My solar-assisted custom tricycle FOLLIES

[ddk]

got the Sun seat back replacement, only to find out I measured the Sun seat wrong and it's actually smaller than the Justwin seat.
But no problem!
And if you haven't ever seen this stuff or used it before, it's like the best thing invented in the 20th century... double-faced velcro strapping. I use it in loo of tie straps for strapping wire bundles because unlike tie straps, it's reusable, and also to hold most stuff together. For instance, the baskets on MPDPM are just strapped on with velcro. So is the roof and pressure vane (the piece of coroplast behind my head)

 

[ddk]

a different way to burn down the trike workshop besides HK LiPo... (which is bound to flame on any day now)

New this year and I did not notice this effect in previous years although I kept an eye on it, I smell burnt vegetation between certain hours of the day.
I have this mirror mounted on the side of the workshop for biannual shaving porpoises.
For whatever reasons this year the mirrors' sun reflection focal point is a thin line that's quite a bit brighter over previous years and that focal point is burning a path while following the sun.
Solar power at work and play!View attachment 3View attachment 2

 

[ddk]

I M curious/not curious...
but I wonder what it is that causes a perfectly normal acrylic mirror to all-of-a-sudden reflect light in this concentrated line reflection, and most importantly, maintains that concentrated line over the coarse of the earths' rotation...?
Previously this mirror reflected sunlight like a normal mirror should. i.e a splotch of light that was somewhat larger than the mirror depending on the angle of incidental sunlight and distance of the reflected image bla bla bla...
this year it's morphed into this alien super-lazer weapon device.

OMG ...IT'S ALIENS

 

[amberwolf]

The only way I know if it could make a line like that is if it were a previously-flat mirror that has become distorted concavely. If it's acrylic, maybe something has heat-warped it, or it's moutning points, if at the corners only and not the center, have moved closer to each other and it's bent the mirror so that it's center is farther in than the top and bottom?


How that could also then track the sun, I dunno.

 

[docnjoj]

Nowadays the newer magnifying lamps with the lens in the middle all have plastic covers. This is because they, like your mirror, can focus the suns rays. I have a recliner that suddenly started smoking and luckily I smelled it or it could have burned down the house. Strong sun coming through our skylight and being focused on the chair arm through the lamp lens. It really does not have to track the sun since the lens is powerful enough to make material burn in a few minutes.

Weird but strange.
otherDoc

 

[ddk]

Nowadays the newer magnifying lamps with the lens in the middle all have plastic covers. This is because they, like your mirror, can focus the suns rays. I have a recliner that suddenly started smoking and luckily I smelled it or it could have burned down the house. Strong sun coming through our skylight and being focused on the chair arm through the lamp lens. It really does not have to track the sun since the lens is powerful enough to make material burn in a few minutes.

Weird but strange.
otherDoc

The only way I know if it could make a line like that is if it were a previously-flat mirror that has become distorted concavely. If it's acrylic, maybe something has heat-warped it, or it's moutning points, if at the corners only and not the center, have moved closer to each other and it's bent the mirror so that it's center is farther in than the top and bottom?


How that could also then track the sun, I dunno.

Welp... the thing is this mirror doesn't distort the reflected image. I stare at the mirror and some weird-looking old guy stares back at me. That same old guy stares at me whatever mirror I look into, to the point of causing me to rarely look at mirrors. Too scary.

It's so much easier to blame what's happened to the mirror on aliens, gods or other forms of magic but I actually have an idea about what has happened... although I lack the measuring tools to verify my theory.
...but here's another hint:
the thin line of very bright (and hot) light is emanating from the bottom edge of the mirror and is not the light reflected from the mirrored surface. Like he said:

Weird but strange.
otherDoc

 

[ddk]

View attachment 2

 

[gman1971]

Nice build, and great pictures... love the towing a trike with your trike !!

G.

 

[docnjoj]

Photos are really fine. I wish I had that skill.
David (Doc)

 

[Rassy]

Photos are really fine. I wish I had that skill.
David (Doc)

Yep, what David said.

 

[ddk]

Nice build, and great pictures... love the towing a trike with your trike !!

G.

Thanks (about the pics etc) That's the one part about using trikes or bikes as your main transportation... You get to be the "tow service" and the "repair depot" ...although I've been given the understanding that AAA is attempting to change that, at least in San Francisco.

Photos are really fine. I wish I had that skill.
David (Doc)

Yep, what David said.

Thanks Dave(doc) and Rassy... like that old saying "use it or lose it" just saying... It's about the only "skill" I can still do. Not that I use for anything other than posting on this forum.

