My solar-assisted custom tricycle FOLLIES

[ddk]

View attachment 1

 

[ddk]

as much as I dislike the JST 4mm connectors, I can at least plug/unplug them.
The XT90 connectors requires a set of vise grips to separate connections and the tolerances between the m/f shells is way too tight.
You have to align the XT90 shells just perfectly to plug them into each other
-not good-
no problems with the XT60... but I'm considering modifying the 16Ah batteries with JST 4mm since I have lots. (and lots) (oh, and lots)

-also- never had issues using the battery's JST 4, 5 or 6 pin connectors but suddenly... 7 pins are a PITA.
At first I was thinking I got weaker (possible) but I later played with 6 pin versions with no issues. Gonna have to score some of those plastic shell thingys for 7 pin

 

[docnjoj]

Those "plastic shell thingys" like from EPBuddy are the bees knees! They make it possible for old fingers to actually handle JST connectors. Go for it.
otherDoc

 

[ddk]

Those "plastic shell thingys" like from EPBuddy are the bees knees! They make it possible for old fingers to actually handle JST connectors. Go for it.
otherDoc

LOL
"EPBuddy" is now called Buddy R/C -or- buddyrc.com
"Out of Stock" are my three least favorite words to read on a seller's site- which is what Buddy R/C is on those shells.
Amazon has various vendors selling similar items for $8 for 10 (and higher), as opposed to B's 1$-2$ for 5.
Probably find the shells on dealsextreme... but I be lazy and not being in a real big hurry to plug/unplug stuff right away, I can wait.

Speaking of lazy I did find some prewired 2 JST 6S M to 1 JST 6S F for $5. Those are going on my next order.
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Got a new meter, mainly because my old XP computer's PS failed and it was getting to be an issue temporarily hooking up a desktop system to read the last couple of digits from my old precision meter.
meh- $50 for a 5 1/2 digit accurate meter is silly cheap.

 

[docnjoj]

I'm one of the weird old guys that balance charges every charge, especially with LiPo. Gotta have those JST plug shells. I bought a bunch last time but for 5S, since my wifes new battery is a 10S Panasonic cells thing from Tumich.
otherDoc

 

[ddk]

I'm one of the weird old guys that balance charges every charge, especially with LiPo. Gotta have those JST plug shells. I bought a bunch last time but for 5S, since my wifes new battery is a 10S Panasonic cells thing from Tumich.
otherDoc

reminds me of questions such as:
1- Do you not have problems using the XT90 connectors? I have two different brands besides the connector supplied with the Multistar. The 'other' connectors work fine together but mating either brand to the battery is an exercise in extreme patience. I like watching paint dry and charging LiPo batteries, but this exercise drains me.

2- So, did you purchase the AB shells from Buddy RC? BTW since I'm changing from 5S to 6S I haz some bunches of accessories for 5S I will no longer use including:
AB shells
Parallel JST-HX 5S balance connectors (6x1)
Parallel JST 4mm charge connectors (also 6x1) I used those for discharge, cause I'm so radical.
...and other random items.
pm me if interdest-t-t-ted this is free stuffs

ATM still waiting on QT 0.250 and 0.163 connectors, wire and associated stuff to actually complete a battery pack so I can wait 5 more days. After which, someone's getting $8 for 10 shell thingys (also known as "furnigrators")

Until the batteries stabilize I also balance charge exclusively... however if the cells actually do get unbalanced, I use single cell charge methods to get them to play well together. Otherwise, letting any balance charger do it's thing quickly (er... slowly) becomes 5-10 coats of paint drying time.

 

[docnjoj]

We generally only ride 1X per day (20 miles or so) and occasionally use the trike for grocery runs. Charging is a 1X per day event, and at 5 amps it usually takes about 2 hrs. Those Multisports usually balance in about 10 min after the full charge beep from the Thunder 1220. Amazing batteries. My AMP20 A123 batts took a full day to balance.
otherDoc

 

[ddk]

too shaky to care...

