dakh
100 W
eTrike said:
What is the motor in that kit, exactly? Also I guess it needs to be mentioned that likely the wheel will need some truing/spoke tensioning. Hella deal though for how much you're getting!
Need help with budget build
- Thread starter YonderGod
- Start date
What is the motor in that kit, exactly? Also I guess it needs to be mentioned that likely the wheel will need some truing/spoke tensioning. Hella deal though for how much you're getting!
motomech
10 MW
YonderGod said:
Ok, so now everybody has thrown everything, but the kitchen sink at you, we got you spinning like a top.
Go back to your original goals;
If these still apply and you want your Ebike to be a" bicycle on steroids", then all you really need is a mini-motor on 600 to 800Watts.
That makes the finished product lighter, more stealthy, easier to build and less expensive.
If you want something more Escooter like, that does 27 to 28 mph, continue on the path you are on. But when one crosses that magic 25 mph line, extra cost items crop into the picture.
As it is, you will probably want to use an Epoch DNP free wheel which is $40 to $50 and sprocket changes to be able to pedal meaningfully at/above 25 mph.
Also, things like bike handling, brakes, tires, balance, etc. get even more important at those speeds.
At this point, you need to decide which you want build before proceeding.
dequinox
10 kW
YonderGod said:
You don't need a spot welder to build battery packs... it's just a great tool to have. You can actually build one out of a busted microwave transformer, and some simple Home Depot stuff. However, all you need is a decent little soldering iron, a little knowhow (easily acquired on youtube) and come cells to work with. Whatever chemistry you choose, it's just a matter of having some free time and putting a little forethought into the production of a pack. See this thread for details on building out of used lithium 18650 cells (basically laptop batteries). I'm currently unloading boxes of the extra used laptop batteries I have recently acquired (1000lb score, see here). I am going to repurpose as many of these as I can into my own ebike packs... I make money at my job but it doesn't mean I have a lot of extra to throw into this hobby, so I'm cutting corners where I can!
[youtube]SpKSewcqdgU[/youtube]
This is also an interesting watch... basically what I'm trying to do in the next several months:
[youtube]Rjr2LKmhdVw[/youtube]
The other thing was your battery charger: It will charge up to 18v it looks like, so if you want to go 20 mph or so I think you'll need something that will charge up to 24v or better. The other option is to have a pack that can split in two (a lot like charging RC lipo) so you can charge the two halves in parallel at 18v... then you could have a 36v pack.
Don't let anyone demonize RC Lipo for you, they are a great option in a lot of ways... compact, high power density, and relatively cheap for high energy density (yes those are two different things: kW/kg vs kWhr/kg). There are some risks, but several chemistries have the potential to start fires... as does faulty or loose wiring.
Drunkskunk
100 GW
YonderGod said:
I think I might have made my sarcasm a bit to subtle. When I said often good, I was also saying also often total steaming piles of crap. When I said people usually get what they order, I meant some people open the box to find an angry honey badger. You wait 2 months for the item to ship, and when it finally gets to your house, it's something totally different than what you wanted. And their customer service policy seems to be to tell unhappy customers to go F@#$ the honey badger.
The motors are good, if you get what you paid for. Many people don't. the batteries are passable only for the lowest power motors they sell, as they tend to be 1 grade better than the brown stuff you scrape out of a sewer pipe.
People who have money to lose sometimes gamble on BMSbattery. when they win, they get a good kit. when they lose, they are left with nothing, no economical way to return it, and the company has dragged the return out long enough that most credit cards won't get involved. So totally screwed.
With your budget, it's clear you don't have money to gamble. And even if you won that gamble, you would still have an under powered bike you might not be happy with.
So avoid the BMSbattery choices. You had a good kit picked out with the Ebay+battery at probably half the cost most people pay for a conversion, in a combination that will meet or exceed all of your stated desires, with low risk.
YonderGod
1 W
whoa there, that's why I'm asking for opinionswesnewell said:
Drunkskunk said:
Ok, thanks for the info, sarcasm is hard to tell on the internet sometimes :lol:
@dequinox, looks like something I'd probably do in the future, but for now I think ill just keep it simple and buy one pre-assembled
YonderGod
1 W
eTrike said:
wesnewell said:
Ok, so I think I do want go the RC Lipo route. The cost savings is just too much to pass up.
Getting one of these kits. Most likely the 48v unless I find a battery for the 36v is a lot cheaper.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/48V-1000W-26-Rear-Wheel-Electric-Bicycle-Hub-Motor-Kit-Conversion-Speed-Control-/291422862729?hash=item43da27fd89 (48v)
OR
http://www.ebay.com/itm/36V800W-26-Rear-Wheel-Electric-Bicycle-Motor-Kit-PAS-Cycling-Hub-Conversion-Kit-/371297071158?hash=item567307b036 (36v)
I can't find any info on the controller. What is the safe voltage range? Would 44.4v nominal be enough for the 48v kit? And/or too much for the 36v?
I'm currently considering the batteries recommended by eTrike.
3x http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__64438__Multistar_High_Capacity_4S_10000mAh_Multi_Rotor_Lipo_Pack_US_Warehouse_.html ($122)
or
2x http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__64439__Multistar_High_Capacity_6S_10000mAh_Multi_Rotor_Lipo_Pack_US_Warehouse_.html ($152)
Also, I can run different batteries in series right?
as in 1x6s+2x4s=14s for 48v or 1x6s+1x4s=10s for 36v
And I'll just charge them one at a time with the charger I already have. For now. Hopefully I'll use the bike to be able to get a job, so I'll upgrade later.
wesnewell
100 GW
A 44.4v nominal pack will work with either a 36V system or 48V system, although on a 36V system the standard LVC of ~30V won't protect the pack from over discharge. For the $5 difference, get the 48V 1000W kit.
Either of your battery choices will work. Just depends if you want to parallel charge 2 6s or 3 4s packs.
You can put packs in series however you want to achieve whatever voltage you want, but they should all have the same ah capacity, and be within the limits of the controller. But you should consider charging options before you buy a bunch of different cell packs.
Typically, both 36V and 48V controllers are limited to 63V max, but some 36V controllers may have a 50V limit.
Either of your battery choices will work. Just depends if you want to parallel charge 2 6s or 3 4s packs.
You can put packs in series however you want to achieve whatever voltage you want, but they should all have the same ah capacity, and be within the limits of the controller. But you should consider charging options before you buy a bunch of different cell packs.
Typically, both 36V and 48V controllers are limited to 63V max, but some 36V controllers may have a 50V limit.
YonderGod
1 W
Cool, thankswesnewell said:
Edit: what do you mean by parallel charge? I was planning on charging 1 at a time, is there a better way?
edit: nevermind, re-read http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=52240 and found the information.
wineboyrider
1 MW
I just bought the 4s 16000mah multistars from HK for $51.00 each 8)
YonderGod
1 W
nice, I got my 10ah ones in August, used them to brake my elbow in September, so they've been sitting there unused til this week. Should have just saved my money and got those now :lol:wineboyrider said:
Late to the party, but +1 on the ebay kit (which I purchased with help from wes); only thing to add is there are disc (black) and rim (black and silver) hub systems. Mine works great with a 52V, 10 ah battery from Luna. Also, for whatever reason, the wheel was dished correctly (or maybe my frame wasn't aligned properly --- not (-:
