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By admin, April 19, 2013 7:50 pm

By: Matt Vallez

This article first appeared in May/June, 2010 issue of Golf Car News magazine, it has been updated, fact checked and reprinted for this issue.

Over the last few years dealers have been “beefing-up” their electric golf cars. It started with a motor or field coil change, then the controllers. Then the motors started to get even larger, and this meant larger, higher amp controllers. It soon became necessary to have 4-gauge wire to put it all together so nothing would melt.

All these modifications allow, or require higher amperage to flow through the power wiring to the primary electric components. The problem is that one part is often overlooked during this “beefing-up” process, the F&R switch.

I was speaking to the brains behind EV Parts Inc. Roderick Wilde and discussing the interesting things he has done with electric cars, mostly for racing purposes, (go to: www.suckamps.com) to come up with a hot topic for this months article. He and I both agreed that the F&R switch is the most overlooked part when “beefing-up” an electric car. Although this is not as exciting as modifying an electric postal jeep to reach speeds of over 100 MPH, it is a hot topic, literally.

Cars are often modified with the stock F&R switch unchanged except to connect a smaller gauge or thicker power wires to them. This is unacceptable and will only cause problems somewhere down the line. A mechanical F&R switch has a hard enough job as it is. It is always “on” so to speak; current is always passing through it. Your F&R switch is a circuit between the controller and your motor, and they must be capable of the same amp load. Once the switch is shifted from one direction to the other, it first passes through a natural point, so as not to arc before reversing the polarity to the field coils. Otherwise the load is constant.

These switches were designed to handle the stock amps, not the new level. Think about it, you just installed a 500-amp controller, this means that if required, your controller will send 500-amps to the motor, and that means 500 amps right through your F&R switch. The original system is capable of handling about a 350-amp peak, if that.

There are two good solutions that I know of. The simplest and least expensive is to modify a stock F&R switch to handle the load. The weakest part of these switches is the buss bars. On an E-Z-GO switch they are between the contacts on the cam, or part that moves.

These buss bars are thin and not made to carry large amps. Just replace them with some 3/16 inch thick by ½ inch wide copper bar and you’re off to the races.

The second alternative is more complex and more expensive. It requires replacing the mechanical switch with two, six terminal solenoids and a three-position control switch. For the solenoids, use two Nivel #1165 for 36-volt or Nivel #1130, both of these are rated at 200-amp continuous and 600 amp peak. This will work for most applications. As this is a more complicated set up I have made up a diagram to help.

Next time you are making a “beefed-up” electric car remember the F&R Switch. Because your “beefed-up” electric car is only as good as its weakest part, so make sure that’s not the F&R switch. Nivel now manufactures a line of F&R switches for high amp applications. Ask your Nivel salesperson for more information.

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By admin, January 22, 2013 4:22 pm

By Matt Vallez

Solar and golf cars have been paired together since the early 1990’s, the problem has always been they have not worked well together. They seem like a natural; an electric golf car and sun to recharge the battery system like a match made in heaven. The honeymoon is soon over when the reality sets in that most solar tops do not return enough juice back to the system to justify their existence, let alone the expense.

The solar panels are all similar with claims of collected watts ranging from 150 to 300 and surface voltage of 25-35 volts. These are the numbers hot off the panel. The problem has always been getting the numbers off the panel into the batteries, which are the tricky part. How do you do that and not loose precious energy by converting it into a battery charge. That has been the problem all along with solar as a recharging source it is just not efficient enough.

Well it is now 2012 and solar is popular for a variety of different uses including around the house. The price of the solar panels keeps coming down and the technology keeps getting better. A company from Canada, by the name of Unconquered Sun with experience in the consumer market, household solar.  These guys at Unconquered Sun have developed a solar top for a golf car that works. It actually takes 260 watts or 33-volts @ 8 amps and on it way to the batteries is converted to 56.6 volts @ 8 amps. They cracked the code to solar on golf cars by developing advanced propriety technology to boost battery-bound power to the 56.6 volts @8 amps. This level of charge is approaching that of a conventional electric charger, the kind you plug into the wall.

At Nivel we have looked at many solar tops and panels and have not been impressed by any of them. This is the first one that works better than just a trickle charge. In fact this technology is currently in use by the NASA Marshall Exchange and its intramural sports league. They created what is believed to be the worlds first Solar Gator Groomer. It has eight six volt batteries that power the Gators 48-volt DC power train. It is paired with an infield groomer towed behind. The application works great because the vehicle only requires intermittent use; it is a perfect match for the solar top, since a few hours of sunshine easily replenish the power used by the Gator each day.

