H farmall generator.

Bob O2 Martin · Oct 28, 2009

On the regulator on this thing is the terminal for the "battery", one for the "field", and one marked L. What is the L for? I read somewhere it's for "Load", but I don't know that for sure.

If the connection for the battery is charging the battery, what would you hook up to the "Load" terminal, if that's what it is?

Wayne in MN · Oct 28, 2009

Goes to the light switch.

TractormanNC · Oct 29, 2009

Ignition switch if it has the battery ignition distributor.

John T · Oct 29, 2009

I agree with the other fine gents... Its for just what it says LOADS which are lights and ignition via a connection from it up to the BAT input terminal on light or ignition switches. Its used on a 4 terminal (BAT GEN FLD LOAD) versus a 3 terminal (BAT GEN FLD) Voltage Regulator in which loads are fed instead from the load side of the ammeter........

John T

Bob O2 Martin · Oct 29, 2009

Thanks a lot for the responses. That helps a lot.

Most of that type of hookup I'd hooked directly into the battery terminal with a fused wire.

Is there a problem with doing it that way rather than hooking into the voltage regulator?

JMOR · Oct 29, 2009

(quoted from post at 10:22:05 10/29/09) Thanks a lot for the responses. That helps a lot.

Most of that type of hookup I'd hooked directly into the battery terminal with a fused wire.

Is there a problem with doing it that way rather than hooking into the voltage regulator?

It probably isn't a problem, but it could conceivably reduce generator output due to current limiting function of the VR unit.
I personally always thought it was a strange design & ultimately, I guess the designers did too, as it was eventually designed out.
What it did, was allow the generator to supply loads without regard for (i.e. independently of) the current sensing coils inside the voltage regulator. Leaving that current sensing coil to limit only generator current to the battery, whereas VR units without the "L" terminal sense the total generator output current (loads + charging current to battery).
As I said, I always thought it a strange implementation.

Bob O2 Martin · Oct 29, 2009

Thanks for the explanations. That get me up to speed on this stuff. I have a couple of generators on tractors and one on an older (live forever) Wheelhorse garden tractor.

I know I could put them on twelve volt alternators/stator, but I generally wear everything out before I do anything different.

Really appreciate the forum help.

Thanks, Bob

John T · Oct 29, 2009

Sure, its possible to DISREGARD and NOT use the L terminal and feed the loads elsewhere. The normal place is off the Load (NOT battery/starter) side of the ammeter (same terminal that wires to BAT on the VR) so its registering the net current flowing into (charging) or out of (discharging) the battery.

Yes it works if fed fuzed off the batetry but the ammeter wont see it that way. If theres already a wire from the switches input down to L on the VR you can just switch that over to the BAT on the VR for a hot voltage feed to power the lights.

If the VR's L terminal is used as it was designed for, all the current dont have to flow through the VR's internal cutout relay (on way back up to ammeter so it can then feed loads off its LOAD side), the gennys output feeds loads directly. They were "reported" to do a somewhat better job of regulation but Deere quit using them (after early letterred series) in favor of the more often used 3 terminal units

John T

Bob M · Oct 29, 2009

John T - I suspect the 4 terminal regulator MAY do a better job regulating voltage seen by the battery since it eliminates the voltage drop occuring in the wiring between the VR's BAT terminal and the light switch when the lights are burning.

OTOH it's probably only the matter of a couple tenths of a volt - likely less than the voltage tolerance of a typical VR regulator relay seeting.

That's just my theory however...

Bob M

JMOR · Oct 29, 2009

Bob M: do you have the VR internal circuit diagram for the SMTA VR or know if it is the same as for the IH Model 101 combine? I have the schematic for the 101.
Thanks.

H farmall generator.

Bob O2 Martin

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Wayne in MN

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TractormanNC

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John T

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Bob O2 Martin

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JMOR

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