Re: (ET) how does the late model I5 speed control work?

[Charlie <medievalist gmail com>]

Thank you everyone!  Let me see if I have it straight:

The batteries can only supply so many watts at a time.  If current
draw is extremely high, voltage will drop.

The 2AH relay is in parallel with the traction motor.  2AH will not
close and activate the 2A contactor unless it gets 36 volts.

When starting up from a stop, or increasing speed, the traction motor
sucks up all the current available from the batteries and starves the
2AH relay so it can't close.  (**THIS is the piece I was missing!  I
didn't know a motor could steal electricity from a coil**)

Once speed stabilizes, the traction motor's current draw drops back
down to a reasonable level, voltage recovers, and 2AH closes,
activating 2A and bypassing the toaster.

The CC/PP button bypasses 2AH, providing a way to drop the toaster out
of the circuit even if voltage is low at 2AH.  The diodes aren't
really involved except to prevent shorts (since the whole circuit
reverses polarity when you flip the F/R switch).

Is that right?

Thanks again for all the help,
--Charlie

PS: Seems like increasing the battery capacity could make the tractor
accelerate faster, as well as giving longer run times.  Mine's already
fast enough, though!

--C