Speaking of posting on this forum...
I blame my mother* for whats next up -or- cranky old guy stuff because I've never really talked with my young'ns bout.

Moment of entropy: [rant on]
IMO the most destructive thing humans have ever invented is ICE transportation. Forget atomic bombs or other weapons, the oil-driven car has destroyed more lives, upset more habitats and caused more wars than any single petty kingdom or multiple disaster. Gods and emperors haven't even come close.

Weird. Most humans insist on destroying their environment; usually in the name of that other abused human invention, currency.
Some people say we're destroying the planet. That's a false statement... The planet doesn't give a hoot whether humans or any life in general exist. (better watch out, cockroaches)

Luckily for the planet, humans have yet to invent a device capable of destroying it.[/rant on] citations needed (but they would fill an encyclopedic set of volumes)


*mom put my head through the windshield of a 1950 Chevy. I was three when she did this yet I remember the event because *brain damage* which apparently lent me super powers like: teaching myself how to read at three, super-wiz math boy and an almost endemic memory which I quickly understood was better to hide these abilities because adults suck

 

[ddk]

Now that summers' here...
So, all my IR controllers for the RGB strip lights had discharged batteries. What the heck, they're only like, three-four years old!
Anyway, the batterry cost $5 locally so online we goes...
Although I did find less expensive batteries I also found the new RF controllers for $6. So I bought a couple and they are tiny lil'thangs. 8) Also for ~ $6 I purchased a 60V-12V 8A buckerunie... also kinda tiny (smaller than the dc-dc it' replacing)
These were all gotten from my usual rotten source (if you has to ask, ask)

 

[docnjoj]

I've seen those things and they also can be used for model railroad controllers (there's a bit of useless info). My wife carries a giant red flasher 12V on the back of her trike as she likes to ride behind me so she can crash into me when I stop. The light is killer and impossible for a car to miss (famous last words) I am interested in the led strips just too lazy to put mine on.
otherDoc

 

[gman1971]

I think is awesome to see more trike riders... anyone here in the Madison area? My family is into weekend adventures, we get on the trikes and we just go...

G.

 

[ddk]

I think is awesome to see more trike riders... anyone here in the Madison area? My family is into weekend adventures, we get on the trikes and we just go...

G.

Madison...
...Wisconsin?

I've seen those things and they also can be used for model railroad controllers (there's a bit of useless info).

There is no useless information in this thread... just

My wife carries a giant red flasher 12V on the back of her trike as she likes to ride behind me so she can crash into me when I stop. The light is killer and impossible for a car to miss (famous last words) I am interested in the led strips just too lazy to put mine on.
otherDoc

They're pretty simple to apply (because-lazy, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered)
I used packing tape on one strip and it's held up really well (also because -lazy)
I like the RF controllers' control action better than the IR controller that preceded it. It (RF) has less functions but includes ones the IR controller lacked but I'm interested in using (like, being able to turn the whole body of the trike into a BIGGER turn signal during daylight hours)

One of these days I'll make GIFs of the lights-in-action because I'm uninterested in starting a youtube account. (don't wanna... and I always [Erik Cartman] "...do wut I want"[/Erik Cartman]

*********************************************************************************************************
I scare myself when I make accurate assumptions, (I usually make falsies) like I assumed MPDPM would go 25mph using 61V (15S LiCo lightly discharged) with the MXUS geared-hub front motor and indeed, it hits 39kph up a 2% grade (Close enuf for downtown Brookings). For the metric inhibited, that's 24 point something mph.
Hits 41kph (25.5 mph) on the flat... but there is nothing flat locally 'cept by the ocean.
Pedaling = High gear with the single 56t chainring allows for an 80ish rpm cadence @41kph.

If I don't need to go across town I just run a 12S battery on the MXUS which gives the trike an average speed of 17mph (30kph) (oh... it's sooooooo legal)
Ascending greater than 10% grades it slows to 25kph, maintaining that speed up until a 25% grade. Kinda strange, that bit-o-info, but it has to do with the fact I'm applying power to both motors when ascending stiff grades. Notice 25kph is faster than the top speed of the rear motor.
The rear motor always gets the 7S battery for a top speed of 13mph (20kph)
Attaines 16kph up a 30% grade (10mph). Lucky for me, the longest 30% ascent I traverse is only 150m.

 

[gman1971]

Yes, Madison, Wisconsin, US of A.

G.

