I have a newly installed Beta 43 with the CW panel. Sometimes when the engine is started, the tachometer will not function properly. The tach reads 0 RPM on startup, and will not function until engine RPM is increased to about 2000 RPM. Then if the RPM drops below 1500 RPM, the tach needle drops back to 0 RPM, and will not function again until the engine RPM is increased to 2000 RPM, and drops back to 0 RPM when engine speed drops below 1500 RPM.
If I shut down the engine, wait a few minutes, and restart, the tach works ok. I do not know what is causing this malfunction, or how to correct it. Wires have been checked, and are ok. Start battery is fully charged. The 70 amp Iskra alternator is regulated by a Balmar ARS-5 regulator, but the tach is still connected to the "W" terminal on the alternator.
Connect the tach wire to the terminal on the regulator and the problem will go away.
At the moment the batteries are full and the regulator senses this and shuts the alternator off. If you don't connect the tach wire to the regulator, it does not recognize that you have a tach.
Thanks for the reply. I connected the "W" terminal on the alternator to the Stator input terminal on the regulator, and the tach wire to the "tach out" terminal on the regulator. The tach works good now. Thanks for the help.
Tach issues....I took my 100 amp Iskra ...beta supplied in for a "Look see" at 3800 hours. Pasco in Annapolis .good folks. Master tech (Said Abouassalasi) is a rebuild sevant and a very good guy. .Got a few bearings They are an Iskra distributor so I asked how much for a spare as I do about 600 hours running a year and it is 7 years old. . Good price....They took the numbers off my Beta unit and ordered it. Well it had no "W" terminal and the pully was wrong. My new buddy (Said A.) made it all right but it was a a few trips and a bit more.....Lesson learned ? Yes .....Call Beta and get your spare.
