dogman dan
1 PW
WE website may have an install instructions online. Get cracking on that manual Terry, or at least bootleg a copy of the WE one.
hightekbikes.com motor kit review. Electric bike kit.
- Thread starter dogman dan
- Start date
An interesting observation:
I stopped down at the bike shop and had them help me install the throttle. They used a neat trick where they use pneumatic air pressure to blow the grip off then loosen the brake and shift assembly...I had the guy ride it and he had the biggest smile on his face and said "thanks alot - now I'm gonna have to get one". Here is a hardcore rider that easily sees the difference between a commuter and a bike for exercise.
I have been looking - I have not seen another ebike in town. I bet there are fewer than 5 in this town of 50,000 people. I bet I could sell a bunch of these kits...
The cost is lower...no need to register the vehicle or be licensed. If you promote it as a viable transportation alternative and fun rather than a "lazy man bike" - it works....plus if gas hits $3-$4 a gallon again people would jump on this if they just knew about it.
Terry if you are reading this - personal message me and let me know what you could wholesale kits for because I have one guy at the shop that can do anything mechanically on a bike and is a believer(and he's not the owner). Ironically enough - before ever seeing your sight - he was like - "what would happen if you put two of those on a bike" ....I laughed and showed him your site.
I live in Iowa....we are smart but behind the curve on new stuff. It would boom in a progressive college community. I would suggest making it as easy as possible to install, sending the wheel trued, including simple directions, providing handy statistics on rider weight, battery requirements, terrain, wind (I know if varies but try have some formula), and some kind of cost/benefit matrix that shows how much you can save if you use an ebike based on gas prices vs commute -etc...
I'm not trying to make a buck just get people involved.
I stopped down at the bike shop and had them help me install the throttle. They used a neat trick where they use pneumatic air pressure to blow the grip off then loosen the brake and shift assembly...I had the guy ride it and he had the biggest smile on his face and said "thanks alot - now I'm gonna have to get one". Here is a hardcore rider that easily sees the difference between a commuter and a bike for exercise.
I have been looking - I have not seen another ebike in town. I bet there are fewer than 5 in this town of 50,000 people. I bet I could sell a bunch of these kits...
The cost is lower...no need to register the vehicle or be licensed. If you promote it as a viable transportation alternative and fun rather than a "lazy man bike" - it works....plus if gas hits $3-$4 a gallon again people would jump on this if they just knew about it.
Terry if you are reading this - personal message me and let me know what you could wholesale kits for because I have one guy at the shop that can do anything mechanically on a bike and is a believer(and he's not the owner). Ironically enough - before ever seeing your sight - he was like - "what would happen if you put two of those on a bike" ....I laughed and showed him your site.
I live in Iowa....we are smart but behind the curve on new stuff. It would boom in a progressive college community. I would suggest making it as easy as possible to install, sending the wheel trued, including simple directions, providing handy statistics on rider weight, battery requirements, terrain, wind (I know if varies but try have some formula), and some kind of cost/benefit matrix that shows how much you can save if you use an ebike based on gas prices vs commute -etc...
I'm not trying to make a buck just get people involved.
dogman dan
1 PW
Lucky you, some us, on entering a bikeshop, get people that are ready to throw some holy water around and start shouting HERETIC! It can just drive em batty that you motorized a bike. My towns bikeshop folks came around eventually when they realized how many miles I ride means, I buy stuff.
My favorite trick for getting the grips off is windex.
My favorite trick for getting the grips off is windex.
Hightekbikes.com front hub kit + battery (36V 10AH LiFePo4)
Pictures as promised. Bike is complete except for making the throttle wires a little prettier. Got rear-wheel speedo attached today and on flat ground no wind i got 23mph max. I am 240lbs and the bike is just at 55. I average 21mph WOT over a mile with varying terrain. I went up a 2% grade lightly pedaling are recorded 19.7 mph...
I have attached pictures of the bike/setup.
This will work perfect for my 10 mile round trip commute.
Pictures as promised. Bike is complete except for making the throttle wires a little prettier. Got rear-wheel speedo attached today and on flat ground no wind i got 23mph max. I am 240lbs and the bike is just at 55. I average 21mph WOT over a mile with varying terrain. I went up a 2% grade lightly pedaling are recorded 19.7 mph...
I have attached pictures of the bike/setup.
This will work perfect for my 10 mile round trip commute.
