Electrical switches for boards?

[mortifiedMORTY]

Okay, does anybody use a switch on their board or do most just plug in the batteries to get going? I have been looking for a switch at local hardware stores rated for the 24v 120a range but can't find any. My guess is because most common applications are 120v 20a range making it difficult to find the right one. Does anybody know if a higher voltage, lower amperage would be okay or would that cause problems?

 

[dnmun]

you should not use a switch in the battery current.

you can turn off the battery by turning off the circuit current in the BMS with a tiny DIP switch inserted into the circuit current.

 

[torqueboards]

We also use to use these before http://www.amazon.com/Xscorpion-CB150A-150-Amp-Circuit-Breaker/dp/B00ITN38XG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416675290&sr=8-1&keywords=150amp+breaker.

However, they started breaking for some odd reason. I had one working for about 6 months or so and then it broke. Had another for 1 month and another for few weeks. I ended up switching it out.

 

[beto_pty]

Wow torque very nice...
looks very cool

 

[mortifiedMORTY]

Thanks for the replies. This may be a dumb question, but what is a BMS?

 

[torqueboards]

Thanks for the replies. This may be a dumb question, but what is a BMS?

BMS stands for Battery Management System. Usually, it works in conjunction with a specific battery charger and allows you to easily charge your battery pack with a laptop style charger and balance battery cells on it's own.

If you are using lipo's from HobbyKing. They don't have any BMS built in and are simply just the battery cells wired in a particular series/parallel configuration and you would need a lipo balance charger.

 

[scoot-e]

you should not use a switch in the battery current.

you can turn off the battery by turning off the circuit current in the BMS with a tiny DIP switch inserted into the circuit current.

Why shouldn't you use a switch "in the battery current"?

I sell it on my website here - http://diyelectricskateboard.com/produc ... tch-2-14s/.

They work well. Definitely, adds a more professional feel.

Does the glow light on the on/off switch stay on all the time and how fast would it run the battery down generally speaking if you left the board in your closet for a few weeks without use, say

 

[torqueboards]

Glow light only stays on when it's on. I haven't tested it at an off state to check if there is any battery drain but seems alright. I would have to do an actual test.

 

[dnmun]

when you throw the switch in a battery circuit to the controller then the tips of the contactor in the switch burn off. you have to use a precharge resistor to prevent the current surge from damaging the switch. but if you turn off the battery at the BMS then the mosfets can handle the current surge with no problem when you turn it on. plus turning off the battery prevents the bike from being stolen.

 

[mortifiedMORTY]

I don't have a BMS on my setup now, it's just a couple of lipo batteries in series.

But you're saying a traditional switch in the battery current would burn out quickly due to the high-amp initial connection? I may go with what torqueboards suggested then for a cleaner look because I'm mainly concerned about wear and tear on the connections from forcefully plugging and unplugging. That, and in the case of an emergency, it's not exactly a quick release.

Btw, is your site down right now? I can't seem to access it.

 

[dnmun]

the little RC controllers don't have as large an input cap so it is less of a problem for these little controllers but the big bike controller have large caps on the input so the inrush current is large. it is the spark on the contact that keeps vaporizing the metal each time the switch is closed.

 

[torqueboards]

@mortifiedMORTY - It's up. Are you not able to access it?

I was also using a loop plug EC5/XT90. I didn't use my anti-spark and would just let it spark on initial connection which wasn't too bad but I wasn't using that much of a high voltage.

 

[mortifiedMORTY]

For some reason it kept taking me to a page indicating that the domain wasn't used. Page working now though

 

[scoot-e]

I see, thx guys - so dnmun, if one uses Torqueboards lighted high amp switch, would that still eventually burn off the tips of the contactor in the switch or would it handle it?
My application uses 12s and 10-15ah setup...
And if not, can the tiny DIP switch be wired to extend out of the bms, say, to mount on the outside of a board like a normal on off switch or would one have to open the frame and access the actual BMS DIP switch hardwired to the circuit board or something, not sure I follow on the difference
... "you can turn off the battery by turning off the circuit current in the BMS with a tiny DIP switch inserted into the circuit current."

 

[torqueboards]

Scoot-e it works with your setup as it's 60v max. It has a built in anti-spark.

 

[drmacgyver]

Is the power switch that comes attached to the ESC left off, and this overrides that? Or is it always left on, and this switch manages the power?

 

[torqueboards]

Is the power switch that comes attached to the ESC left off, and this overrides that? Or is it always left on, and this switch manages the power?

ESC switch is left on and the power switch controls the power in the middle of the battery pack + esc.

 

[BShady]

If the ESC has a switch why do you need torqueboards switch? (Just asking)

 

[torqueboards]

Supposedly, the ESC switches normally aren't able to handle the current from the battery. I only use it as a temporary on/off switch. Most of the time most people disconnect from the battery.

The switch is a lot bigger than the typical switches which are built into the esc.

 

[brent]

The switch dangling from the car ESCs just turns on/off the regulator that powers the MCU, which should never draw more than a few hundred milliamps, at the very most.
Should be fine for turning your board on and off regularly.

Torqueboard's electronic switch (is it just a big transistor?) is cooler and saves you some trouble if you have multiple motors or something, though.
Prevents the spark on your battery connectors too, but I don't think that really matters since it only blackens the tip and the main contact area is on the sides.

 

[torqueboards]

Yeah EC5/XT90 loop works great too. Cheap also. I just let my tips burn and replace them when they do but usually they will last. Not too often the tips will burn completely.

The on/off switch just saves me about 2-5 seconds for turning it on and I don't have to remember where I placed my loop plug

 

[BShady]

If the ESC switch doesn't spark as it only shuts off power to the MCU Than you never have to disconnect your battery plugs. Correct?

 

[torqueboards]

If the ESC switch doesn't spark as it only shuts off power to the MCU Than you never have to disconnect your battery plugs. Correct?

Yes, correct with the new power switch. RC way you disconnect by the battery plugs.

 

[dnmun]

if the controller has a switch it is for the circuit current. the input caps to the power busses that the mosfets use is not on that circuit. but i only know the bike BLDC controllers and not the RC controllers.

 

[BShady]

if the controller has a switch it is for the circuit current. the input caps to the power busses that the mosfets use is not on that circuit. but i only know the bike BLDC controllers and not the RC controllers.

Sorry I didn't get what you said?