I've used the controller a bit now, so I'll update it with my thoughts/opinions.
My initial impression was that I like the controller, and the brake and release is definitely interesting. I don't know if it's "better" or "worse" than anything else, but it is different. I do notice that I tend to carry a little more speed into corners with it, compared to controllers with traditional brakes, and it's helped me realize that I needed to improve my driving skill. (not that there was ever any question about the need for improvement...)
However, I did notice that I was consistently running a tenth or two slower laps with it vs. my Difalco. I did a little poking around and discovered that there is a diode in the circuit between the power supply and the handle, and then a resistor in the return side, between the handle and the transistor. Both of those combined to limit the voltage going to the base of the transistor, which resulted in a full 2v drop just coming off of the full power relay. I got some advice from a friend who has a background in electronics, and we determined that the diode was likely for reverse polarity protection, so after testing it with a temporary bypass on it, and then also the resistor, I installed permanent jumpers to bypass both, and now it gets full track voltage back to the base of the transistor at full throttle, and seems to perform on par with my other controllers.
I also installed my favorite Difalco handle, as well as the Difalco trigger pin kit. I like the Parma handle that was on the controller when I got it, but my hands are too big, and I always end up with my pinky hanging over the end of the handle. I tend to get caught up in racing, and often will put a death grip on the handle, and that can get uncomfortable over the course of a race.The Difalco handle is very similar to the Parma, just a little longer, so it does the job nicely. The JayGee controller already had ball bearings on the trigger pivot, but the pivot allowed a lot of side to side play in the trigger, so I installed the excellent Difalco trigger pin kit, which took care of the play.
I raced with it several times, and noticed that the heat sink was getting warmer than my other controllers. I doubt it was warm enough to be a problem, but I swapped the heat sink out for a larger one, and it stays much cooler. That also gave me the opportunity to isolate the transistor from the heat sink with a ceramic insulator, so the heat sink no longer has V+ on it. (My automotive technician's brain says that exposed V+ is a short waiting to happen, so I avoid that, if possible.)
So, the bottom line is that, after the modifications, I like it, and will continue to use it. It doesn't work as well as my Difalco with some classes of cars, but it's a very worthwhile addition to my box. I find that, at least for me, trying different things helps me see why some things work better than others, and often helps me learn how to do things better, so this was a worthwhile experiment for me.
I see that the new Mid America electronic controller is a very similar design, so that might be the closest current production controller to it. I haven't tested the Mid America controller enough to know how close it actually is, but I'll throw that out there, for whatever it's worth.
