Here's the new "Low Speed Vehicle" $2500 after the tax rebate.
This is going to make riding around the farm alot easier
(https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g135/Crockette/IMG_4236.jpg)
(https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g135/Crockette/IMG_4238.jpg)
Looks Good ! With that color it shouldn't be hard to find in the snow !
I guess that is what they call an AT Golf Cart. With it being only 2WD I would say that it will hang up pretty easy in some situations. It would be a real fuel saver vs a standard sized vehicle to run here and there though.
I have 200 watts of solar panels and a charge controller on order to mount on the top
On sunny days they should kick in about 1 Kw-Hr per day or about 3 % of the recomended useful discharge
The manual says the cart is good for about 45 miles per charge - I assume that is to dead batteries --
So, according to my calculations, that should give me at about 1 mile per day from the panels -- more than enough on average.
That seems like a lot from 1 Kw-Hr but may be from the recharging circuit - when you let off the 'gas' pedal the motor dumps energy back to the batteries --it will be interesting to see how it works out
The first thing to go is the dam backup beeper --loud and obnoxious
so far, seems like a good piece of equipment
Red wasn't my first choice but the only color available -- it might grow on me though--
and the price was too good to pass up thanks to our generous government stimulus package --hey we got to keep those Chinese companies crankin'
actually the only thing that makes sense is the batteries -- the rebate size depends on how many Trojan batteries are installed on the vehicle. Maybe this a hand out to Trojan battery company -dunno
Just got the charge controller (Xantrex C-40 for $119 )
and four 50 wattt panels from Sun Electronics $450
the good news
the charge controler was way cheap -- cheaper than a home brew
the bad news
one of the panels generated only 0.6 volts open circuit and no current
Called Sun Electronincs
"send it back we will credit you "
"No I cannot use 3 panels I'll send them all back"
yadda yadda yadda
bottom line ..still waiting for a call back (from last Wednesday)
So I started to look into it -- maybe the blocker diode is bad
HHhhmmmm yep lift the diode and the volts go up to 16.2 open circuit
cool--- bad diode
off to radio shack -- they don't have an exact replacement but close -- only 3 Amps not 10
but wait the original diode checks out ok
HHHhhhmmmmm
what I finally figured out was that the solar cells were wired backwards compared to the other 3 panels
Huh ?!?!
I cannot figure out how they did this but the actual cells were a 'mirror image' of the other cells causing the plus to equal the minus and vice versa
so the diode was just shorting the panel
weird
so I swapped the diode polarity and the connectors and I am back in business
still waiting for a call back from Sun Electric......
at least the panel works
checked out all the panels today in winter sun and 22 degrees F
they started at about 3.7 amps --pretty much rated power
then as the panels warmed up the current dropped to about 2 A
still cheap power -- I am glad I can troubleshoot and fix factory screwups
Sun Electronics --CHEAP
service
well.....
Cool toy and good sleuthing, Windpower.
My Bushhog was run into by an 18 wheeler before I got it. Now after a couple years I find that it broke the transaxle case and the locking differential went out- but just the 2 wheel drive part. Ordered the transaxle and will put my 4 wheel drive parts onto it as the trans is the same.
It was already recently discontinued by Bushhog but they still have parts ...for now....
Thanks Glenn
I looked into Bush hogs too but the price of this after tax was just too good to pass up
even though it is not 4wd it should do the job at the farm -- just grass and woods trails
the ground clearance is impressive with the oversize 'knobby' tires and lift kit
I next need to get some kind of box for the back. The rear seat folds down into a flat deck -- I think I might just make a box out of plywood -- for carrying tools and gardening stuff
Quote from: Windpower on February 09, 2010, 02:39:36 PM
Thanks Glenn
I looked into Bush hogs too but the price of this after tax was just too good to pass up
even though it is not 4wd it should do the job at the farm -- just grass and woods trails
the ground clearance is impressive with the oversize 'knobby' tires and lift kit
I next need to get some kind of box for the back. The rear seat folds down into a flat deck -- I think I might just make a box out of plywood -- for carrying tools and gardening stuff
Might check into ATV boxes or even a basket. I find that a basket is better suited to my needs where I can put larger big objects, 5 gallon buckets and the like. Shoot I usually load all my tools when working on fences in a 5 gallon bucket anyway.
Yes - good price - a whole vehicle for less than the price of a Bushhog transaxle. [ouch]
I often do the bucket thing too, John - works great.
With my land, being so steep, little gets done without the Bushhog or an equivalent or better vehicle such as one with tracks.
Well I got the panels on and they work
Used a C40 charge controler and mounted the 4 50 watt panels in the roof with an aluminum angle frame
This project took A LOT longer than I thought it would
here are some pics
notice the downward angle to apply aerodynamic pressure so this thing won't get airborne :)
(https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g135/Crockette/IMG_5523.jpg)
(https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g135/Crockette/IMG_5520.jpg)
Here I was getting over 1.6 Amps at 52 Volts later in the day with some clouds
(https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g135/Crockette/IMG_5532.jpg)
The switch on the right selects the panels or the on board 120 VAC charger
(https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g135/Crockette/IMG_5524.jpg)
and now to complete the project a nice Red Ryder "BB" gun like this mounted behind the seat
(http://www.gunshopfinder.com/marlin/410.jpg)
I'd say it's a darn good thing you had the foresight to angle the installed panels. Looks [cool]
Oh yeah, MD
This thing GPS's out at 21.5 MPH -- really needs the down force to keep it on the ground
darn good thing indeed
Thanks for your well wishes I'll no doubt need them :)
Sweet! Looks like fun and room to put a gun rack on it ;)
Thanks Stinker
Yesterday on a cloudless day I was getting just under 3 amps
not bad, but a little shy of the 200 watts rated on the panels
It was a fun day at the airport
Doug did a couple fly bys with smoke on in his Edge 540
I asked if he exceeded the under 10,000 foot speed limit -- he just smiled
Got the new display for the charge controller
about 50 watts on a overcast day
(https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g135/Crockette/IMG_5535.jpg)
I mounted it on the dash near the steering column
(https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g135/Crockette/IMG_5537.jpg)
It was a fun day at the airport
Here is Doug doing a flyby in his
Edge (video is not speeded up)
https://s55.photobucket.com/albums/g135/Crockette/?action=view¤t=MVI_5538.mp4
Boy I like seeing projects like this.
IMO, this is a window to the future. It's a darn shame you have to go through so much red tape to do it for road use.
If I ever run across a Smart Car with a blown engine...I have my new electric rural commuter vehicle.
It has been fun so far, Peter
I think it will be an updated version of this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFYpNrbyKCA&feature=player_embedded
Peter,
This is a pretty good read about converting an old Porche 924 into an electric car -- lots of good links too
http://www.geopathfinder.com/Porsche924.pdf
this site has lots of components for Electric vehicles
http://www.evolveelectrics.com/index.html
Almost done
got the 'pick up bed' installed
Next the radio and gun rack
(https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g135/Crockette/IMG_5102.jpg)
(https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g135/Crockette/IMG_5103.jpg)
Yup. That's pretty cool. [cool]