DC motors and outboard power supplies...

Hi Lewm,

I just got home from listening to a 17 piece jazz band playing charts from Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and the like. Great fun! I'm going to spin a few albums now and try and take some measurements as you suggested and see what happens.

I appreciate your words of caution as well.

No Regrets

I'd have to guess that you have a thermally related issue - power on, current draw, and component 'X' drifts out of spec. Tracking this proverbial needle in a haystack can be very frustrating without a working knowledge of electronics. That said, in most cases semiconductors either work or they don't; it is pretty rare to see a fixed regulator, for example, start drifting wildly on its own - if that occurs they simply self-destruct. I'd look to passive components first - capacitors and carbon comp resistors, especially on the raw power supply/rectification side of things. Good luck.

-Richard

Along the lines of what Palasr suggests, can you swap another DC source for the battery? I am able to do this with my controller by using a 12-vdc wall wart. The wall wart isn't as quiet but it is great for emergencies and troubleshooting. It does sound like the controller is fine, but the supply is questionable. What battery are you using? How often do you charge it?

AC motors Rule!