Coming Soon .... Project Beastamatic

[alban]

Sorry to hear that.... Well done Fordulike for pioneering and for all the useful info you've supplied along the way.

 

[Fordulike]

I reckon that if you are willing to pedal along with the motor, and maybe drill some air vents in the front and rear of the controller housing, then the beast would live longer.
The flow of air through the housing should keep things cooler.
NRG's potential mods should prove interesting

 

[Deleted member 4366]

We need to know what failed, so that we can find ways of overcoming the problem. I suspect that it's not the motor, but rather one or more of the FETs in the controller. It would be nice if we can get to the root of the problem, so you should send the controller to NRG for testing if you can.

 

[Fordulike]

We need to know what failed, so that we can find ways of overcoming the problem. I suspect that it's not the motor, but rather one or more of the FETs in the controller. It would be nice if we can get to the root of the problem, so you should send the controller to NRG for testing if you can.

I'll send him a PM and see if he's willing to do that

 

[Fordulike]

After opening up the controller case, I am almost 100% certain that the problem is a fried controller.

The following pictures show a resistor next to the 3-Terminal Adjustable Regulator (LM317T), which has clearly overheated.
The resistor is fairly charred in the middle, but I can just make out it's colour coding:

Gold Black Black Blue

Maybe the two middle ones are black coz it's burnt

When power is applied, the regulator gets red hot, so I am surprised that this component isn't heatsinked
Maybe it is only getting hot coz the resistor has burnt out?
I'm no expert, so maybe someone could shed some light on this



Would replacing the resistor solve the problem, or would it have taken out other components as well?

 

[NRG]

Hi FUL got your PM, Blue Black Black is 60 Ohm. Probably used to drop the input voltage to the regulator. Too much current draw will overheat it like that so you could try and replace it but it will just go again.

The regulator should not get that hot, from what I've read the current draw should be around 60~70mA so if the regulator is uncomfortable to touch then something else is wrong.

 

[Fordulike]

Hi FUL got your PM, Blue Black Black is 60 Ohm. Probably used to drop the input voltage to the regulator. Too much current draw will overheat it like that so you could try and replace it but it will just go again.

The regulator should not get that hot, from what I've read the current draw should be around 60~70mA so if the regulator is uncomfortable to touch then something else is wrong.

Oooops, it's d8veh I should have PM'd. He's just opened up his controller.

Sorry NRG

 

[NRG]

All of a sudden I feel unwanted!

 

[Fordulike]

All of a sudden I feel unwanted!

Hee hee, I get you two mixed up, coz yer both kings of the mods

 

[Deleted member 4366]

My resistor is green, brown, lack. I make that 51 ohms

 

[Fordulike]

My resistor is green, brown, lack. I make that 51 ohms

I had forgotten that a multimeter can be used to measure resistance, so I measured both the regulator adjustment resistor values.
Now I've been trying to learn all about the LM317T and I think I have got it.
Depending on the values of the two resistors in the circuit, means an output voltage related to these components.

My values are:

R1-32.8 Ohm
R2-50.6 Ohm

Using this LM317 calculator:

LM 317 Calculator

I put the two values in and got an output voltage of 3.18v
I'm sure the circuit board needs a constant 5v feed

Anyone shed any light on this please