no charge at idle

...For the same reason, that you can't push start a battery ignition vehicle with a dead flat battery, that is fitted with an alternator, but you can when it has a generator.
The generator holds residual magnetism in the pole shoes (and is self excited) An alternator has to be fed to start. (it has to be excited... electrically speaking):)
 
An Alternator has to have battery voltage connected to it, and actually for Good cause, as NOONE , even the generator guys wants you to run there system on a dead battery or even a low battery for any period of time, YES the GENERATOR will Generate power , Hence the name with no power hooked to it, BUT this will most definitely over heat the generator as it is not designed to charge that high for along time period if at all really,
The Alternator will do a better job and quicker , BUT then again it will severely take away life from the unit. The Alternator has much more cooling design put into it as the Generator has NONE, It is ALWAYS recommended to charge the battery as much as possible to prolong the life of every charging device.
The self exciting comes from a few different areas, The rotor spinning creates AC, some tap off of this initial AC charge and use it to activate the regulator.
 
Mr Alternator, Don't take me wrong. I'm not knocking the alternator, just explaining that side of the differences. An alternator will deliver its rated output eg a 55 amp alternator can deliver 55 amps, continuously. The biggest demand being when the battery is at its lowest.
They also, by design have a much longer service life (potentially more reliable)
 
No sir, no ill will intended , Just explained that yes you are correct , that a generator will charge with out any voltage attached to it, and just wanted to explain the hazard of running any system this way, and even with a low charged battery. I am hoping that everyone will understand this better and try to keep there battery charged to its fullest before operating any system, and a FYI as a Delco Remy Technical Representative, it is true that an alternator rating is not its true maximum output, example a 105 amp rated alternator will in fact produce 118 amps at a certain rpm
 
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