The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 12 volt battery charging.

Can you charge a 12-volt battery with a 6-volt generator or alternator??

No.


George

If you use a 12V reg, I say yes. I have a Willys that is converted to 12V with that set up. Not run myself enough yet to say 100%. It was wired that way when I got it but the motor did not run till recently. But i know the rancher was running it that way for a long time. The internet has some pretty good results reported on that issue. The persons who say no, never tried it, just going by guessing. The "science" seems to support the notion. It will put out 12V. The longevity of that is the issue. Volts don't do anything to wiring. It's the amps that can get hot. It seems like the wiring would be sized for 6V. By and by I will find out. I will see what the output is to battery and watch for heat/smoke. If it burns up I'll go 12V alternator.

It seems a lot of tractor guys have done it for years. There is no better designer, fabricator, engineer, innovator than a farmer far from town.

How would a 6 V generator put out the 14-15V needed to charge a 12V battery?

i am sticking my neck out too far, I stand by what I say above, but this part is conjecture and arm chair logic. As I said, I am going to see if it's true. I will test first and analyzed later.

A generator without a VR, can, for the lack of a better word, "run away". We know that a good 6V gen with a bad 6V VR can overcharge a 6V battery. So why not up to 14V with a 12V VR. An unregulated generator could put out 30V +..... possibly more. They must be regulated for a reason. Not going any further than that. As Mike Myers' mother would say "talk amongst yourselves".


First try below. Got the trailer a little. Just surface scorching though.....and the wood. thanks to the Forest Service Hot Shot crew. Those guys are great.
Gotta tweak the VR more......when my hands heal.....

My reason for asking was if you have a 6-volt vehicle but want to have something like a 12-volt radio could you put a small 12-volt battery like a lawn mower's battery and connect the radio to that? Maybe not all the time but have an on-off switch to both, the generator and the radio.

My 54 3100 would not charge an 8v battery. At all. However, we ran 6v tractors back in the day and charged 8v batteries with 6v generators by removing the VR and replacing with a simple cut-out relay. Still works on my JD B.
Impractical if not impossible. Another However though... one cannot have both 6v and 12v batteries on the same charging system.
My solution to a similar problem back in the 80's was a 12v battery in the toolbox to run some 12v accessories... a CB radio and some tunes. Once in a while on the trickle charger kept everything happy.

bartamos, That picture isn't the result of something letting the smoke out of the wires was it??? Looks like the truck got more than just a bit scorched. I hope your hands heal up quickly! I'm interested to hear more about the truck in the picture and what plans you may have for it. Perhaps you would post more about it in the General truck talk forum???

Using a 6vdc to 12vdc converter would be a lot easier than rigging up a switching device to disconnect the charging system from 6v duties and connect to a 12v regulated load, even if the 6v generator would do the job. As long as the 12v radio didn't require more than 5 amps or so there are a lot of parts to do this job for under $50. Google "6v to 12v converter".

Thanks, Bill. I went to Amazon and when I saw what you mentioned I realized I had researched that a while back.

Yes, a 6V generator can produce 12V- - - -No, it won't last long. If it was that simple, why would Delco-Remy and a bunch of other manufacturers have gone to the trouble and expense to totally re-engineer their systems when the swap was made to 12V in the mid 1950s? A bunch of toy poodles can probably pull a sled across Alaska with enough "encouragement"- - - - - -so why would the competitors in the Iditarod race use huskies instead?
Jerry

unless the competitor's name was "Barbie".

We-be..........the best thing to do is just convert to 12V in your truck......or buy a radio with rechargable batteries and set it on the seat. Don't forget you may need an antenna if dash mount.

Given the electrical issues you have been having and you comment that the currently installed wiring is too complex to troubleshoot, Bartamos might have the best idea here.

Put in a universal speedway harness with every wire labelled, convert to 12V, and simplify your life.

My truck is 12 volts and has been ever since I got it, back in 1983. The question was for another project I am helping with.

LOL
Back in 1988, an Iditarod musher ran a team of standard poodles. Looked pretty strange, but they finished the race to Nome in 38th out of 45 teams.

If you put enough hamsters in a wheel, they could power your house.

OK then, tell the friend what Fibonachu and I said...12V conversion. So many advantages.