 

[docnjoj]

Wow!
otherDoc

 

[The fingers]

Reminds me of that movie Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea. 8)

 

[ddk]

Reminds me of that movie Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea. 8)

LOL- also "the lost missle" a forgotten movie that came out about the same time as "the blob" starring a very young Steve McQueen
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67F with a gentle breeze is the perfect outdoor temperature. No debate needed... it just IS.
Good Golly I B S l o w HANDS; ddk, slowest crimper in da world. Possibly in the known and unknown universes for species that have opposing thumbs.
I might get the first battery pack done this week.
One more to go and it's already been a month since I ordered the first eight batteries.
Probably just build a 32-ishAh 7S and be done with this project for awhile. (2 each 16Ah 4S and 6 each 5.2Ah 3S)
I decided to install the battery on/off switch between the series connection of the battery sections allowing me to use a single power source to power up two different balance chargers for moar charge capacity (still under 1C however). This is both clever and dangerous, but I likes a touch of danger. Fused in the`conventional manner utilizing a 30A automotove fuse. The same as I previously used and indeed, the fuse and holders are reclaimed parts from the previous battery packs.
I blew one fuse during the whole time of previous battery operations...because I accidently installed a 20A fuse! DOH!

 

[ddk]

This is NOT the way to deal with a 60A+ wiring.
But why do it right when one can just do it?
I take certain liberties with wiring because I only run 25A controllers.View attachment 4

 

[ddk]

forgot two pics
About The QC Connectors
I gave up trying to use the correct crimping tool because it was too difficult for me. So I did something I never recommend doing, which is crimp and solder.
Again, I'm using 25A controllers with one battery pack per controller so I doubt this will become an issue. The batteries don't live long enough for bad things to happen (which is: solder failure during long term higher amperage conduction)
It should be another four years before I need to rinse/repeat and perhaps a different power source might be developed by then.

 

[ddk]

well heck, the second battery pack went together lots faster!

0.05% for 2 (charge)
0.098% for 2 (discharge)

Those numbers are the calculated voltage drops of the internal wiring of the two recently renewed battery packs.

I previously wired battery packs using a mix of two 16AWG for discharge and two 18WG for charge. One pack I disassembled had an 18AWG wire melting into a 16AWG wire. While the wires didn't completely melt together, it concerned me enough to do what I usually do-
overdo
The new packs are wired up using dual 14AWG (4.11 kcmil x2) with 200C insulation.
Initial voltage tests proved slightly better than the calculations, but this error is likely introduced by the meter used.

I probably should have just bought pre-built battery packs but the 6S 16Ah batteries were just too tempting.
-and anyways I still need to exchange connectors for my favored, impossible to plug in wrong, connectors

 

[ddk]

Once again, these are all applicable techniques for wiring 30A and lower stuff for e-things. Once this threshold is passed, one needs to use better methods; the proper crimping apparatus along with rated barrels and terminals.
DO NOT expect good results using an automotive fuse over about 100V because if it blows, it will do so with a plasmatic flash. (flame on, flash!)
(good names for a band)
...of course it's the AMP rating of the fuse that counts, the voltage rating is where the fuse is expected to not be so destructive when it goes -poof-
I'd be more inclined to apply a ceramic/sand fuse over 100V because I like a 10X safety factor in anything I personally build (which is one of the reasons I build things).
But I run my e-stuff with lower volts and amps than the otherwise unlicensed motorcycle builds found elsewhere on this board and feel perfectly safe using these assembly methods.
-Methods accumulated over a lifetime of first doing it wrong, modified until getting it right.

I decided the fuse holders I'd previously used put to much stress on the cabling so I substituted a more direct method. Crimping 0.250" QC terminals directly on the wire ends.
My camera battery decided to die so only so much is documented.
note- I really like lithium camera batteries, since they last for about 600 photos with the Canon and 400 photos with the Nikon (as opposed to a dozen or so photos with alkaline batteries with an Easyshot Kodak that wouldn't even turn on with various brands of NiMH)

 

[ddk]

capacity check
route: 35km includes a 0.5km 25% ascent followed by a 2km 3-4% ascent
resting voltage: start 4.15V per cell ; finish with 4.00V per cell
battery pack: 4x 6S 16Ah in a 12S 2P configuration

Previous battery pack is 14S 20Ah with eight 5S 5Ah and four 4S 5Ah
same route as above:
resting voltage: start 4.15V ; finish 3.80V per cell

[mr burns]excellent![/mr burns]

for those who must know... the 14S pack provides significantly more torque but I don't care that I can 'only' climb the big hill @ 22kmh vs the 14Ss' 25kmh

 

[ddk]

simply simple door latch finishes the door project.

I'm considering giving what's left of my previous battery packs away to a good (knowledgeable-there WILL be a test) home
I've weeded out 20 'good' packs of 5S 20C 5Ah and a dozen or so of the 4S 20C 5Ah packs
-so if you happen to live near the N CA/OR border on the coast an am willing to pick these up they are yours, along with an 80W balance charger (daddy's first charger) for the right price (free)
(PM me for details)
You can take the iffy ones also-LOL
makes great e-bike battery packs, or whatever.