 

[docnjoj]

I guess I gotta get that little controller thing to make the strips work. Oh, alwright.
otherDoc

 

[amberwolf]

Gotta? No, but it's easier.

All the strips I've seen so far like this have 3-LED segments (that are all paralleled together as long as you don't cut the strip) that run on 12V (up to about 15v or so, but life is shorter the higher you go cuz currents are higher).

For strips usign RGB LEDs, there will be three "inputs" and a common. Because drive circuitry is easier to make for active low, the common is probably battery positive, and to turn on full brightness each color you just ground all three of the inputs, if that's the case.

If you want different colors, you'd need a resistor between the input and ground for each color to get the right brightness to make the final color you want. Easiest way to set this is to use a 10kohm or maybe 5kohm potentiometer, on each color, center tap to the input and one side tap to ground, other side tap unconnected.

 

[ddk]

Gotta? No, but it's easier. ...
If you want different colors, you'd need a resistor between the input and ground for each color to get the right brightness to make the final color you want. Easiest way to set this is to use a 10kohm or maybe 5kohm potentiometer, on each color, center tap to the input and one side tap to ground, other side tap unconnected.

But if you want different colors and flash on, flash off it's hard to beat these controllers that cost less than $4 shipped (if you can wait a few weeks for shipping) Me being ADHD, spent the extra $2 for 2-day shipping. But Still Frugal. (BSF)
**********************************************************
Speaking of frugal, if anyone thinks I'm sum old guy stupid-rich well-off person, I'm not.
I live off SS only, but I live frugally ('bout$600/m total living expenses leaving extra funds to play with or even (gasp) save, which I mainly do (save, that is) because at my age/condition, There's Nothing I Wanna Do Due (other than the occasional restaurant run) and I has no real obligations I care about.
Helps probably that I am somewhat careless about my appearance (but not about my health, what little I've left) and purposely lacking a car (yes, I did that on purpose) heck, I didn't even bother renewing my drivers' license this year because I no longer need to drive great distances.
The trikes get me where I need, or want, to go. (bigger batteries for the win (FTW))

 

[amberwolf]

I've never even had one.

But if you want different colors and flash on, flash off it's hard to beat these controllers that cost less than $4 shipped

Yep...but if for some reason someone didnt wanna use them...they don't *have* to. :lol:

 

[ddk]

While other folks harp on those super-cool smartphone-driven technical technicolor wonder machines this one caught my eye.
Seems to me Belize has taken several of my hints over the years and now offers a TWO motor TWO battery trike; the front motor/battery being an option to a Gomier rear-drive trike (didn't know Gomier still offered this rear brushed-motor version, but whatever)
http://www.belizebike.ca/belizebike.ca/elektrike.html -near bottom of page-

 

[docnjoj]

Unfortunately it looks like they took away the rear suspension on the new Cool Rider. A shame as I'll bet it helps with the bumps on yours.
otherDoc

 

[ddk]

I'm upset.
I probably should have kept an eye on the situation but hindsight is so....
After my disappointment at finding the *old* Justwin was no more, I started searching for more information and Guess Who's Review was ALWAYS the first *found* search item.

Unfortunately it looks like they took away the rear suspension on the new Cool Rider. A shame as I'll bet it helps with the bumps on yours.
otherDoc

I totally suck!

My total intention for the review was to point out to the manufacturer that the *old* trike needed additional work on the motor/controller only, as the trike "as built" was a wonderful machine, a unique tandem seated rear-motored delta tricycle offered in the North Amercan continent... And Is Now no longer unique, because it no longer exists.
I managed to, using my very rough hand tools, fix the motor sprag clutch issues but I was too lazy to dig into the controller, which as far as I could tell had TOO MANY Protective features (bugs).
But instead of making the old Justwin betterer, they introduced yet another Sun EZ knock-off destroying any advantages the *old* cool e-trike had.

The only rear-motored delta trike currently available is the Gomier granny trike using a belt-driven Unite brushed motor.
I've recommended both Gomier and Justwin trikes to prospective buyers often enough because of the simplicity of adding redundant features after the purchase.
-end of era-

 

[ddk]

...so
while I was loading pics from my *new* SD card reader (I've worn out the SD slot on the computer for some reason) it 'burbed' erasing 30G of files in a single bound.
Which means I currently can't upload pics, although I did manage two.

 

[ddk]

View attachment 1ok...
opening the last meter package I find a data sheet! finally
But since the meter works as expected I didn't care
however...
the meter has a voltage alarm feature that could be made use of (surprise surprise surprise)

It has no outside world connection so an ambitious person should be able to add such stuff (but not me)