Attachments
HighTekBikes
100 W
Nice job Marty. To clean up the cables what you want to do is run the throttle and motor cables from the front, back to the controller. Usually you would run them together under the top bar using cable ties to attach to the frame. running next to the brake cable they are not very noticeable. From the throttle, you want to run it's cable along with the brake cable, using small cable ties to attach to the brake cable. The excess cable at the controller end is folded and squeezed together then covered in a big piece of shrink wrap and tucked away discreetly, again securing with tie wraps. I'm glad you are protecting the battery with a hard case but it looks a little shaky. I would bolt it to the rack. How come you are not using the high quality rack included with the kit?
Haha, just kidding, I know it's a piece of crap. I have my eyes out for a nice metal tool box, no luck yet but did find a locking cash box, but it's kinda wide.
Haha, just kidding, I know it's a piece of crap. I have my eyes out for a nice metal tool box, no luck yet but did find a locking cash box, but it's kinda wide.
dogman dan
1 PW
Nice. Did the motor fit without having to squash the tubes on the forks? On my bikes, I had to squeeze em just a little to fit the brushed hub I used last summer. The brushed hub is a tiny bit wider. I like to take all the excess wire on the throttle cable and tuck it under the seat where it will stay dry on the connector. If you bolt on the toolbox be sure to use something to keep the bolt heads from wearing a hole in the batterys bottom. 1/4 plywood or something to keep the battery higher than the bolt heads.
Thanks for the suggestions!
The cables are bothering me - I should've cleaned them up first then took the pics(impatient) - I'm going to do that today. I had the schwinn seatpost rack from another bike - honestly it was just easier to install than the rack in the HTB kit. The battery fits in the tacklebox well and believe it or not with the 2 bungies on it - it doesn't move at all. I have just enough room in there for the charger too.
Dog - It was a tight tight fit in the fork. I literally have just enough space to fit about 2 sheets of paper on each side. I have a suspension fork which I think helps - at first I considered filing both inside parts of the fork where it is so close - just to give it a little more clearance - but I haven't had to yet. I'll keep an eye on it.
All in all - I have some finish work to do on it with cables and really figuring out a nice looking and secure alternative for a battery holder.
I have to say I am impressed with the kit and the fact that at around 290lbs total weight(me+bike) I am able to get 21-23mph with no pedaling. I went down an approxiamtely 2% grade yesterday and it hit 26.7mph with no pedaling...If I had my city tires on it I'm sure it would go faster too.
I figure based on the mpg my car gets - every day I commute to work on my ebike I will save .58 of a gallon of gas - so a little over a gallon of gas every 2 days. At $2.50 a gallon it would take me about 482 days to pay for the cost of the kit/battery. If gas goes to $3 then that drops to 402 days. Of course I won't be putting nearly as many miles on my car either.
The cables are bothering me - I should've cleaned them up first then took the pics(impatient) - I'm going to do that today. I had the schwinn seatpost rack from another bike - honestly it was just easier to install than the rack in the HTB kit. The battery fits in the tacklebox well and believe it or not with the 2 bungies on it - it doesn't move at all. I have just enough room in there for the charger too.
Dog - It was a tight tight fit in the fork. I literally have just enough space to fit about 2 sheets of paper on each side. I have a suspension fork which I think helps - at first I considered filing both inside parts of the fork where it is so close - just to give it a little more clearance - but I haven't had to yet. I'll keep an eye on it.
All in all - I have some finish work to do on it with cables and really figuring out a nice looking and secure alternative for a battery holder.
I have to say I am impressed with the kit and the fact that at around 290lbs total weight(me+bike) I am able to get 21-23mph with no pedaling. I went down an approxiamtely 2% grade yesterday and it hit 26.7mph with no pedaling...If I had my city tires on it I'm sure it would go faster too.
I figure based on the mpg my car gets - every day I commute to work on my ebike I will save .58 of a gallon of gas - so a little over a gallon of gas every 2 days. At $2.50 a gallon it would take me about 482 days to pay for the cost of the kit/battery. If gas goes to $3 then that drops to 402 days. Of course I won't be putting nearly as many miles on my car either.
dogman dan
1 PW
If it starts to rub, the steel suspension forks can be pinched in a vise to get a bit more clearance. Nothing moving in the bottom of those kind of forks. There is a thread on it, Fitting a motor on cheap steel suspension forks, or something like that is the title. Tech section i think.
dogman dan
1 PW
Fun riding today, part of my ride across the state. A tricky section in the middle of nowhere might have left me with no way to charge and 40 miles to the next town. So I took the bike out there in a truck and rode the hard parts twice, eliminating the need to try for a 70 mile leg. The route goes up and down some big canyons, one of them Nogal canyon, has some real steep grade for a couple miles. Very scenic, at dawn riding along and saw deer, quail, rabbits, snakes.
