If I was going to build my own I was thinking of using a 40A Bridge to
turn the AC into DC and then a simple High Current FET or IGBT as a
series pass regulator since I don't want the Alternator stealing power
from the engine when it doesn't need to.  Rather have the input be
capable of handling the higher Open Circuit Voltage.

If I go that route might as well throw a PIC onto it and do proper 3
state battery charging.  Since I have two batteries,  one Deep Discharge
for the 'house' battery and one Standard Automotive for Engine Starting,
I could flip the charger back and forth between both batteries so that
they each got the correct charge or float voltage rather than just the
standard Parallel them mode.

Thanks for your feedback.

John

> Probably will be ok if you leave the regulator
> in circuit as you change the battery. My book
> here describes a similar regulator, uses SCRs on
> the alternator output. When battery voltage gets
> high enough the SCRs turn on and just short the
> alternator ac output, or just the last portion
> of the ac wave. Sounds thoroughly nasty to me
> but that's how they build motorcycle regulators
> these days...
> -Roman
>
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