17 replies to this topic

[LiqTenExp]

Not sure if I'm the first in the US but I've had an EVO-3 for over a month now. Had some initial issues with it that were resolved and now it is working as expected. It has a really cool feature set.

 

• Brushed or Brushless motor modes - Tunes controller resistance for the different motor classes 4 vs 8 ohm, this is not PWM but resistive/Mosfet switched, interesting! 
• Brake control 0-40
  • Fixed brakes (like most controllers, applies a constant braking force)
  • Progressive brakes (0-15 modifier that controls a ramping upward level of brake force)
  • Regressive brakes (0-15 modifier that controls a ramping downward level of brake force) - this one is really useful!
• Typical sensitivity control from 0-100
• Choke 0-25 control - Verry robust amount of choke, it knocks over 500ms off my test car on an 83 foot track (LMP style flexi w/Speedball motor)
• Traction control 0-7 value - Works really well, very smooth
• Choke bypass momentary button - helps on restarts!
• Adjustable trigger start and stop positions - Trigger is potentiometer style
• 6 model presets
• Difalco handle

Yes it has an internal battery. I did confirm that it has no impact on track output voltage for the folk that ask that question. Had it apart and confirmed visually and with o-scope.

 

If you have any questions let me know, I've been comparing it to my other controllers and can share the differences. It has very good brakes, choke, and traction control. The trigger is obviously very smooth and being able to limit the range is helpful to get in/out of braking quickly.

[Bridgehampton66]

Source,  Brad?

[LiqTenExp]

slot racing shop

[LiqTenExp]

Ran a race with it last night, very easy controller to get used to! Let me know if anyone else has any questions.

[LiqTenExp]

I put a few more club races on it and really enjoy this controller. Works well with brushed and brushless. I've had it only on banked tracks, will take it out to a flat track soon and give some feedback with it there.

[Porsche917]

Brad,

 

I am looking at this controller to use for 1/24 scale hardbody racing, especially endurance races.  I currently have a Difalco and a TruSpeed Apex.  My Difalco is a DD304.  It works good but I am looking for more braking power for the much heavier 1/24 scale hardbody cars.  I also like the idea of the controller lighting up so I can read it during night time races.

 

I am also curious about the "initial issues" you mentioned in your earlier post.  What exactly were they?  I am assuming any of those issues have been resolved to your satisfaction.  

 

Thanks,

Marty

Austin Slot Car Club

[LiqTenExp]

Hi,

 

The initial issue was resolved with a tweak to the full throttle bypass MOSFET and brake MOSFET circuit (timing issue). The designer and I troubleshot it and he sent an updated board. It has been GREAT ever since. No issues. I believe I was the first one with one, anywhere, so there was a chance for this, no one else should have this issue.

 

Brad,

 

I am looking at this controller to use for 1/24 scale hardbody racing, especially endurance races.  I currently have a Difalco and a TruSpeed Apex.  My Difalco is a DD304.  It works good but I am looking for more braking power for the much heavier 1/24 scale hardbody cars.  I also like the idea of the controller lighting up so I can read it during night time races.

 

I am also curious about the "initial issues" you mentioned in your earlier post.  What exactly were they?  I am assuming any of those issues have been resolved to your satisfaction.  

 

Thanks,

Marty

Austin Slot Car Club

[Porsche917]

Brad,

 

Thanks for the response.  As mentioned, I am looking to use the controller with hardbody 1/24 cars where the cars are heavier and the brakes on all the other controllers - TruSpeed Apex and Difalco DD304 - are not as good as I would like.  Let me know your thoughts on the brakes on the controller, especially the regressive and progressive settings.  

 

Thanks,

 

Marty 

Austin Slot Car Club

[LiqTenExp]

The brakes are stronger than you'd find on a rheostat style brake based controller (Difalco, Micek, Kobis). They are MOSFET and would be similar to a Carsteen/ThirdEye. I don't find much value in the progressive but the regressive and fixed brake modes work great. Both Regressive and Progressive have a 1-15 setting that adjust the ramp of the regressive/progressive slope and an overall 1-30 value it will apply, lots of useful adjustability.

