Who is confused?
What is the confusion? A Stator is just a stationary part with nearby rotating parts. There are quite a few stators in jet engines, none of which have anything to do with developing electricity.
USN Retired
2020 Basscat Caracal
2020 Mercury 225 ProXS 4s
Confuses me, why are we showing pictures with the word “stator” highlighted? I’m guessing it’s supposed to be in reference to lithium battery usage, but why???
More confusion about the poster
The confusion on my part is related to folks referring to an outboard motor's alternator as a "stator" system.
Folks denying that some motors have an alternator. With Mercury Marine, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and Evirude saying that their models do have alternators.
When both (all really) types of alternators have stators.
I am a 74 year old ex airplane engine mechanic. Having never heard this term being used until recently.
Guess it is the English language evolving. Not necessarily for the better. Dumbing down of the populace I suppose.
On more than one occasion I have read folks say "my motor does not have an alternator. It has a stator".
Maybe they have a gas turbine motor.
youll hear it in the small engine and motorcycle world. there are differences between the two the biggest is the permanaent magnets in the first and the electromagetic field in the second by the field coil. the "stator" system is lower output and pretty much acts like a maintainer type charging system.
It’s just a simple way to differentiate between two different charging setups, true they all use basically the same components just in a different configuration. What would you call each system so that when one says it the other parties know what system you are referring to. Someone says they have a stator charging system I know what they are referring to, same I’d they say they have an alternator.
Mercury 2002 200hp Carbed Saltwater
OT566776
2002 Cape Horn 22' Bay
Originally Posted by leonreno
My first few Mercury motors had no alternator. Only a stator.
Some motors have an alternator. That term usually refers to a separate component driven by a belt from the motor. A stator system IS an alternator just uses permanent magnets instead of electromagnets to generate AC electricity and they are usually built into the flywheel.
When a magnetic field passes through a coil of wire it generates electricity (AC) which must be converted to DC to charge batteries etc. That is why the rectifiers and regulator.
Last edited by billnorman1; 09-28-2023 at 06:20 AM.
Here is what most do not understand about the systems, The variable voltage in the alternator rotor provides for current flow regulation, Permanent magnets do not, only voltage control. The resistance in the battery is what limits the current flow in a stator system. This is why AGM or lithium's should not be used in a stator system due to their very low resistance in excepting current flow.
Thank You Leon Pugh
I suggest they be called a Permanent Magnet Alternator. To differentiate between what most of us know as a typical alternator. The car/truck type.
Mercury and the other motor makers call it an alternator. Some fellow recently was lost since he read in his Mercury service manual about his alternator and could not find that word used in the Mercury Marine parts catalog.
Last edited by yam911; 09-23-2023 at 08:45 AM.
The confusion for some results since Mercury, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Evinrude call it an alternator. They don't call it a stator.
For instance -
upload for images
Yam, I believe you are overthinking this. Early outboards had a stator type charger with a “Stator” under the flywheel and magnets on the flywheel. These were common in use until 1998-2000 about the time that DFI motors came onto the scene. They did not have magnets under the flywheel or a stator under it. Those components were moved to a removable alternator typical of an automotive alternator. In the post above, you show a modern outboard and will have an alternator and why it is listed that way. If you go back to a 1992 115 (inline 4 cylinder) and look at that manual you should see the difference.
USN Retired
2020 Basscat Caracal
2020 Mercury 225 ProXS 4s
This actually helped me understand it better. Thanks!
2005 Triton TR-186
2024 Mercury Pro XS 150
Perhaps so.
Many (most) outboard models today still use a system where flywheel magnets induce voltage in a stator that is mounted under the flywheel. With a separate voltage regulator.
Too bad that the fool that coined the term "stator charging system" did not use the term "flywheel charging system" instead. IMO would have made more sense. Since the flywheel is the major difference and not the stator.
In the scheme of all of the misinformation in towards internet world, not a particular biggy.
Yes that would be a more appropriate name but at the same time, the flywheel part of the system doesn’t look like part of the system, the large stator with all the wires and coils and components visible get your attention faster.
Mercury 2002 200hp Carbed Saltwater
OT566776
2002 Cape Horn 22' Bay
The flywheel is a core part of the alternator. It has the magnets in it that induce electricity within the stator coils.
The rotating flywheel (aka rotor) around the stator coils is the equivalent of the rotor that is within the stator of a belt driven automotive alternator.
All but impossible for all folks to get onto the same page on this subject. Yamaha calls the system an alternator in some literature and then they call it a generator in other literature.
Yes I realize it’s the spinning flywheel that makes the system work, just saying to the layman it just looks like a flywheel, but the stator is easily recognizable as an electronic part with all the wires and such visible. Yes, too many names and now for too long to come to a consensus. I was just reading a post on a different forum about a Yamaha motor spark problem. In that thread they were talking about the Yamaha Pulser, it took me a little time to figure out that was the same as a Mercury trigger. Same components, different names. All confusing.
Mercury 2002 200hp Carbed Saltwater
OT566776
2002 Cape Horn 22' Bay
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