**POST YOUR PACK**

[fechter]

I'd like to see what batteries people are running, and how much it cost.

Posts should have the following vital statistics:

Chemistry (lead-acid, Nimh, Lipo, etc.)
Voltage
Capacity (amp-hours)
Cost

Additionally, size and weight would be handy, along with where they were purchased from.
Any comments about how well they work, voltage sag, etc. would also be appreciated.

Pictures are strongly encouraged.

 

[Rassy]

12V 12AH SLA purchased from WE (Wilderness Energy) as part of their BD36 Kits, or for $25 each.

Currently use 9 bricks hooked up in series and parallel to make a single 36V 36AH Pack. All 75 pounds ride in the trailer. Charging is done using a single 2 Amp 36 Volt Smart Charger. No DrainBrain, etc., don't know "sag". Checked each battery today after yesterday's charge-up and all nine were very near 13.2 Volts. Most trips are quite short and have never run them clear down. Recently rode from Medford to Ashland and back (600 ft. elev. change) for a distance over 40 miles and still had lots of pep (both me and the batteries). I did peddle lightly most of the time - almost had to since, my brother and his friend were on their peddle only recumbents LOL. Currently very happy with the SLA's, and even need the weight to keep the trailer tires from spinning on gravel or slick pavement.

 

[Doctorbass]

My old packs: 18 SLA (2 pack) +6 spares batt

Chemistry :SLA
Voltage:72V (79 standby) 6s
Capacity: 5Ah (1.8 real)
Cost : free (30 month from old ups)
Energy: 120Wh (at 10A draw avg)
Range: 8km at 35kph avg :lol:


New pack: 4 Dewalt 36V pack

Chemistry : Li-ion nanophosphate A123
Voltage: 72V (20s2p)
Capacity: 4.6Ah
Cost : 1 free 3 for 300$ can on ebay
Energy: 331Wh
Range: ? the pack will be at my door in the middle of the next week :wink:

 

[slayer]

i have a 36 volts 15 ah nimh
450.00 from justin. i am very happy with range and performance...but the more i learn i realize the sag could be better they go down to 33.1 volts from 38.5 volts
my best range was 57 km
start after full charge at 43.4 volts
end at 34.5 volts
max 49kmh
avg 21.6 ...over 2h20m ride
of course lots of pedaling

without pedaling is around 30km

i have 2 bike that use the same system
one is a cheap metal bike
the other is a rocky mountain slayer

 

[D-Man]

they go down to 33.1 volts at 38.5

Slayer, is the "38.5" Amps? What system do you have? Seems like a lot of sag if this is true.

 

[slayer]

no it is not the amp i am saying it is the voltage that is going down from 38.5 volts on the drainbrain to 33.2 volts when i give it full throttle on a hill... of course that is one time i noticed it was that big ...but it is not always that big say if i am on a strech (no hill)

 

[slayer]

and i have a 36-48 volts 35 amps crystalyte controller
with a x5304

 

[maytag]

I'm sure most of you have seen my GT Puma build but I'll post the specs of the custom Emoli pack I built for it since Fechter's asking.

Chemistry LiMn
Voltage 52v nominal
Capacity 9Ah
Cost $ 633.00 Ebay (6-Milwaukee V28s + 2-V28 Chargers)
Weight About 11lbs
Size Custom
V-Sag 54.1v drops to 51.7v @20A (pack wasnt fully charged at testing)

Comments: I've easily pulled 40A riding long uphill roads and pack barely gets warm.

 

[scottclarke]

pics to follow but for now details on two identical 'packs' I am running

NIMH
40 cells X2 in parallel
3700mah per cell
sub-c size

pack consists of 80 cells - two strings of 40 cells in parallel. This makes it a 7.4AH 48V pack - 355WH. Although on a bench test they show a capacity at a 10A discharge of 380WH - the 3700mah rating is as the manufacturer suggests - a minimum figure delivered at a 10C rate ~37A

Full charge voltage is 54V drops over an hour standing to 52V.
After a minute or so riding the resting voltage is 48V.
Full load - up to 70A and they deliver at 44V+ and hold this 80% of the way through the pack.
On the bike they see 25A tops and hold 46V or so.

Range is 28KM at 37km/h ~23mph and 34KM at <25kmh

 

[fechter]

I'm sure most of you have seen my GT Puma build but I'll post the specs of the custom Emoli pack I built for it since Fechter's asking.

