ARRRGGG! What you keep ignoring is that you are NOT DISCONNECTING the alternator field by disconnecting the battery!!! all youre doing is disconnecting the BATTERY. The field wires are still hooked up to the regulator.

the alternator PRODUCES voltage. The coil is a transformer that takes voltage and converts it. Disconnecting the battery should have absolutely no effect on the field wires on the alternator.

Im still gonna try it. heck, ive done it plenty of times before (just like stumpy says he has) and I never saw anything fry. So, now I'll put a voltmeter on my alternator and disconnect the battery. Im not afraid. I dont drive my truck until it snows anyways.