The bottom line is this is a solar product that actually puts back enough energy to justify having it on the golf car. Now will this replace your electric charger, probably not, unless you only use the vehicle occasionally? Will it lower your electric requirement and charge time and extend battery life. The answer is yes. Now the big question is how much is that worth to you to have less charge time or lower electric requirements. Thanks to the guys at Unconquered Sun the debate about solar is not if it works but is the return on investment enough. If you want to try the latest solar top technology it is now available from Nivel Parts.

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By admin, November 12, 2012 1:44 pm

By Matt Vallez

Upon returning to the garage where his golf car has been stored for several months, the owner plugs in his automatic charger and finds it will not come on.  He did not feel comfortable leaving it plugged in for the entire off season, but now the battery charger won’t come on. This is one of the most common problems with electric golf cars left sitting for several months without a charger connected to them. They appear to be dead; next a technician is called to check it out. The typical technician will check the car over and tell customers the batteries or the charger is the problem, transport the car back to the shop where they have a method of charging batteries that are under the critical 80% discharge level (70% nominal voltage level), and or checking the charger.

There are still many automatic chargers out there in use today that will not come on until there is at least 70% nominal charge voltage in the battery pack. That is how they were designed; this keeps them from working if there are major issues within the system. That is why they need to have a 70% nominal charge voltage to start; it was a designed safety feature. The nominal pack voltage of a 36 volt system fully charged is around 38 volts. A 48 volt battery pack fully charged would be around 52 volts. On the low end 70% (voltage) of a 36 volt pack would be close to 25 volts and a 48 volt pack at 70% (voltage) would be close to 33 volts.

The good news is that in the last five years charger technology has improved to the point where most automatic chargers only need to detect one or two volts to start a charge cycle. Also many chargers are now built with multi fail safe systems. Now if the relay fails the charger will not continue to run until unplugged as some older chargers did. The problem with wet cell lead acid batteries is they discharge at a rate of 4% per week. In higher temperatures the discharge rate is even quicker. That means 16% per month. If you do the math it will only take two months and you are below the 70% nominal voltage. Newer charger technology also allows maintenance charging for storage.

I will give you a couple of solutions to fix this problem, in order of expense. One, you can add a relay by-pass switch to an existing automatic charger (Ferro-resonant only) see attached diagram (DIAGRAM HERE). Two, you can take an existing manual (timer) charger 36 or 48 it makes no difference. Put a SB50 amp DC plug on the end. This will allow you to use with any Nivel modular DC cords we offer to fit any current DC receptacle, and a lot of old ones also. Connect the manual charger using the appropriate Nivel DC cord set and let the pack charge 2 or 3 hours which will allow pack voltage to rise to a level where the automatic timer will accept. Before completing the charge cycle, check battery cell water level and you should be good to go. A general rule of thumb is to charge the batteries every 30 to 45 days to prevent over discharging to start with. The final option is to switch to AGM batteries which have a slower self discharge rate of 1% per month. This way the car could sit for many months before needing additional help charging.

In any case I believe a good idea is to take an old manual charger and have it ready to use in these situations. A technician can put the manual charger on the car, go to lunch or another call and circle back to check on the progress. Most of the time that is all that is needed batteries are fine and so is the automatic charger. Good luck.

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By admin, September 12, 2012 3:13 pm

By: Matt Vallez

Today we will talk about lift kits, not just any lift kits but the new breed of lift kits known as the “Double A- Arm” lift kits. But first let’s go back in time to how this style of lift kit came to be. The first lift kits were simple axle lifts on E-Z-GO’s and “Z” bar lift kits used on Club Car (the one’s requiring the frames be cut in half). There were also many simple block lifts with U-bolts and blocks on both Yamaha and E-Z-GO golf cars sitting on many dealer lots around the country. Eventually we all became more sophisticated and Jake’s brought out the spindle lift kits for E-Z-GO, Club Car & Yamaha. This made installation a lot easier and you ended up with better results. A lifted car you could feel good about selling and with a solid modified suspension you felt good about selling to your grandmother.

Finally the ultimate in lift kits came out just before the side-by-side UTV market took off. It is the long travel lift kit. These kits were a complete re-engineering of the front suspension, to be a true independent front suspension. These were most popular before the Razor and Rhino were available, these kits allowed golf cars to be used as dune buggies and for other off road purposes no one had tried before. The Double A-arm kits are the little cousin to the long travel lift kits for golf cars. They have many similarities to the long travel kits without the cost. Below are some pictures of the lift kits discussed above.