The motor kicked butt, taking all the steep grades in stride. Riding slow, there was no problems with overheating at all. On the return leg, rode 30 miles into 10-20 mph headwind and still stayed cool as long as I kept it under 15 mph. At those speeds, I got phenomenal range, and rode 57 miles on a 8ah 48v nicad pack, and a 20 ah 36v lifepo4. All the rest of the ride from El Paso to Colorado will be easily broken up into rides well under the 57 mile range. I had expected to run out at about fifty miles. The route is not easy, with 4, 500 vertical foot hills along the way plus lots of smaller ones. I don't think I'll have a harder day untill I climb to Taos from Espanola, but I might just ride that one the other way anyway.
The motor kicked butt, taking all the steep grades in stride. Riding slow, there was no problems with overheating at all. On the return leg, rode 30 miles into 10-20 mph headwind and still stayed cool as long as I kept it under 15 mph. At those speeds, I got phenomenal range, and rode 57 miles on a 8ah 48v nicad pack, and a 20 ah 36v lifepo4. All the rest of the ride from El Paso to Colorado will be easily broken up into rides well under the 57 mile range. I had expected to run out at about fifty miles. The route is not easy, with 4, 500 vertical foot hills along the way plus lots of smaller ones. I don't think I'll have a harder day untill I climb to Taos from Espanola, but I might just ride that one the other way anyway.
Dogman - Sounds like a cool trip.
I rode Wed/Thu/Fri to work. Depending on what route I take it is 4.08 - 4.57 miles. I made it home in 12 minutes and 33 seconds on Friday. I cleaned all the cables up and the bike is working very well - I'm very pleased with the speed.
I rode home Thu into about a 15-20mph headwind(in town so it was constant) and I did drop off a few mph...instead of doing 20-23mph I was doing 18-21mph....with slight pedaling. I have found I do pedal about 20% of the time which increases my speed...My bike is pretty much always in 19th gear out of 21.
Can you get an DUI on a bike? I had a few beers after work on Friday and since I ride partly on streets and bike paths - Somebody asked me if I could get a DUI on the bike and I had no idea???
The only concern regarding the kit I had on Friday was when I got to work I removed the battery and plugged in the controller and the red light didn't come on...so I kind of moved the charge reciever plug that is attached to the battery and the red light popped on....I moved it again and the red light popped off. I don't like that - seems like a connection could be loose and I really don't want to tear the battery apart.
I have not abused the battery in anyway nor the controller. I not entirely sure it isn't the controller wire - it's just hard to tell when they are connected who the culprit is.
Terry - Dog any ideas?
I rode Wed/Thu/Fri to work. Depending on what route I take it is 4.08 - 4.57 miles. I made it home in 12 minutes and 33 seconds on Friday. I cleaned all the cables up and the bike is working very well - I'm very pleased with the speed.
I rode home Thu into about a 15-20mph headwind(in town so it was constant) and I did drop off a few mph...instead of doing 20-23mph I was doing 18-21mph....with slight pedaling. I have found I do pedal about 20% of the time which increases my speed...My bike is pretty much always in 19th gear out of 21.
Can you get an DUI on a bike? I had a few beers after work on Friday and since I ride partly on streets and bike paths - Somebody asked me if I could get a DUI on the bike and I had no idea???
The only concern regarding the kit I had on Friday was when I got to work I removed the battery and plugged in the controller and the red light didn't come on...so I kind of moved the charge reciever plug that is attached to the battery and the red light popped on....I moved it again and the red light popped off. I don't like that - seems like a connection could be loose and I really don't want to tear the battery apart.
I have not abused the battery in anyway nor the controller. I not entirely sure it isn't the controller wire - it's just hard to tell when they are connected who the culprit is.
Terry - Dog any ideas?
WonderProfessor
100 W
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2009
- Messages
- 126
In California, you can easily get a DUI on a bicycle.MartyK68 said:
From the California Vehicle Code:
21200. (a) Every person riding a bicycle upon a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this division, including, but not limited to, provisions concerning driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages or drugs...
It is my understanding that the vehicle codes of many other states are just as explicit.
dogman dan
1 PW
Yup, same in new mexico, if it is a vehicle, it has road rights and therefore you can get a dui. You can also get one riding off road bikes or dunebuggies, boats, or aircraft. You can get busted just walking around, but they call it something else.
