Building my first e-skateboard!

Joined
Jul 9, 2014
Messages
11
Hello everyone!

First, I'm completely to this forum. I just registered myself like 5 minutes ago! Okay so my real name is Guillaume and I'm 18, from Canada!

Few weeks ago, I was in New Jersey and I saw something I never saw before! An electric skateboard. The guy was literally driving back and forth on the boardwalk for 2 hours at some decent speed: around 35 kph. And then I thought: What an awesome gadget I could use to go at work and for my regular movement around the city! So two weeks ago, I started learning how electrical systems in RC cars were working because I want to build one myself.

Now, some of you might think: oh no. Not another newbie who wants to do everything like the other newbies!

Actually, I don't want to reinvent the wheel. I want to upgrade it!

Here's my plan: I will buy a 55 inches longboard and separately, 2 mountainboard trucks with the pneumatic wheels for comfort. I want to install LEDs on the board for my own visibility and tell the others I'm rolling there! I want a on/off switch too so when I'm done with the board, I can just turn it off. Last thing but the most important, I would like to know if there's an easy way to recharge the LiPo batteries with a simple power cord (I don't care if I have to do a bit of tweaking with resistors and wires, I already know the rules and everything). I saw this after a bit of searching: https://www.adafruit.com/products/280. If there's no way to do that, is there any kind of batteries that would let me do this? Is it compatible with that kind of electronic system? I want a bit of autonomy from the battery (around 20-30km on one charge). I want one powerful motor to be able to push me with some decent speed (I don't want to be the fastest nor the slowest) connected with an ESC with ABS and regenerative braking.

Note: I don't want to have pre-eaten answers! I'm here to learn how it works and be able to build it myself. In fact, I just want information (from your own experience or even documents about it... would be awesome) and pro-tips of you guys and girls who have been probably learning, just like me, from nothing!

Thanks for your future help, it will be really appreciated!

V.
 
HI guy..
Welcome to the forum
Take a look at the skateboards tutorial..
Then you might have some more detailed questions we might help you with..
regarding the single plug charger you can go my route
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=61171
or onloops which Im soon going to try..
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=61133

Also dont fear the lipos.. they work fine and if you balance charge them, and have some common sense they dont blow up :D
 
Hey beto!

Thanks for your reply! It helps me a lot! I like your idea for the automatic balance charger. I have a few questions for you: what is the use of the low voltage alarm? What kind of wire do you use to plug in the wall and in the automatic balance charger? If I want few batteries, do I have to addition on all the cells of the batteries to get 6s at the end if it's on serial? Is a on/off switch really useful for this?

I've been reading a lot since you answered me and I have to say that what you gave me really helped me!

Thanks again!

V.
 
The low voltage alarm will keep you from bringing any of the lipo cells under 3.1 v.. insuring that you wont destroy the battery..the low voltage cutoff sometimes does not work. since the average of 3.2 volts might include a cell that is under 2.9 while all the others are above 3.4 or so...

Also your charger will more likely look like this
ScreenHunter_144 Jul. 09 19.22.jpg
Than your adafruit example...
the batteries you just choose the 6s you want
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_listCategoriesAndProducts.asp?idCategory=86&LiPoConfig=6&sortlist=H&CatSortOrder=desc
.. or get 2 3s in series if you are looking for a thinner or different distribution alternative..
 
Hey!

But with your friend board (if I understood correctly), with the automatic balance charger, she was able to just plug and unplug her board from a cable that goes to the wall? I would like this kind of system because a work, I can't always check on my super-duper complicated charger all the time!
 
Correct.. the balance/charger is mounted on the board.. hence you only have to plug in the power supply to the charger.
The balance plugs and banana plugs are permanently connected to the balance plugs on the batteries as well as the red/black power cables.
You connect your power supply and wait for the lights to turn green and the unit to start beeping... will not overcharge batts (left it plugged in for amost a week in a safe fireproof enclosure in my warehouse to test this) and after this time the batts were balanced and perfect..
Charger
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor ... ipoly.html
Here is the power supply
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor ... upply.html

I have this setup on my velociraptor board (unfortunately lost track of milage)but am way past the 2000 km mark and it still works like a charm...
Here you just plug it until it starts beeping...
 
That charger said it only charges 2-4s batteries. I'm assuming your setup is higher than 4s so how did you set it up to charge?
 
Nikimce said:
That charger said it only charges 2-4s batteries. I'm assuming your setup is higher than 4s so how did you set it up to charge?


I noticed that too..It does also say up to 6 cells in the description. Beto?
 
I still have my power supply for my imax B6. It isn't the compact version. It says 2.0a max . its an AC adapter. Can I use this with the compact imax charger?
 
Nope its 6s.. see the title...
View attachment 4
Never doubt me again..hear ...hear!!! :twisted:

Edit.. Ok see where there is confusion... There is a typo in the first paragraph...
View attachment 2

however it corrects itself in the second paragraph...
View attachment 1

Also notice the 2,3,4,5 and 6s balance plug options ...
ScreenHunter_05 Jul. 11 13.44.jpg

You are all forgiven... no need for seppuku...
 

