# mc-30 motor controller with treadmill motor issue



## Porsche650 (Jun 26, 2014)

I am trying to get a MC-30 motor controller to work with a 90v 10amp 4700rpm 3 wire treadmill motor.  I've installed a POT on the MC-30 but unfortunatly the motor spins well as long as you stay under 16volts then it starts and stops. Also i tired with a 40watt bulb and its very laggy when the bulb illuminated the response being delayed.  The picture has a 50k pot that i initially tried using and now have a 5k pot which still has the same affect on the motor turns off then on at 16 volts.  Anyone have any ideas.  Do i need the ground wire attaches to motor from AC line? or the 3rd wire from the motor?


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## OlCatBob (Jun 26, 2014)

Hey, welcome to the site, sorry I can't help you with your electrical problem though. I do have to ask what your "handle" of Porsche 650 means; I know what a 550 is, but a 650 has me curious.

Bob


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## Porsche650 (Jun 26, 2014)

Its a Porsche 911 Turbo done by Roock North America,some reading material(http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/roock-rst-650-specialty-file) Nice car would like to own one.


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## OlCatBob (Jun 26, 2014)

Well now I know... thanks for the heads-up. I hope you get one, it looks like lots of fun!
Bob

Hopefully someone with more electrical knowlege than I have will chime in.


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## Kernbigo (Jun 26, 2014)

you still need the transformer i don't see it, google the wireing for a mc 60 or 30 or 40


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## Porsche650 (Jun 26, 2014)

Being that the motor and controller were seperatly ordered how can i find what transformer to buy also how would i wire this to the motor?


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## Jimbo (Jun 27, 2014)

Part of the delay and slow response is a capacitor in the circuit.  Remember it was designed to run a tread mill and instantaneous speed changes could be hazardous.  I would love to tell you which one to change and how to defeat the time delay but the notes are at home in my shop and I am in Japan until the middle of July.  There are lots of sites with the mc-60 documentation but I think yours is like mine and has some extra stuff.  The transformer is actually called an inductor and is used to smooth out the current running through the motor.  Most trashed tread mills have them. This would help with the jerky running.


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## Chucketn (Jun 27, 2014)

I have used a MC-60 controller and treadmill motor on my X2 mill. Works great, and without the inductor. Also have a MC-60 and treadmill motor currently running my sand muller, also without a choke.
I'm not familiar with the MC-30, but asume it's quite similar to the later MC-60.
I'm not sure why your motor has 3 wires, unless one is for the thermal sensor. I discarded them on my applications. The motor itself should only need the red and black wires. Thermal sensor wires are usually blue.
I used a 5k ohm linear pot for the speed control on both, and though I experimented with defeating the soft start feature, I have left it intact and gotten used to it. It works like the origional speed control on the mill and my SEIG lathe.
I do have several chokes from treadmills and will give you one if you really want one. I am in Tennessee, but leaving in the morning for vacation in N.Y. state. I'll stick one or two of the chokes in the car. I will have e-mail and internet while there. I will be in /near Sidney for 5 days, then North Bay for several days. If you like, we can meet up somewhere. I will not be available 5 July as we have a family function. 

Chuck


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## Porsche650 (Jun 28, 2014)

Thanks for the help but your about 4hrs from me in north bay.  I will probably try to get a mc60 board and see what happens from there since i've never heard of problems with the mc60 just get a treadmill motor and a Pot and thats it.

- - - Updated - - -

yea but wat was needed to run the treadmill motor with the Mc30 jimbo just transformer i can live with just the delay for the time being.


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## master53yoda (Jul 9, 2014)

Porsche650 said:


> I am trying to get a MC-30 motor controller to work with a 90v 10amp 4700rpm 3 wire treadmill motor.  I've installed a POT on the MC-30 but unfortunatly the motor spins well as long as you stay under 16volts then it starts and stops. Also i tired with a 40watt bulb and its very laggy when the bulb illuminated the response being delayed.  The picture has a 50k pot that i initially tried using and now have a 5k pot which still has the same affect on the motor turns off then on at 16 volts.  Anyone have any ideas.  Do i need the ground wire attaches to motor from AC line? or the 3rd wire from the motor?





