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Thread: AC or DC!!!???

  1. 06-23-2003, 07:18 PM #1
    Derekh1234
    Derekh1234 is offline New to the board Arm chair racerNew to the board
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    AC or DC!!!???

    Hey guys,
    I just got a 1982 185s and im now working on getting the lights installed. The trike is rather beat up, so i decided to measure the current coming from the wires for the head light and tail light. The voltage varied from 3 volts to 17 volts AC depending on motor RPM. Is AC current normal?
    My understanding is genrators are supposed to put out DC
    What is the puopose of the "pick up coil"? Is this supposed to make it DC?
    I do not have the DC power kit.
    I have other ATV's and they all put out DC

    Thanks
    Derek
    2003 Yamaha Raptor Black/Red
    2002 Honda 400ex Red
    1981 Honda ATC 185S
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  2. 06-23-2003, 10:59 PM #2
    Macs's Avatar
    Macs
    Macs is offline Formerly barry_mann Got the holeshot
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    well iam not sure if it should be putting out ac or not. ac stands for alternating current and get put out by alternaters and other type of generating devices such as in power plants. dc stands for direct current and comes from batteries and other forms of stored electricity. a car has a current converter to change the voltage from ac to dc. now your 3 wheeler should have a type of generating device so should be dc. there should not be any ac current at all. but i am not sure on your three wheeler it is possible to have an alternating current producing. i hope that helps or i probly really confused you.
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  3. 06-23-2003, 11:47 PM #3
    Derekh1234
    Derekh1234 is offline New to the board Arm chair racerNew to the board
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    still confused

    yea i know how electricity works and what ac and dc stand for. my question still has not been answered tho
    thanks
    derek
    2003 Yamaha Raptor Black/Red
    2002 Honda 400ex Red
    1981 Honda ATC 185S
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  4. 06-24-2003, 12:15 AM #4
    ATCnut
    ATCnut is offline Got The Holeshot Arm chair racerJust too addicted
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    The light power should be DC, sounds like the rectifier is shot.

    The pick up coil is used by the ignition, it is completly seperate from the lighting coil
    ATCnut

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  5. 06-24-2003, 06:20 AM #5
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    Dirtcrasher
    Dirtcrasher is offline Power User Catch me if you can
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    a Diode converts AC to pulsating DC. An specific arrangement of Diodes or a full wave rectifier creates true DC. You didn't ask but I told you anyway.
    All our government does is distract us while they steal from us, misspend our tax $ and ruin our country
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  6. 06-24-2003, 09:35 AM #6
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    TimSr
    TimSr is offline Banned The day begins with 3WW
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    Yep, its generated as AC, and changed to DC via rectifier (diodes), which is sometimes a separate unit, and sometimes its built into the regulater. Rectified AC which is poorly filtered and regulated (as is typical for analog automotive applications) or pulsating DC still changes in amplitude, just never drops below 0 and changes plarity will measure as an AC average voltage on a digital voltmeter. Ignore the AC reading and go by the DC reading. If you measure AC but no DC, or high runaway spikes when you rev, its usually a regulator problem, as stand alone rectifiers usually open rather than short.

    The pickup coil generates an electrical pulse when the magnets pass over it, which after being stepped up makes your spark. A separate (usually much larger) coil is used for lighting.
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  7. 06-24-2003, 09:38 AM #7
    Derekh1234
    Derekh1234 is offline New to the board Arm chair racerNew to the board
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    ok

    ok thanks a bunch!! my dad said something about the rectifier being bad, so i guess his guess was on the rite track. Do any of you guys have any idea where i could pick up a random part like the rectifier?
    Thanks
    Derek
    2003 Yamaha Raptor Black/Red
    2002 Honda 400ex Red
    1981 Honda ATC 185S
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  8. 06-24-2003, 11:05 PM #8
    Derekh1234
    Derekh1234 is offline New to the board Arm chair racerNew to the board
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    fixed

    thanks for all your help. Finally got it fixed!
    2003 Yamaha Raptor Black/Red
    2002 Honda 400ex Red
    1981 Honda ATC 185S
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