This spider thought building a huge orb web in front of my workshop doors was a great idea. The next night it built its' web in between the poarch posts (also a bad place).
This is the largest local spider I've ever seen. Only spiders in the everglades are bigger (much bigger)

 

[ddk]

in this post...
-feral cat asserts it's authorita
-finger food
-64Ah of batts = who needs to recharge after every trip? not me. and I gots my plastic shell thingies for the JST 6S connectors . The $8 versions...

 

[Rassy]

I pulled one of my trikes into the house for some maintenance the other day. When working on it I kept getting a strong whiff of cat urine. Had to launder the seat to get rid of it. Now I put a plastic bag or tarp over the seat so the local outdoor cats won't mark it as their territory.

 

[ddk]

I pulled one of my trikes into the house for some maintenance the other day. When working on it I kept getting a strong whiff of cat urine. Had to launder the seat to get rid of it. Now I put a plastic bag or tarp over the seat so the local outdoor cats won't mark it as their territory.

That particular cat is freaking hilarious.
What you need is my first line of defense against all animals and elements... a garage/workshop
...with closed doors

 

[docnjoj]

I do like the fuzzy seat cover. But it has a tongue?
otherDoc

 

[ddk]

post'n pics

 

[ddk]

trivial information: aboot the battery cases I chooses to uses...
considerations:
1-cost
2-cost
3-cost
4-size
5-NA

I needed to future -proof a battery case that could interchange between any bike/trike I would later conceive of. ya- right... because foresight is always 20-20 (give or take). While searching the local hardware/department stores for materials to build what I thought I needed, I stumbled upon a DVD case on sale for half price (about $15 each) It was just a little smaller than I wanted, yet big enough to stuff in about 1kW of power-
external dimensions of 7"x7"x9" (178mm x 178mm x 229mm) = SOLD
-bought 8 of them because that's as many as they had on hand. BONUS cheaper than anything I could build from locally available stuff and of course, I didn't have to actually build anything (another BONUS).
I could stuff in as many as 16 HK's 4S 5Ah battery packs or various combinations of 5S, 4S and 3S cells to pretty much do What I needed to do to create a 600W to 1kW battery packs @24V-60V. Since I intended to use cheap generic 36V 25A controllers for the most part (to meet local ebike restrictions) this choice proofed to be good.
And If You've Been following this thread you now realize the latest versions of LiCo battery allows for a 600W increase in capacity within the same case dimensions.

 

[amberwolf]

I don't remember if I've commented before on this part, but it looks like the wheelbase of at least one of your trikes is the same as mine:


Although the seat height/placement is slightly different (more forward on mine, & more upright maybe slightly higher).

I've been doing some "tests" on cornering speed vs tipping speed vs loading, since finally sticking the CAv2.3 on the trike earlier this month, and I get about 20MPH on a left turn with the back end loaded up with groceries, water, etc., or either Tiny or Yogi. Right turns are generally sharper and so I get a few MPH less on those before tip-up of the inner wheel. (this is without me doing any serious leaning/etc).

Without a load back there it's a few MPH less on each of those.

 

[ddk]

I don't remember if I've commented before on this part, but it looks like the wheelbase of at least one of your trikes is the same as mine:


Although the seat height/placement is slightly different (more forward on mine, & more upright maybe slightly higher).

I've been doing some "tests" on cornering speed vs tipping speed vs loading, since finally sticking the CAv2.3 on the trike earlier this month, and I get about 20MPH on a left turn with the back end loaded up with groceries, water, etc., or either Tiny or Yogi. Right turns are generally sharper and so I get a few MPH less on those before tip-up of the inner wheel. (this is without me doing any serious leaning/etc).

Without a load back there it's a few MPH less on each of those.

Yup I've found it to be weird that minute changes in anything affects the handling of the trike. Although I never (never say never) carry canines I do carry about 30 pounds of "stuff" besides the normal complement of battery and meself.
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I'm very happy I finished my door project, since this year it feels like the rains are going to be much stronger than last years' disappointments. -been caught in a hail storm with no ill effects (other then loud pounding noises on the roof)
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HK is currently selling multistar battery packages at silly cheap prices if interested, although most the packages are not the ones I use... the 3S 5.2Ah I do use and it's $16.something each (previously almost $30)