I'm not sure but I think that the brown and the blue wire are reversed on the speed pot attachment to the board.   I have never used an MC30 and the pot connections are different then on the MC60 I use on my Mill/lathe combination controller.   The center wire -BLUE- from the pot is the variable voltage to the circuit and I think it should be hooked to the individual point on the board.

The inductor coil -TRANSFORMER- stabilizes the motor at the lower speeds  It will work without it but you could get some jerking at low RPM

Good luck 

Art B


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## Kernbigo (Jul 10, 2014)

I do know if you break the center wire which is called the wiper, and add your machine start and stop switch, the motor will start back up at that speed,and you don't have to readajust the pot.


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## Porsche650 (Jul 12, 2014)

Ok so i have the transformer and no dice still runs the same.  Runs then shuts off then runs.  I have the red wire on the pot to L(black) pole, Blue to W(white) and brown to speedpot these are the connector names.  This goes from right to left on the pot with the contact facing front and the adjustment knob closer to me



(SpeedPot)   w(white)    L(Black)              
brown            blue          red
    \                |              /

                     0 (adjustment Knob)

I believe same setup i saw on the MC 60 and same lettering.


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## Kernbigo (Jul 12, 2014)

white is center(wiper) the other 2 don't matter revers the other 2 to change direction of the motor


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## countryguy (Jul 12, 2014)

So  I did a little digging as well.  Does seem you need the MC60 to remove the delay?  Or at least this post indicates this from the original poster.  get the Mc60 is my vote.  way more info out there than the MC30.  http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/archive/index.php/t-33689.html    Enjoy your project, 
CG


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## master53yoda (Jul 13, 2014)

Porsche650 said:


> Ok so i have the transformer and no dice still runs the same.  Runs then shuts off then runs.  I have the red wire on the pot to L(black) pole, Blue to W(white) and brown to speedpot these are the connector names.  This goes from right to left on the pot with the contact facing front and the adjustment knob closer to me
> 
> 
> 
> ...




as i said in my earlier post i think you have the brown and blue wires swapped   the blue wire carries the speed signal to the speed pot terminal.

W            Speed Pot          L
 Brown        blue              red

    \               |                 /



I hope this helps


Art B


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## Porsche650 (Jul 16, 2014)

By switching wires the motor will not run only way it runs is using current setup


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## Porsche650 (Jul 16, 2014)

Ok so i got my fluke and did a little test just to see whats going on speedpot is 12 volts.
W seems to be a ground
L using ohm setting is linked to the motors A- not A+


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## master53yoda (Jul 17, 2014)

On one of the controllers that i have used, the method of changing delays etc was controlled by clipping resistors or jumpers.    Take a good close look and see if any of the resistors have been clipped.    On the one I'm thinking about there was a resistor that was clipped in most treadmill operations that required the speed control be reset to zero every time you shut of the drive.  by reattaching that resistor it would allow you to retain your set-point and start and stop it without starting at zero every time..

I see from the last set of pictures that you have changed the wiring as I suggested, did that make any differrence or had you already changed it form the original picture.

Art B


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## Porsche650 (Jul 17, 2014)

The way you stated there was no movement in the motor, I tried every wire scenario and the one I have, is the only way it works the only odd thing is, even in other wire scenarios when I plug the 110 socket into outlet the motor turns on for a split second. 

I looked at at the board and from the top of the board the only things I see is a jumped resistor and a jumper where another pot should be which saids min. Could the min pot be my issue?


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## master53yoda (Jul 17, 2014)

you are showing it wired 2 different ways the top picture is what I was suggesting   which way is it that works    

 The min pot jumper would give a zero rpm min speed    if you wanted to add a min pot you probably would also need to add the RX resistor just to the left that isn't there.  

- the other three Minnie pots - are any of them set at either end, that could also generate a non functional signal. especially if the torque limiting or acceleration pot was at one end or the other.   The max speed pot at zero could do what you are getting as it would start and then respond to the zero max speed setting and shut back down until restarted.

