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Re: (ET) Alternative controller



Plus Alltrax stands behind their product. They replaced one for me that was well out of warranty.



------ Original message------

From: Robert Troll

Date: Tue, Aug 30, 2016 2:37 PM

To: elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu;

Subject:Re: (ET) Alternative controller


The 1204 is specd for series and PM motors wiring diagrams for both are listed in the manual for a 1204. The field is turned on/off along with the controller using the main contactor. High pedal disable also provides protection and requires a return to zero throttle output. There was a long discussion a whole back that explained why the PM motor controllers work with the ET motors.

The alltrax DCX-300 was designed as a replacement for the curtis 1204 series. The ET alltrax is a DCX-300 that has been modified with field control circuitry. Something that you have to home brew if you want to use the curtis..

4QD gives you the added benefit of regenerative braking.

$400 or whatever the alltrax costs nowadays is not a lot of money considering all that it gets you.

>
> The Curtis 1204 is a series motor controller.  That's OK for golf cars,.
> because most of them have series motors.  However, ETs don't have series
> drive motors. They have either sep-ex or PM motors.
>
> It will work, people have done it, but a series motor controller isn't
> really designed to run PM or sep-ex motors.  At least, it should probably
> have an extra inductor in series with it.  Without that, the current
> limiting circuit may not do its job right.
>
> OTOH, 4QD make PM motor controllers.
>
> In all fairness, with a 4QD and a wound-field ET, you still need to have
> some way of turning the field power on and off.  As it turns out, some 4QD
> models considerately provide a brake release output.  It turns on when the
> vehicle is supposed to move.  This is exactly what you need to energize the
> motor field, though you might need a relay if it can't sink enough current.
>