electronic voltage regulators

mshmodela

mshmodela

Well-known member
I've been reading some threads on electronic voltage regulators, and looking for opinions on those who have used them and any recommendations on OEM of them.

Thanks
 
Send a PM to Tom Wesenberg. He is quite knowledgeable and has helped out dozens of us! I have several powerhouse generators that he has installed is EVR unit and they work perfect.

If you decide to ship any vintage parts across country, I highly recommend paying the added costs for UPS and NOT the regular postal service.
 
I have just fitted a Fun Projects electronic voltage regulator with the Ford logo on to the three brush 6 volt generator on my 1932 Ford, and it works very well, one of the best thing I have done, and I know now that the battery will not get overcharged.
 
al's28/33 said:
Send a PM to Tom Wesenberg. He is quite knowledgeable and has helped out dozens of us! I have several powerhouse generators that he has installed is EVR unit and they work perfect.

If you decide to ship any vintage parts across country, I highly recommend paying the added costs for UPS and NOT the regular postal service.
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I have two of them and they are flawless ,Talk with tom W.
 
I have used piewagon@funprojects voltage regulator. A OK -in my A. They are nice people to do business with. Company owner John Regan. They have easy to follow directions.
Dave
 
Thanks all and I'll message Tom.. My reasoning being I just replaced my battery and began to wonder if the cutout might have overcharged the battery and thereby caused the splits on the top...
 
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I like the ones that Tom W makes. They really work. I've had trouble with the others, they have lasted all of about 7 seconds and would not make things good.
 
I have used the Fun Projects regulators for years with great results. You won't have to disassemble or make any mods to the generator to use this regulator. The Fun Projects regulator installs in place of the cutout and looks just like the early or replacement cutout. If you can install a cutout, you can just as easily install the Fun Projects regulator. Other regulators still require the use of the sometimes troublesome cut out. Fun Projects makes the can style regulators in six, eight and twelve volt versions and none require any mods to the original generator. I run the twelve volt version in my roadster and love it
 
Patrick L. said:
I like the ones that Tom W makes. They really work. I've had trouble with the others, they have lasted all of about 7 seconds and would not make things good.
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I don't believe that it was a Fun Projects that failed for you. Tell it like it really is.
 
I recommend Tom W's regulator unit as they work flawlessly . I had issues with the fun projects regulators and had to return a couple of them.
 
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If you want run an electronic regulator, keep in mind that the type that Tom W uses and the fun products work on different principals.

Tom varies the field current to keep the output voltage constant, while the fun project device varies the amount of output voltage by shorting out the generator output for various amounts of time.

Another way to say it, is that Tom W uses series regulation while fun products uses shunt regulation.

I prefer series regulation.

Marc
 
mshmodela said:
Thanks all and I'll message Tom.. My reasoning being I just replaced my battery and began to wonder if the cutout might have overcharged the battery and thereby caused the spits on the top...
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The 3rd brush sets the charge rate on a stock generator and the stock cut out is basically a on and off switch.
 
To me fair there are three that I know of,
Tom's - mounts in the g\regulator
Fun Projects - replaces the cut out
James Peterson - mounts on the band
 
I have been thinking about replacing my 'Cut Out' with either a Tom Wesenberg Voltage Regulator, or perhaps the 'Fun Projects' regulator (mounted internal to the Cut-Out shell).

If one were to use Tom Wesenberg's internal voltage regulator, would I still have to use a 'Cut Out' ? Or has the Cut-Out been superceeded by the voltage regulator and no longer needed. If it is no longer needed, does one install a 'dummy' Cut-Out to keep the original look ?

Are the prices of the two closely comparable ?
 
Doug, yes, with mine you will still use the cutout. As Mitch said, the cutout is a simple OFF-ON switch to keep battery current from feeding back into the generator when the generator output is less than the battery voltage.

I recently bought a 1950 Studebaker Champion (20 year old full nut and bolt frame off restoration) and the ammeter was flickering all over the place. The seller said he spent over $300 on a rebuilt generator and new voltage regulator. While showing the car to my neighbor the ammeter stuck on discharge, so I raced home and removed the new voltage regulator. The contacts were way off center from each other, they were also slanted instead of flat to each other, and the springs were way out of adjustment. I corrected all the issues and it now works good, but I was almost ready to install an electronic unit under the cover.:D Seems quality control has even left many of the USA built parts.:mad:
 
marc hildebrant said:
If you want run an electronic regulator, keep in mind that the type that Tom W uses and the fun products work on different principals.

Tom varies the field current to keep the output voltage constant, while the fun project device varies the amount of output voltage by shorting out the generator output for various amounts of time.

Another way to say it, is that Tom W uses series regulation while fun products uses shunt regulation.

I prefer series regulation.

Marc
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"Tom varies the field current to keep the output voltage constant"

Which is true voltage regulation, by definition...
 
I have a fun projects regulator and while it "works" it is low on output voltage (~6.9 volts). I contacted the manufacturer and he was less than "cordial" when I told him the problem. I have been around electronics my whole working career (Tektronix for a few years and then implantable medical devices) so I am no stranger to electronics and measurement techniques. I was told the problem was everything EXCEPT his regulator. Rather than argue with him, I decided to run it and chalk it up as a learning experience. I would rather have the battery slightly under charged than over charged and I use a storage trickle charger so the battery is well taken care of. It's doubtful that I will be using another of his regulators though.

SD
 
Thanks for the input guys - regarding 'Fun Project' and Tom Wesenberg voltage regulators. I guess it is time to contact Tom.

P.S. - Thank you Tom, for the clarification about the Cut-Out.

- A further question about the Cut-Out : any plane old-fashioned cut-out will do ? - OR, is there an improved (and superior) Cut-Out option that you would recommend ?
 
Many of the repro cutouts are very poor quality. I always use a good original cutout and have never had a problem. Bert's offers restored original cutouts. A&L makes a very good diode cutout.
 
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