Clover Systems DR110 User manual

D
DR R1 11 10 0
Electronic Dynamo Regulator
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
COPYRIGHT 2014 CLOVER SYSTEMS All Rights Reserved
TM

DR110 Instruction Manual Pg. 1
INTRODUCTION
The Clover Systems DR110 is an all-
electronic voltage and current
regulator for DC generators used in
vintage cars, trucks, motorcycles,
tractors and boats. This regulator
never requires cleaning or adjustment,
and will be trouble-free for the life of
your vehicle. It is more efficient than
mechanical regulators, and is
impervious to shock and vibration,
INSTALLATION
1) First, be sure that you have the correct model DR110 for your vehicle
(Positive or Negative Earth, 6, 12, or 24 volts, A-circuit or B-circuit and
correct current limit to match your dynamo). Although DR110 is protected
against most every possible problem, it is possible to damage the unit and/or
your generator if for instance, the battery is hooked up backward (see
below).
2) You should make sure that the dynamo is in good working order before
installing the new regulator. If there is a problem with the dynamo, the
regulator could be damaged.
If you are installing a new generator, or your existing one is in unknown
condition, you can perform some
simple tests to verify that it is
workable:
a. With an ohm-meter, you
should measure resistance of ~
2 ohms from terminal D to
ground. If the resistance is
infinite, then either the wire
from D to the generator is not
connected, or the generator’s
armature is open.
b. Similarly, you should measure
resistance of ~ 5-6 ohms from
terminal F to ground. Infinite
resistance indicates the wire from terminal F to the generator’s field
coil is not connected, or the field coils are open. A low resistance
indicates partial shorting of the field coils to ground.
Figure 2 - Connections
Figure
1
–
With Delco Cover

DR110 Instruction Manual Pg. 2
3) Disconnect the battery ground cable to prevent any mishaps.
4) Next, label all wires connected to your existing regulator. If you do not
already have a regulator connected, you may need to trace the wires to see
exactly where they go.
5) Wire Connections: The connectors are labeled D (Dynamo Armature), F
(Field Coil), and B (Battery). Attach the wires to the DR110, and mount the
DR110 using the three stainless steel machine screws provided.
6) The DR110 is grounded to the chassis via the brass mounting spacers. Be
sure that a good ground connection is obtained, as the regulator will not
function properly if it is not grounded.
7) Reconnect the battery ground. If there is excessive sparking, there may be a
wiring mistake.
8) If everything seems to be in order, start the engine and observe the ammeter
and ignition warning light. If everything is working correctly, the warning
light should go out at around 800 RPM (depending on generator model).
You should also be able to see charging of the battery on the ammeter.
9) If there is no output from the generator, and it passed the above tests, see
the troubleshooting section in the appendix.
10) Installing the cover: DR110 does not include the
Delco/Autolite/Bosch/Ford metal cover. You can however, use your
existing cover, or find a used one. The original cover screws are sheet
metal screws. Do not use these; use the included #8 machine screws
instead. Some aftermarket covers have different dimensions from the
original covers and may require new holes.
Caution
Although the DR110 is protected against most everything that can go wrong,
there are some things that can damage the DR110 and/or your dynamo:
1) Connecting the battery backward. Be sure that you have the correct polarity
regulator. If there is any doubt, check the battery connections to see which
battery terminal is connected to the vehicle’s chassis.
2) Reversing the D and B wires will create a direct path from the battery to the
dynamo’s armature, which could damage your dynamo.
3) A-circuit regulators (Autolite, Bosch, Delco): If the F wire is shorted to
ground, the dynamo will run at full output without any voltage or current
limiting. As a result, your dynamo and wiring could be damaged.
B-circuit regulators (Ford & Lucas): If the F wire is shorted to the D wire

DR110 Instruction Manual Pg. 3
(dynamo armature), the dynamo will run at full output without any voltage
or current limiting.
4) If the ground wire is not connected to the regulator, the regulator will not
function correctly. The regulator ground is connected to the back plate, and
then to the vehicle’s chassis via the brass mounting spacer.
5) Note on Mounting: Mechanical regulators are typically mounted on rubber
bushings to provide some isolation from vibration and shock, but since
DR110 is immune to vibration and shock, the regulator can be rigidly
mounted.