I'm not quite clear what you mean about the connectors, I just have the motor and controller, not the hightechbikes battery. I recently converted all my bikes and controllers to andersons so I can put any battery on any bike.
Today I continued some riding closer to home. Leaving the house and riding up the Rio Grande valley almost to Hatch. Set a new personal range record of 39 miles on a 20 ah 36v pingbattery. I ride full throttle on my commute, but on a weekend fun ride, I'm learning to enjoy slow. Most of the ride was with some headwind, or lots of sidewind, riding about 15 mph. 96 miles in the last two days, whew! Gotta have the real lycra pants for that. This weekend showed that even an old fart like me can ride some serious mileage with the help of the motor.
Today I also crossed the 1000 mile mark with 1022 miles on the aotema motor from High Tech Bikes.
I'm not quite clear what you mean about the connectors, I just have the motor and controller, not the hightechbikes battery. I recently converted all my bikes and controllers to andersons so I can put any battery on any bike.
Today I continued some riding closer to home. Leaving the house and riding up the Rio Grande valley almost to Hatch. Set a new personal range record of 39 miles on a 20 ah 36v pingbattery. I ride full throttle on my commute, but on a weekend fun ride, I'm learning to enjoy slow. Most of the ride was with some headwind, or lots of sidewind, riding about 15 mph. 96 miles in the last two days, whew! Gotta have the real lycra pants for that. This weekend showed that even an old fart like me can ride some serious mileage with the help of the motor.
Today I also crossed the 1000 mile mark with 1022 miles on the aotema motor from High Tech Bikes.
Good gravy - I really need to proof my posts...
I meant when I got to work I took the battery off the bike and plugged in the charger. The plug coming out of the battery fits the charger and when I plugged it in there was a green light but no red light to indicate charging. I lightly jiggled the connection and the red light popped on indicating the battery was charging then I lightly touched it again and the red light popped off. It seems to me to be the connection to the battery but I'm not sure. i'm concerned about that because I don't want to tear the pack apart.
I meant when I got to work I took the battery off the bike and plugged in the charger. The plug coming out of the battery fits the charger and when I plugged it in there was a green light but no red light to indicate charging. I lightly jiggled the connection and the red light popped on indicating the battery was charging then I lightly touched it again and the red light popped off. It seems to me to be the connection to the battery but I'm not sure. i'm concerned about that because I don't want to tear the pack apart.
wasp
10 kW
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2008
- Messages
- 679
WonderProfessor said:
have a look at the definition of person and in particular driver in black's law dictionary
i find alot of folks here pretty astute but to call anyone a driver that doesn't require a drivers licence to operate?
the legal definition of driver is someone who receives payment for hauling people or cargo
HighTekBikes
100 W
Marty, I will check out the issuse with the charger connector. From general experience with various electronic devices, a common point of failure in cables is where the wire enters the connector. It could be on the charger ot the battery. I will specify a beefier cable connector on the battery and check into the charger. Can you take a volt meter and hold the leads to the charger and bend the wire around? Do the same with the charger inout to the pack. If it's the charger, no sweat, just splice on a new pigtail I can send you, or I can send a new charger. If the intermittent connection is on the battery, we have to be careful and figure out the best way to proceed. Keep in mind the charger input is hot. It goes without saying that you can not cut this wire pair as you will create a short. Please email the results to me.
dogman dan
1 PW
I was thinking you were talking about the lights on the controller. I have had this problem over and over. Any point of lost contact in the output leads will show on the charger as like the battery is full. It's a really great way to find yourself miles from home with a dead battery, and start you panicking that your killed the battery somehow. Usually it's the plugs, but I have had the place where the outputs are soldered to the chargers circuit board come loose twice as well, on two different chargers. That particular problem hasn't happened again since I stopped carrying a charger around with me.
I'd look at the battery first, just put the voltmeter on it at the charger plug and start jiggling. If you can't reproduce the contact loss there, then it should be pretty easy to put a new plug on the charger, or open it and resolder the wires if that is the problem. I find that I have to re do charger plugs every 3 months or so, since the plugging and unplugging bends the wires enough to fatigue them. The output wires are really small, so they break easy. Last time I put a plug on some heavy wire, and spliced that to the fine wire, hoping it will hold. On the battery side, I used heavy wire, and that plug has never broken off.
