Great tip on the switch John. Too many people (even engineers) make the mistake of looking at the AC ratings of a switch and assuming that the same rating applies to DC applications. Often, only the AC ratings are given which make it difficult to know how much to derate the switch for DC use. A tractor switch would be a very heavy duty application.

Thanks HP, I did take the tractor switch (from Napa auto parts) apart to look and the contacts and sure enough they looked liked a couple of massive copper manhole covers. Yup that was my electrical evaluation, it works beautifully and pushs easily.

Another problem that I ran into out of nowhere and unlikely with most battery packs but on my mondos (5000Nimh) something caught me by surprise.


Those seven cell packs are C size and not sub C but that was not the problem. At first using it on 46 or 61's and some Nelsons etc it spun like the devil and worked great but then I tried it on the 110's first try worked like a champ but afterwords the starter was dead and finished for the day or so I thought []

At home I am going over everything and there was not an open circuit anywhere and worse it now worked seemingly just fine. I opened up switchs nada, brushs nada. checked and rechecked all the wiring and plugs.

Happened agine the next day, the starter worked then was dead for an hour or so[:@]

Then I got to thinking about the packs. these packs were sold as portable packs for DVD players. Seven cells in series with the wire coming from one end. and I had used the original wires, just replacing the plugs.

Hmm decided to cut the shrink wrap open and have a peak. Oh man sure enough right there on the long lead taking the circuiit up to the opposite end was tiny little current limiting devise which would reset itself after a while! Dang who da thunk

Thats why my mondo has packs are wrapped in blue masking tape instead of purdy shrink wrap

John

Highplains I feel your pain, I too am having a hard time reading some posts. My other hobby is digital electronics,(Parallel Stamps) I keep my mouth shut, because I know just enough to know how much I don't know.
Oscar