| [GMCnet] Alternators / Generators [message #97471] |
Fri, 27 August 2010 10:09  |
emerystora
Messages: 4442
Registered: January 2004
Karma: 13
|
Senior Member |
|
|
I was just looking up parts numbers in the GMC 78Z parts book and I had to look up under "generators" in the index instead of "alternators".
This reminded me to look up an old post that I made to the GMCnet way back in 2004.
For you newbies I will repost it:
> Bruce used the term "alternator/generator" probably because of a message I had sent to him with some info on rebuilding. I think that I said that even though we have called them alternators for years, they are often now called generators.
>
> In accordance with the government-mandated changes in automotive nomenclature that took place during the 1996 model year, we have been instructed to call these electrical components "generators". The name change more accurately describes what an alternator - ooops - a generator does.
>
> It is customary to identify a voltage source by the type of voltage that it provides - AC or DC - and not by the way the output voltage is developed. A true alternator produces AC voltage at its output. The frequency of that output is dependent on the speed of rotation of an electrically charged coil inside a stationary coil.
>
> That kind of sounds like an alternator doesn't it? So what is the problem? What we get from the output of what we used to call an alternator is DC voltage, not AC. The word alternator doesn't fit. How could we have been so wrong all those years? We should have been calling it a generator all along. We have all erred and caused great confusion within the industry for many years. We MUST change, and YES, we will. if you want to make a positive (and correct) identification of the electrical component in question, call it a generator!
>
> Otherwise the Government Generator (Alternator?) Police will be calling on you.
> :) :)
Emery Stora
77 Kingsley
Santa Fe, NM
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
List Information and Subscription Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] Alternators / Generators [message #97499 is a reply to message #97471] |
Fri, 27 August 2010 14:06  |
Ken Henderson
Messages: 8726
Registered: March 2004
Location: Americus, GA
Karma: 9
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Somewhere during my research on CS-series "devices", I saw a comment that GM
nominated those as "generators" instead of "alternators". Maybe that was
due to the g'ment too.
Ken H.
On Fri, Aug 27, 2010 at 11:09 AM, Emery Stora <emerystora@mac.com> wrote:
> I was just looking up parts numbers in the GMC 78Z parts book and I had to
> look up under "generators" in the index instead of "alternators"...
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
List Information and Subscription Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
Ken Henderson
Americus, GA
www.gmcwipersetc.com
Large Wiring Diagrams
76 X-Birchaven
76 X-Palm Beach
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] Alternators / Generators [message #97511 is a reply to message #97499] |
Fri, 27 August 2010 15:24 |
Bob de Kruyff
Messages: 4260
Registered: January 2004
Location: Chandler, AZ
Karma: 1
|
Senior Member |
|
|
""Somewhere during my research on CS-series "devices", I saw a comment that GM
nominated those as "generators" instead of "alternators". Maybe that was
due to the g'ment too.
Ken H.
""
When Chrysler first introduced "alternators" in passenger cars the term became a good differentiator from the old fashioned generators that the competition still used. I suspect the marketing folks loved the term. But let's face it, they generate electricity and the term reflects more the how than the what. GM has used the term generator for a long time now.
Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: [GMCnet] Alternators / Generators [message #97594 is a reply to message #97471] |
Sat, 28 August 2010 01:10 |
James Hupy
Messages: 6806
Registered: May 2010
Karma: -62
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Emery, was that a positive comment or a negative one? Curious minds want to
know.
Jim Hupy
Salem, OR
78 Royale 403
On Fri, Aug 27, 2010 at 8:09 AM, Emery Stora <emerystora@mac.com> wrote:
> I was just looking up parts numbers in the GMC 78Z parts book and I had to
> look up under "generators" in the index instead of "alternators".
>
> This reminded me to look up an old post that I made to the GMCnet way back
> in 2004.
>
> For you newbies I will repost it:
>
>
> > Bruce used the term "alternator/generator" probably because of a message
> I had sent to him with some info on rebuilding. I think that I said that
> even though we have called them alternators for years, they are often now
> called generators.
> >
> > In accordance with the government-mandated changes in automotive
> nomenclature that took place during the 1996 model year, we have been
> instructed to call these electrical components "generators". The name
> change more accurately describes what an alternator - ooops - a generator
> does.
> >
> > It is customary to identify a voltage source by the type of voltage that
> it provides - AC or DC - and not by the way the output voltage is developed.
> A true alternator produces AC voltage at its output. The frequency of that
> output is dependent on the speed of rotation of an electrically charged coil
> inside a stationary coil.
> >
> > That kind of sounds like an alternator doesn't it? So what is the
> problem? What we get from the output of what we used to call an alternator
> is DC voltage, not AC. The word alternator doesn't fit. How could we have
> been so wrong all those years? We should have been calling it a generator
> all along. We have all erred and caused great confusion within the industry
> for many years. We MUST change, and YES, we will. if you want to make a
> positive (and correct) identification of the electrical component in
> question, call it a generator!
> >
> > Otherwise the Government Generator (Alternator?) Police will be calling
> on you.
> > :) :)
>
> Emery Stora
> 77 Kingsley
> Santa Fe, NM
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> List Information and Subscription Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
>
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
List Information and Subscription Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GMCforum
Search
Help
Register
Login
Home
