John M - Usually a "self exciter" is a standard 3-wire 10SI alternator retrofitted with a different internal regulator to render it self-exciting.
As the others point out, most self exciters need to be spun up to a considerably higher RPM before they'll begin to charge. (However once they start charging they'll continue to charge atlow RPMs same as a 3 wire unit.) There are however "low cut-in" self-exciting units out there - but I've had no experience with them.
Also all self-exciters I've seen pull a small amount of current (on the order of milliamps) when shut down. Generally this leakage current is not a problem - it's usually less than a good battery's self discharge rate.
However I've run across a couple self-exciters that drew so much standby current they would flatten a fully-charged battery in a matter of a week or so.
I'm not particularly fond of self exciting alternators myself....
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Today's Featured Article - Identifying Tractor Noises - by Curtis Von Fange. Listening To Your Tractor : Part 3 - In this series we are continuing to learn the fine art of listening to our tractor in hopes of keeping it running longer. One particularly important facet is to hear and identify the particular noises that our
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