ebay batteries?

[Gregte]

I just bought 500 watt 36v motor kit from Ampedbikes, without any battery (he does not have lithium in stock).

I have been looking at a number of batteries on eBay and wonder if anyone has any opinions on how good or bad they might be.
http://cgi.ebay.com/LiFePO4-36V-15AH-Electric-Scooter-E-Bike-Battery-power_W0QQitemZ180361580408QQcategoryZ11332QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m215QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%252BS%252BIA%26itu%3DIT%252BUA%252BUCC%252BUCI%252BUS-BWR%26otn%3D8%26ps%3D33
http://cgi.ebay.com/36V-15AH-LiFePO4-battery-Electric-Scooter-E-Bike-Power_W0QQitemZ280348858867QQcategoryZ11332QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m215QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%252BS%252BIA%26itu%3DIT%252BUA%252BUCC%252BUCI%252BUS-BWR%26otn%3D8%26ps%3D33
http://cgi.ebay.com/36V-15AH-LiFePO4-battery-Electric-Scooter-E-Bike-Power_W0QQitemZ270399784353QQcategoryZ11332QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m215QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%252BS%252BIA%26itu%3DIT%252BUA%252BUCC%252BUCI%252BUS-BWR%26otn%3D8%26ps%3D33
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290298897024
http://cgi.ebay.com/36V-15AH-LIFEPO4-Lithium-Battery-electric-bicycle-bike_W0QQitemZ130296063420QQcategoryZ158998QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m215QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%252BS%252BIA%26itu%3DIT%252BUA%252BUCC%252BUCI%252BUS-BWR%26otn%3D8%26ps%3D33
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220426460038&_trksid=p2759.l1259
http://cgi.ebay.com/36V-20AH-LIFEPO4-lithium-battery-for-electric-bicycle_W0QQitemZ290321336016QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Electronics_Batteries_Chargers?hash=item43988006d0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1205%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A2%7C294%3A50
there are many others but I am looking for a 36v with hopefully 15 Ah capacity. 10 Ah may be OK I suppose. I notice at least one of these batteries advertises as only having >60% capacity after 1000 cycles.

Actually, can any of the specs be regarded as truthful on these Chinese batteries? Am I just wishful thinking trying to get something good for under $700?

I know from experience that some Chinese made Li-Ion batteries for small consumer electronics can be absolute junk.

 

[mrgarci1]

Try searching the names of the sellers on this forum. For instance, Ping & CammyCC are both well-known & trusted batts for low-current applications (<2C I think). For under $700 you could do a Ping or Cammy 15-20ah, or you could do a Headway from evcomponents.com or potentially KAE (member on this forum) - Headways are much higher quality cells (rated to something like 10c? I just know i'll never be able to pull enough current from my Headway to hurt it the slightest bit), and both these sellers are in the US. All the above are probably just about comparable in price.

You can & will get a good quality battery from some of the Chinese manufacturers (if you do your homework), but some of them do overstate their specs - just don't go with an unknown seller, and make sure you check the seller's rep on this board first.

Good luck!

 

[Ypedal]

If you have to go with something wrapped in Duct Tape, go Ping www.pingbattery.com but get at least 15ah to support the 25 amps from your controller..

Another option i've been testing for a while now is the EBK pack at www.e-bikekit.com , see the review:

http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8452&start=0

It is 10ah, but will work fine with that kit. comes in a metal box instead of Tape.

The CammyCC was a mess, the cells tend to be workable but the chargers and BMS's tend to be so so.. having to deal with very long delays in any possible after sales service you may get, or not get, imo not worth the few $$ savings..

www.ebikes.ca with 8ah nicads should also be considered.. the 5C packs are nice, reliable and simple animals.

I just got back an 8ah nicad pack i sold to a local customer ( for an after winter inspection before they start using it ) , 4th year in service and it still delivers 8ah !!!!

 

[dumbass]

This is what I just ordered. But I only needed 24v...20ah so the cost was a lot less. I plan on trying them out for a few weeks and ordering another set. Then I will have a 24v..40ah setup. Or I can break them down into two sets of 24v..20ah (one for me and one for momma). They are thundersky batteries with high quality chargers so I think they are better then what you are looking at on Ebay. But they are more expensive too. But if you are going to ride a lot they maybe worth it.

http://elitepowersolutions.com/products/product_info.php?cPath=1_8&products_id=82&osCsid=b21b3c7208c3362f82f4e18314c6aacf

 

[dogman dan]

Pings a good battery. Just be sure to protect em, all bikes fall over sooner or later. A bag is not enough, and that goes for the nicads too.

I find the nicads ideal for a bike that goes shorter distances, like 10 miles or so. Cheap, reliable, nearly idiot proof. Just as good a cost per mile as lifepo4 more or less. But carrying a huge pile of em gets heavy. Any more than 48v 8 ah gets expensive so you may as well go lifepo4 if spending $500 or so.

For my commute, 15 uphill miles home, only the ping was light enough to carry 20 ah comfortably. I like my 36v 20 ah, or in the same size in weight, a 48v 14 ah is just as easy to carry. 48v 20 can get a bit bulky and cumbersome to place on the bike.

Of the ebayers, ping has the best customer service reputation , then cammy, but if you need it, any cs from china means you repair it yourself, or ship it away for months. That alone is a good reason to look at the nicads if the range is far enough for your ride.

 

[Gregte]

I appreciate the input on this thread. The advice of all of you is invaluable to me! Thank you all for sharing your experiences.

 

[set]

for what it's worth, my Cammy pack is holding up nicely. As I am gaining more knowledge, I am looking forward to building my own pack. 36V 15 or 20 AH would be just fine.

 

[needWheels]

Do not buy from any of these names unless you can afford to ship it back to China and give up the fees ebay takes for themselves when a transaction is disputed:

http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=164025#p164025

 

[Russell]

If you have to go with something wrapped in Duct Tape, go Ping http://www.pingbattery.com but get at least 15ah to support the 25 amps from your controller..

He's using heat shrink wrap now on Version 2.5 isn't he?

Anybody know when Ping will have the Version 3 up on his website?

-R