Re: (ET) The Landis Controller Solution

[David C Robie <mycroftxx1 juno com>]

With your readings, I see here a very well matched pack and one that has
been maintained well by it's charge system (unlike the arbitrary method
of using the GE timer).  More people should document what is happening in
their packs like you did to better understand the 'why's of individual
battery problems,  large Edrops under load, when overcharging starts to
happen, etc. 

Happy mowing.  

Dave
Weymouth MA






On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 21:10:10 -0400 "Raymon  Ellis"
<raymonellis adelphia net> writes:
> Let me apologize to all dedicated Elec-Trak owners who have insisted 
> on
> maintaining their tractors in the original configuration. My wife 
> and I are
> no longer able to stay with the amazing classic tractor. Twelve days 
> of
> hospital emergency treatment for a second stroke on New Years day 
> this year
> left me unable to walk and with little memory of the past. I had to 
> learn to
> walk and talk all over again. Subtraction of simple numbers remains 
> a
> problem today. My wife and I with the help of many members of the 
> list had
> just succeeded in converting E20 power to the Alltrax 300 DCX. We 
> were
> joyfully sharing the mowing duties and the Elec-Trak was the mower 
> of choice
> at our house. I am still enjoying every minute of life, but a 
> simpler way to
> keep the batteries charged on our E20 became essential for us to 
> continue
> using the Elec-Trak to mow our lawn. A Landis Controller was 
> installed along
> with a mechanical timer in the quest for a simpler solution. On 
> August 28,
> 2006 Harry Landis wrote me and said the bypass is not a good idea. 
> He asked
> me to "Do an experiment: Mow the lawn, return to the garage and plug 
> in the
> tractor using my controller, but without the bypass timer. After the 
> test
> report to the list what you find". The results may prove beneficial 
> to some.
> I am most grateful to Harry Landis and those who made recent 
> comments. My
> wife stayed close to me day and night throughout the recovery and 
> she helped
> with this report. The Landis Controller will save our E20 from the 
> dump and
> simplify charging chores.
> 
>  
> 
> The E20 battery charging test with Landis Controller w/o the timer 
> is
> detailed here. 
> 
>  
> 
> Start Point:   38.9 Volts (6.48, 6.50, 6.46, 6.48, 6.48, 6.48)
> 
>  
> 
> 1. Front and side lawn over drainage field      = 73 min
> 
> Voltage Read - 37.2 volts
> 
> 2. Mowing outside the fence at road run time  = 28 min
> 
> Voltage Read - 36.9 volts
> 
> 3. Lower lawn inside the gate to hedge row     = 32 min
> 
> Voltage Read - 36.8 volts
> 
> 
> 4. Back yard around garden to well and shed   = 37 min
> 
> Voltage Read - 36.0 volts
> 
> 5. Left of driveway to main gate (rough grass) = 30 min
> 
> Voltage Read - 36.2 volts
> 
> Final Battery: 36.0 Volts (5.96, 6.02, 5.99, 6.01, 6.00, 6.01)
> 
> Charger             Amps    Watts               Volt   Battery
> 
> 
>  On                  High Low   High Low     High     Level
> 
>                          9.46-6.06  1022-700      40.6       38.9
> 
> There is no need to continue with the test. The controller checks 
> voltage 
> 
> for a very brief time and restart to continue the charging. The 
> batteries
> will
> 
>  be OK because already the level is up to 38.9 volts in only about 6 
> hours. 
> 
> I feel honored to have been led to the perfect solution. Thank you, 
> Raymon
> Ellis
> 
>  
>