Thanks, TheE. I popped the ribbed aluminum top and found the inside circuit board is all sealed with a hard coating of black tar/plastic. It was hard to pop the top because 2 components were rigidly attached to the top as well as the bottom board and the wires broke removing it. At $18.50 + s/h it's not a great loss. I'll buy another one sometime but I'll probably wait til I need another component to save on shipping - jd
controller, relay or...
- Thread starter jdcburg
- Start date
I wonder if you could even get the components one at a time anyway. Radio shack has a few things but not a heck of a lot. Most everybody else wants you to buy several it seems
If you go to a proper electronics store you can. Most of these places even stock surplus so they'll cost you pennies.
I think Radio shack used to be good, but these days it seems to be incredibly overpriced and poorly stocked for discrete components.
I think Radio shack used to be good, but these days it seems to be incredibly overpriced and poorly stocked for discrete components.
Im not sure there is even a decent supply house of any kind in my home town any more. There used to be a radio shop of sorts but I think he is gone now,.
I rewired the controller into one of my bikes this morning. I did it because it was sitting there taunting me. I mean I have to heavy duty controllers and two bikes. I removed them because one of them didn't seem to be doing the job. When I removed it the bike ran better.
Then the throttle went out completely on a different one but I think that might have been the problem all along. Anyway, I am going to give it another try. For now I'm leaving one with just an on off switch. It is raining so I can't test the bike with the controller yet but I know it will run, how well is the question.
Then the throttle went out completely on a different one but I think that might have been the problem all along. Anyway, I am going to give it another try. For now I'm leaving one with just an on off switch. It is raining so I can't test the bike with the controller yet but I know it will run, how well is the question.
Hey could you do me a favor and draw me a diagram to wire that relay. I think I want to switch from a oh off switch at 24v 20amp to a momentary switch that won't carry that kind of load. I can't figure out the wiring. do the whole battery, switch and motor wires if you will please. thanks Deacon
As much rain and snow as we have had don't rush I'm not sure when I will get around to doing the improvements.
OK Deacon here you go. I used a Bosch Type Relay from Electricscooterparts.com. It was about $6 as I remember. I got the momentary switch at Radio Shack for about $3. There's also a 25A circuit breaker in there. I think I got that from electricscooter as well.
I am putting up 2 images - one is the diagram that comes with the relay and the other is a drawing of my setup. Hopefully my drawing makes sense to you. Let me know if it doesn't - jd
I am putting up 2 images - one is the diagram that comes with the relay and the other is a drawing of my setup. Hopefully my drawing makes sense to you. Let me know if it doesn't - jd
Attachments
I understand yours a lot more than the manufacturers. Now I need to get a relay, and a switch. I am using the blade fuses so I can reuse them. I wonder how a 36v circuit would work on that 24v relay lol. I have to stop thinking like that. Thanks I can do it with your drawing.
Let me know how it works. I did the diagram from memory as I cannabalized the old bike for the new one, which uses a controller/throttle because of the shifter. BTW I would suggest looking around for a 36V DC relay as long as you're buying one anyway. I don't think there is any advantage to overpowering a relay as there shouldn't be any losses through it. Higher voltage might weld the contacts - jd
Im going to run it 24volts for a while. I'm not sure direct 36v is a good idea. So far i have blown 40amp fuses every time I try it, but I think that was because I had too much pressure on the drive wheel. I took a bunch off and it seems to do better at 24v so I will probably try 36v again one day soon.
thanks to your diagram I was able to wire the switch the first time. I screwed with one when you first did this for days and never got it to work. I couldn't figure out where to put the juice from the battery till I got your diagram and combined it with the one from electric scooters. So thanks again.
Now the question is do I need a 24v momentary switch or will any old switch do.
Now the question is do I need a 24v momentary switch or will any old switch do.