The Double A-arm design provides a rugged off-road long travel look without the cost of a true long travel suspension. The Double front leaf springs provide a more heavy duty suspension than the stock single leaf spring. This spring also provides a more stable ride. In addition the Double A-arm design is not as wide as the spindle kit which allows for a tighter turning radius allowing you to maneuver the car better in tight areas. If you are starting with a car with well-worn suspension components the Double A-arm lift kit is a better choice than a spindle lift because these kits come with new leaf springs, new upper and lower A-arms, new spindles and all the bushings, basically replacing all worn out front suspension components. These are just a few things when considering a Double A-arm kit over other types of lift kits.

Another consideration for these Double A-arm kits is the reason we put lift kits on golf cars in the first place. The number one reason to lift a golf car is to fit that premium set of tires and wheels on the thing. The design of the sub-frame extends the wheelbase allowing for larger wheels/tires than the spindle kit. Where the 3″ spindle kits allow a 20 x 10 x 10 wheel/tire the 4″ Double A-arm kits allow up to 23 x 10.5 x 12 wheel/tire. Where the 6″ spindle kit allows up to 22×11x10 (DS) & 23×10.5×12 (Precedent) the 6″ Double A-arm kits allow up to 25×10.5×12 wheels/tires. In addition the upper and lower A-arms use heim ends which allows the camber to be adjusted. This is very important with the different style wheels having different offsets. The adjustability of the A-arms will allow the customer to achieve the alignment they desire.

Now that we are aware of the differences between Double A-arm kits and other styles of lift kits, there is one more important point to make. Not all Double A-arm kits are created equal. The Jake’s Double A-arm kits come with the same Jake’s quality you have come to expect from Jake’s a Nivel company, and part of “Your Complete Source”. The spindles in a Jake’s Double A-arm kit come with extra support gussets making them the strongest Double A-arm kits available. So once again Nivel & Jake’s have what you need in the lift kit department covered. We have the spindle lifts with the ease of installation and now the best Double A-arms on the market when you are looking for something with improved suspension and adjustability. We got you covered.

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By admin, July 5, 2012 3:50 pm

By: Matt Vallez

This is a reprint of an article that original appeared in the Golf Car News Magazine May/June 2007 edition.

In this issue we are focusing on accessories for golf cars, so what exactly are golf car accessories? According to my Webster’s Dictionary, an accessory is any object or device that is not necessary in itself, but that adds to the beauty or usefulness of something else. How does this definition then apply to golf cars, and whose definition of beauty or usefulness should we go by? This article will attempt to define a golf car accessory in a more meaningful way, as well as discuss some of the trends and combinations of accessories that can increase the beauty and usefulness of any golf car.

Let’s first go back in history and review what our industry has considered an accessory. When I started in 1991, a top was considered an accessory. In order to sell the other two most popular accessories, windshields and enclosures, you had to sell a top first. After those big three, the next accessories were sheepskin seat covers, wheel covers, light kits (running lights), recycled tire floor mats, and rear seat kits or cargo boxes. That was about it; maybe if you add mirrors and club protectors, as well as a few golf related items such as coolers, sand bottles and ball holders you would have about ninety percent of the accessories available in the early 90’s. The next wave of accessories included premium aluminum wheels, flip flop seat kits, light kits (with turn signals and brake lights), high-amp controllers, high-speed gear sets, high speed or torque electric motors, carpet, and simulated wood grain plastic dash kits. Fast-forwarding to today and there are also GPS systems with monitors, tilt chrome steering columns, 23-inch tires set on 12-inch offset wheels, and independent front suspension lift kits. Today, you don’t have to ask the customer if his car even has a top; it came that way straight from the factory.

The definition of an accessory for a golf car is basically anything that is not necessary for the golf car to function properly. To decide on what is necessary would depend on how you plan to use your golf car. If you are hunting, then camouflage and a gun rack would be considered necessary. If you are using it as a form of transportation, as many living in retirement communities do, then lights and a state of charge meter would be necessary. In these cases, such items as the plastic wood grain dash might not be necessary. For simplicity sake, most golf cars start their life as striped down fleet cars. Anything added to this stripped down fleet golf car is, for our industries sake, an accessory. That would include motors, controllers and heavy-duty leaf springs; parts that are often considered “hard parts” or replacement parts. This is especially true when you replace a perfectly good part with a new one for the sole purpose of improving performance. That is a working definition of golf car accessories.

