controller mounting/cable mess

[YonderGod]

I have my controller and batteries in my triangle bag right now. It's okay for short rides, but for longer rides it gets hot. I can't keep my finger on it for more than 2-3 seconds hot. Especially with summer coming, it will be worse.

So I need to mount it somewhere it can get some airflow. Under my rack would work, but then I have this disgusting nest of cables outside of the bag. How do you guys do it? I'm thinking of opening my controller, cutting all the wires, and soldering them to a multiconductor cable that is long enough to just run 1 or 2 cables to my bag.

Is ethernet cable good for everything except battery and motor phase wires?
2 ethernet cables would be enough for brakes, throttle, lcd, and motor hall sensors.
12 awg speaker wire for the battery and motor phase wires? Also, are there any good, cheap connectors I can get for the phase wires? I'm tired of this bolt connector thing.

Any better (also cheap) ideas?

My bike:

Disgusting cable mess:

 

[flangefrog]

Ethernet cable is fine but make sure you get stranded cable. Cat 6 has the biggest conductors but Cat 5 is fine too.

Speaker wire may be allright but make sure it's copper. I would use high strand count flexible tinned copper with silicone insulation or teflon for phase wires if it's a tight fit.

You can get low current waterproof motor connectors from BMSBattery. For high(er) current I would use something like this:
https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idproduct=55092
https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idproduct=66803
https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idproduct=66802

 

[Ykick]

Ah yes, the “clean look” quandary.

My recipe always starts with best airflow 1st and foremost. ‘Don’t give a rat’s ass what it looks like as long as the controller can stay comfortable.

But for phase power runs just outside the axle coupled using 4mm shrink-wrapped bullets to controller, I use 12ga power tool electrical cable sold at hardware (Home Depot). This shit can be cinched down tight against the frame. Very rugged insulation and crush protection.

If you wanna super clean look - open controller and solder all power and signal wires directly to the PCB. Very scary for novices and even quite tedious for old solder jockeys. But if you want clean and weatherproof, this the way to achieve that.

Ethernet cable works but I also scavenge more flexible and ruggedized multi conductor shielded stuff from audio/MIDI gear, etc.

As mentioned, 4mm gold bullets (not the automotive stuff) for phase power and I’m a fan of Futaba/JR servo connectors for all my signal (throttle, brakes, halls) connections. 2 Futaba/JR servo connectors can handle motor Hall sensor duties (yes, they pass through 12-14mm axle hardware) and leave an extra conductor available for temp or speed sensor if need be.

Well worth the cost of a Hobby King JST pin crimper and 100 servo connectors found on eBay.

 

[aroundqube]

Controller mounted under the rack. Add a small triangle bag between the controller and the seat tube. Cut a slit in the front end of the bag for entry of the battery wires. Controller wiring can go directly into the bag coiled up .

 

[YonderGod]

I just started re-wiring my controller.

There's so much conflicting information everywhere. I'd rather get advice from an e-bike specific source.

My controller is rated for 13A/26A burst. What size wire is safe to use for my battery connector, 1-2ft long. I thought I had some 12 awg wire around here somewhere, but all I can find is 18 awg. Is 2 18awg wires per lead (4 total) enough?

 

[999zip999]

Put the controller on the down tube underneath the seat put all your wires together then put them in your triangle bag.
You have air flow to the controller and all your wires are in your triangle bag. Cut and splice is the easy way to shorten.

 

[pa.hioficr]

#1 - Go to local Home Depot and Get some 10AWG even for 1-2 foot run, eliminate resistance and voltage sag.
#2 - Do you use all the connections on the controller, I never use eBrake cutouts and only use Power, Phase, Hall and Throttle so I open the controller and desolder the un-needed wires which allows for a smaller loom and makes for cleaner cable runs.
#4 - 2 x 18G in parallel in theory would be a 6G but often in lower quality wire the resistance is not constant so see rule #1 and save yourself alot of mess and headache.

Cat5 and JST-HXT are both good ideas but why not just use Cat5 jacks inline and skip the JST-HXT connectors for the hall and throttle break outs? Be sure to use stranded cat5 cable, it's available at home depot and lowes and permits more flexible use without breaking solid conductor of normal cat5 cable.

 

[YonderGod]

Put the controller on the down tube underneath the seat put all your wires together then put them in your triangle bag.
You have air flow to the controller and all your wires are in your triangle bag. Cut and splice is the easy way to shorten.

The controller wires are too short, the connectors would have to be all out of the bag, plus the tons of ugly colored wires. Maybe my OCD is just a little too strong :wink:

#1 - Go to local Home Depot and Get some 10AWG even for 1-2 foot run, eliminate resistance and voltage sag.
#2 - Do you use all the connections on the controller, I never use eBrake cutouts and only use Power, Phase, Hall and Throttle so I open the controller and desolder the un-needed wires which allows for a smaller loom and makes for cleaner cable runs.
#4 - 2 x 18G in parallel in theory would be a 6G but often in lower quality wire the resistance is not constant so see rule #1 and save yourself alot of mess and headache.

Cat5 and JST-HXT are both good ideas but why not just use Cat5 jacks inline and skip the JST-HXT connectors for the hall and throttle break outs? Be sure to use stranded cat5 cable, it's available at home depot and lowes and permits more flexible use without breaking solid conductor of normal cat5 cable.

Cool, I didn't realize they(my local hardware store, actually) sold it by the foot for cheap. Thought I would have to spend $10+ for a spool (which I don't have) They didn't have any 10awg though, so I had to get 12.

I do use my eBrakes, but I cut off the wires for pedal assist and extra pack-voltage wires (not sure what those were even for)
I'm actually just going to reuse the connectors, and just leave the short wires for the motor for now(they can just barely reach into the rack bag to minimize clutter from them)

 

[tmho]

I mounted the controller on the down tube. There is nothing covering it, so the heat should not be a problem. For the cables and connectors, I put all of them inside a connection/junction box (the white box in front of the controller as shown in the attached photo).

 

[Greggie-e]

A friend of mine did this to my bike when he made it.
(click on the picture to make it bigger)

as long as the bag is slightly open at the back enough airflow gets through to keep everything cool.

it is a piece of irrigation pipe painted black
Neat, simple, cheap.

 

[1000w]

Hi Greg,
I was reading this thread thinking about posting up what I did for your bike and bingo there it was.
I have done this for two bikes with frame triangle bags in Western Australia (hot weather), works well.
Cheers
Matt.

 

[Greggie-e]

Lucky I didn't claim it as my own!