[DML] Re: Alternator Light - question

["daviddelorean" <daviddelorean@xxxxxxxxx>]

I'm a little bit corn-fused. Why not just have a direct line from the 
ignition / + terminal of battery go to the alternator to give it juice 
to start making electricity? Why do you need a light bulb in the line? 
I don't understand what exactly the bulb itself does. So if I 
physically remove the light bulb from my binnacle, my alternator will 
be spinning but not generating electricty?


> It's not a "command signal" in the manner you imply. An alternator 
> requires an electrical current through the copper windings before it 
> will begin to output electricity. For instance, you couldn't just 
spin 
> the altnerator by hand to charge a dead battery. The windings need 
to 
> have a current passed through them first. The dummy light acts as a 
> resistive load that accomplishes that.



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