RE: (ET) Tapping your pack for different battery voltages.

["Hazen, Dwight L" <hazen indiana edu>]

Larry,

 I do not have a tiller so I was not aware of large amount of power needed
for lifting during tilling. I guess it's like lifting the snow blower and I
do have one of those! I use the lift for less than a 60 seconds during a
blowing session. New matched batteries may help you. You could try tapping
the other three batteries for the lift half way through the tilling session
. I am not sure this would work.  

 I do like the idea for adding a third light to the tractor! Or has any one
seen a 36 volt bulb? 

  Dwight 




Dwight L. Hazen, Indiana University, UITS 
Bloomington, In. 47408-7378 Phone 812-855-5367 hazen indiana edu
http://php.ucs.indiana.edu/~hazen/ Ham Radio wb9tlh arrl net


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Elie, Larry (L.D.) [SMTP:lelie ford com]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2001 4:08 PM
> To:   'Hazen, Dwight L'; Elec-Trak
> Subject:      RE: (ET) Tapping your pack for different battery voltages.
> 
> Well Dwight, using the tiller lift, I have indeed seen the 3 rear lift
> batteries go down faster, very noticeably and measurably faster than the
> other 3.  I never saw it on the mower or blower.  I use it mostly to
> cultivate in sand soil, and do not till very deep.  The load is similar 
> to
> that of the mower in normal grass.  I raise the tiller on either end of a
> 180' long row; raising takes probably 30 seconds on a fresh charge and 60
> seconds on a low charge, and the lift fails to lift while the tiller is
> still very much able to till.  In low gear, about 1.5 or 2 mph, that's
> about 132 to 176 feet per minute, so I am using the lift (with tiller on)
> between 20 and 40% of the time.  I have never measured the current on the
> lift, and it may be higher than normal, but it doesn't show on the 
> current
> meter.  That long of a duty cycle is enough that without my equalizer on,
> the 3 batteries in question are .5V lower each than the rest of the pack
> by the time the lift fails to lift.  Gra!
> nted, that seems like an enormous amount of charge relative to the other
> batteries, and seems to represent more power than I have a right to
> expect, and my main complaint is not that the tractor is 'dead' (it
> isn't), just that the lift won't work anymore.  My batteries aren't
> matched, so sure, that could be part of the problem, but I am guessing
> anyone else with a tiller has noticed the same thing.  Anyone?
> 
> Larry Elie
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Hazen, Dwight L [mailto:hazen indiana edu]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2001 3:49 PM
> To: Elec-Trak
> Subject: (ET) Tapping your pack for different battery voltages.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I think we all understand that discharging any cells out or order in our
> ElecTrak battery pack is not good for the long term health of the pack.
> But
> I wonder just how much would anyone will use the lift motor? Come on, how
> could you get even one amp hour of usage on your 18v tap during one 
> mowing
> discharge cycle? The head lights could use about 10 amp hours if you used
> the tractor for two hours with the lights on. But this is a 220 amp hour
> battery pack that we are tapping into!
> 
> I am not sure spending hundreds of dollars to fix this problem is worth
> it.
> If you want to spend money just get all new batteries! You will be
> suppressed how much better the tractor will perform. Also rotating your
> batteries in the tractor may be a good thing, if not just for the fact
> that
> you will be forced to clean up the connections.
> 
> Has everyone noticed how much faster you batteries go down now that cold
> weather has arrived and the mowing mulching season is in full swing?
> Mulching backwards makes dry leaves disappear! If I need to mulch a big
> pile
> I just back into it and raise the back of the deck so the leaves will go
> under the deck to meet their fate.  
> 
>  Dwight 
> 
> 
> Dwight L. Hazen, Indiana University, UITS 
> Bloomington, In. 47408-7378 Phone 812-855-5367 hazen indiana edu
> http://php.ucs.indiana.edu/~hazen/ Ham Radio wb9tlh arrl net
> 
>