Hello all,

I was having a look at the various halogen bulbs and LED lights on the Paul Goff website

http://www.norbsa02.freeuk.com/

There is a solid state dynamo voltage regulator suitable for 6V or 12V with options for + or - earth. The original version is intended for motorbikes
There is a new version on offer aimed for small cars 'such as the Austin 7' rated at 150W. see

http://www.norbsa02.freeuk.com/goffyelectrex.htm

About a quarter of the way down the page.

The unit is very small so could easily be hidden away.

Has anybody tried one of these and what feedback can you give?

I know there has been alot of discussion on the control of dynamos in the past on this forum but i could not find reference to this particular product.

The advantage that I am looking for on is better control of the voltage. This will protect halogen headlamps and LEDs as i am looking to use these on my car for the sake of safety and reduced load on the dynamo.

Any thoughts?

Regards

Rob

Hi Rob

I havnt tried this one , BUT I did use a solid state voltage regulator in the Colander for most of last year.
It used a dynamo converted to two brush, and had a potentiometer to limit max charge current. It worked very very well. I NEVER had any charging problems and the ammeter always read a small charge of about 1 amp, regardless of lights on or off, so it "controlled" very well.
The only reason I changed was reliability. You cannot fix them by the roadside if they go kaput (they are potted), which apparently can happen easily. I have gone back to a fully manual charge control system which is much worse than the solid state system from a control point of veiw BUT I can fix it by the roadside with a twig and some baler twine. I can also "borrow" a dynamo without having to convert it to two brush. I have used "solid state" parts for the cutout, I use a schottky diode which is very cheap and works well and you can afford to carry a spare or two.
If you go solid state you will be pleased with the results, BUT if it goes wrong your'e on your own unless you carry an expensive spare unit!

Steve

Why bother with all of this? If you want 12v, have the dynamo re-wound as a two brush, 12 v dynamo, use a Lucas pattern RB106 Regulator/Cutout (available from the likes of Tim Hodgekiss for less than £20 - Morris Minor Regulator/Cutout), fit it all and forget. If you are determined to stick to 6v, have your dynamo re-wound and set up properly, use the standard A7 Cutout, use a 6v 80amh battery and it will do all you ever want.

On the recent VSCC Measham night rally, our Nippy, using this 6v set up did 180 nightime miles over 9 hours, with pre-focus 30/24 6v headlight bulbs, on one battery, excellent lights undimmed at the finish and it still started from cold the next day, on the button, when unloading it from its trailer when we got it home.

STEVE

This topic has come up (again) at a very convenient time as I have been asked to fix a faulty dynamo using a 12V J G conversion in an A7. An un-noticed detached wire from the J G unit may well be the root cause of failure. There is a chance that the solid state unit might still be OK but will be checked with much caution!
I know of several owners who have had very satisfactory service from the "J G Electronic Regulator" as supplied for a long time by Dave Lindsley in Heywood. Their track record suggests they are a vey good solution for most A7 usage, with the main opposition being along the lines indicated by Steve.
Is Dave Lindsley still trading and are new J G units still available? I drew a blank yesterday. Which brings us back to the points raised by Rob. At least we now have a source for a replacement solid state unit, but what is its track record?
Meanwhile, for the last ten years and more, my two A7s have happily churned out all the watts I need with 6V converted Bosch dynamos with a Bosch cut-out and voltage regulator.

At the considerable risk of drawing some flak, surely part of the enjoyment of driving an old vehicle is using the original technology?

For sure Dave Lindsey is still trading Ron and his advert in the current edition of 'The Automobile' confirms that he sells "6 & 12 volt electronic regulators".

As above though, I still wonder why anyone would bother!

STEVE

Sorry, forgot. Dave Lindsley (correct spelling) 01706 365838.

