"JohnH" wrote in message
...
Jose wrote:
On an aircraft with separate "battery" and "alternator" switches,
should you turn on BAT and leave ALT off during engine start, or
should you turn them both on prior to start?

I leave alt off during start, to prevent a power surge from going
through the alternator.

What would be the source of this surge? If it's such a problem, why don't
automobiles have alternator switches?


Many do but it is automatic. They don't power the buss for a second or two
after start to allow the alternator circuit to stabilize.