Charley,

I haven't examined the Whelen strobe controller but it wouldn't surprise me if it had more draw right after the flash.  

What is the setup between alt 1 and alt 2?   Do you have them both feeding the same bus?  If so, maybe increasing the spread (e.g. make alt 2 .2 V lower than alt 1) will keep #2 from cycling on and off all the time.    (I have a 2 bus system and run some items off of alt 2 and others off of alt 1 with critical systems fed by both through diodes.   The diodes mean I have a soft failover if alt 1 fails but the spread means that alt 1 carries the load normally for those items that are fed from both sides.   The separate busses mean I find out as soon as it happens if alt 2 is weak...and then I can go to cross feed).

Colyn

On Feb 17, 2013, at 2:16 PM, Charles Brown wrote:

Amigos,

My 24V strobe light systems draws 3-4 amps like Whelen says it should, but seems to do it cyclically, i.e., a 0-4 amp sine wave with period equal to the flash rate (about 3 sec).  Can anyone tell me if that is normal, or should it be a steady 3-4 amp draw?  (12V guys, same question only 12V Whelen strobes should pull around 7 amps)

< I ask because it's making prime alternator amps cycle up and down; bus voltage cycle up and down, only about 0.1V; but it may be related to the demise of two successive regulators for the backup alternator, which starts kicking in at 3-sec intervals, with loud "BONG" alerts from the Garmin.  You are invited to enjoy the mental spectacle of the Garmin BONGING me into insanity while I hurl epithets at the instrument panel as I alternately shut off ALT 1, then ALT 2, then both, trying to figure this out when I SHOULD be sitting back, smoking a stogie, and watching the Texas hill country scenery slide by. PS -- Alternator one regulator checks out good with good ground and power paths etc >

Charley
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