DR110 Instruction Manual Pg. 4
TESTING & CALIBRATION
The DR110 voltage and current limits are set at the factory to match your
dynamo, and normally, no adjustment is required. You may however, wish to
confirm that everything is working properly, or change the settings to
accommodate your needs.
Both voltage and current limit are user adjustable. Voltage can be adjusted from
5v to 17v, and the current limit is adjustable from 7A to 30A. The HP version is
adjustable up to 55A.
Adjustment to the voltage or current limit must be carried out on the car. For
these adjustments, you will need an analog moving-coil voltmeter (0-20V)
and/or analog moving-coil ammeter (0-50A) plus a very small flat-blade
screwdriver.
Note: Use only analog moving-coil voltage and current meters for these tests.
Digital meters will not read correctly because of rapid variations and noise in the
dynamo output.
Voltage Limit Test (open circuit):
1) Remove the die-cast cover by removing the three screws from the back of
the unit:
Figure 3 - Cover Mounting Screws
2) Remove the wires from the B terminal. If there is more than one, connect
them together with a clip lead. This will provide power from the battery to
the vehicle’s electrical system so the engine can run.

DR110 Instruction Manual Pg. 5
3) Connect an analog voltmeter capable of measuring 0-20 volts between the B
terminal of the regulator and ground.
4) Now start the engine. As you increase the engine speed, you should see an
increase in the voltage on the meter. Run up the engine speed, and you
should see the voltage rise with engine RPM, until it reaches it’s preset limit
(See the Final Test Sheet at the end of this manual for the proper voltage).
5) If necessary, adjust the voltage limit control to get the desired output
voltage limit. Turn the pot clockwise to increase the limit, and counter-
clockwise to lower the voltage limit.
6) When finished, remove the voltmeter and re-attach the wires to the B
terminals.
Figure 4 – Location of Pots
The correct voltage limit also depends on they type of your battery. The
requirements for “flooded” type batteries, where you can add water are different
than for sealed, “Maintenance Free” batteries, also known as VRLA, AGM, or
Gel batteries, which require a lower charging voltage. The chart below shows
optimal settings for the two types of batteries, depending on the battery
temperature. For 6v applications, divide by 2.
We normally set the voltage at 14.3V at 25°C for 12v dynamos, and 7.2v for 6v
dynamos, which is safe for all batteries. Since there are many types and models
of batteries, you may wish to consult the battery specs for the optimum charging
voltage.
Voltage Adjust
Current Adjust

DR110 Instruction Manual Pg. 6
Voltage vs. Temperature
12.5
13
13.5
14
14.5
15
15.5
16
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
°C
Volts
Flooded
VRLA
Figure 5 - Voltage vs. Temperature
If the car has been running with substantial electrical load, the regulator may be
hotter than ambient temperature. Therefore, it is best to perform the test with the
regulator at ambient temperature.
Current Limit Test:
1) With the two B wires
disconnected from the
DR110, and connected
together, connect a 0-50A
ammeter between the B
terminal of the regulator
and the two B wires
connected together. If your
vehicle is negative ground,
then connect the + terminal
of the ammeter to the B
terminal of the regulator,
and the – terminal of the
ammeter to the two wires.
For positive ground, reverse
these connections.
2) Start the engine and turn on all loads such as headlights, fans, etc. As you
increase the engine RPM, you should see the current flow increase until it
reaches the preset limit. You may need to add additional loads to reach the
desired limit.
Figure 6 - Ammeter Hookup