Certain accessories, if not combined with others, will actually decrease the cars usefulness rather than adding to it. For instance, if you add a lift kit and 23-inch tires set on 12-inch wheels to an otherwise stock electric golf car and want to climb hills, then you have decreased its effectiveness and thus shortened the life of the motor and controller. Or, if you install a high amp series controller and motor combination without 4 gauge power wires, a high amp solenoid, and beefed up F&R switch your customer will be back sooner rather than later and not in good spirits about it either. If someone installs a rear seat kit and intends to ride four adults, he will also need heavy-duty leaf springs. Certain things just go together. Like a lift kit with big tires and fender flares or custom paint, or premium upholstery and graphics with chromed aluminum wheels. There are many combinations available, but selling the complete package is both where the money is and where the customer satisfaction is.

Why do it half way? If someone comes in with an electric golf car and wants to haul dirt around his land that has a steep hill, you would be doing a disservice to sell the person only the steel box and call it a day. Instead, you offer him the other options that will finish the job. Such options may be plastic or aluminum boxes, and dump box mounting kits, or different top options, standard to 80 inches. In order to get up the steep hills on his land with a payload, a car might need heavy duty rear springs, a lift kit, a high torque motor and controller combination, or some heavy 4 gauge wire, beefed up F&R, and so on….

You won’t know until you bring it up. Even if the customer walks out with only a steel box, you have at least started him thinking about what else he can do to the golf car. If next week he decides the golf car is not climbing fast enough, he will come back and ask you about the motor and controller package you had discussed. So, the final definition of an accessory item is anything that you are able to convince a customer to add or replace on his golf car that is not required. The Nivel catalog has doubled the size of its accessory section for this reason. Make sure you know all of your options and relay them to your customer.

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By admin, May 3, 2012 5:54 pm

By: Matt Vallez

As I am sure you are aware, electric golf cars are powered by rechargeable, lead acid batteries.  These batteries are still the most economical way to power an electric golf car. Although other technologies are available, most likely in anyone’s lifetime that is old enough to read this article the lead acid battery will still is the power source for golf cars. That is just the way it is.

These batteries are by far the most popular battery used to power golf cars are vented, wet cell, lead-acid batteries, sometimes called flooded or traction batteries.  Other options are also available; mainly AGM (absorbed glass mat) or gel batteries. The reason the vast majority of golf cars use wet cell batteries are the price.  AGM or gel batteries can be 2.5 to 3 times the price of a similar wet cell option.  The major golf cart manufacturers use wet cell batteries for most of their markets, although they generally provide AGM or gel cells as an option.  AGM and gel batteries are also known as ‘maintenance free’ batteries.  This is due to the fact that checking and maintaining water levels is unnecessary.  All three battery types do an excellent job delivering power and have similar run time capabilities.

So what is the down side of using the more economical wet cell batteries?  There are a couple of things to consider.  First, wet cell batteries require regular maintenance mostly in the form of maintaining the water level inside the battery.  Second, these batteries are vented for a reason.  During the charging cycle, hydrogen and oxygen gases are created and must be discharged into the atmosphere.  If not released, the battery case would rupture due to the increased pressure.  If you look, you can see the holes located on the vent caps.  Unfortunately, water containing sulfuric acid (battery acid) can also be released through these same holes if the water level is not maintained properly or if the battery is overcharged.

The result - The water/battery acid discharge will permanently damage most flooring.  This may not be an issue in a cart barn at your local golf course, but since your golf cart is most likely charged in your garage…well, see for yourself.   At this point, the concrete itself has been damaged, so cleaning it will not be an option.  Left unchecked, sulfuric acid has been known to eat completely through concrete exposing the dirt underneath.

The bottom line is these batteries have some bad side effects, poisonous gas and sulfuric acid over flow, to mention just two.   These are problems we have all just have had to live with to have the benefits of cheap battery power. Nivel has come across a new product that takes care of some of these issues and makes living with lead acid batteries a lot easier prospect.

Lyte Lock is an easy to install battery cover, new to the golf car industry that absorbs and neutralizes battery acid at the source.  Lyte-Lock covers are available to fit most 6v, 8v, and 12v vented, lead-acid batteries.  To install, simply remove the vent cap, place the appropriate fitted cover around the vent holes (label/white side facing up), and then replace the cap.  That’s it.  It is not necessary to remove the batteries or terminal cables.  Installation only takes a couple of minutes

The cover has an orange/yellow strip across the top which will change to red as its neutralizing potential diminishes.  The average life expectancy of the Lyte-Lock cover is 6 months to a year, but this can vary between the individual batteries.

