(ET) POWER ON!!!

[David Brandt <ev_dave13 yahoo com>]

Yee Ha!  Just had to post - I finished the wiring yesterday, and today 
hooked up the power to 3 of the go-kart batteries via jumper cables, and 
after a little bit of puzzling things out, everything works!  Even the 
safety features all work.  

A friend I work with is restoring a 1946 JD model A tractor, and we work 
at an aircraft manufacturer where we are building a new plane.  We joked 
that we should start a pool on who would reach their milestones first, 
since we were all so close.  It's a good thing we didn't because I would 
have lost on "Power on!"  The plane actually came first by a wide margin, 
followed by the Model A, and now the E15.  I'm still the front runner 
towards "First Mow" though!

List of things to fix:

1) make sure all joints are lubed (I think the axle joint still needs 
lubed)
2) make sure tranny oil is filled (I ran it slow with the wheels off the 
ground for safety)
3) find out why one row of LED's didn't light up (possible separated 
solder joint)
4) design and install a snubber network for the field reversing relay 
(blows a fuse when it reverses the field - if not, I would have to 
completely shut down the tractor and then reverse, then start it up again. 
 That would be a pain.)

Happy Labor Day!

David Brandt