getting more charging power/ Alternator?

[NolaZach]

I have a 1975 Evinrude 70. I plan on having a two trolling motor, one starting motor set-up on my 17' john boat. I want to mount spot lights for bow-fishing and night and flounder fishing. I also want a stereo and power inverter and live well. So I don't think I have an alternator, I think its a magneto. Anyway, is there a way to add anything to make more charging power?

 

[jtexas]

Re: getting more charging power/ Alternator?

Right, you have a 4-amp, maybe 6-amp alternator, consisting of stator, magnets & rectifier, just enough to keep the cranking batt topped off.

What the bow-fishermen in my neck of the woods do, is put a big ol' gasoline-powered generator on board.

Man, do they make a lotta noise, and talk about blinding lights! Sure looks like fun though.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: getting more charging power/ Alternator?

To get anymore, you would have to get a rewound stator. Unless you know how to do that yourself, you are out of luck

 

[NolaZach]

Re: getting more charging power/ Alternator?

So they don't sell any kind of kits for the OMC 70hp engine? I know its a very popular motor, I would think I'm not the first person to want more charging power.

I guesss I could get a small Honda generator and some solar panels, but I was hoping I could get a 50-70amp alternator.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: getting more charging power/ Alternator?

You can -- but it will cost you about $8000. It's called an Evinrude E-tec. They have high output alternators because they have to. When your engine was built the only thing that needed extra power was perhaps a radio and the running lights. There simply is no market for that much power from that old of an engine. What are you running with an inverter? Even if you had a 50 or 70A alternator, you would need to run wide open for hours to fully charge a multiple battery bank. And how would a solar panel benefit you. First, a solar panel large enough to do any good at all would need to be darned near as big as your boat. Since your power demand is at night, how do suppose that would work? A solar panel the size of your boat would take days to recharge a battery bank. For your purposes a small generator is the only practical solution.