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Old 08-21-2014, 03:09 PM   #1
720Deere
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Default Question for DCX500 owners

For any of you that have a DCX400 or DCX500 controller on 36v with 22-23" tires, how much of an increase in hill climbing speed did you notice over stock? In stock form my cart w/22.5" tall tires tops out at 22-23 mph but slows to 12-14 mph on the kind of hills you would expect to find in a rural subdivision.

While I am looking for a modest gain in top speed, my top priority is to get this thing to maintain more like 18-20 mph on these hills. Maybe my goal is too lofty! Maybe it is obtainable at 48v and 500 amps. I just figured I would throw it out there to those of you with first hand experience.
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Old 08-21-2014, 03:14 PM   #2
scottyb
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Default Re: Question for DCX500 owners

Hill is a very relative term and it is critical to the correct answer.

Can you identify your hill on the chart below?
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Hill Grade Conversion Chart.JPG (71.3 KB, 0 views)
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Old 08-21-2014, 03:52 PM   #3
720Deere
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Default Re: Question for DCX500 owners

It is definitely subjective, scottyb! My average routes encounter hills in the 12-15* range. Anything beyond that would be pretty steep for a paved road.
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Old 08-21-2014, 04:25 PM   #4
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Default Re: Question for DCX500 owners

A PDS controller limits the motor to about 4,400 RPM, so getting 22-23 MPH on a level hard surface means the oversized tires aren't holding you back much.
(23.8 MPH is what 4,400 RPM works out to mathmetically)

Unfettered, a stock PDS motor will turn about 5,500 RPM at 36V, which would up you top speed on 22.5" tires to about 29.6 MPH, less a little because your tires are holding you back some.

With either a DCX400 or DCX 500, your top speed will be in the mid to upper 20's.

On the other hand, with 22.5" tires, you are losing about 20% of the stock PDS motor's torque where the rubber meets the road. The torque loss is what is dropping your speed so much on hills.

A DCX400 (or DCX500) will give you about 33% (or 66%) more torque at the low end, but less of an increase in torque at higher RPMs. You speed on the same hills will increase, but I'm not sure if it will increase to 18 MPH.

Going to a higher pack voltage, increases both low end and high end torque, so the top speed increase as well the speed maintained on a hill increases.

It isn't linear, but my guess is that a 42V battery pack alone will change the 12 MPH hill to 14 MPH and with a 48V pack should up it to about 16 MPH.

However, you have to change the controller (and some other things) to up the pack voltage, so with 42V you might get in the desired range and it is likely to happen with 48V.
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Old 08-21-2014, 09:06 PM   #5
720Deere
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Default Re: Question for DCX500 owners

Thanks for all the theoretical info, JohnnieB! All of the battery cables are 4 ga right now but the motor cables look to be stock. A set of 2 ga cables will be going in with the DCX500. Whenever the batteries give up, I will make the jump to 48v.

I was just bored and thinking out loud with this thread. Your theories are pretty much inline with my realistic expectations. I just threw it out there figuring somebody would come along with some real world experience.
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Old 08-22-2014, 07:09 AM   #6
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Default Re: Question for DCX500 owners

Quote:
Originally Posted by 720Deere View Post
I was just bored and thinking out loud with this thread. Your theories are pretty much inline with my realistic expectations. I just threw it out there figuring somebody would come along with some real world experience.
Not entirely theoretical , I ran a stock PDS motor with a DCX400 at 36V and 42V, but on short tires rather than tall ones, so my cart didn't slow all that much on hills and I never paid all that much attention to the improvements in it. Specifically, I didn't jot down the before and after speeds on hills while doing the upgrades.

The hard data based on how my cart responded to various upgrades is:

With stock motor and controller my cart's top speed at 36V was about 18.5 MPH. (Speed calculated with two lines on the pavement and a stopwatch)
That was with 3 year old T-105 batteries, new 2 Ga cables and Carlisle Links tires, which Carlisle says are 17.4" tall when mounted, but I never measured them.

The tires had worn tread and slow leaks, so I replaced them with Carlisle Turf Masters, which Carlisle says are 18.3" mounted, but turned out to be only 17" tall when I measured the rolling circumference a while back.

I installed a DCX400 and Super-duty solenoid and the top speed jumped to 24 MPH. (GPS)

When I replaced the 36V battery pack with a 42V battery pack, the top speed went to 28 MPH. (GPS)

I was happy with that setup, but did something stupid (Driving down a hill with foot on the floor) and exploded the stock PDS motor, which took out the DCX400 when it went, and now have the setup shown in my sig block.

Now I try to limit the RPM of my new motor to about 6.5k and try to keep the motor temperature under 220°F.
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