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  1. S

    Friction Drive DIY - solar charged

    Not worried about it - just don't agree. Looks like you've got a new build in mind and looking forward to seeing it. Thanks for your "interest" in mine.
  2. S

    Friction Drive DIY - solar charged

    WOW amberwolf, great stuff. What you propose should work and makes perfect sense. I like your tensioning solution as well. Also think your design elliminates the twisting and lateral force issue inherent in mine. Had considered that same approach just positioned differently. This motor...
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    Friction Drive DIY - solar charged

    HI Amberwolf, did not know the DayGlo project was your build. Read your articles in detail months ago - great stuff! Good question. It's my understanding that a brushed DC motor can run backwards and provide the same torque+revs per amp. The controller is dictating the current either...
  4. S

    Friction Drive DIY - solar charged

    Thank you very much Bill. It can be done, and it works. You can do it too for not much $$. Smiles everytime you twist that throttle. Enjoy building your e-bike project!
  5. S

    Friction Drive DIY - solar charged

    Thanks Mike, and I agree. The bike is inside right now with new batteries, enclosure, and watt meter all waiting for my attention. Plan to allow for more airflow by venting the box at the controller. Great point.
  6. S

    Friction Drive DIY - solar charged

    The friction drive wheel is in motion when the bike is moving - so no freewheel. Pedaling is not hard depending on the pressure applied between tire and drive wheel. You can "feel" when enough throttle is applied and the motor "catches up" with the tire speed taking over. The shaft...
  7. S

    Friction Drive DIY - solar charged

    Thanks for the positive comments! Have 200+ miles on it so far and still thrilled when that brushed motor whine kicks in. Made a few minor adjustments before the really cold weather rolled in. Will take a few photos and post an update. Was getting a "safe" 6 miles out of the original...
  8. S

    Rietti E-bike on e-bay near St. Louis

    Very cool looking e-bike. Would make a great project for someone local. Interested to see what it sells for.
  9. S

    Cold Weather and SLA batteries

    This chart is posted next to our battery bank, which is vented outdoors for equilization charges (the smell is really something). Colder temperatures have a big effect on capacity. 100% at 77deg F, 80% at 32deg F, 50% at -22deg F and so on. I'm also using SLAs for the E-Bike. Link to...
  10. S

    ** Solar Charging Your EV Batteries? **

    Not clear how that series/parallel switch is converting 12V DC to 120V AC in that diagram. Would be interested to learn more. The cheapest way to charge batteries solar is matching panel output to battery input w/o storing or converting. Go right from the panel to the batteries using a...
  11. S

    ** Solar Charging Your EV Batteries? **

    I'll jump in again. A good inverter will be 90% efficient. Check the specs on the one your considering. At that price, modified sine. Consider the output voltage range output (5% or less is good) and the no load draw (in amps) on the bank. Inverters are rated for max power (marketing)...
  12. S

    ** Solar Charging Your EV Batteries? **

    Great question. Honestly, if the panel voltage output is close to the 13-14 range (depending on amps), then you don't need a charge controller. Just need to pay attention to the system and disconnect when necessary. That link did not have anything about MPPT. If your thinking about...
  13. S

    Arcimoto: 100mi under $20k

    Really looking forward to three wheeled electrics becoming widely available. 100 miles per charge changes things for sure. Had read about the ZAP http://www.zapworld.com/ and the NmG from Myers http://www.myersmotors.com/ and now the Arcimoto. Which, looks pretty good as well and thank...
  14. S

    ** Solar Charging Your EV Batteries? **

    Very nice. Funny, actually got into it looking at that same HF system. Would be happy to discuss specifics and hear about your setup as things unfold.
  15. S

    Round tube to Flat surface mounts??

    Exactly. Something like this? There's a few sizes out there. Here's a link to JEGS http://www.jegs.com/p/JEGS/JEGS-Exhaust-U-Clamps/751060/10002/-1 Will the motor bolt up tight enought not to twist?
  16. S

    Show Us Your Homemade Battery Housing

    Liking the case StridaHope. Makes transporting for charging really easy. Did somthing similar with a case from Harbor Freight. Fits the controller as well. It was on sale local for $10. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=36870
  17. S

    Friction Drive DIY - solar charged

    Glad to provide more details. At the beginning, considered many kits concerned a DIY build would be unsuccessful or more costly and under perform. Or that purchased parts would go unused or broken during the process. After pricing out kits with and w/o batteries then pricing out the...
  18. S

    ** Solar Charging Your EV Batteries? **

    Hi Diver, just two panels - 270W. The controller takes in 24V and lays down 13-14V (15 amps available) across a bank wired for 12V. Not "off-grid" by any measure, but saving $30+ per month on the electric bill running things used the most. That was before the e-bike. Now starting...
  19. S

    ** Solar Charging Your EV Batteries? **

    This site is wonderful. I'm usually talking to local friends about this stuff with my "mad scientist" hat on... Charging the e-bike batteries from solar makes sense, but would recommend the system be setup and cost justified to run other electrical components in the house first. On sunny...
  20. S

    Friction Drive DIY - solar charged

    spinningmagnets, thanks for the vote of approval. Have enjoyed your contributions to this site. Could not agree more regarding the relationship between contact surface area, pressure, and slippage. Was playing with one of these...
  21. S

    Friction Drive DIY - solar charged

    First post here, so need to start off with many humble thanks. Spent the better part of 30 hours reading posts, looking at kits, and researching components. As an engineer, I found Endless Sphere most logical and thoughtful. Kept coming back to dig further gaining great ideas along the...
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