1. No big huge cables required
2. You can buy a 12V battery anywhere.
3. Faster starting, especially in cold weather.
4. You can add accessories, winch, electric wipers, radios, bluetooth, bags, etc......
5. You can by bulbs anywhere
6. You can't get a jump start from someone without burning out bulbs and gauges or unknown electrical damage.
7. Automotive is built around 12V systems. A standardized GM USA system since 54/55
8. Testing is built around 12V
9. Aftermarket is built around 12V
10. You can buy a 12V alternator anywhere and cheap. You can't buy a generator or Voltage regulator anywhere and cheap.
11. No Gen. polarizing or sticky VR contacts
12. Brighter headlights and tail lights, no need for relays
13. You can charge your cell phone
14. 6V takes twice the current/amps to get the same watts. If you have 50W hi beam headlights, they will draw twice as much current as on a 12V system. I.E. 100W (both headlights) is 100W/6V=16.7 Amps vs 100W/12V= 8.33 Amps. You can run out of amps on 6V. (dim lights, etc). Then you start band-aiding with relays, voltage regulator tricks or living with it.
15. May take a special harness to rewire 6V. Many 12V harness options for $200 (kits include new switches)
16. It's so easy and fairly inexpensive.

Don't some "hybrids" run a 96 volt system? If 12V is good, a hundred has got to be better, right?
Jerry

Some kids aroumd here have EV "motorcycles". .They do go fast but they are going to kill me when I cross the road to get the mail. I can not hear them coming around the bend.

I find 6v systems completely satisfactory, been running them for years. It is also a shame that all these original trucks are bastardized just because of the reasons listed;

1. No big huge cables required: So whats wrong with 00 cable?
2. You can buy a 12V battery anywhere.So can a 6V battery
3. Faster starting, especially in cold weather. I don't use my truck in cold weather or any of my other antique autos. My trucks are tuned properly and start very well.
4. You can add accessories, winch, electric wipers, radios, bluetooth, bags, etc...... I have a wood tool box in the bed of my 46. It has a 12V battery charged by a solar panel on the lid. It is wired to the OEM cigarette lighter so all these things can be used in the cab.
5. You can by bulbs anywhere: as well as 6V
6. You can't get a jump start from someone without burning out bulbs and gauges or unknown electrical damage. If I need a jump start, you have more problems than a 12V system will provide.Get your truck right.
7. Automotive is built around 12V systems. A standardized GM USA system since 54/55: so that is justification to bastardize a 6V system?
8. Testing is built around 12V: My volt/ohm meter works with any voltage
9. Aftermarket is built around 12V: again your taking away from the original OEM mystique. Go to a car show, I want to see how vehicles were manufactured in the year they were made, not the same old "restomods".
10. You can buy a 12V alternator anywhere and cheap. You can't buy a generator or Voltage regulator anywhere and cheap. Go to NAPA, I have never had a problem.
11. No Gen. polarizing or sticky VR contacts: Again, keep things well maintained and you can avoid these issues, they did pre-1954
12. Brighter headlights and tail lights, no need for relays: replace all bulbs with LED and your brightness will be fine. I do, and the LED's are brighter than any standard 12V bulb.
13. You can charge your cell phone: Forget the silly cell Phone or see comment number 4 above.
14. 6V takes twice the current/amps to get the same watts. If you have 50W hi beam headlights, they will draw twice as much current as on a 12V system. I.E. 100W (both headlights) is 100W/6V=16.7 Amps vs 100W/12V= 8.33 Amps. You can run out of amps on 6V. (dim lights, etc). Then you start band-aiding with relays, voltage regulator tricks or living with it. See number 12 above.
15. May take a special harness to rewire 6V. Many 12V harness options for $200 (kits include new switches) We make you good Chinese kit Joe.
16. It's so easy and fairly inexpensive. Wrong, there are a number of considerations when converting to 12V and it will cost.

Do the future generations a favor and keep your truck as original as possible, we are losing more and more of them with this "restomod" mentality.

Nothing. I think he's just pointing out that 12v cables are on the shelf at every parts store. 00 has to be ordered or custom made.

Not trying not to say anything against 6V. Just pointing out an option that can be beneficial.

The switch to 12v is price-restricted.

... are you saying the friend does not want to spend for that or is this a general declaration?

Yes & No!

OK well he's got the options now. Transistor sister radio, solar powered tool box or 12V conversion..... or Click (example).