[Ace_bridger]

Hi there,

I guess this question must have been asked a hundred times but...

...if I was looking for a controller for a modest specification conversion (say 72V battery pack running a Advanced DC FB1-4001A, 9.1. motor) where would I look and what would I expect to pay.

The Soliton looks awesome but mucho mucho expensivo!!

All advice welcomed.

Adam

[alexcrouse]

I have an All-Trax AXE7245 72volt 450amp controller in my saturn. It does alright, but i cant see it hitting 50mph. 72 volts is just too low to get any sport out of an EV. Launches nicely tho, DC motors have torque no matter what. I paid 400$ used(tested) on ebay.

[Ace_bridger]

Thanks Alex, I'll check them out.

If your using a 9" motor why are you only going to use 72 volts? I did my first conversion with 72 volts and I guarantee you that you will want a controller that will pump out over 500 amps. My controller pumped out 550 amps. Most controllers in the 72 volt range just don't have enough poop to do you much good. You will want more right away, guaranteed. So to bypass that step and save yourself some money why not go up to 96 or even 120 volts. The Synkromotive controller is a well designed and robust controller with a decent price. I'd steer clear of Alltrax and Kelly unless you have a golf cart your using. So you choices are Curtis, Synkromotive, Soliton1 or Jr., WarpDrive. All being decent controllers and all being able to run at lower voltages than the max. I ran 120 volts with a 156 volt Synkromotive controller just fine. The Synkro also puts out good amperage and the most for the price range. Air cooled and its pretty near impossible to overheat it. Its small and lightweight and very programmable.

Pete

[Ace_bridger]

Cheers Pete,

Do yu know what? I think you're right...go cheap first and then you only upgrade later and it costs more in the long run...

I'll check out the manufacturers you suggested. A second hand one would be great but I guess they're as rare as hen's teeth!!

Cheers,

Adam

[piotrsko]

rumor has it you can also get a ZILLA from manzanita.

Yes, but the design is old and there are others that are actually better unless you really need 2k worth of amps. Any 1K Zilla is overshadowed by the Soliton1 and Warp Industrial now. Easier to install and neither need the hairball garbage. Not dissing the Zilla because it did have its day.

[EVfun]

"[...] hairball garbage. Not dissing the Zilla [...]"

"Not"?

I'd call the hairball a feature myself. You do all your 12 volt wiring (pot box, rev limiter, contactor, instrument lights, ect) away from the box with 4 traction pack power cables. You hook them together with an ethernet cable and drive off. Of the 3 controllers you listed it has by far the largest installed user base. I've got 2.

[efan]

considering Adam wants a budget controller, I am not sure why Zilla and Soliton are mentioned at all...you can check for used controllers at the below link, there are good deals every now and then.

http://www.evtradinpost.com/index.ph...=12&clearoff=1

Originally Posted by EVfun

"[...] hairball garbage. Not dissing the Zilla [...]"

"Not"?

I'd call the hairball a feature myself. You do all your 12 volt wiring (pot box, rev limiter, contactor, instrument lights, ect) away from the box with 4 traction pack power cables. You hook them together with an ethernet cable and drive off. Of the 3 controllers you listed it has by far the largest installed user base. I've got 2.

The Zilla has a large user base. But it's had its day. The others do overshadow and because of the problems they had the others just took the reign. The hairball has been a trouble spot for many but it does have its purpose. Not exactly super user friendly but functional. Its not a bad controller even with the hairball setup. Not even close to being a bad controller at all. It is a top quality one. If Manzanita keeps things going it may have a return and may even comeback as a better controller. But if you need a 1k controller I'd choose the Soliton1 unless the Zilla is cheaper. That I did not check. For a 500 amp controller I'd for sure go with a Synkromotive over Soliton Jr.