Dell's diodes

“They have to be insulated and have their body supported so the solid wires don't flex and vibrated and break. This is a trivial matter for enny techno-geek, but challenges the electrical neubie; therefore I generally don't recommend the diode trick and recommend the idiot-lite trick (using a trailer makerlite with built-in wires) like General Motors intended.”

I’m still a tractor newbie but I’ll share this old trick for mounting diodes on machinery. Go buy a full wave bridge in a 1” square package with a bolt hole in the center and fast-on tabs. about $3.00 from digikey.

Example would be >Link

Just connect the input wire to either of the AC terminals and the output wire to the + plus terminal using good old auto fast-on tabs. Never mind the other terminals ya don need ‘m here. You are only using one of the 4 diodes in the bridge but for 3 bucks do you really care? I’ll take the solid mounting any day….

And thanks to everbody here! I’m tackling fluids in all the toys this weekend, I’m sure I’ll be back with questions !

As I said, mounting a single diode is trivial to a techo-geek. I must be one, since I built my first radio receiver in 1952. Thats over 50yrs of electronics, and you know what? I still gitt that solid state diode installed backwards sometimes.

That is why I recommend the "idiot-lite" 'cuz it works NO matter which way you wire in the litebulb wires.

You only need about 0.1-amp of switched excite current to make the 3-wire alternator start charging in less than 1-second of excitation. Once the alternator starts charging, the diode has NOTHING to do until you want to turn yer engine OFF. And since it is "reversed", it won't pass enny volts/amps and yer ignition coil will STOP-SPARKIN' and yer engine stops turning when you turn yer ignition key OFF. Amazing, eh?..... ...respectfully, Dell, retired Boeing Flight Test Engineer and 50yrs techo-geek

Jim Cox

• the new bad boy Boeing