How does it work?  Once acid drips on the Lyte-Lock cover either through the vent holes or from around the O-ring, it is absorbed into the glass matrix and distributed across the surface of the cover.  The chemical reaction that neutralizes the battery acid creates water, salt and carbon dioxide.  The carbon dioxide dissipates in the air, the water evaporates, and the salt is contained inside the Lyte-Lock cover.  Since battery acid that comes into contact with the terminals can also cause them to corrode, Lyte-Lock covers can minimize this issue as well.

Every couple of months, you should check the water level in your batteries.  Make sure to reference the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions and safety guidelines.  This is a good time to make note of the orange/yellow indicator strip on the cover.  Generally, each battery will vent at different rates, so you may notice that your set of Lyte-Lock covers will not all have the same amount of wear.  Once the strip changes to red, it is almost time to replace the covers.

When the time comes to replace your batteries, you will also notice a difference.  It is not uncommon for acid and corrosion to build up around the base of the batteries and on the battery racks.  Often, this corrosion has to be removed with a hammer and chisel in order to properly seat the new batteries.  This should no longer be an issue if you have been using Lyte-Lock.

Nivel now carries these little wonders that will make the side effects of owning lead acid batteries much easier to live with. Acid is a destructive but necessary force of nature, we all house some very destructive acid in our own stomachs. As long as the acid is contained and controlled it will not cause the damage we all have seen.  Find out for yourself and order a set, you will be glad you did.

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By admin, February 23, 2012 2:22 pm

The following technically speaking first appeared in the March/April of 2005 Golf Car News Magazine. It has been updated and fact checked again for release in this issue.
The lead acid battery has been the battery of choice in the golf car industry for years. Until other battery technologies become economical enough to put under the seat of a golf car, at a reasonable price, lead acid battery packs will be in golf cars for the foreseeable future. In today’s tight economy, it is necessary to get every last drop of amperage out of a lead acid battery pack, there are products, old and new, that help to utilize every bit of life available in lead acid batteries. Today you will read about some of them.  First let us discuss what is the number one, life shorting event and killer of lead acid batteries, sulfation.

Sulfation is the most common cause of lead acid battery failure and here is why. As a battery cycles, crystalline lead sulfate begins to coat the surface of the electrode plates. Crystalline lead sulfate does not conduct electricity and cannot be converted back to its previous state under normal charging conditions. Over time this crystalline coating will start to limit the area on the plates where an electrochemical reaction can take place. As this materializes on all the surfaces of plates within a battery, the battery begins to lose its ability to hold a charge.

As the electrical resistance within a sulfated battery increases, receiving a charge begins to take longer, and less efficient charging produces excess heat. Higher battery temperatures cause longer cooling times and accelerate corrosion.  Over time and repetition the process spirals to the point where mechanical failure can take place as a side effects of the excess sulfation. Barring any mechanical failure of the battery, sulfation will be the ultimate mode of failure for 80% of all lead acid batteries. This is a time proven fact; sulfation shortens the life of most lead acid batteries.

Sulfation is a natural process that occurs in all lead acid batteries, and can be stopped by one of two different ways. The first and oldest method of desulfation, the process which sulfation is stopped and/or reversed, is the pulse method. This method has been around for quite some time. Our government has used pulse desulfation devices on military equipment since WWII. There are numerous competing manufactures of these devices. The claims are that, pulse technology battery desulfation is clean, efficient and will prolong the life of your batteries at least 20%. That’s 20% if used from day one on a new battery; you can double the life of an older battery or battery pack, by simply stopping and, or reversing sulfation.

Pulse desulfation in general is a small electrical device that is attached to the battery or batteries, which delivers a small electrical charge through- out the batteries plates. This charge causes the sulfate crystals to either dissolve or fall off the plates, depending whose literature you believe, and what product you get. These pulse devices have been the most widely used and have the longest track record of any method of desulfation around. They are most commonly used in the material handling industry, where battery replacement is both expensive and time consuming.

They pose two problems; one is the problem of attaching an electrical device to an electrical device. Murphy’s law may come into play and at some point, an electrical event will take place within the device or the battery that will do damage to the pulse device. The other problem for the golf car industry is the price. Some of these devices cost as much wholesale, as two-golf car batteries. That is a lot to pay to increase battery life by 20% or more, and not practical for the golf car industry. In the forklift industry a battery can be as much as $ 5,000, so a $300 pulse desulfater makes a lot more sense. Golf car battery sets, on the other hand can be as low as $366 for 6-volt and not more than $500 for 8-volt, wholesale pricing. A Pulse desulfater will have to come down in price to be a viable product for the golf car industry. Nivel is currently testing just such a device and my have an electric desulfater available in late 2009.

