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Subject:Re: Alternator continuous-duty rating?
From:Stuart MacMillan
Date:Sat, 22 Sep 2012 21:35:52 -0700

I didn't say how long it would last under continuous duty!   Marine and
aircraft stuff has to work under load a long time, you can't pull over to
the side of the road when it goes kaput. ;-)

Stuart

-----Original Message-----
From: David Beierl [mailto:dbeierl@gmail.com] On Behalf Of David Beierl?

At 11:49 PM 9/22/2012, Stuart MacMillan wrote:
>That is the continuous duty rating.  All alternators are rated for
>continuous duty. 90 amps x 14 volts equals 1.26 kw, which is what it's

Stuart, there's a reason that a Balmar 6-series small-frame alternator rated
at 70 amps costs about six hundred bucks, even though its output drops from
80 amps to 60+ hot.  Notice that Balmar considers this a light-duty
alternator.

http://www.alphatrononline.com/images/pdfs/Balmar_Alternator_Small_Series_6.
pdf

Here's a continuous-duty one:

http://www.alphatrononline.com/images/pdfs/Balmar_Alternator_L_Series_94_95.
pdf

It's about $1250 for the small one (165 amps cold, 120 hot)

Add $300 to either one for a regulator and you're nearly on the road...

http://www.go2marine.com/category/18016/balmar-charging-systems-high-output-
dc-charging-systems.html

Yours,
David