polarizing

As he mentions, you can momentarily flash jump the BAT and GEN (or ARM) terminals together on a Class A system and it ought to spark cuz youre passing current through the generator to ground. If the VR isnt easy to get to, the same things accomplished if you momentarily flash jump ANY HOT ungrounded battery voltage source, such as the BAT terminal on the VR or else the starter/battery post etc. DIRECT TO the Generators Armature post.

Polarizing happens cuz when you pass current through the generators Field windings it imparts a residual magnetism into the soft iron field poles with the correct magnetic North/South polarity, so when the armature begins to turn inside that magnetic field, the induced voltage has the corresponding correct +/- electrical polarity to charge the battery.

To insure the field has a good ground when polarizing, one can have it temporarily dead grounded to case/frame.

Good luck n God Bless

John T

A "B" circuit is wired to opposite way. The field circuit is grounded inside the generator. The hot end is connected to the field terminal. The regulator works by controlling voltage at the F terminal.

I hope that was adequately clear. The troubleshooting and polarizing procedures differ because of this wiring difference. I have never run into a "B" circuit system.