STEVE

There have been many questions on this forum regarding 6 verses 12-volt systems. I wonder if it is a desire to increase performance in modern driving conditions (quite understandable) or a fear that there is not enough capacity in the 6-volt system. I would argue that for most of you the standard 6 volt system should be more than adequate. As an example of what you can expect I will relate my experience of running my Box Saloon as an only car for a four year period, granted it was an age ago but the principles should still apply.
On the electrical drain side, my car had two dipping headlights (wattage unknown), two tail lights with integral brake lights, two number plate lights, instrument illumination, a ‘Notec Blue Spot’ driving light (this gave a fantastic 100yd pencil beam) a Chummy headlamp as a reversing light, electric petrol pump (ex Morris Minor), electric windscreen wiper and a electric element windscreen de-icer (suction cup type). Always started the car on the starter.
On the charging side, in the winter months the only daylight charging would have been two miles to and from work weekdays and a hundred miles plus typically on weekends. All winter evening running (every night) would see the ‘Notec’ in operation.
Summer operation would obviously involve more daylight running, however most nights after I had dropped my girlfriend home at half ten, I would meet up with mates in their sevens and blast into the night!
My dynamo was standard C35A and was never touched while I had the car, I bought a brand new ‘Invicta’ battery when I first had the car, as the original was duff, and this was with the car when I sold it.
I covered just under 40,000 miles in four years and never had a flat battery.
I hope the above will go some way to restoring your confidence in running a car with the original system.

A very good point steve, there is a lot to be said for staying standard and then stand some chance of borrowing spares from other people if you do not have the right part yourself. (dad always seems to be handing out coils)

As far as i am concerned there is nothing wrong with the 6v electrics as long as they are well maintained.

That said id feel much happier with a lighting system that can compete with modern traffic.

I have had a look into the possibility of regulating the supply for LED lights, as the current draw is tiny you can use a linear voltage regulator from RS for less than 50p. No contest there then.

Already have the 6v halogen bulbs from Paul Goff
Everything else may as well stay standard.

Incidentally my dad has been running 6v Xenon bulbs in his cars for probably 10 years, he bought the last three from a motorbike shop that had a load as samples but could not supply any more and converted them from a prefocus fitting to bayonet. (and broke one in the process) They were intended as a retrofit for mopeds


Thanks everyone for your input

Regards

Rob

I have to be honest, if I had a standard original car I would be tempted to leave it as standard 6V. I would make sure all cabling and connections were very good and treat the system with respect.
However for a special such as mine or anyone elses I would probably go 12V. My main reasons for 12V were cost. Bulbs, battery etc etc are easy and cheap from the local factors with 12V and your cable can be thinner. I did NOT want to get "more out" of the dynamo, I limit the charging current to about 8-9 amps.... ish with my 12V conversion so I am not asking too much. Of course I gain by reducing the current for the same wattage compared to 6V, but I dont abuse this and only have fairly sensible 36W headlight bulbs.
So there you have it.... original car try staying 6V unless you realy cannot see were you are going!!(some of the Cornish guys really do use their cars all the time as transport). For a special I see no problem with 12V because its cheaper and easier and if you wanted you can squeeze a fair few watts in if required!


Steve

I think I have said enough on the merits of 12v in the past and don't intend to repeat it again. However, in answer to Rob's question regarding the motorcycle regulator ( 6v or 12v ) I notice they suggest it be used in conjunction with a 6AH battery which ( in my opinion ) will be far too small to meet the requirements of an A7. If my memory serves me right mine is at least a 28AH battery ( 12v ). You would need to check this with the supplier.

I totally agree with the comments re simplicity. Keep to what can be repaired by the roadside.

Incidentally, using a mechanical voltage regulator can cause considerable increase in engine noise. As the regulator contacts open and close they change the loading on the dynamo, this in turn causes the drive cog to chatter on the timing gears of the crank/cam shafts. One of my friend noticed a considerable buildup of noise at certain engine revs which was attributable to his volatge regulator. I understand he will be going back to the Austin system in the future.

Keep your 6v candles burning

On my car I have kept the 6 volts system.
Another aspect is the reflectivity of the reflectors (try saying that after a couple of beers). In the US there is a company Caswell who provide plating kits. A bit of silver plate goes a long way !!

Also on my car I put in earth wires. When I did a test I found the "chassis" was not a great conductor with about 1 voly drop with the headlights on. I ran a copper wire from each head lamp back to the main chassis earth point. Worked great

From a raining "suny" california
Whatch out for the guy ahead. A7s goe but do not stop