The other method that I have had success with over the past few years is a chemical method, an additive to the batteries electrolyte that actually reverses sulfation. This method of desulfation works faster than the pulse method. A set of mechanically sound batteries that can no longer hold a charge can be ready for action in about a half hour. Just by dissolving the sulfate crystals off the plates, the chemical reaction actually restores the batteries ability to hold a charge. I would not believe it, except I have seen it with my own eyes. The second advantage to this method is cost. The price to restore a set of batteries with a chemical desulfater is $37.50, one time. That is less than the price of one battery. Well worth the price even if it only extends the life by 20%, and well worth it if it doubles the life as it can for an older set.
Chemical desulfaters have been around for a number of years as well.

There are different types of chemical desulfaters. Some use cadmium, an extremely dangerous chemical. Others use non-hazardous chemicals that work as a catalysis, when added to the electrolyte. The way things are these days dangerous chemicals are just to great of a liability around the work place and should be avoided at all costs.

All chemical additives have a certain snake oil reputation to over come, and a non-hazardous chemical desulfater is no exception.  Nivel now carries a non-hazardous battery desulfater and demister. Both are in 12oz bottles desulfater is part # 14565 and the battery demister, a wonderful product that lessens battery gassing and watering for any voltage of battery is part # 6152. These products have been used extensively in the man lift industry, and have demonstrated their value there. I was not convinced until I saw them work myself, and have since have had Roger Kramer, A.K.A The Guru, test these products as well. He also is convinced of the value these have for our industry. I would expect you would be as skeptical as I was and need to see for yourself to believe it works. Give it a try on one of your next projects and I’ll bet that you make it part of your arsenal.

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By admin, December 28, 2011 4:36 pm

By: Matt Vallez

This article was originally published in the Golf Car News Mar/Apr 2009 issue, it has been fact checked and updated as needed.

Do you know what kind of water is going into the batteries you maintain? Aside from making sure there is adequate water in the battery in the first place, what’s most important is the purity of that water, because any water is better than no water at all. This is not a question about the water being healthy for humans to drink. The water could be considered healthy for humans, but may be harmful for a battery. Chlorine is commonly used to kill bacteria by water municipalities and is present in most tap water; it keeps the water free from bacteria dangerous to humans. However this same chlorine is harmful to a battery. Any dissolved mineral in the water such as calcium, magnesium, chlorides and other naturally occurring minerals and salts are said to make the water hard. Hard water is water with a high mineral content.

Hard water will shorten the life of any battery, and even more so the life of a deep cycle battery. The more often the battery is charged or cycled and gassed, the more evaporation takes place, as a result more water must be added to keep the battery plates covered. Over time the hard water’s dissolved minerals and salts build up on the plates of the battery. This build-up will seriously shorten the usable life of the battery. Preventing these impurities from getting into the battery in the first place is what we are discussing today.

The first question you might ask is how hard is the water where I am? Do I even need to worry about this in the first place? Those are both good questions and an answer can be found at: http.//water.usgs.gov/owg/ there is a map there that will give you hardness by region. Let me just give you a “readers digest version”. The softest water is in parts of New England, South Atlantic-Gulf, Pacific Northwest, Hawaii regions. Everywhere else has moderately hard water, hard water or very hard water. Even if you are in an area with the softest water there may be things added to the water that makes it hard, such as chlorine depending on how the water is treated in your local area.

The best ways to test the hardness of your water is with an alkalinity test or contact your local utility. See the website http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/il.htm if you want to get locally specific water hardness info. Hardness is caused by compounds of calcium and magnesium, and by a verity of other metals. General guidelines for classifications of water are: 0-60 MG/L (milligrams per liter) as calcium carbonate is classified as soft; 61 to 120 moderately hard; 121 to 180 MG/L as hard; and more than 180MG/L as very hard. Most people have hard water and for the sake of this article let’s assume you have hard water.

Once you have determined you have hard water and hard water is bad for your batteries, you have limited choices. A. You can ignore this article and the major battery manufactures and just top off your batteries with hard tap water. B. Buy distilled water, not just bottled water but distilled bottled water and top off your batteries with it. C. Get a filtration system to filter out the harmful minerals and salts and top off your batteries with that. To me B & C are the only ones that make any sense.

