Re: Curtis 1231 or Raptor 600 and Other Stuff.

["Bob Rice" <bobrice@snet.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: Marc Kohler <mkohler@daxcontrol.com>
To: <ev@listproc.sjsu.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2001 9:46 PM
Subject: Re: Curtis 1231 or Raptor 600


> I'd go with the Raptor 600.
>
> The fan noise is nothing (I doubt you will even notice it) compared to the
> Curtis WHINE.
>
> I've heard nothing but good things about DCP and his service.
>
> Marc Kohler
> an' anyone Else Contemplating Controllers.

  YES! I second that, done 4000 plus miles on my Rapter, and it has done
fine. It is silent and a butter smooth 0 to 120 volts. I have a Curtis, it
never worked and between Jack Gretta an' I ,3 dead Curtii awaiting repair at
Golfteck. Curtis, Forgetabout it. They told him he was lucky to have gotten
15000 miles out of the one he had in his MG midget, a 2400 lb car. Any non
acrobatic suggestion would be welcome.

    I just drove home, a few minutes ago, in my Rabbit, and have one thing
come up with the Rapter. It current limits in cold weather, as it's about 30
degrees tonite and it wouldnt give me over 200 amps, or more than 100 on the
Turnpike@45-50. Oh the batteries love it, but launching into traffic is
embarrasing. I got off at my exit, and put my foot in it to get rolling and,
oh joy, the amps came back to 300-400 and the delightful get up an' go I'm
used to. Figgured that it had warmed up, or something. EVen in the hottest
summer daze it never got hotter than living warm, EVen in stop and go
traffic for 20 miles. Anybody else have this problem?? I would think, like
the motor, it would like cold weather. A coinsidence that the Controller
thread came up tonite

     Other stuff, first trip with a HEATER. Oh Joy! A pair of the square
ceramic heater cores side by side in where the Rabbit's heater core was. The
first time I tried it, putting 15 amps into it with a Fair Radio charger I
got a plasma like short circuit along one side of the grid. No grin here.
The hell with it, figgured it was dead, so just dug the burnt part out, and
that took care of the pirotechnics, but have lost some of the BTU's. It was
toasty warm, but has lost some of the btu's coming home. Oh it took the
chill off, but it wasn't the nice hot aire I had GOING to work. I'll do an
autopsy in the morning. Only pulled about 15 amps, so I dont think it's up
to its potential. Two of them shoulda pulled about 25-30 amps, rite? Got
them wired in parallel, with the second set of leads paralleled for more
heat, having a two temp heater. Anybody else used these things. They are
about 4" square, outta the portable Holmes heater, and the other one some
obscure brand I don't remember, but they all seem to be a standard size.
Heater comments, anyone?

   When I get the @#$% grid thing under control was gunna wire it up so the
car's heater fan HAS to run before the heater contactor would pick up, and
have two speeds as mentioned above, using the stock V-dub heater controls.
Just dont think I've got the grids working rite,yet.

  One last comment on the dying Tri-polar battery thing. Lee Hart an' Dave
Roden, as usual,had it rite. It is more hype than reality. The cell
connecters on the botton were to be able to pass more current, and help hold
the cell plate structire together. BUT, I always wondered that as the cell
got older, the active material sheds and ends down in the bottom all over
those bottom connecters, and acting like a short circuit, or at least a load
on the battery as there would be a resistance there. I often mentioned this
in my EFP daze, but it was poo pooed and never discussed. Inquiring minds
wanted to know, but still don't know. I'm sure if it was so wonderful, all
the battery builders woulda junmped on this one. Nawaz? Got yur ears on this
one Did yus guyz at US try it? Or Trojan? My personal take on the whole
thing was to make the connecters atop the plates a bit wider and thicker
grid that they are soldered to, that connect to the posts or intercell
connecters. Maybe a bigger, say 1" post to convey the amps out of the
battery, instead of the standard SAE post we all know and love.. Still the
best way to connect up batteries, so far. They are what yu should DEMAND
whenyu buy that new set of cells you had yur eye on. Quality terminals
soldered to yur 2# cables and yu won't have any burnt post problems. I
havent, in 4 years ,this time, in EVing. They don't even get WARM, much less
hot.  I check, drive the car HARD and feel around. Cool is cool!

    You 120 volt guyz should see about 150 volts whenyur charged fully. The
130 or so yu were getting isn't making it, and yur battery is starving to
death. Better get one of Rich Rudman's new PFC type charger. Boy! That looks
like the Gold Standard Charger to be. Check out Fair Radio, if they have any
more Army surplus 1-150 volt big green box chargers. Best 60 bux yu EVer
spent. As a regula day to day overniter, or backup for yur Something Else,
when that goes on the fritz. And they do! Yur car is only as good as the
Charger. Rich's charger, DCP controllers, YES! Now were getting some good
hardware to go with those ADV and Warfield Warp motors out there. We've come
along way! A handy Yankee shade tree mechanic can put together a World class
conversion.

  Bob in CONNECTicut