"Ignoramus24731" wrote in message
...
On 2009-02-08, RogerN wrote:

I've been thinking about mounting an automotive alternator on a small
gasoline engine to make a portable battery charger with respectable
output.
The purpose would be to charge auto batteries when there are no outlets
around. Of course you could do the same thing with a generator and
battery
charger but I think you can get perhaps 70 amps or more from an
alternator.
It would have been nice this winter when we had the ice & snow storm and
the
battery was weak on the seldom driven 4WD diesel truck. Also could be
useful for camping and boating, could recharge the trolling motor battery
on
the lake, etc...

How would you deliver such a device to a stranded car?

--

I wouldn't want it for a stranded car because you could just jump start the
car unless it's positioned where you can't get close enough to jump start.
My recent experience was that my truck was stranded at home and I had to
wait a while to get enough charge to get it to start (diesel pickup with 2
batteries). So I was thinking of buying one of those heavy duty battery
chargers but even that would be useless if you lost power, unless you have a
generator. For the price of a heavy duty battery charger I thought I could
buy a $100 Wal-Mart lawn mower, then with an alternator, belt, and motor
pulley I should be in the $200 range for a portable high current battery
charger. So, after the ice and snow and getting enough charge to start the
truck, I thought it would be nice to have a small gasoline powered charger
that I could put in the truck just in case the truck doesn't start after
work.

Other uses would include being able to take it along when fishing to
recharge the trolling motor battery and taking it to the R/C flying field to
recharge the battery used to charge the electric models. Also could be nice
for camping or anywhere else that 12V lead acid batteries need charged. One
of the websites I saw used one for charging their drag car between races.
From what I've been reading I should be able to make my own regulator
control to recharge other voltage vehicles like golf carts, electric fork
trucks, or whatever up to around 110V or so. I just wish I could figure out
a way to make it work in a small, light, and economical package.

RogerN