The jumped resistor looks like a paralleled capacitor and resistor which is a method of time delay signal,  I'm not quit sure what it would be used for, it also looks like it is something that was added as normally they would be paralleled in the board.  It is possible that the board has been modified for a specific application and no longer functions as originally intended.   If tha is the case you will probaly need to find another board.    Watch craigs for a free treadmill,   I have 4 sets of motors on my tools and haven't paid for any of them.

good luck.

Art B


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## Porsche650 (Jul 17, 2014)

The wiring on the second picture brown to speed pot and blue to L.  When i rewired to your spec i would turn the pot(I installed) a little and go with the screw driver forwards and backwards on all the pots on the board and nothing worked.


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## master53yoda (Jul 17, 2014)

I just added this about the jumped resistor after taking a good look at it in the picture

The jumped resistor looks like a paralleled capacitor and resistor which  is a method of time delay signal,  I'm not quit sure what it would be  used for, it also looks like it is something that was added as normally  they would be paralleled in the board.  It is possible that the board  has been modified for a specific application and no longer functions as  originally intended.   If tha is the case you will probaly need to find  another board.    Watch craigs for a free treadmill,   I have 4 sets of  motors on my tools and haven't paid for any of them.

Art B


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## Porsche650 (Jul 17, 2014)

Would you believe the mc60 would solve my issue?  I see one on ebay i might just get so i can get this project done.  I would wait as you say but by me it is rare someone puts it on craigslist for free I would have to have the luck of seeing one at bulk pick up and by driving around i waste more time and gas then buying directly.


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## Chucketn (Jul 17, 2014)

I truely believe an MC-60 would fix you right up. As I have said before, an MC-60 controller and 2.5hp treadmill motor runs my X2 mill, and another runs my sand muller.

Chuck


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## Porsche650 (Jul 18, 2014)

Funny enough i found a guy selling a MC-64 which i found out is the same thing as a 60 just it allows a higher current limit.  It was $6.00 shipped not even worth second guessing anything.


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## Porsche650 (Jul 23, 2014)

This one works fine only issue is i have to spin the pot 1/4 turn before it starts and I don't believe it spins as the full rpm.


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## Kernbigo (Jul 23, 2014)

I would get a new pot, also as i stated in a earlier thread break the center wire (wiper) and install your motor start and stop switch then you don't have to change the speed on the pot it will start where you left it.


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## gpimm (Aug 3, 2014)

Changing the pot won't change where the motor starts turning. Also won't change the maximum speed.

On the MC60 controller that is driving a 2.5HP motor on my wood lathe, the maximum drive voltage to the motor was 95VDC when the pot was set for maximum with the controller in the stock configuration.

Lowering the value of R21 on the circuit board to 50K ohms increased the maximum drive voltage to 120VDC. To keep the mod simple I paralleled a second 100K resistor across R21. Lowering R21 also reduces the start ramp up time. 

Removing Q7 from the board defeats the start up interlock that requires the speed to be zero before the motor will start. Q7 is one of the transistors next to the current limit LED. I unceremoniously bent the transistor back and forth until it broke off... 

One thing to note is when running the MC60 at maximum speed there is an unstable condition in the speed servo circuit. If you get into this mode the motor speed will become erratic and the current drawn by the controller will be high in short pulses. In my shop it causes the lights to flicker. Simple fix is don't turn the speed up into the unstable zone. I've added a diode clamp that limits the voltage from the DC servo to prevent this.  

I had one other issue with the MC60. When turning a large heavy part the speed was erratic. The controller would ramp up at full power then coast down only to ramp up again. The issue was the IR (current boost) compensation of the stock circuit was too high. Adding an IR compensation adjustment that allows the circuit to be tuned to the needs of the lathe fixed that problem.

Gary


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## Kernbigo (Aug 3, 2014)

The controller i'am using is a m45, and i broke the wiper wire (middle wire on the pot) and installed my motor start and stop switch, now i can leave the pot where it is and not have to lower it to start the motor. I n other word it will start at the rpm i left it at.


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