Polaris ATV not charging battery

My 2005 Polaris Sportsman 400 doesn’t appear to be charging the battery properly. I bought a new battery about a month ago. When I bought the new battery I didn’t realize I got the one with the + & – posts opposite from the old one. I connected one wire and touched the other wire to the battery for only 2 seconds. It sounded like the motor to cool the radiator turned on. I immediately thought this shouldn’t be turning on so I pulled it back off. I pulled the battery out and got the right one in now, but now I have this issue. While out plowing my driveway with the headlights on the last few snowstorms the battery indicator light starts flashing after about 1/2 hour. The winch starts going real slow, so I have to pull it into the garage and throw the charger on it for an hour, then it is ok for another 1/2 hour. I plowed without the lights on and it doesn’t seem to drain the battery down. Do you think I may have fried the voltage regulator or something?
Help!!!!

Sounds like you may have fried the rectifier, or charging coils under the fly wheel. I can`t remember how to test but may be able to do a Google search.

Went on the internet and did some research. So today I hooked up a DC voltmeter to the battery in the 4 wheeler. It showed 12.8 volts without it running, so it is charged up.Started 4 wheeler and the voltmeter jumped to 14.5-14.8 and when I turned on the headlights it briefly jumped up to 15.3 and settled back to 14.5. So it looks like everything is working ok. Not sure why it was discharging the battery before. I will have to keep a close eye on it. Very puzzling.

I have an electric plow on my Polaris and it will drain the battery very quick, if I don`t keep the rpm`s up when using the up down button.

I found I need to make sure my contacts stay clean. Any tarnish or corrosion impedes charging. It’s a good idea to hit them with a wire brush and hit them with some grease or anti-seize.

If I leave the lights off while plowing it seems to stay charged. But if I have the lights on and am using the winch to raise and lower the plow then I have the problems. Not really keeping the RPM’s up, so maybe that is the real issue. I will check the connections too and look for corrosion.