I think we're back talking about John's "Idiot Light" pin that, if he doesn't connect it to something will "fry the alternator".  The shack has little indicator diodes that poke through a 1-4" hole in the panel and "bolt" on.  I use them for door latch indicators, belly board, etc. and I guess I could put one in for Alternator.  They draw microamps, so it's like there really isn't a circuit there at all   How does an alternator detect a tiny load like a LED and distinguish between it and an open circuit?  And if he is clever enough to detect this tiny load, why is he so dumb (or just pissy) that he pulls a snit and fries the alternator if that circuit is open?  Whole thing sounds like urban legend.  All bullshit and black magic.  But I'll do it anyway, just to suit everyone.
BTW, will a ten or twelve foot 22awg wire excite an internally regulated ND alternator?  I have a two conductor sleeved run of 22 ga going from panel to regulator.  I'd like to split them and use one to excite the alternator and the other for the idiot light.  Does that wire have enough ass to excite the alternator (it seems logical that it should just switch the regulator "on" and the regulator would use B+ to feed back into the field).

Inquiring minds need to know ... Jim S.

Russell Duffy wrote:

The large indicator lamps that I bought at the local auto parts place are actually LEDs.  If that's the case, you can skip the diode, since that's the D in LED.  I'd want to put a meter on the LED and make sure that current will only flow one way.  Multicolor LEDs flow both ways, so you don't want one of those. --

Jim Sower
Crossville, TN; Chapter 5
Long-EZ N83RT, Velocity N4095T