Here's my timeline for Vincent Altons.
Im a bit fuzzy on actual dates, but pretty sure the order of appearance is correct.
In 2005 my original Miller went Afro with its windings when I decided to catch a Harley that had passed by us on a hill.
The high RPM was too much for the old thing.
I had read about the Altons, which at that time were direct drive and single phase. I think these were a reliable unit, but they were said to be a bit low in output at lower rpm, maybe not much better than the original dynamos. 150 watts was the rated output,
but that may have been at 100 mph!
I contacted Alton and talked with Paul Hamon.
He said he had designed a new Alton that was a 3 phase unit and would have much greater low speed output than the earlier single phase direct drive.
I purchased one of these and installed it.
I do not recall this unit having an internal step up trans like the one in Marcus's photo.
That looks like the next iteration ( single phase ) to me.
But I could be wrong, it's a long time ago.
The 3 phase would charge ok when cold but steadily lost its ability to charge as it warmed up.
After 30 minutes of riding the system was discharging at all RPMs.
Paul Hamon and I had lots of conversations as we tried to iron out what was happening.
I changed voltage regs from the Podtronics ( my choice) to the units he provided at that time ( not Podtronics)
Nothing worked.
After several months of struggling with this , Paul told me " There is a problem with the three phase unit and I'm not sure what it is.
I'm giving up on that unit but I have designed a new single phase unit with stronger magnets plus an internal transmission to step up alternator RPM. I'll send you one"
I installed that one (2006?) and it made power like crazy, balanced a 100 watt electrical load just off idle.
I was very happy with the output but at about 5000 miles the gears lost their teeth.
Paul sent me new gears and instructed to clean the unit scrupulously then pack with the grease he had provided.
About 4 thousand more miles down the road the gears went again.
Paul said " I've abandoned the unit with transmission but will send you my new unit that is direct drive, single phase with very strong magnets" This might have been in 2009 or thereabouts.
I have had that unit running for 30,000 miles now and like it a lot. It isn't as powerful as the stepped up unit, but it's plenty powerful. I've also put one of these on the 1360 Special. It's driven off the double toothed primary belt.
The simplicity of direct drive is hard to beat.
I did have the problem with the Ballistic Battery meltdown taking out the whole charging system, but that was my own fault.
Although the seller assured me that the Ballistic battery was a great choice for the bike, they aren't correct at all.
Ballistic is bankrupt, but Shorai now states on their website " do not install this battery in a vehicle with a charging system that produces less than 13.1 volts at idle"
That would be an Alton or most other Vintage bike charging devices, save perhaps a Walkenator which might produce 13.1 at idle.
I recently tried to resurrect the old stepped up unit with 4140 steel gears and gear oil sump, but that failed in a short time as well.
So that is a history of the Vincent Alton as I know it.
When you purchase an Alton today, you pay something for the unit and something for the thousands of hours of design and redesign that it has taken to get to the reliable and powerful unit of today.
With that in mind they are priced quite fairly.
Glen