# Any one using Synkromotive controller ?



## jackmold (Mar 16, 2013)

Any one using Synkromotive controller ? DC750 ? thank you


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## puddleglum (Oct 22, 2008)

I am not yet but I'm strongly considering it. There are a few here but not many. I'm not sure why, maybe because they don't advertise and the warranty isn't near as good as most others. Anyone I could find that has one seems to be happy with it. OneGreenEV (Pete) is their biggest supporter. So a search on Synkromotive and also go to http://www.evalbum.com/ and search vehicles by controller brand. You should find a little info. Hope it helps.


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## winzeracer (Apr 3, 2012)

jackmold said:


> Any one using Synkromotive controller ? DC750 ? thank you


I almost bought a Synkro, from what I could tell it is a great controller. I really liked the GUI display. For me it came down to customer service, Synkro is pretty much a one man shop. I had to wait weeks to get email responses. I did email a few people that had Synkro's running in thier build for years and never had a single problem with the controller. One guy even said that the main guy from Synkro ( can't remember his name at the moment) came out and helped him install it. My overall impression was that it was a great controller, basically install and forget about it. However my build is a little more custom, so I needed customer service.

Thanks,
Brock


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## onegreenev (May 18, 2012)

I do. It is a good controller and very configurable. Decent GUI. The newest version which is the same as the early model with a larger fan has a voltage limit of 192 volts and 900 amps. Its not a heavy lug like the others and for the price quite a powerful controller. I actually have two of these controllers.



















Pete


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## Yukon_Shane (Jul 15, 2010)

onegreenev said:


> ...The newest version which is the same as the early model with a larger fan has a voltage limit of 192 volts and 900 amps....


Hey Pete, you've mentioned this upgraded version of the Synkro before but I never seem to be able to find any reference to it on thier website or on the synkro dealers websites.

Is it a special order or are all the new models coming with 900 amps?

If it's the same price as the 750 amp that's a hek of a lot of controller for the price.


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## winzeracer (Apr 3, 2012)

onegreenev said:


> I do. It is a good controller and very configurable. Decent GUI. The newest version which is the same as the early model with a larger fan has a voltage limit of 192 volts and 900 amps. Its not a heavy lug like the others and for the price quite a powerful controller. I actually have two of these controllers.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oh and I forgot one of my other favorite features was DC charging from another battery bank. Thanks for the video Pete.

Brock


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## EVSource Mikey (Apr 24, 2012)

We used and tested a Synkromotive controller before we carried it on our site. We were very pleased with it. One of the great features mentioned was that it is very simple, and easy to use. Being completely aircooled makes it a great option for a commuter conversion. Higher powered controllers need a cooling kit (or at least a sink).


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## onegreenev (May 18, 2012)

If you have a lower voltage system you can still use any DC source for charging. If you want to use your AC outlet to charge through the charger you do need a pack of at least 180 volts. That is because you need to have a pack that is a higher voltage than the source because you need to boost it to what ever voltage you need. The source needs to be lower than the lowest your pack will be when discharged. So if you have 60 cells you don't want your pack to go below 2 volts per cell or you don't get to recharge. But the nice thing is you can set the controller to keep your pack from ever getting below that level. 

If you have a 120 volt pack you can use a 48 volt stationary DC pack or power supply to charger your vehicle. This is what I am going to do with my DC Generator. Use the low voltage high amperage to charge my smaller pack. 

Both work well.


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## EVSource Mikey (Apr 24, 2012)

jackmold said:


> You are seller.you have to say good things about the controller.
> I bought the controller and i have a problem with it. The support is big zero waiting weeks to get reply,no email answer and always answer machine when you call. And no return calls. Also only 30 days warranty. By the time you install in your car warranty is over.


From the sounds of it, you're dissatisfied with at least the support aspect of the product. Feel free to ask a specific question you're having trouble with. I'll do my best to help you out.


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## onegreenev (May 18, 2012)

I don't seem to have trouble getting through to him. He does have a regular job by the way. The controller market is not like screaming off the shelf for any of the makers. Being a small group has its limits. I talk with him all the time. Have not had the need for a few months. Mostly I just ask questions about what he is doing and if maybe he will venture into the AC market. The controller is good enough so there is little to no need to really waste the day waiting for a phone to ring. I'd like to see better returning a call or email with a good response to help those that do happen to need help. 

What do you need to know? What do you need help with? 

Pete


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## jeffcoat (Apr 16, 2012)

We have 2 of them, one in our 96v (lead acid) truck and the other in a 156v lithium car, and have been using them for about 4 years. Ours are the original model of the 750 with the internal cooling fan. The one in our truck had a problem with the precharge circuit a few months ago; we sent it in and Ives was able to fix it for a very reasonable fee. Other than that, no problems with the controllers.