Thanks maytag. Once this thread gets 'populated', I want to extract the information for something in the newbie section. This is handy information even for us old timers.

 

[patrick_mahoney]

Type: 18650-based Cobalt lithium ion pack
Voltage: 44.4V (12 series cells of 3.7V each)
Capacity: 17.6Ah (8 parallel cells of 2.2Ah each)
Cost: US$302.50 (96 cells of $3.15 each, ship not incl, assembly req.)
Case: Wilderness Energy's small canvas battery bag (US$20)
Weight: 10.5lbs (4.8kg in it's case)
Size: 11" x 7" x 4" (280mm X 178mm X 102mm) (LxWxH) (in case)

Charger: Astroflight 109 charger (~US$100) (33V max, 8A max)
Balancer: Hyperion LBA10 (~US$42) (22V max, 10A max)

Total cost: $517 including charger, balancer, cells... everything
(note that I had to solder everything and hook it all up myself)

Discharge configuration: 12 serially strung packs of 8 cells each.
Charge configuration: 6 serially strung packs of 16 cells each

My build thread: http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=826

Maximum manufacturer specified dischage rate 26A
Under load voltage sag: 2.83V (of 44V) at 20 celsius at 13A discharge
Internal pack temperature after 30 minutes at ~10A: +6F (3 celsius) above ambient

 

[Eric G]

G.S.Portalac PE series SLA
36volt 7.2ah
Each brick 5.94in. x 2.56in. x 3.7in.
Each brick 6.06Lbs.
Specific Energy(@20hr rate) 14.27watt hrs. per pound

$20 per brick x3 = $60 Canadian Dollars
Purchased at GNBS Battery (Hamilton Ont. Can.)

Charged overnight with a Cliplight 12volt 1.5amp. 3 stage charger (batteries in parallel)
For oportunity charging a 2amp 36volt Chinese charger

Right off the charger each batt is 13.50volts after resting for 12hrs they're 13.25each batt.

Can't say about voltage sag...
Each battery reads 13.25 volts on the multimeter and after a 10km (6.2 mile) ride each battery reads about 12.7 volts.

I allways pedal to about 10km/h before applying the throttle
except at traffic lights then both at the same time.I usually pedal along with the motor.I'll do a few full throttle spurts at around 32km/h for a minute or so each ride.

These batteries are still reasonably new and have done about 300kilometers.No complaints so far...

Eric

 

[markcycle]

heres my pack its made up of 3 40 cell 37 volt 9AH packs wired in parallel
for a total of 120 cells 27AH

I get great mileage out of the pack and have 350 miles so far on the package

Cost 700.00

within each pack are 3 sub packs with there own BMS circuit. The packs contain two 3 cell by 4 in parallel packs and one 4 cell by 4 in parallel

Thats my story and I'm sticking to it

Mark

 

[fechter]

27Ahr is impressive.

Are those Li-ion?
Any idea what the maximum discharge current is?

 

[CGameProgrammer]

Here's my pack. It's velcrotastic!

It's extremely important to me to keep the pack easily removable; by removing the batteries and the quick-release front wheel, the bike can be stored in the back seat of my car so I can drive it anywhere to use it anywhere I wish. No tools are needed for assembly or disassembly.

Anyway, the batteries are six 12V 12Ah lead-acid batteries connected in series (72V 12Ah), weighing 54 lbs. They're all taped together as one unit, and three makeshift handles made from velcro tape allow for easy carrying. To attach it to the bicycle, I place it over a layer of velcro on top of the rear basket, then use four velcro-tape straps (in red in the picture) to secure it. Extremely easy to add or remove, but the tape holds it on very securely and reliably (velcro is extremely good and resisting shearing forces).

 

[markcycle]

27Ahr is impressive.

Are those Li-ion?
Any idea what the maximum discharge current is?

Yes they are LI-ION 18650 cells

each pack is rated 15 amp max discharge or 1.5C rate
With the 3 packs in parallel I have in theory a 45 max amp discharge in practice I have my controller set to 25 amps max discharge. The BMS boards are marked 20 amp discharge on them.

For me a 700 dollar investment needs to last so I am happy to keep the batteries at the 1C rate max.

