While I sit here anxiously waiting for my parts to arrive, I decided to sit down and draw out a wiring diagram for what my system will look like. Kelly Controls has a recommended wiring diagram on their website for their controller, so I started there and added a few things specific to my system.
This is the rudimentary schematic I drew up for the Manta Drive, I am sure some things will change, but its 80% accurate.[/caption]First off, I wanted a key to turn everything on and off, to keep people from jumping on-board and taking Cinderella for a joy ride without my permission. I also wanted a buzzer and a fan that will kick on if the motor got too hot for any reason. And because amazon is at your fingertips, I bought a couple of meters to display the battery percentage, the amps being drawn, the battery voltage, and the total energy used. This should make the system look a little sleeker and give me feedback on how it’s running. The wiring diagram also called for a resistor, a diode, and two switches (one to enable regen, and one to go between forward and reverse.)After a few hours comparing options, I hit the bank account for another 30.62 bringing my total to 638.97.The last components required are a throttle lever and 3 batteries. This should be another ~$400.This should bring my total cost of the system to 1038.97, or 1588.97 excluding the engine sale. Not too bad considering I was expecting $1700 overall. Before I get too excited, let’s wait and see how it goes.Follow along on Converting Our Sailboat to EV – Part 5 for adventures in motor mounts.