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## Joey (Oct 12, 2007)

jackmold said:


> You are seller.you have to say good things about the controller.
> I bought the controller and i have a problem with it. The support is big zero waiting weeks to get reply,no email answer and always answer machine when you call. And no return calls. Also only 30 days warranty. By the time you install in your car warranty is over.


The Evnetics guys set the customer service bar quite high, going above and beyond with their participation on this site alone. 1 week response time max would be painful, but acceptable. Waiting weeks and counting, ouch.


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## dladd (Jun 1, 2011)

I've had the Synkromotive DC750 for a while now, installed it in fall of 2011. I have around 15k miles on it now, and no problems. Quite frankly, it's pretty much the only thing on the car that has NOT given me problems! Sorry to hear of the lack of support, but I am not entirely surprised. I've had spotty luck when contacting Ives with questions. Fortunately I've never had it actually fail or anything, it's been a great controller for me. I don't max it out though, only running 150ish volts and limit it to 650a for clutch protection.

Mine is, I believe, the latest version. It has the external fan sticking out the side. It is still called a DC750, and considered a 750a controller, but you can up the current to 900a in the software and according to Ives it will hit that number for very brief periods on accel. I've never tried it cause I don't have the batteries or clutch to handle that kind of power.


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## Grampatech21 (Jul 14, 2019)

I was the design lead for a start-up EV company. We used the Synkromotive controllers on 3 of our pre-production prototypes, and they work beautifully. Very durable, no glitch operation, and as long as you use capacitively-coupled gauges there will not be any trouble with using the speed/rpm hall effect sensors for both gauge and controller input.

Also, there is a very nice feature in the controller that allows you to use the fuel gauge on the vehicle you are converting as a battery meter to monitor stored energy in the motive pack and give you instantaneous readings at any point along the charge or discharge curve. Much more accurate than a voltage meter, as you do not need to measure the batteries "unloaded".



Ives Meadors is the engineer that developed these controllers, and he is both a good friend and a trusted associate.


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## onegreenev (May 18, 2012)

Grampatech21 said:


> I was the design lead for a start-up EV company. We used the Synkromotive controllers on 3 of our pre-production prototypes, and they work beautifully. Very durable, no glitch operation, and as long as you use capacitively-coupled gauges there will not be any trouble with using the speed/rpm hall effect sensors for both gauge and controller input.
> 
> Also, there is a very nice feature in the controller that allows you to use the fuel gauge on the vehicle you are converting as a battery meter to monitor stored energy in the motive pack and give you instantaneous readings at any point along the charge or discharge curve. Much more accurate than a voltage meter, as you do not need to measure the batteries "unloaded".
> 
> ...


I still have three fully functional controllers and a couple that should be just fine after I put them together. I plan on using one to charge my vehicle. Since I can control the voltage up to 192 volts I can take any DC voltage and charge my pack. With the inductor I am using I can easily get 45 charging amps into a pack. I have during some testing gotten up to 150 charging amps from a stationary battery pack to charge the pack in my car. I will limit the charging amps to under 100 amps from a stationary pack and if I use 240v ac through a step-down transformer I can go with 45 charging amps from a 60amp circuit without tripping the breaker. Works like a charm. Since most are going AC the Synkromotive would be great for a very controllable charger. As for the gauges I have not had any luck with the RPM or gauges being very accurate. The controller is about the best and is also very light weight. I'd like to see these built with a much higher current and voltage rating and still have the light weight of the Synkromotive.


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## onegreenev (May 18, 2012)

Sad to say Ives is no longer continuing with these controllers and is not going to make an AC version of the Synkromotive. I did tell him he should. One you can configure to most any induction motor. His controller is light weight and powerful and would make a great AC Controller but he does not have the backing to do the research to do the building and testing. If I had the money I would have funded it. It is still a limited niche market for controllers to convert your car to electric so even if it was funded they would not sell many.


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## GoZags (Nov 6, 2009)

Does anyone have the Synkromotive GUI? I have accidentally deleted my program and can't recover it.


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## onegreenev (May 18, 2012)

GoZags said:


> Does anyone have the Synkromotive GUI? I have accidentally deleted my program and can't recover it.



Go here and down load the smi.exe file. I have it compressed in a zip file. 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ENqcA3VOI7iWxJA4pkuCxgSNyqr80Xp8


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## GoZags (Nov 6, 2009)

Thank you so much. Really like the Synkromotive DC750 and was putting it in VW Beetle but lost the program.


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