Ian Field wrote:

"Tom Del Rosso" wrote in message
...

Jim Thompson wrote:

And you're still clueless about why the dynamo won't work into an
auto-transformer.

Oh, and I'm curious about this dynamo vs alternator issue. Some people
have said these things generate AC. If none of us have tested one, maybe
we should assume the worst.


In British cycling terminology, the term "dynamo" is incorrectly applied to
the lighting generator - a dynamo has brushes and generates DC while bicycle
generators would be more correctly described as alternators.

Alternators come in a couple of principle types - permanent magnet and field
coil excited type.

Permanent magnet alternators are usual on bicycles and some types of
older/smaller motorcycles, field winding alternators are usual on
newer/larger motorcycles and on cars.

And let us not forget that these non-pm alternators have not used
brushes for the field for years now. Nothing but bearings and the
unexpected mishap to take place now.


Alternators produce AC - you can always be fed through a rectifier if you
need to charge a battery.

AFAIK the misuse of the term "dynamo" is largely confined to Britain - the
term "generator" is used more widely in connection with bicycles.



Jamie