And unless you are only caring for a few golf cars or you want to get some practice as Gunga Din for you’re your local playhouse’s annual Rudyard Kipling poetry reenactment day, I suggest you look into getting a filter set up to purify the water before it goes into your batteries. Lugging around gallon jugs of water is hard work and expensive, you usually have to drive to the store to get the distilled bottled water and then there is a storage issue. The water in the tap can be made pure no mater how hard it is with a good filter system. And now available for the first time from Nivel is the Philadelphia Scientific Water Deionizers Filtration System. These can be ordered with the patented, non electric watering gun with automatic shutoff.

I know putting pure water in your batteries sounds like a lot of extra work, just keeping water in the things can be a full time job, but how much work is it to change out a set of batteries a year earlier that you should have?

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By admin, October 21, 2011 1:44 pm

By Matt Vallez, Tony Thorne

Several decades ago when real men dragged their 200 lb golf bag around a golf course, it didn’t take long to see the need for a mode of transportation, thus the “Golf Car” was born. These somewhat primitive vehicles came with various drive schemes, 3 or 4 wheels, some with relay drives to the more sophisticated “resistor speed control”. As with any evolution, over the decades to follow the golf cars got better; more features, better batteries, and more reliable controls, and more powerful motors.

As golf centric communities have developed and courses became longer, what is expected from a golf car has changed. We expect our current electric golf cars to go where only a gas car could go just a few years ago. Other uses such as recreational off-road fun and extreme hunting buggies have increased the challenges. This is changing the way we use electric golf cars and causing engineers to re-think motor controllers, motors, and various safety devices. Stock OEM controllers used on the golf course were designed and programmed to work a specific way, so driving on-road as a car or off road for fun requires more speed, torque and power.

The first upgrade to “solid state” controls offered a smoother and more efficient operating system as compared to the resistor based golf cars, without wasting power in heating coils that could accidentally catch dried grass on fire. In 2000, Alltrax took its electric race cars technology and brought it to the golf car aftermarket with more power and features, but there lies the challenge. So may different carts and configurations out there! So they developed a programmable version – an aftermarket controller that allows golf car dealers to re-program them for a particular cart, throttle type, or customer application. Now dealers stock 1 or 2 versions and program them for any application. This saves a huge amount of inventory expense by not having to stock bazillion different motor controllers.

Recent Technology Advances:

Over the last 3 years the advances in microprocessor technology, power electronics, and manufacturing methods have unlocked the key to provide a “smart controller” with performance and features taking the golf car (as we know today) to a whole new level. This new platform uses the latest 32 bit microprocessor with capacity for smart throttle control, excellent traction power control, user friendly USB communications and simplistic programming. The increased overall efficiency and performance of this new platform cannot be achieved by the aging 8-bit micro-controller. This new product is called the SPM for “Series and Permanent Magnet” motor controller system.

Then let’s assume the number of different golf cars out there (near 4 million total), ranging from old and new, some with throttle issues, different battery type, voltage, and age, then add in the myriad of interface connectors. A simple mistake installing a controller can be a costly experience or not perform as expected. The challenge for the golf cart dealer is getting a box and installing it correctly with the proper settings for that cart and that throttle without blowing something up.

Other issues arriving from the recent changes in golf car use is the larger motors and hi-current controllers suffer the older design of safety systems such as small solenoids, protection circuits, and fail safe controls. A stock golf cart driving 14MPH on the golf course is a whole different story than a 10HP high speed motor driven by a 500 amp controller doing 25MPH down the street to get groceries. Larger solenoids and better safety features are needed, similar to how our automotive industry has evolved.

In an attempt to engineer the “APPLE CONTROLLER” for the current needs of the golf car market Alltrax has come up with a new line of controllers that Steve Jobs, if still around, would wish he had invented. These controllers are that intuitive and smart that it makes anyone who uses them seem the same way, ahead of there time.

The SPM is a new design in the field of electric vehicle motor controls, embodying all that Alltrax has learned over the past 15 years of design, manufacture, use and abuse of their DCP, AXE and DCX products. The SPM looks different because Alltrax listened – Color Coded Topside wiring and re-locatable Flexi-Mount mounting feet for easy installation.

The SPM is different “than the other controller boxes” out there because Alltrax has taken full advantage of technology changes to craft a very sophisticated yet simple and reliable drive. The SPM is also a complete thermal solution - no external heat-sink required. The drive style and user interface are like no other - Torque and Speed are graphically adjustable, you can re-curve the throttle response from buttery smooth to neck snapping wild.

