With my dc generator, turning, and a volt meter hooked up to it, Im showing a negative result with red voltmeter lead to the red wire and black lead to ground. Why am I getting a negative result, and how should this thing be hooked up to my charge controller system? If I reverse the voltmeter leads, I see a positive reading. My natural assumption is the dc generator wasnt designed to work in this fashion, and is somehow working backwards? If this is the case should I hook it up to the rectifier/charge controller working as a negative output or a positive output? (I know this is pretty much the same question posed above, just trying to get my head around this situation) Thanks in advance for any input.
Very simple. Your red wire is now your negative wire and your black wire is now your positive wire. The DC motor you are using was designed to turn in the opposite direction that you are turning it in. The good news is that the motor/generator does not care in which direction it spins. If your voltmeter says the black wire is positive, then it is positive for the way in which you are using/turning the motor.
Well, I came back this morning, with my head hung low, to admit my epic fail. After I posted, I decided to check a battery charge level, and guess what, it also showed a negative result. Now Im pretty sure the battery isnt running backwards. At this point I decided to actually (gasp) read the manual for the voltmeter (Im using a new fandangled auto detect digital voltmeter...that has a few differing ways to connect the leads)... I had it hooked up wrong. I am now showing a battery with a positive charge and would assume the dc motor's output through the red wire is indeed positive. Now after reading your reply, I may be more confused...lets just say "hypothetically" some guy, due to a misunderstanding of a certain piece of equipment, had hooked up the leads to his (very impressive) Windy Nation charge control system, backwards, for a while....what could he have blown up? And how much will it cost to replace? The system with a rectifier, charge controller and dump load : ) I appreciate the input, thanks, and isnt it strange, as a species, we humans tend to learn more through our mistakes...than our accomplishments...
