[ref http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVI-MCS100-vs-DS50-tp4679496.html ]
I hope Lawrence did not pay for the EVI (aka EVII) MCS-100 EVSE from the 1990's (this was manufactured in the days before j1772 & before Avcon). While the box was built like a tank to last forever, the circuitry is just too old to be of any j1772 use. There were several of these mounted outside in the salty SF Bay air on the side of what was CALSTART's hanger 20 at the then Alameda NAS. Most of those MCS-100's had tired relays that buzzed very loudly. This link has an image of the MCS-100 box which was EVI's low-cost model http://www.bowzerbird.com/eviweb/products2.html#mcs100 The MCS-100 and EVI's much more expensive MCS-600 model, both used a simple and low-cost method to provide the so-called safety requirements the automakers were demanding of EVSE (the Big7 automakers at that time kept crying to CARB about how EVs will cause them to get sued. Yet RV's use 14-50 outlets even today. At an EVS show a GM gave me a fearful-spiel of 'What if a third-world bare-foot granny tried to plug-in their GM EV while it was raining' ... ). The automakers were not satisfied with EVI design, and voted to either use Avcon (Honda and Ford) or GM's proprietary inductive (LPI or SPI, for the other automakers). EVI folded soon afterward. The MCS-100 was a heavy metal painted sheet metal box that offered either level-1 via a mounted 120VAC 20A 5-20 outlet, or level-2 6kW from a mounted 208-240VAC 40A 14-50 outlet. These were selected via a mounted three position switch (L1-off-L2). EVI's Micky (Mickey) Orros came up with a circuit design requiring a pilot signal between the 14-50's neutral and ground to enable power out of the 14-50 outlet (when the Honda EVplus' Avcon cheater power cable was plugged in, it provided that signal path. A simple diode in series with a resistor was the kludge work around). The L1 outlet did not require a pilot signal. Later a different diode+resistor kludge was also used to enable Avcons, see http://www.ebeaa.org/graphics/avcon1450t.jpg IMO the MCS-100 should either be left as-is so it can be donated for museum display use, or be recycled as scrap. But some people just love old-junk (aka antiques). Here are some links to explore: http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php/evdl-need-help-retrofitting-evi-mcs-54831.html http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/5424-how-do-the-cables-work-technically/page4 For EVLN EV-newswire posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVI-MCS-100-EVSE-ancient-EV-history-tp4679505.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