I'd look at the battery first, just put the voltmeter on it at the charger plug and start jiggling. If you can't reproduce the contact loss there, then it should be pretty easy to put a new plug on the charger, or open it and resolder the wires if that is the problem. I find that I have to re do charger plugs every 3 months or so, since the plugging and unplugging bends the wires enough to fatigue them. The output wires are really small, so they break easy. Last time I put a plug on some heavy wire, and spliced that to the fine wire, hoping it will hold. On the battery side, I used heavy wire, and that plug has never broken off.
WonderProfessor
100 W
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2009
- Messages
- 126
Counselor Wasp,wasp said:
Those aren't my words. Those words are from the California Vehicle Code. Note that it isn't called the California Motor Vehicle Code. In California, you need a motor vehicle license to operate a motor vehicle. You do not need a motor vehicle license to operate a bicycle. Yet, unless I am sorely mistaken, the words above make it crystal clear that according to the California Vehicle Code, you can get cited for driving under the influence while operating a bicycle.
And thank you very much, Counselor Wasp, for your unsolicited legal definition of a driver. It is obviously germane to this discussion. I will be sure to inform everyone I know to tell the peace officer that when he or she tries to cite them for driving under the influence while riding a bicycle or operating a motor vehicle. "Officer, you can't give me a DUI. I'm not receiving payment for hauling people or cargo." They will be forever in your debt.
Of course, each state governs its own roadways differently. Be sure to consult a bar-certified legal counselor from your jurisdiction.
Respectfully submitted (sorta'),
WonderProfessor
dogman dan
1 PW
It's pretty cut and dried here in NM, any kind of drunk and outside is a potential bust. It's just a matter of which kind they get you on. Anything that rolls can get you a dui. A horse and buggy for instance, can get a dui. But riding the horse, they may only get you on drunk and disorderly in public.
Also it doesn't matter if there is no boat licence, no dirt bike licence, no bike licence, you can get a dui, and they'll take your drivers licence for it. Of course the majority of offenders lost the licence years ago anyway and never got it back.
It works similar with a pilots certificate. If you get a dui, you lose your pilots privleges for awhile, do it twice, it's gone for life most likely.
Also it doesn't matter if there is no boat licence, no dirt bike licence, no bike licence, you can get a dui, and they'll take your drivers licence for it. Of course the majority of offenders lost the licence years ago anyway and never got it back.
It works similar with a pilots certificate. If you get a dui, you lose your pilots privleges for awhile, do it twice, it's gone for life most likely.
rearengine
100 W
Dogman.. Can you decipher the serial # of this AOTEMA motor for me My # is AMT 108125808, I notice in your pix of the motor your # is AMT 08062003.. I'm just wondering if I have one of the older motors or not. The owners maual is a bike Electrified manual.. I just bought the motor three wks. ago.. ANY HOW the rim was so bad at the weld, The brake shudder was to much to put up with.. Five Flags replaced it , no problem.. The new wheel looks much, better # 08083506..I haven't mounted it yet. ( Waiting for the Big Apple 2.35 tire ) I'm hopping, seeing as how our # are similar, it is one of the ones you think is faster... I didn't know about this forum, or Hightecbikes at the time.. I have now been lurking on the side line mostly , and getting an education... THank you all... Bill
Terry,
I have it figured out...It is the wire from the charger to the battery. Dog is right - it is very thin and fragile. I noticed the wires were exposed right where they leave the charger - not good. The only way I can see to do is use some electrical tape to try and support it. That being said I am still relieved it's not the battery connection. The charger still charges the battery but if the wire gets jostled at all the red light goes on/off. I do transport the charger to work but it fits pretty well in my battery box - it's not like I'm jamming the charger and wires in there but I do have to bundle the wires somewhat - I'm not sure how you would transport a charger without wrapping or bundling the wires. I think no matter what - I need to have at least 2 chargers on hand - one for home and one for work - I but I would really like to be able to transport one without fear of damaging it on a routine trip.
Can anybody recommend a solid 36V 10AH LiFePo4 charger? Terry if you wanted to send me a new one I wouldn't argue but I want to be upfront and admit I could've damaged the wire myself - I just don't know - I didn't look at that part of the wire before transporting it.
Does the charger have to be specific to the battery type - SLA vs LiFePo4?
I'm sure the voltage has to match - 36V to 36V (correct me if I'm wrong).
