[rosskesava]

I used candle wax. Just light the candle and drip wax onto the bare wire and connectors.

I also waterproofed my trolley pump the same way.

Never knew that!!

You can waterproof any electrical circuit that doesn't get hot. I can use my trolley system in the pouring rain without worrying about water getting into the pump or the box with the voltage regulator in it and have done for a good few years.

The links for the voltage meter - have just ordered. Thanks.

Off topic, but candle wax is a simple water proofing solution for so many things.

Even red matches (swan vesta's). If you go camping or such like, coat the heads in candle wax and they'll still light even if soaking wet or in the rain.

[CleanClear]

Tosh, you may remember back that i posted about trying some PWR motor controllers. Ours burnt out the boxes they came with, with hindsight and now looking at the amp rating i realise ours where not up to the job fully. Although they are still fitted and still work !!
 Can you confirm you've had no overheating issues ? I've noted your linked ones are rated to 10 amps, not sure what ours where, but judging by the very thin wires we had i'd guess not ten amps !! I'm oredering my stuff now and hope to make two up for a start. Keep you posted, thanks again. I'll add to this thread once i've made them.

[Tom White]

Tosh, you may remember back that i posted about trying some PWR motor controllers. Ours burnt out the boxes they came with, with hindsight and now looking at the amp rating i realise ours where not up to the job fully. Although they are still fitted and still work !!
 Can you confirm you've had no overheating issues ? I've noted your linked ones are rated to 10 amps, not sure what ours where, but judging by the very thin wires we had i'd guess not ten amps !! I'm oredering my stuff now and hope to make two up for a start. Keep you posted, thanks again. I'll add to this thread once i've made them.

No overheating issues and we've been using ours for (I don't know exactly) 6 to 8 months.

No issues what-so-ever.

[Tom White]

Off topic, but candle wax is a simple water proofing solution for so many things.

One thing to note is that you should only use candles that are waterproof.  If it doesn't say on the packet, ask the vendor if they're the waterproof candle wax ones, or not.

[rosskesava]

Tosh, you may remember back that i posted about trying some PWR motor controllers. Ours burnt out the boxes they came with, with hindsight and now looking at the amp rating i realise ours where not up to the job fully. Although they are still fitted and still work !!
 Can you confirm you've had no overheating issues ? I've noted your linked ones are rated to 10 amps, not sure what ours where, but judging by the very thin wires we had i'd guess not ten amps !! I'm oredering my stuff now and hope to make two up for a start. Keep you posted, thanks again. I'll add to this thread once i've made them.

To stop heat building up inside the box especially on hot days just add a small fan for a pc. They're 12v DC, draw almost no current and cost £2 or £3 from maplins.

I cut a hole out on one side of the box, screwed the fan on and drilled a few small hole in the other side of the box and wired it in with the switch.

Job took 10 minutes.

[rosskesava]

Off topic, but candle wax is a simple water proofing solution for so many things.

One thing to note is that you should only use candles that are waterproof.  If it doesn't say on the packet, ask the vendor if they're the waterproof candle wax ones, or not.

The very best candle wax is the the wax from candles meant for under water use. Army surplus stores sell them.

[PoleKing]

So, flow controllers at about a tenth of the price.
Anyone want to invent/concoct/manufacture/cobble together an auto charger/split relay thing for charging the system battery from the alternator?
I paid £130 for my flow reg & auto charge. Flow-pukka. Auto-poop.

[Don Kee]

So, flow controllers at about a tenth of the price.
Anyone want to invent/concoct/manufacture/cobble together an auto charger/split relay thing for charging the system battery from the alternator?
I paid £130 for my flow reg & auto charge. Flow-pukka. Auto-poop.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151550930756?redirect=mobile


Spruce recommended that to me a while ago, never had a problem with it

[PoleKing]

So, flow controllers at about a tenth of the price.
Anyone want to invent/concoct/manufacture/cobble together an auto charger/split relay thing for charging the system battery from the alternator?
I paid £130 for my flow reg & auto charge. Flow-pukka. Auto-poop.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151550930756?redirect=mobile


Spruce recommended that to me a while ago, never had a problem with it

Cheers Don.
Would you mind saying what your mileage & water use is per week?
And do you have to auxiliary charge at all?

[Don Kee]

Around 60miles a week (tops)
(Mileage is sort of irrelevant mate, as its more about the time spent with the van on. Although i guess they are usually linked)

400litres a day (ish)


Had to bench charge my bat once in the last year, and that was more as a just in case rather than out of necessity

[PoleKing]

Around 60miles a week (tops)
(Mileage is sort of irrelevant mate, as its more about the time spent with the van on. Although i guess they are usually linked)

400litres a day (ish)


Had to bench charge my bat once in the last year, and that was more as a just in case rather than out of necessity

Sounds like a goer!
I use more water but I'm doing 60odd miles a day.
This'll be 3rd time lucky but I'll give it a go.
Thank you.

[Rob@Blast off]

Cheers for posting this Tosh, just ordered the bits to try and make one.

[Tom White]

I've gotten around to installing the voltage meter and I tested it out on a battery:



Seems to be working great.

I'll stick it in the van at the weekend.  I think the voltmeter is surplus to requirements; it's just a gimmick, but I do like the light-up led switch on the top.  With my current switches I find myself double checking them to make sure they're switched off, so a light on the switch will be helpful.

Not bad for under £20!  As someone who thought of himself as cack-handed when it comes to this stuff, I quite enjoyed doing it too.  I surprise myself sometimes.

Any suggestions or improvements would be welcomed.

[Tom White]

I just had another thought; if I installed a voltmeter on the output wires, would that reading vary as I increased or decreased the flow with the dial?

[Don Kee]

(I think) you'd get the same reading mate
The controller you've made controls the volts to adjust the flow so (again, i think) the draw from the battery would vary, and so the output would be the same as the input...

So that screen you have put in the controller should show the varying voltage differences without the need for another voltmetre...
(I'm assuming in the pic, your battery is on charge?)

(Spruce or ian sheppard may be able to tell you for definite!)


It looks good mate, you've done a good job
I was going to do one of these myself after your post, but i managed to get a varistream for £25, but definitley one for the future!

[Nick_Thompson]

Tosh, a serious question, are you going into production?

Nick

[Tom White]

Tosh, a serious question, are you going into production?

Nick

I reckon it'd be easy to flog these for £50 on ebay, and easy to 'mass produce' too.

But no.  However, they're dead easy to make; some poor Chinese child - hand-cuffed to a work bench - did the hard stuff when he/she made the voltage regulator circuit board.

[Nick_Thompson]

Tosh, a serious question, are you going into production?

Nick

I reckon it'd be easy to flog these for £50 on ebay, and easy to 'mass produce' too.

But no.  However, they're dead easy to make; some poor Chinese child - hand-cuffed to a work bench - did the hard stuff when he/she made the voltage regulator circuit board.

Shame! I don't want to make one, I just want to buy one. 

[Tom White]

Shame! I don't want to make one, I just want to buy one. 

Guys are knocking them up and selling them on e-bay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-SafeFlow-Pump-Controller-Water-fed-pole-window-cleaning-wfp-Trolley-/181636013901?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2a4a599f4d

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12v-speed-control-wfp-/231469869117?pt=UK_BOI_Industrial_Automation_Control_ET&hash=item35e4ade83d

[dd]

I have a controller very similar to this (company who supplied it no longer trading). It is 9 years old and has not given me one day of trouble. I find it bemusing the amount of posts about the more common type of controller with calibration, dead end issues etc, plus they seem to pack up within a few years and need replacing. Over complicated IMO.