China knockoff controller

[Sabinaman]

Originally Posted by BobBoyce

Responses I've recieved have been all over the place. One common theme has been, if you are not pushing them anywhere near to the current limit and are not needing the missing advanced features, they perfom fine. But in cases where the rated current is required (like climbing hills or pushing large tires) and you do need the advanced teatures, don't buy a chinese clone of a Curtis controller.

I ordered one but the seller said he couldn’t program it for the ITS throttle so he gave me my money back.


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[420ma]

I ordered a 500A knock off curtis for my series cart, installed fine, a little bigger than the old one. I had to reconfigure the way the cart was set up. But so far it runs fine, a little jerky in reverse. On flat asphalt I'm doing 16-17ish mph on a 48v battery set and stock motor. My original issue was my cart was very slow uphill, on asphalt it is doing just fine on hills of similar size at my campground. This weekend is the campground test. I took the rear seat off to work on it so I did lose some cargo there. Also I upgraded the cables, solenoid and FR. FYI, I started with a stock 1993 Marathon.

[Sabinaman]

Originally Posted by 420ma

I ordered a 500A knock off curtis for my series cart, installed fine, a little bigger than the old one. I had to reconfigure the way the cart was set up. But so far it runs fine, a little jerky in reverse. On flat asphalt I'm doing 16-17ish mph on a 48v battery set and stock motor. My original issue was my cart was very slow uphill, on asphalt it is doing just fine on hills of similar size at my campground. This weekend is the campground test. I took the rear seat off to work on it so I did lose some cargo there. Also I upgraded the cables, solenoid and FR. FYI, I started with a stock 1993 Marathon.

They said they would ship it with throttle type 0-5k but mine is a ITS throttle. Would it still work.


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[LukeL]

Originally Posted by Sabinaman

They said they would ship it with throttle type 0-5k but mine is a ITS throttle. Would it still work.


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I don’t think so


Club Car DS driver’s club #59

[Sabinaman]

Originally Posted by LukeL

I don’t think so


Club Car DS driver’s club #59

Okay thank you. I can’t find anyone around my area that can program them.


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[BobBoyce]

Originally Posted by Sabinaman

Okay thank you. I can’t find anyone around my area that can program them.

Where are you located? I have a programmer that can work with clones, but not all clones have all of the menus. So it may communicate, but if the controller does not have the throttle option parameter, it would not be settable. The chinese tend to provide a minimum of configurability that they can get away with.

[Sabinaman]

Originally Posted by BobBoyce

Where are you located? I have a programmer that can work with clones, but not all clones have all of the menus. So it may communicate, but if the controller does not have the throttle option parameter, it would not be settable. The chinese tend to provide a minimum of configurability that they can get away with.

I’m located in southwest Ohio


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[420ma]

There's a place on eBay that rents them.for $40 per month. I was told that the clones have the same program menu as the real Curtis.

Also FYI, My 1993 Marathon is doing extremely better on the hills now. So hopefully this controller makes it through the season and next year we talk about motors. Like I said it is a jerky start, but for now it'll do. I got the yewy charger when I upgraded to 48v, love it.

[BobBoyce]

Originally Posted by 420ma

There's a place on eBay that rents them.for $40 per month. I was told that the clones have the same program menu as the real Curtis.

Also FYI, My 1993 Marathon is doing extremely better on the hills now. So hopefully this controller makes it through the season and next year we talk about motors. Like I said it is a jerky start, but for now it'll do. I got the yewy charger when I upgraded to 48v, love it.

Yea, the diagnostic handsets can be rented. I have literally seen dozens of the clone Curtis controllers over the last couple of years, and not a single one of them had all of the menus that the real Curtis controllers have. The menus available to a User/Service/Dealer/or OEM level handset are there. But I work at Factory and Development level programming, and the chinese at the real Curtis manufacturing facilities in China were not provided with the tools to access those advanced menues. They were unable to copy what they could not see. Once the chinese started making clones of Curtis controllers and selling them in competition to the real Curtis controllers, Curtis shut down all legitimate production in China and only the clone market remains.

[420ma]

As far as the original question goes, I'd they are worth it. I'd say yes, from my perspective i couldn't at the time justify a $500 controller so I went with the knock off and it worked out well. If it turns out to not last that long I'll get something of a higher quality because now I know what the results will be.