On a side note - my commute to work took 13min 30sec today into a chilly north wind with temp around 40 degrees. I averaged 18.7mph to work with stops and slowdowns and about 20% effort pedaling. I can barely drive it in 13minutes. Also, I nearly got hit at a 4 way stop today(it was close). I actually stopped and waited my turn - start thru the intersection and this asshole goes, nearly hits me in the middle of the intersection, then honks and acts like it's my fault - bastard. DUI may be the least of my worries if I put a beatdown on an unruly motorist.
I have it figured out...It is the wire from the charger to the battery. Dog is right - it is very thin and fragile. I noticed the wires were exposed right where they leave the charger - not good. The only way I can see to do is use some electrical tape to try and support it. That being said I am still relieved it's not the battery connection. The charger still charges the battery but if the wire gets jostled at all the red light goes on/off. I do transport the charger to work but it fits pretty well in my battery box - it's not like I'm jamming the charger and wires in there but I do have to bundle the wires somewhat - I'm not sure how you would transport a charger without wrapping or bundling the wires. I think no matter what - I need to have at least 2 chargers on hand - one for home and one for work - I but I would really like to be able to transport one without fear of damaging it on a routine trip.
Can anybody recommend a solid 36V 10AH LiFePo4 charger? Terry if you wanted to send me a new one I wouldn't argue but I want to be upfront and admit I could've damaged the wire myself - I just don't know - I didn't look at that part of the wire before transporting it.
Does the charger have to be specific to the battery type - SLA vs LiFePo4?
I'm sure the voltage has to match - 36V to 36V (correct me if I'm wrong).
On a side note - my commute to work took 13min 30sec today into a chilly north wind with temp around 40 degrees. I averaged 18.7mph to work with stops and slowdowns and about 20% effort pedaling. I can barely drive it in 13minutes. Also, I nearly got hit at a 4 way stop today(it was close). I actually stopped and waited my turn - start thru the intersection and this asshole goes, nearly hits me in the middle of the intersection, then honks and acts like it's my fault - bastard. DUI may be the least of my worries if I put a beatdown on an unruly motorist.
Russell
1 MW
The basic difference between lithium chargers and SLA chargers are lithium chargers are made to go to a fixed voltage and stop there while an SLA charger voltage goes above the target fully charged voltage then decreases to a float voltage.
The fully charged voltage for a "36V" LiPo or LiMn pack made up of 10 3.7V cells is 42.0V while a LiFePO4 pack made up of 12 3.2V cells is 43.8V. An SLA pack made up of 3-12V batteries has a fully charged voltage of 39.6V, a float voltage of around 41.0V and a peak charging voltage of about 44.0V. All of these voltages can vary a few tenths depending on the individual cell's specs.
If you use an SLA charger to charge a LiPo or LiMn pack and you don't adjust the SLA charger's output you will damage the lithium batteries because the SLA charger will charge them to 44.0V+. (edit: or if the BMS, if so equipped, may protect the cells but run very hot as it shunts the current)
If you use an SLA charger to charge a LiFePO4 pack it'll probably work fine however it depends on how your BMS operates. I don't have a BMS so I can't test this but if the BMS does not draw enough current from the SLA charger the charger will go to its float voltage and the lithium pack would never balance. The BMS may also require a little more voltage than the SLA charger presently delivers so you may have to tweak the SLA charger up a bit.
The best thing is to simply get the charger intended for your chemistry especially if you have no way to monitor the charging process.
-R
The fully charged voltage for a "36V" LiPo or LiMn pack made up of 10 3.7V cells is 42.0V while a LiFePO4 pack made up of 12 3.2V cells is 43.8V. An SLA pack made up of 3-12V batteries has a fully charged voltage of 39.6V, a float voltage of around 41.0V and a peak charging voltage of about 44.0V. All of these voltages can vary a few tenths depending on the individual cell's specs.
If you use an SLA charger to charge a LiPo or LiMn pack and you don't adjust the SLA charger's output you will damage the lithium batteries because the SLA charger will charge them to 44.0V+. (edit: or if the BMS, if so equipped, may protect the cells but run very hot as it shunts the current)
If you use an SLA charger to charge a LiFePO4 pack it'll probably work fine however it depends on how your BMS operates. I don't have a BMS so I can't test this but if the BMS does not draw enough current from the SLA charger the charger will go to its float voltage and the lithium pack would never balance. The BMS may also require a little more voltage than the SLA charger presently delivers so you may have to tweak the SLA charger up a bit.
The best thing is to simply get the charger intended for your chemistry especially if you have no way to monitor the charging process.
-R
Similar threads
