Newps wrote:

Alternators have to be supplied with a sufficient current from the
battery in order to generate the larger currents required by the
aircraft systems.

Is there something about aircraft alternators that requires the battery
to power them (rather than the other way around)?


Yes, they need a little charge in the battery to start charging
themselves. Absolutely dead battery? Alternator is useless.

I was able to start my engine several times easily so I doubt that
battery charge was an issue. My best recollection is that the voltage
was around 12.2 V.

Yet adding another battery in parallel did seem to make a difference.

It really is magic or I just am not well educated on the intricacies
of how they work...or don't work.

Ron Lee