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Re: (ET) RE: Installing Landis controller in an Elec-Trak E-20



Just when you think you have seen it all,  you get surprised.
Yes, I was beginning to think I had a mouse in the basement, Installed the Landis controller as per the instruction sheet, connected the red and black wires to the accessory plug and connected the controller in parallel with the stock timer. Everything was working just fine as I kept watching the controller turning off and on. BUT, (3) three different times the stock timer turned ON BY itself. This meant it started at 0 and was starting to rotate 360 depress around to get back to zero. NOT GOOD. YES, COOK the batteries. The only thing that could cause this is mutual conductance between the wires that are connected to the timer motor, that I know of, PLEASE COMMENT. Rather than shield or move the wires around, I connected an ON/OFF switch to one of the wires of the timer motor. Now if I want to use the stock timer I have to turn ON the switch and turn the stock timer to the desired position. Yes this was on an E-20. The mouse has not come back since the ON/OFF switch has been installed. Has anyone else had this happen? Sorry don't have any kids or pets that I could blame. It's just me the wife and the mouse and a whole basement full of Elec-Traks.




At 05:43 PM 6/15/2003 +0000, Dave & Debbie Barden wrote:
the instruction sheet that came with my Landis controller indicated that he
does have two models one with a red LED that is on when the voltage is low.
And the other model has a green LED that is on only when the voltage is 
above
the set point. I need another for my newly purchased second E12 and plan to ask
for the green LED model.

dave
seattle
E12S's

> Well then, something must be wrong. Here are the conditions I have 
observed
> over the past few days, since I installed the Landis controller:
>
> LED remains on
> Controller reference voltage is 38.0VDC
> Solid state relay voltage is 120VAC
> "Fuel level" is on full, verging on charge
> Charger remains silent
>
> All voltage measurements were taken with a Sperry digital multimeter 
(model
> DM-350A, with a 3.5 digit display -- link below). The reference voltage
> wires are connected to the small accessory receptacle, as Jeremy 
suggested
> for the E20. The relay is connected to the wires that used to go to the
> rotary timer switch (the two large ones, not the two small ones).
>
> It is possible that the charger has run or that the LED turned off while 
I
> was not around. I have only checked it about six times in the last two days.
> The fact that the battery pack is exactly at the setpoint makes me 
suspect
> that the device is working, regardless of what the LED says.
>
> May I suggest a small design improvement? How about a green LED in 
addition
> to the red one? The green LED would be on when the battery pack is above 
he
> setpoint voltage, and off otherwise. The red would do the reverse. That way, > it would be easier and more intuitive to tell what the controller was doing.
>
> I suppose the true test will be to mow my yard, so that the batteries 
need
> charging again. Then I should definitely hear the charger come on as soon as
> I plug it back in.
>
> It is possible that I damaged the controller on my first attempt at
> installing it. However, now I am quite sure it is installed correctly. If it
> in fact is not working properly, what should I do next? As usual, I
> sincerely appreciate all your help and guidance.
>
> --greg
>
> P.S. I am sending a copy of this message to the Elec-Trak mailing list, 
in
> case anyone else on it has experience with the Landis controller in an 
E20
> tractor.
>
> AW Sperry Digital Multimeter DM-350A
> http://www.awsperry.com/awsperry2/awsperry/db_search2.cgi?name=DM-350A&item=
> dm-350a
>
> Gregory Wilcox
> 31 Overlook Drive
> Candler, NC 28715-9260
> (828) 665-7531
> (775) 255-1617 (fax)
> Email address: gwilcox buncombe main nc us
> Personal home page: http://buncombe.main.nc.us/~gwilcox/
> Greg's Grains: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gregs_grains/
> Blue Ridge Bicycle Club: http://www.blueridgebicycleclub.org/
> UUs for the Ethical Treatment of Animals: http://www.uua.org/ufeta/
> Mass Extinction Underway: http://www.well.com/user/davidu/extinction.html
>
> "If present trends continue, the result will be irreversible 
impoverishment
> of species. At the current rate, we will lose half the plant and animal
> species on Earth by the end of the century." -- E.O. Wilson, Salon Magazine,
> January 14, 2002
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: harry landis [mailto:hlandis hotmail com]
> Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2003 5:54 PM
> To: gwilcox buncombe main nc us; Jeremy gagliardi com
> Subject: RE: Installing Landis controller in an Elec-Trak E-20
>
>
> I don't think it is useful to put the controller in parallel with the 
stock
> timer, but if the timer works OK, it probably won't hurt. If the timer 
gets
> stuck on, it could overcharge the batteries.
> The LED should be red only if the charger is not plugged in, or if the
> batteries are really low. If it is red, and plugged in, the charger 
should
> be running and making noise. If it is not, something is wrong.
>
> Harry
>
>
> From: "Gregory Wilcox" <gwilcox buncombe main nc us>
> To: <Jeremy gagliardi com>
> CC: "Harry Landis" <hlandis hotmail com>
> Subject: RE: Installing Landis controller in an Elec-Trak E-20
> Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 17:39:05 -0400
>
> Harry and Jeremy,
> I have permanently installed the Landis controller in my Elec-Trak E20.
It
> seems to be working fine, as the red LED is on and the charge indicator 
is
> on full. I left the setpoint at 38V.
> The charge indicator does not go into the "charge" zone, but I think I
> understand why. With the stock timer, the current is applied 
continuously,
> and the battery pack voltage can increase by several volts. (I have seen 
it
> as high as 42V.) The Landis controller, on the other hand, applies 
current
> periodically, and only for five minutes at a time. So the pack gets fully
> charged, but the voltage never gets a chance to go much higher than the
> setpoint.
> One more question, and a suggestion: in Jeremy's first message to me,
he
> wrote that he wired the Landis controller in parallel with the stock 
timer
> (excerpt below). Harry, is this necessary?
>       I mounted the controller on top of the plate that holds the timer
> potentiometer. (I used one of the existing holes, and drilled a second one.)
> This is contrary to the advice in the instructions regarding heat
> dissipation, but I failed to notice that part until just now. I think I will
> remount it yet again.
> In any case, the controller faces up, so I can see the LED. It is nice
to
> be able to watch the LED and know that the device is working. If I 
remount
> the controller, I will still do so in a way that leaves the LED visible.
>       There is a problem with this orientation, however. The solid state
relay
> terminals carry live 120V AC (house) current. When it faces up, these
> terminals are exposed. There is a major shock hazard from touching the
> device while it is in operation. Doing so could cause serious injury or
> death. I would like to build an enclosure for it, with a hole for the 
LED.
> Mr. Landis, may I humbly suggest that this could be easier done at the
> "factory"? I would gladly have paid a few dollars more for the peace of
> mind; I am sure others would too.
>       As always, thank you both very much for your help with my 
questions.
> --greg
> ______________________________________________________
>
> Subject: Re: (ET) Installing Landis controller on E20
>     Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2003 11:01:23 -0400 (EDT)
>     From: Jeremy Gagliardi com
>       To: elec-trak cosmos5 phy tufts edu
>
> Although many say it is a replacement for the timer switch, I actually
> hooked mine in parallel with the timer switch, so either device can activate
> the charger.  Once a year after its winter hibernation, I like to run the
> timer switch for a long charge to make sure all cells are fully charged.
> I'm no expert, and it may not be necessary,
> but that's what I do.
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Elec-trak mailing list
> Elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
> https://cosmos.phy.tufts.edu/mailman/listinfo/elec-trak
>





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