Re: (ET) Curtis or any generic controller setup - Finally.

["David Roden (Akron OH USA)" <etpost drmm net>]

On 2 Aug 2012 at 18:45, Rod Hower wrote:

> .. the Alltrax, in my opinion ... is the easiest and cheapest route to
> upgrade to a new controller and it has worked quite well on my E15. 

I agree.  I have one of the very first Alltrax ET controllers.  Back then 
they were a lot cheaper, but I'd still pay today's price for the 
convenience.  

They come with a diagram that shows you how to wire them.  If you follow 
that EXACTLY you will have a smooth, working tractor.  It will take you an 
afternoon, maybe a bit more if you want to do the wiring cleanly and/or 
rewire some parts of the tractor in the bargain.

It allows for very smooth control.  You can just about park on a dime.  As 
a 
bonus it will hold the tractor still for you on a slight grade (though I 
don't recommend doing this for any great length of time).  You can even 
safely switch from forward to reverse with the power on, though it's a bit 
uncomfortable to do so.

The Alltrax does have a couple of minor faults.  To me, the main one is 
that 
it doesn't make the same effort as the GE controller to hold the tractor 
speed steady, up hill and down.  You'll pick up some speed going downhill. 
 
This annoyed me at first, but I got used to it.

Also, by default the "turbo mode" (full pedal field weakening) is off, and 
your top speed will be lower.  I haven't found this to be a significant 
concern, but  if it bothers you, just enable "turbo mode" with the laptop 
program for the controller.

If you want to blaze a bit of a trail, another option might be a 4QD 
controller.  These are made for PM motors, but I expect they can be used 
with the ET motor by using their brake release output to pull in a relay 
that powers the field.  A while back I bought a 4QD for an extra E15 I 
have, 
just to see if I liked it better than the Alltrax.  But then that E15 
turned 
into a parts machine, so I'll probably put the 4QD into the New Idea R36 
rider.