Sparx regulator

koda · Jul 17, 2011

Good Morning everyone

Does anyone have any input on where to mount the regulator for a sparx charging system? Where I had my typanium will not work , Thanks a bunch. oh and by the way it is on my 72 combat,

RoadScholar · Jul 17, 2011

This is on a '72 Combat:

The Reg/Rec likes cooling, you should be running with your lights on to lessen the amount of heat that the Reg/rec needs to dissapate, especially if you have it in a location that doesn't have much airflow. I made 2 90 degree brackets out of aluminum, piece of cake...

RS

koda · Jul 17, 2011

Wow that is a neat logical spot thanks

Hobot · Jul 17, 2011

Its is a cute placement alright but it will be soon abraded and grimed by tire sling.
Air box would foul past Peel's, but there's room on back air box or back of battery tray or above it. On Trixie I mounted in on vertical plate on back side of bat tray so its fins are not inside battery storage space.

rick in seattle · Jul 17, 2011

Like Steve, I mounted mine on the front of the battery box. On my Mk3, the holes were already there, possibly intended for the horn mount I didn't need. Plenty of air around, and protected, sort of, from road grime. The comment about running with the headlight on is a good one (required here in Washington state); that's 50 watts or so, some fraction of which does not have to be dissipated in the series-pass regulator.

builder · Jul 17, 2011

Inside the battery box, out of sight, is totally fine.

Take a look at the CNW bracket, it hangs below the main frame tube, just in front of the rear fender.

koda · Jul 17, 2011

Many thanks for the input This forum is the greatest thing since sliced bread!

Jeandr · Jul 17, 2011

Those regulators are series pass which means they heat up more as more load is used so running with the headlight on will get it hotter than only running with the pilot light, but fear not, they are way more robust than all the Lucas crap that was taken out.

Jean

beljum · Jul 18, 2011

Jeandr said:
Those regulators are series pass which means they heat up more as more load is used so running with the headlight on will get it hotter than only running with the pilot light,

Just wondering because my electrical knowledge is very basic.

Lets say you have an alternator generating full output (example 200W at 5000 rpm). With no electrical load other than ignition, the regulator will run cooler than if fully loaded with head lights, turn signals etc…? What happens to the power generated with no load?

Beljum

rick in seattle · Jul 18, 2011

Jean is absolutely correct, and I botched my response. The OEM Commando power regulator is a simple zener diode. Under zero load, the current passing through the zener also passes through a ballast resistor, where it is dissipated as heat. Under load, some of that current is absorbed into the load, and less of it shunts through the ballast and zener, so the zener runs cooler. In a modern series-pass regulator, the regulating active device, say a power transistor, is turned off when in a zero load condition; the transistor sees the full voltage difference between the recified alternator voltage and the battery voltage, but the current is zero (it is in cut-off), thus there is no power dissipated. Power is dissipated only when the load is present and current passes through the transistor.

Jeandr · Jul 18, 2011

rick in seattle said:
Jean is absolutely correct, and I botched my response. The OEM Commando power regulator is a simple zener diode. Under zero load, the current passing through the zener also passes through a ballast resistor, where it is dissipated as heat. Under load, some of that current is absorbed into the load, and less of it shunts through the ballast and zener, so the zener runs cooler. In a modern series-pass regulator, the regulating active device, say a power transistor, is turned off when in a zero load condition; the transistor sees the full voltage difference between the recified alternator voltage and the battery voltage, but the current is zero (it is in cut-off), thus there is no power dissipated. Power is dissipated only when the load is present and current passes through the transistor.

Sorry to correct you, but there is no ballast in the electrical system other than the one in the ignition circuit. On a regular norton, the alternator is always going full blast, the current is either used up by the different circuits or it is being dissipated as heat by the zener, fortunately, the alternator is very weak (120 watts) but that is still 0.16 HP not being used to propel the motorcycle forwards. The new series pass regulators only draw power from the engine when there is a load on them, so turning OFF the lights will give you a bit more power.

Jean

bwolfie · Jul 18, 2011

I can see the writing on the wall...... "I'm sorry officer, I know my lights were off but I needed the extra .16HP to get up that hill."

grandpaul · Jul 18, 2011

I almost always use the same spot as hobot; logical place for length of standard wiring available, cooling, etc.

In case of wanting to hide the modern unit for appearance of "originality", I mount to rear fender under seat, or in the tool bag location on the left sidecover.

beljum · Jul 18, 2011

Thanks for the clarification. Here is some additional info on the Tympanium site:

http://www.tympanium.com/design.html

maylar · Jul 19, 2011

I mounted mine on the back side of the air box, with self tapping screws. There's enough room next to the battery.

askdoctorday · Jul 19, 2011

Hi- mine is actually mounted on the rear fender towards the front- it's well hidden, stays clean, and gets plenty of airflow. Good luck!

radiofun · Jul 20, 2011

Might want to ask the boys at Colorado Norton Works.

BrianK · Jul 20, 2011

Mine's located behind the left side cover, near where the battery box was before I ditched it. Airflow has got to be modest at best I should think.

Seems all right though cause I've checked it an anally overabundant number of times and the thing is never hot.

Josh Cox · Jul 20, 2011

builder · Jul 21, 2011

Josh Cox said:

That's more or less where the CNW bracket mounts it...except the bracket bolts to the frame where the original rectifier went, then is "L" shaped to hang the unit under the main tube. The CNW site has a photo of the bracket...easy to fab the bracket if you already have the parts.

Sparx regulator

Similar threads