DR110 Instruction Manual Pg. 7
3) Turning the pot clockwise increases the limit, and counter-clockwise
decreases the limit.
4) When finished, remove the ammeter and re-attach the wires to the B
terminals.
Warning: Do not adjust the current limit higher than the rated output of your
dynamo, as this may overload the generator and reduce it’s life.
Note: Typically, the ammeter in your vehicle only measures current to and
from the battery. It does not measure the total output of the generator, which
could be more. To measure total generator output, you need to connect an
ammeter as described above.
APPENDIX
How the regulator works
All generators work by rotating a loop of wire in a magnetic field. In a dynamo,
the magnetic field is created by electromagnets (field coils). Voltage and current
are controlled by adjusting the current to the field coils. The current through the
field coils determines the strength of the magnetic field that the armature rotates
in, and thus the output of the generator.
In the DR110, the output voltage of the generator is compared to a precision
voltage reference. When the generator output exceeds this reference, the current
to the field coils is cut off. This causes the generator output to fall. When the
output falls below the reference voltage, the field current is turned back on. In
this way, the field current is modulated at a rate of 50 – 125 Hz. These rapid
changes are smoothed out by the inductance of the field coils and armature, thus
maintaining a constant output voltage.
Current limiting is accomplished in the same way. Output current is sensed with
a Hall-Effect device that detects the magnetic field created by the output current.
When the output current exceeds a preset limit, the field current is turned off.
Just as with the voltage regulation, the field current is modulated to maintain a
constant output current.
Instead of a cut-out relay, DR110 uses a MOSFET “ideal diode”, which is much
more efficient than Schottky diodes. Power is supplied whenever the dynamo
output voltage is greater than the battery voltage, rather than a pre-set voltage as
in the mechanical regulator.

DR110 Instruction Manual Pg. 8
A-Circuit and B-Circuit
There are two types of shunt-wound dynamos:
A and B. The only difference is in the way
that the field coils are wired. In an A-circuit
dynamo, one end of the field coils is internally
connected to the dynamo output. In a B-circuit
dynamo, one end of the field coils is internally
connected to ground. So in the B-circuit case,
the regulator supplies current to the field coils,
and in the A-circuit, the regulator sinks current
from the field coils.
Ford and Lucas dynamos are B-circuit.
Autolite, Bosch, and Delco standard generators
used on autos are generally A-circuit, but there are some exceptions.
How to polarize a new generator
Your generator only needs to be polarized if it is new, has been rebuilt, or you
have changed ground polarity. A generator that has already been working does
not need to be polarized. Also, the Clover Systems regulator does not need to be
polarized, as there are no magnetic components.
A dynamo uses electromagnets to generate the magnetic field for the armature to
rotate in. But when starting up, there is no field current to create this magnetic
field. In order to get the process started, some permanent magnetism is required
to provide this field. This is provided by iron pole pieces that can be
permanently magnetized.
Magnetizing the pole pieces is easy, but is different for A-circuit and B-circuit
dynamos:
B-Circuit: While the car is not running, connect a lead from the battery to the
dynamo’s field coil terminal for one or two seconds. Connecting them for a
long period could overheat and damage the field coils.
A-Circuit: Disconnect the output wire from the dynamo (usually labeled D or
A). Then connect the field terminal of the dynamo (usually labeled F) to ground
with a jumper lead. Now using another jumper lead, briefly connect the battery
output to the dynamo output for a second. Connecting them for a long period
could overheat and damage the dynamo.
The pole pieces will now be permanently magnetized, and the dynamo will start
up. If the dynamo is properly polarized, it will produce ~3 volts with the field
coils disconnected.
Figure 7 - A and B circuits

DR110 Instruction Manual Pg. 9
Troubleshooting
In case there is no output from the dynamo, check the following:
1) D terminal is not connected to the dynamo output terminal
2) F terminal is not connected to the dynamo field terminal
3) Backplate is not connected to ground
4) Dynamo armature is shorted or open
5) Dynamo field coils are shorted or open
6) D, or F are shorted to ground
7) Dynamo is not polarized
8) Regulator is not the correct A or B circuit model
Service
If you need service or have questions, you can contact us at [phone] or
[e-mail].
Warranty
All Clover Systems products are guaranteed against original defects for one
year. Any products returned within the warranty period will be repaired or
replaced at no charge except for return shipping.