opinion needed on which Alltrax to order

[mazdawg(Mikey)]

my cart is a 36v dcs on 205/30/12 tires and im eventually gonna replace everything. im wanting to get the controller first, a PQ Bandit motor, and then eventually 48v batteries and everything else needed. i was reading the decriptions that scotty has on the dcx400 and dcx500 and he says the 500 is for aftermarket motors. do i really need to go with the 500 or can i do the 400? its a $125 difference between the 2.

[Knothead]

Personally, I'd go with the DCX500 (I did). I'm still running my stock motor with no problems, but will eventually go with a PQ upgrade or D&D....

[Sir Nuke]

Mikey.....go with the 500.

[cgtech]

Go with the 500, but i would set it at 400 amp (80% output) until i had a better motor. The stock motor will feel awesome at 500, but it will not live a long, happy life at this setting. Others may disagree, but, this is based off my own experience. Also, "turbo" mode OFF may be good too. That motor doesnt seem to like 48v and "turbo" in my experience. You are not at 48v, so "turbo" may be ok for you. You can always turn it back up, and it is easier on the controller and motor for now.

[sportcoupe]

If it was possible you could set the controller for 2000 amps but it wouldn't matter, the stock motor isn't going to draw as much as you think. Get the 500 amp, set it for what you feel comfortable with. I set it on 500. The stock motor is only going to take what it needs and unless you are going up a long hill fully loaded from a dead stop you won't even hit 400 amps.

The 500 will set you up for future motor upgrades. A PQ bandit is a stock motor that's been rebuilt. Not anything special. If you never intend on going past a bandit then get the 400 amp.

Converting to 48v lowers current so a DCX 400 at 48v will be about equal to a DCX 500 at 36v in overall current flow. Of course the 48v will have 30% more tq and speed so expect a grin on your face every time you ride.

[yurtle]

I have a series, which may behave differently than a Sepex, but I set my AXE 4855 at 400 amps and monitored stock motor temp. I cranked it up to 500 and it didn't really make a difference as far as motor temp, which is what kills motors. Load and long steep hills, without time to rest on milder hills or downhill, as well as gears or tire size all affect how many amps the motor asks for. Also, just because you set it to 500 amps doesn't force you to keep the pedal to the floor (though it seems to with me.)

Again, mine's a Series, and Sepexes may behave differently.

[sportcoupe]

That's what I'm saying. The controller doesn't dictate how much current goes to the motor. The motor has to request the current. The controller will then deliver what it is limited to.

[cgtech]

This is correct, the motor only "eats what it wants", and the controller is a "valve" not a "pump". I am refering more to the heat generated during heavy use. I disagree somewhat with the more volts= less amps theory, if it were doing the same work it would be true, but, a 36v system that is increased to 48v is doing 33% more work than it was before. I also feel that if you monitored a alltrax amp draw in the software, the amps would stay the same or increase slightly (which equals more watts at 48v vs 36v).

[scottyb]

Another explanation of how this system works is the controller allows access to the pack.
A common misconception is that the controller sends amperage to the motor.
When the motor is energized it tries to gain access to 100% of the battery pack. The controller's function is to limit that access.


Looks like we posted at the same time

[yurtle]

It never hurts to say the same thing in different terms or examples. Not everyone has the same level of understanding when it comes to electricity. Anything we can do to clear up the fog helps folks make the right choices. Even though my motor rarely hits 500 amps, the price difference was not enough for me to limit myself to 400, AND without having it installed, I wasn't sure I would regret 400 vs. 500. I later upgraded my motor to a speed motor, and if I upsize my tires, more torque never hurts.