Features include: 10 field programmable throttle types, advanced safety features (ASF) such as main relay Solenoid control, buss-bar thermal overload protection and ability to withstand output short circuits. Model variations with sealed connectors have features like rev limiting and CAN buss to further integrate the motor controller within the vehicle system, and provide forward compatibility with some upcoming amazing (and top-secret) new components.

Made in the USA, Alltrax motor controls are manufactured at their factory located in Southern Oregon on a vertically integrated process by a dedicated crew. Our robotic pick and place equipment to assemble circuit boards, custom tooling for the internals, and then soldered in a reflow oven and wave solder machines. Fully Automated test equipment calibrates and verifies proper operation at circuit board level, and then all SPM units are encapsulated for water and vibration proofing then dyno-meter tested at FULL power. Features are then pre-programmed when you order but allows you to “adjust as needed” to meet your expectations using super simple USB connected software.

The new SPM controllers have undergone extensive development and testing here during the past 2 years and at customer sites for over 6 months, I think they are the toughest, most sophisticated motor controllers on the market.

What does this mean to the Dealer? This new generation platform, the SPM will make your cart a whole new machine, a better new driving experience, at a better cost of investment.

It’s time we change the way we think about golf cars, they are not just for chasing little white balls on the fairways any more, they are sitting in traffic getting the kids from school or stalking the big 12 point buck in the woods.

For more information on how to purchase the SPM, contact Nivel at www.nivelparts.com

Comments (0)

By admin, August 26, 2011 3:07 pm

By: Matt Vallez

It is not often that an idea comes along that is so good it changes the way we do business.  Something that is so simple and easy and makes stocking and selling a custom product ten times easier than it was before. I know exactly what most everyone will say, either out loud or at least in their own mind, “why didn’t I come up with that”? What that is, is the new Tampa G “Chameleon” a breakthrough in custom Sunbrella®/Outdura® technology that just made everything about Sunbrella®/Outdura® a little easier! It allows you to install the enclosure and the accent valance separately. That’s correct the valance is a separate part from the enclosure they are not sewn together, instead assembled on the car. This makes the whole coordinating thing a lot easier, because the decision is not a one time permanent decision; now you can change your mind later.

This breakthrough came about the time when Nivel, LLC was in the first days of working with Tampa G on a stocking program for the Sunbrella®/Outdura® enclosure line. The question came up first, can we manufacture enclosures without valances and sew them on later, per order? That would be fine if you are manufacturing and distributing out of the same locations. Unfortunately that would remove one of Nivel’s great strengths, multiple warehouses for fast delivery.  The ultimate answer was the “Chameleon” which is a tract style enclosure with an interchangeable valance that allows you to order, stock and promote virtually any combination of base enclosure and valance. Now when considering what to stock in Sunbrella®/Outdura® enclosures you only need to think of the base color and what golf car it should fit on. The valance can be stocked in any solid and also the many different stripes that we are all familiar with. The other great thing about this if someone becomes bored of the way their Sunbrella®/Outdura® enclosure looks they can easily change it.

The significant thing here is that products with a 4 to 6 week delivery time, which is that of a custom Sunbrella®/Outdura® enclosure made today, is now something that with a small investment can be a stocking item at the dealer level. Or, if the dealer would prefer not to stock them, can be delivered from Tampa G / Nivel inventory in just a few days. This reminds me of when Alltrax introduced the programmable controller in early 2000’s. It was a game changer for a dealer to stock one of each amperage controller and be able to make it work on any golf car. The ability to have a 400 amp controller on the shelf and program it for use in Club Car, E-Z-GO or Yamaha as well as Columbia and Taylor-Dunn to this day is a great feature. Unfortunately with the proliferation of sepex motors, which require dedicated controllers this feature is not as revilement is it was a when first introduced. It is nice to see an improvement in how we do things, and this new “Chameleon” is just one of those milestone improvements.

Think to yourself of an enclosure you own now, or had for too long because no one wanted it based on the color combination. This problem is now removable, as long as the bottom color of the enclosure is acceptable, which all of our stocking enclosures are in the acceptable color range, we can’t help you if you special order pink or purple. Now, back to this example, you have a new “Chameleon” enclosure that a customer ordered with a certain striped valance, the guy takes it home to surprise his wife, the problem is the wife doesn’t like it. So he comes back the next day to return it. Instead of putting the enclosure back into inventory and hope that someone with a Yamaha G2 with a Denver top comes into your store soon, you can just change the valance, yourself. Better yet, you can take the order for a valance that he or more accurately his wife, wants and have it within a few days for him to pick up. No more dead inventory. Let us know what you think about the new “Chameleon” as you can tell I think it is revolutionary idea.