 

This is truly a hybrid when it comes to how the track voltage is applied. It uses fixed high current resistors (air cooled) with MOSFET switches, he claims 128 values and it definitely is has very smooth transition points. This is what takes up most of the volume in the box. It doesn't use the traditional BJT (Difalco, Micek, Kobis) or MOSFET (Carsteen, JayGee, ThirdEye) or PWM (+One, TruSpeed) to vary voltage applied to the motor, its really interesting. You'll see him claiming it is a resistive controller and it truly is in delivery, selection of delivery is MOSFET, and that is where it is a "hybrid". I'm not tracking that there is anything else out there like this, I'm really enjoying mine.

[Porsche917]

Brad,

 

Thanks for the information.  I just received the controller and am still trying to work out how to use all of the functions.  If you don't mind, I am curious if I could ask you two questions.  One - how do you save a controller setting to memory?  I know how to scroll through them but don't know how to save, erase, or modify them.  Two - now that the button on the controller converts the controller to brushless, what is the process for running the controller in the dual braking mode?  I can run one mode but have not seen any information on the procedure to get the controller to run in the dual braking mode.  

 

Any help you could provide would be appreciated.  Thanks.

 

Marty

Austin Slot Car Club

[LiqTenExp]

Memory settings are saved automatically. When you push in the first dial and switch to another memory it keeps whatever you had in the last one. There is no discrete save feature, its just always saving.

 

The brushless button tailors the resistance to make the sensitivity knob more appropriate for brushless vs brushed.

 

Dual braking mode doesn't exist in Evo3, it was a feature that didn't work well according to the creator. You can only run it in fixed, regressive, or progressive modes. You can also adjust the ramp rate of regressive and progressive modes from 0-15 (0 being the most aggressive (as close to fixed operation) and 15 being the slowest)

[Porsche917]

Brad,

 

Thanks again for the additional information.  I really appreciate it.  

 

Marty

[Porsche917]

Brad,

 

A little help please.  I did the worst thing any racer could do - I didn't use my DenVel Evo 3 controller until I arrived at a big event - 24 hours of Tacoma.  The big issue I am experiencing is with the Sensitivity.  When the sensitivity is set to zero it is the equivalent to what my DiFalco is at 7 out of 10.  I tried raising the sensitivity thinking maybe 0 was maximum and 99 was less sensitivity but that did not work.  Any help you have would be greatly appreciated.  I liked the amount of brake out of the system and the traction control were good but the controller is undriveable with the high level of sensitivity.  Thanks.

 

Marty 

[LiqTenExp]

Are you running brushed or brushless? If you are running brushed make sure the brushless LED isn't on, that will seriously impact the sensitivity in the way you are describing it. Also make sure to do an encoder programming if that doesn't work. I think you hold down the brake button while turning it on, then you pull the trigger a couple times fully and release each time. It should then complete that process and finish booting.

[Porsche917]

Brad,

 

Thanks so much for your reply.  I have done everything you talked about.  The brushless button is not pressed/light on and I have recalibrated the controller multiple times but still had the issue.  I have already reached out to Slot Racing Shop with all of this and they gave me the same response.  I very much appreciate your time and will wait to hear back from Slot Racing Shop for next steps.  

 

Marty

[Porsche917]

Brad,

 

Thanks for your help.  One last (I hope) question.  When you plug the box into the track do you have the green power button on the box clicked or not clicked?  I know to click the green power button without it being plugged into the track to check the version and to recalibrate the controller but do I need to press the green button once it is connected to the track?  The green power button lights up as soon as I plug the controller into the track but I don't know if I also need to press (compress) the green power button with the box hooked up to the tracks power.  Thanks.

[LiqTenExp]

You need to have it turned on before applying track voltage. Always have it on when in use or planned for use. Turn it on before red/white is connected, leave it on between heats/lane changes. Turn it off when you're not racing.

[Porsche917]

Brad,

 

Thanks so much for all the help and support.  I will be trying the controller again this weekend at my club track to see if it works any differently than it did at the 24 hour race I was at in Tacoma.  

 

Marty