I think a wall switch or doorbell button will work. The relay handles all the amps so the switch doesn't have to handle much. I got a momentary toggle from Radio Shack for $2 or $3. I mounted it on its side so pushing down is "on" and when I let go it automatically turns off, so that's good. Hopefully whatever you use works good for you - jd
Im going to go get something tomorrow. I have been riding it at 24v and it is slow but it's good exercise. I think for a while at least I am going to keep it the way it is except to get a push button switch. probably a universal horn switch from the auto parts store. I have one but I think it got welded when I tried to use it without a relay.
By the way I have three of those 12v battery tenders to charge the battery pack in pieces. The darn scooter chargers are just plain garbage. I burn them up way too often to be of any real use. I mention that because I burned another one up today.
By the way I have three of those 12v battery tenders to charge the battery pack in pieces. The darn scooter chargers are just plain garbage. I burn them up way too often to be of any real use. I mention that because I burned another one up today.
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Update on my relay upgrade.
So the 20amp household switch was working with no relay but I wanted a push button one off to help with my forgetfulness. I bought the relay and got it working thanks the person who started this thread. Then I put a 12v pushbutton horn switch onto the bike. It went out immediately. Then I put on a 15amp household switch and it lasted a couple of days before it welded shut and forced me to a curb to stop it.
I am now setup with a 40amp relay, a 40amp circuit breaker, and the original 20amp switch. I am not sure that I am any better off but I got a lot more wires hanging on the bike lol. I had the switch go on a long steep uphill pull so it might be that the circuit breaker will let the bike run a little more than the fuses would. Getting a little heat through the relay and up to the switch. anyway one more try with this then it is going to be back to a controller for me. I have two laying around that will work fine with 24v.but they are only 500 watts so the motor will suffer a loss of speed and torque, I think.
So the 20amp household switch was working with no relay but I wanted a push button one off to help with my forgetfulness. I bought the relay and got it working thanks the person who started this thread. Then I put a 12v pushbutton horn switch onto the bike. It went out immediately. Then I put on a 15amp household switch and it lasted a couple of days before it welded shut and forced me to a curb to stop it.
I am now setup with a 40amp relay, a 40amp circuit breaker, and the original 20amp switch. I am not sure that I am any better off but I got a lot more wires hanging on the bike lol. I had the switch go on a long steep uphill pull so it might be that the circuit breaker will let the bike run a little more than the fuses would. Getting a little heat through the relay and up to the switch. anyway one more try with this then it is going to be back to a controller for me. I have two laying around that will work fine with 24v.but they are only 500 watts so the motor will suffer a loss of speed and torque, I think.
Hi Deacon - It's interesting you are still welding/blowing switches using a relay. I've heard of relays welding together as that's where the current is. There shouldn't be much current running through the switch regardless of what the motor is drawing. That's why the wires to a car ignition switch can be so small while the ones to the starter are as thick as your finger - the relay takes the heavy current and delivers it to the starter while the spring-loaded starter switch in your steering column just has to trigger that relay. I can't help wondering if something is not right with the relay or the wiring - jd
That was my thinking as well. I would have expected the house switch to work easily. I have the heavy duty twenty amp switch on it now so I'll see if that works okay. What I think i should look for is a two circuit relay. One 6v circuit that does nothing but close the relay and then the circuit that will accept 24v 40 amps. I used to use them in a couple of photography lights but I haven't seen one in years. The guys who work are radio shack here are just change makers so I don't have anyone to ask. Maybe I should pick up an old style starter relay and give it a try.
I wonder if I could put a separate power source on the switch leg of this relay. I think i know how to wire an outside power source. I might just give it a shot tomorrow since it is supposed to rain again. If I can power the relay with a few volts then I can use a pushbutton switch. I would also be nice to be away from the main relay so maybe it won't pull so many amps through the switch.
I wonder if I could put a separate power source on the switch leg of this relay. I think i know how to wire an outside power source. I might just give it a shot tomorrow since it is supposed to rain again. If I can power the relay with a few volts then I can use a pushbutton switch. I would also be nice to be away from the main relay so maybe it won't pull so many amps through the switch.
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That's actually what relays are made for- a low-power circuit controlling a high-power one whilst being electrically isolated from each other...should still work off the same source without the switch welding shut (even if the effective current rating is lower for DC) :S
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