alternator/regulator problem. don?

van gave me trouble starting a couple times over weekend but fired up fine if i arched the starter. idiot light came on and stayed on evan when amp gauge showed it was charging. checked the voltage and it was only 11 volts so headed home to swap out parts.(camping hour from house) got home and checked again, with 2 seperate gauges and it read 18 volts. swapped regulator with a used spare and same thing! tore it apart and planned to manually dissengage, but it went to 13.2 volts and stayed there since. headed back to camp and no more problems with voltage but my ignition switch is acting up now, wiggle to start, same to shut off. i also noticed it idles a little rough below 13.5-14 volts, runs smooth up to 15-16 volts and then runs real rough above that. nobody had any alternators in stock, original or 10si/12si, not evan a one wire! ordered new ignition and found this alternator at rockauto, '83 buick electra with 307. 85 amp, factory closeout for $28.49. i assume the new alternator will fix the voltage problem but am curious what was wrong, and both regulators? i beleive the ignition was about done anyway.

The most common problems I've had with our old regs and alts is grounding. Please don't assume they are grounded by being bolted to your engine or doghouse. The alt I ground with wire to both the block and the sheet metal and it doesn't take a big wire--just a clean connection of metal to metal. The reg. lives in a cleaner place so it's easier to ground from housing to sheet metal.

The 83 electra alternater should b internally regulated and the plug to switch on the alt should have been changed In my beliefs everyone with an externally regulated system should upgrade to a standard gm internally regulated alt Even the ford guys can simply swap it right into there brackets and run a min 10 ga primary straight to the battery and a 5 dollar plug for the side for ign power very easy and then u can just leave all the wiring and regulater right where it is maybe run a switched wire over to the alt or just take the white wire from plug on alt and loop it right to the bat terminal simple to do and the gm alternater is way cheaper than buying a reg and an alt.