Re: (ET) The Landis Controller Solution

[David C Robie <mycroftxx1 juno com>]

That's what this list is for.  We're all getting our tractors running
better as we understand them better. If such a thing as this list was
around in the 70's when these were built, we wouldn't even have them, as
the original owners would then have understood them and kept them. 

As for Trojans;  They have been the 'battery of choice'  for just about
all members of the New England chapter, Electric Automobile Association
for a long time.  We use them and trust them in fullsize EV's, perhaps 20
at a time instead of 6 like the tractors.  Our general thought is that
they will, in this service, do 500 charge cycles without starting to fade
and reduce range more than 15% or so  - at which time we get new ones and
put the old ones in such as ET's or in altenergy - PV battery bank
service.
    However, not all is honey and roses.  Lately, the company has been
importing their batts and we have not evaluated those yet.
     This past week, acquired 4 older Trojans that I lent a guy to get
his EV going - they were in rough shape, having been stored outdoors with
low water, top of plates in some cells dry for over a couple of years. 
One of them had a cracked case due to freezing. Knowing of their
hardiness, charged 3 of  em up and swapped em into one of my tractors for
a field test.  After doing some mowing  over a couple days and charge
cycles, they passed with flying colors.  Will be plastic welding the
cracked case one and doing the same to it shortly.  These extras will
certainly run a tractor for the whole yard, bout 3/4 hilly and convoluted
acre but they will instead be expanding my 12V PV storage system.  

Dave
Weymouth MA



On Thu, 31 Aug 2006 20:42:26 -0400 "Raymon  Ellis"
<raymonellis adelphia net> writes:
> Thank you for your comments on the list today about my battery 
> maintenance
> program with the Landis Controller. You might appreciate the 
> readings this
> morning after the first 24 hours under Landis Control. As I watched 
> in
> amazement, the controller turned on the charger at the set point of 
> exactly
> 38.6 volts. At the programmed OFF time the charger was up to 42.5 
> volts
> output and the charging current down to 3.81 amps. The then quiet 
> batteries
> read: 41.1 volts (6.50, 6.51, 6.51, 6.51, 6.51, and 6.51). The first 
> battery
> read 6.51 volts for a moment but slipped back to 6.50 volts for the 
> reading.
> How perfect can one expect Trojans to be that were purchased April 
> 4, 2000?
> I feel good tonight. Raymon Ellis
> 
>  
>