Attachments

  • ScreenHunter_05 Jul. 11 13.44.jpg
    ScreenHunter_05 Jul. 11 13.44.jpg
    14.8 KB · Views: 1,798
Yup
lleft it plugged in for amost a week in a safe fireproof enclosure in my warehouse to test this and after this time the batts were balanced and perfect

no fire, no explosion, no drama..just charged and balanced batts.

However being the suprestitious guy I am..I still only charge when im at home and the charger is sitting on a nonflamable surface.. but i as a general rule I dont stress while it happpens anymore...
 
beto_pty said:
Yup
lleft it plugged in for amost a week in a safe fireproof enclosure in my warehouse to test this and after this time the batts were balanced and perfect

no fire, no explosion, no drama..just charged and balanced batts.

However being the suprestitious guy I am..I still only charge when im at home and the charger is sitting on a nonflamable surface.. but i as a general rule I dont stress while it happpens anymore...

Awesome test! Thanks..
 
Ok. Here's what I'm gonna need for my build (electronics):
-3x 2S 4000mah 25c LiPos http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__20998__ZIPPY_Flightmax_4000mAh_2S1P_25C_Car_Lipoly_ROAR_APPROVED_.html (connect in parallel)
-1x Automatic balance charger as suggested by beto
-1x Cell checker with low voltage alarm http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__18588__hobbyking_2_8s_cell_checker_with_low_voltage_alarm.html
-1x High performance ESC HobbyKing http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__10370__HobbyKing_150A_High_performance_Brushless_Car_ESC.html
-1x Turnigy Brushless motors http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__23354__Turnigy_TrackStar_3_5T_Sensored_Brushless_Motor_9150KV.html
-1x HobbyKing GT controller http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__10608__HobbyKing_174_GT_2_2_4Ghz_2Ch_Tx_Rx.html
-1x 1-channel wireless switch http://www.amazon.com/RM01-Channel-Wireless-Control-Off/dp/B000ZRXJY2/ref=pd_sim_hi_13?ie=UTF8&refRID=13ZC7CYF6P53MZAR034T
-4x superlight blue LEDs

Still... i've got some questions. Do anyone have some kind of tool to help me draw the electronic circuits? I would like to first test the electronics off the board so I can be sure i'm not gonna attach some crap to my board.

If anyone sees something wrong with what i'm gonna buy about the compatibility or anything, please tell me! :) Your help is always welcome!

V.
 
Ok. Here's what I'm gonna need for my build (electronics):
-3x 2S 4000mah 25c LiPos http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__20998__ZIPPY_Flightmax_4000mAh_2S1P_25C_Car_Lipoly_ROAR_APPROVED_.html (connect in parallel)
-1x Automatic balance charger as suggested by beto
-1x Cell checker with low voltage alarm http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__18588__hobbyking_2_8s_cell_checker_with_low_voltage_alarm.html
-1x High performance ESC HobbyKing http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__10370__HobbyKing_150A_High_performance_Brushless_Car_ESC.html
-1x Turnigy Brushless motors http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__23354__Turnigy_TrackStar_3_5T_Sensored_Brushless_Motor_9150KV.html
-1x HobbyKing GT controller http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__10608__HobbyKing_174_GT_2_2_4Ghz_2Ch_Tx_Rx.html
-1x 1-channel wireless switch http://www.amazon.com/RM01-Channel-Wireless-Control-Off/dp/B000ZRXJY2/ref=pd_sim_hi_13?ie=UTF8&refRID=13ZC7CYF6P53MZAR034T
-4x superlight blue LEDs

Still... i've got some questions. Do anyone have some kind of tool to help me draw the electronic circuits? I would like to first test the electronics off the board so I can be sure i'm not gonna attach some crap to my board.

If anyone sees something wrong with what i'm gonna buy about the compatibility or anything, please tell me! :) Your help is always welcome!

V.
 
That motor you chose is 9150kv. Don't think that will work. Also the axle is really small.
Look for: 6mm or 8mm shaft width, 150 to 300kv, 50 to 63mm motor width. That way you'll be sure to get a motor that will perform and give you the best options for pulley compatibility.
 
I guess you could try that one...but the KV is still to high so you probably won't have the torque to get moving without burning the motor up. Did you try searching what I suggested earlier? If you're looking for a smaller motor you should at least get a Propdrive 5060.
 
I'm just trying to find something to make me go at some decent speed! And a motor that's not gonna burn all of the power stored in the cells so I can go pretty far!
 
VarmoesCletovae said:
I'm just trying to find something to make me go at some decent speed! And a motor that's not gonna burn all of the power stored in the cells so I can go pretty far!
So look up 150kv to 300kv or anything in between then.

I use 63mm motors and like the torque and speed they provide and I weigh 205lbs.

Here are a few:
Tacon Bigfoot 160 245kv
Turnigy G160 245kv or 290kv
Propdrive 5060 (50mm) Not sure on the kv
Eflight power 160 245kv
Or go to the Alien site and buy a motor from Them.
 
Back
Top