Erratic charging rate

[rscardina]

I recently installed a voltage regulator on my generator (the one that replaces the cutout). My battery discharged on my last outing. I charged the battery, cleaned the connections of a little corrosion (maybe the reason for the discharge), checked the voltage and everything seemed normal. I got a steady voltage of 6.2. After I started the engine I checked the voltage to determine if it was charging properly. I got very erratic readings on my voltmeter. The ammeter seemed normal. I was getting readings all over the place. At idle it seemed to jump from 7 to 11 volts and all over in between and occasionally outside that range. when I increased the throttle it would jump as high as 16 volts. However, it was very erratic and jumping all over the place. Any ideas? By the way, this is a 6 volt positive ground system.