
by gp200ts1
[quote=

Yes but what does it read when you rev it? The voltage should go up with revs and top out about 14 volts with no lights and around 13 volts with them on. The max wattage for the headlamp should be 25 watts, tghe stator will be fighting a loosing battle if you have a 55/60 watt headlamp[/quote]
surely an electronic stator should be able to power a 55w bulb with a bit to spare with a 10w rear bulb and leaving a bit for trickle charging the battery?

Re: Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2021 12:55 pm
by coaster
gp200ts1 wrote:[quote=

Yes but what does it read when you rev it? The voltage should go up with revs and top out about 14 volts with no lights and around 13 volts with them on. The max wattage for the headlamp should be 25 watts, tghe stator will be fighting a loosing battle if you have a 55/60 watt headlamp

surely an electronic stator should be able to power a 55w bulb with a bit to spare with a 10w rear bulb and leaving a bit for trickle charging the battery?[/quote]

Possibly if you have it pegged at 5k rpm but for non A road and around town riding the 70 watt Indian stators won't do it. 35 watts is ok and if you are clipping along at 50 mph or so then an Indian stator will will charge the battery at aroung 14 volts. When I was running a 55/60 Night Breaker in mine I would have to turn the headlamp off if I wanted to charge my iphone and satnav.

Re: Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2021 11:35 pm
by Micky67keane
Thanks for all the replies.
My multimeter has just packed up so cant read the voltage,new meter in post!
The lights(and horn) work great with battery connected but not at all if any of the battery leads are disconnected.
Im going to test the output from the regulator tomorrow with a bulb because surely the output should power up the lights(even dimly if voltage is low).
All earths are good,battery,regulator and engine all to same earth.
Messing with my head a bit....

Re: Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 17, 2021 7:53 am
by coaster
Micky67keane wrote:Thanks for all the replies.
My multimeter has just packed up so cant read the voltage,new meter in post!
The lights(and horn) work great with battery connected but not at all if any of the battery leads are disconnected.
Im going to test the output from the regulator tomorrow with a bulb because surely the output should power up the lights(even dimly if voltage is low).
All earths are good,battery,regulator and engine all to same earth.
Messing with my head a bit....


Yes, your lights should work fine without the battery conncted but they will be like the AC system and vary in brightness according to revs. I used to suffer intermittent battery disconnects due to using alarm batteries with spade connectors. The plating on the connectors would corrode just enough to cause a high resistance and the battery would stop charging. I now use proper motorcycle batteries with screw terminals 8-)

Re: Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 17, 2021 7:52 pm
by Micky67keane
Nice 1 for the advice on the battery coaster,atm I am using an alarm battery(get em free at work),so will probably use a larger capacity with screw in terminals.
Scootronics stator and regulator arrived today hopefully get them fitted before weekend and see what that brings.
Cheers again

Re: Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 17, 2021 11:17 pm
by Fast n Furious
What battery capacity size have you got?
I used to have a 2.1Ah gell battery on my Jet which has a HID headlamp.
If the supply voltage to one of these bulbs drops below 9V it will simply switch off, which used to happen with annoying reularity when ticking over at various traffic lights. No problem at all on the open road. Even tootling around at 30mph was ok.
I later upped the battery capacity to 4.2Ah and this sorted the issue out.
Battery capacity size does matter. Bear in mind that the original wet cell batteries were around 7Ah.

Re: Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Wed Aug 18, 2021 1:18 am
by coaster
Fast n Furious wrote:What battery capacity size have you got?
I used to have a 2.1Ah gell battery on my Jet which has a HID headlamp.
If the supply voltage to one of these bulbs drops below 9V it will simply switch off, which used to happen with annoying reularity when ticking over at various traffic lights. No problem at all on the open road. Even tootling around at 30mph was ok.
I later upped the battery capacity to 4.2Ah and this sorted the issue out.
Battery capacity size does matter. Bear in mind that the original wet cell batteries were around 7Ah.


I'm currently using a 5 Ah motorcycle battery which is adequate and not too big. I also use an HID headlamp and have had the same issue, in fact that was when I discovered the corroding spade cannector problem :(

Re: Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Wed Aug 18, 2021 5:03 pm
by Micky67keane
Thanks both,I'm using a 7ah atm.I have a 35w halogen headlight with a bgm led rear/brake.
What fitment and any details about the hid conversion would be good too please.Are they much better?
Cheers

Re: Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Thu Aug 19, 2021 12:11 am
by coaster
Micky67keane wrote:Thanks both,I'm using a 7ah atm.I have a 35w halogen headlight with a bgm led rear/brake.
What fitment and any details about the hid conversion would be good too please.Are they much better?
Cheers


They need to be used in conjunction with the Jockeys headlamp conversion which to be fair is a signoffiant improvement over standard even with the H4 halogen supplied. The first one I fitted used an HID from ebay and only cost £5.99, this is still goiung strong after around 6 years. The second one uses a very similar kit from ebay but was for a car so had 2 HID units and cost around £10 again from ebay. They come with H4 fitting options and ply straighjt into thw Boxey reflector, you wil need extension leads for the Hi Voltage lead from the ballasr to the lamp as the ones supplied wont be long enough. You will need a basic knowlege of electricity.

Re: Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Thu Aug 19, 2021 11:08 pm
by Micky67keane
Nice 1 for that info Coaster,certainly 1 to look into.Does the ballast need to be hidden under horncasting?
Am quite competent round electrickery.
Cheers

Re: Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Fri Aug 20, 2021 12:57 am
by coaster
Micky67keane wrote:Nice 1 for that info Coaster,certainly 1 to look into.Does the ballast need to be hidden under horncasting?
Am quite competent round electrickery.
Cheers


The ballasts are about the size of a pack of playing cards and usually have a mounting hole at one end which you can bolt to the horn bracket under the casting. None of the cables will be long enough though but the 12v pos feed can be easily extended but the cable from the ballast to the HID lamp caries about 30k volts DC ans is like a thin HT lead. I bought an extention cable off ebay which had the correct waterproof lugs on for about £5 or so, they come in different lenths with the shortest being .5 mtr. I used those toggle type connectors in the headset to replace junction block on the headlamp as you have to lose that.

Re: Battery not charging...

PostPosted: Fri Aug 20, 2021 7:08 pm
by Micky67keane
Thats great,thanks very much....bright lights here we come!