Navitas 600A RXV Solenoid Questions

[molfpedal]

Originally Posted by DB Cooper

It's possible, obviously the 23s require that extra amperage which is why I bought this. I can tell based on my conversations they're tracking this solenoid (2-8 error) and are very interested in it and said it's a relatively new thing and they think they can improve/fix it in software.

I may need to look into the max current setting, I'm not in front of the app, but where exactly in the app is that? I'm going to try and get a hold of them today.

Thanks for the help, when I told them about the error, the first thing they asked/assumed was if I was running lithium, they did admit brand new LA could cause this, so possible it is regen influx current.

One other thing that I remember, by default the Navitas assumes RXVs use the 36V controller, but as we know, later years switched to a 48V, so I did have the solenoid voltage improperly set to 36V since I went out and rode without reviewing the settings (NOTE: this is how most people use Navitas, you have to get the Dealer/TestFlight app to even see this stuff). The engineer I spoke with did feel that it could've exacerbated the situation having the wrong voltage set in there.

I forgot to mention the dealer app, which is what I have. That is where you find the current settings. You can ask your dealer to get you the link for the app. The consumer app is basically worthless for fine tuning.

I'll see if I can get it for you. PM me with you email.

[DB Cooper]

Originally Posted by molfpedal

I forgot to mention the dealer app, which is what I have. That is where you find the current settings. You can ask your dealer to get you the link for the app. The consumer app is basically worthless for fine tuning.

I'll see if I can get it for you. PM me with you email.

Yup, I have that and agree it's kind of difficult to imagine using this without it. That is also where I adjusted the solenoid voltage (after my incident). However, I'm not in front of the cart so can't view the settings, just was wondering if you knew off the top of your head what they call that setting?

[Black RXV]

Navitas will provide you the Tech app for free. Just go to the “contact us” page on their site. At the bottom of the dialogue window you can send your Google/iCloud account info and what type of phone you use.

[DB Cooper]

Originally Posted by Black RXV

Navitas will provide you the Tech app for free. Just go to the “contact us” page on their site. At the bottom of the dialogue window you can send your Google/iCloud account info and what type of phone you use.

Yup, I got that right away, and you're right, that's the best way.

I did talk to Navitas today, very helpful. I also bought a 400A MJZ so I'll get around to that. There's a lot of moving parts around my issue, but it was easy to fix. I just drove around 5 miles going up to 27 mph, monitoring motor amperage. Acceleration goes to 250A pretty quickly, but cruising goes down to ~100A. Getting the 23s rolling even at low speed requires some amps, so it's consistent with everything we know true on this site.

The soft weld issue I had was just a safety check by Navitas done at startup testing. It's a newer routine, and one they've been investigating to potentially identify use cases where a solenoid may be over worked. My issue my have been caused since I had my solenoid spec at 36V and not 48V, but even given the Trombetta specs, I should be able to do 300 and even 400A for reasonable amounts of time.

I'm still tweaking some of the braking and regen as it's not quite as refined as the stock Curtis, but it's only a matter of time before I find that refinement. The low speed maneuvering and throttle is significantly improved, before with the 23s it was a bit dicey if you just wanted to move a couple inches, etc.

[jmuss]

Alot of good information here DB thank you. Would you recommend the Navitas 600a controller? I'm contemplating getting one.

[DB Cooper]

Originally Posted by jmuss

Alot of good information here DB thank you. Would you recommend the Navitas 600a controller? I'm contemplating getting one.

It's too early to tell, but I'm impressed. I don't have a reference, I hope to one day have the stars align and get a reasonably priced and tweaked 350A Curtis to provide an honest comparison. Even with that, for the average consumer, here are things I like about the Navitas:

1. OTF, being able to change and lock settings to detune the cart is pretty much an absolute killer feature if you have others driving your cart.

2. Real-time telemetry on a dozen or so aspects, you can really get a feel for what your cart is doing.

3. Easy to interpret error codes on app and status LED. If you don't have a Curtis handheld, you're out of luck.

4. Great support, they literally respond immediately if you have a question or need help troubleshooting a code.

5. I have very mild settings on mine right now, and it easily goes 33 mph without a strain.

Things I'm still working on:

1. Navitas supports a ton of different configs, out of box the thing isn't perfectly tuned for your cart, so there's a bit of a learning curve and you have to ask a lot of questions to figure out what to set.

2. While regen is easily customizable and works very well in a linear fashion, overall braking isn't as refined as my stock Curtis. I've been able to adjust brake gain settings and regen settings to get it A LOT better, but I'm still not quite as clean on braking as I'd like. Part of this stems from not enough time to test this stuff as well as me being used to the old sort of hair-trigger braking of the Curits. Navitas told me many people complained about that so they've dialed the brake sensitivity down a lot. I'm getting used to that still...

3. While both good and bad, it seems Navitas is always working on improving software or knows of an issue/gremlin in a particular config. So you have an always improving product, but there is a tiny bit of beta test feeling to the thing.

All that said, I'm happy, the fact that I could buy this all-in with OTF, bluetooth, get it here with warranty and within 2 days for less money than I could get just a 350A controller and then deal with shipping or finding someone to tune it makes it a very viable option. I know there's a lot of evidence/reports here that it's not as powerful as tuned Curtis controllers, on other forums I hear about guys doing wheelies and doing 37+ on 23s without anything but the controller. While I'm sure that's possible with the Curtis, that's not the type of setting you want on all the time, so again OTF and progam'ability provides a convenience and flexibility that is unrivaled.

I need to spend some more time with it, for peace of mind I'm putting the MZJ-400A in this weekend, then I'll dial up amperage. I'm sort of at a point though where much beyond 27-30 mph, the confidence in RXV brakes is hit or miss. Similarly, on 23s, stability becomes a concern above 30 and coupled with a single axle braking system, you have to start thinking like an adult regardless of controllers. However, I'm ultra conservative due to me driving in a neighborhood with lots of kids playing, joggers, bikers, deer, etc. So I'm perfectly happy if I end up with a reliable cart that does 30 and I don't blow anything. I probably would've been perfectly fine with the 440A controller in all honesty, but I can tell you there are large swaths of people on this large Facebook group that have the 600A and do wheelies and all sorts of crazy things and they sing the praises.

I'd love to get a tuned Curtis 350A though, if I see one on sale or one of those famous guys here selling one, I'll definitely pick one up and be able to really comment; it will be hard to give up OTF though! If you don't have access to a tuned Curtis or need to lock down settings for different driver profiles, then these are no brainers in my opinion.

[JBERGER]

thanks for the real world feedback!

[jmuss]

Originally Posted by jberger

thanks for the real world feedback!

+1👍

[superlubricity]

DB Cooper, you mentioned you cranked up the brake gain; can you share what values you used for the brake settings in the Navitas app?

I'm trying to get mine right.

[rhyno911]

I just experienced the same scenario yesterday except I did not have a mallet handy to bang on the solenoid so my cart is stuck on driveway. Additionally mine was the stock 36V so I am sure that is even more problematic. I am wondering if upgrading the solenoid removed this issue? I just ordered the MZJ-400 with the hopes I can get it moving again. I am curious to hear how your story endsed.