Mark

 

[monster]

mines 72v 7ah NiMH

cost £270 and had a nice case

 

[xyster]

<p align="center">On the front, a 48 volt 33ah pack of lithium 18650s in a 12s15p configuration:
<img src="http://endless-sphere.com/forums/files/img_2392_105.jpg">
<br clear="all">
<font size="+4">+</font>

On the back, a 24 volt 33ah pack of lithium 18650s in a 6s15p configuration:
<img src="http://endless-sphere.com/forums/files/img_2391_105.jpg"><br clear="all">
<font size="+4">+</font></p>

<blockquote><p align="justify">an 8 volt 33ah pack of the same cells in a 2s15p config that I can swap between my ebikes so the X5 has either 72 volts or 80 volts (all lithium), and the Currie has either 24 volts (SLA) or 32 volts (SLA + lithium). 300 total cells. </p></blockquote>
<p align="center">
The 15-cell subpacks:
<img src="http://endless-sphere.com/forums/files/2_160.jpg"><br clear="all">

at home in their box:
<img src="http://endless-sphere.com/forums/files/6_160.jpg">
<br clear="all">

and on the bike:
<img src="http://endless-sphere.com/forums/files/img_2389_573.jpg"><br clear="all"></p>

 

[BiGH]

<p align="center">On the front, a 48 volt 33ah pack of lithium 18650s in a 12s15p configuration:
<img src="http://endless-sphere.com/forums/files/img_2392_105.jpg">

This pic reminds me of when i got tours throuhg the russian antinov jet! same colours and look i swear!

 

[fechter]

Ah Ha!
I see the duct tape is hidden inside the box.

I wonder if Russian military aircraft use it?

I like the 'saddlebag' approach. This would work with most bike frames and could be easily detachable. I suppose if it could be made thinner, pedaling would be easier, but who wants to pedal anyway... :wink:

 

[xyster]

I like the 'saddlebag' approach. This would work with most bike frames and could be easily detachable. I suppose if it could be made thinner, pedaling would be easier, but who wants to pedal anyway... :wink:

Yep, the box comes right off -- I pull the velcro strap, disconnect one pair of powerpoles, and away she goes...if something goes wrong while on the road, I can run the bike just off the front 48 volts, or the rear 32 volts.

Pedaling is not a problem, my knees have a good inch of room on either side, but I have rather skinny knees. The box is 8 inches wide. I bet most people have 6 to 9 inches of space between their knees to put batteries...oh ... well you know what I mean!

 

[Toorbough ULL-Zeveigh]

I bet most people have 6 to 9 inches of space between their knees to put batteries...oh ... well you know what I mean!

There ya go, a surefire way to make ebikes more popular, not to mention make a ton of money, the vibrating battery box.


If you hadn't said otherwise, I'd have sworn from all outward appearances you were running fewer batteries.
Defiantly looks less bulky.
Bet it's nice to be able to grab the top-tube once again for the odd times you need to schlepp it.
Most people take it for granted & don't consider the loss of that ability when they enclose the triangle with some sort of cover.

And I wouldn't call the front packs saddle-bags.
I think the forward top-tube straddle-mount stores-position should be officially recognized as the e-tank.

 

[xyster]

There ya go, a surefire way to make ebikes more popular, not to mention make a ton of money, the vibrating battery box.

Should be an easy mod. I have an extra electric toothbrush that'll suffice.

If you hadn't said otherwise, I'd have sworn from all outward appearances you were running fewer batteries.
Defiantly looks less bulky.

I usually keep the 8-volt 30-cell pack on the Currie -- so a few fewer batteries in these pictures. But the bulk of the difference is the reduced bulk of consolidating all the 15-cell and 30-cell subpacks I added as I could buy more batteries. Buying batteries in small numbers was the reason the first installation looked so disjointed.

Bet it's nice to be able to grab the top-tube once again for the odd times you need to schlepp it.

Yes, very nice improvement. I don't foresee schlepping the 100-lb bike up any staircases with one hand, but I can lift it up and over a curb, or the step to my front door. And the two packs are easily removable now if I need to put the bike in the car. Love is ... a connection, such as a new set of Powerpole connectors!

Most people take it for granted & don't consider the loss of that ability when they enclose the triangle with some sort of cover.

As I, in my ebike novitiate, did not.

And I wouldn't call the front packs saddle-bags.
I think the forward top-tube straddle-mount stores-position should be officially recognized as the e-tank.

I like that...

 

[NickF23]

My pack,

13AH nimh F cells. Normally run at 48 volts 13AH with occassional 36 volt 26AH pack for very long journeys.

Ordered from TMK batteries in China, I can't remember the cost (probably blacked it out ) but they were quite a lot cheaper than batteryspace at the time.

55 volts plus off the charger settles at around 52 volts (resting) after a few minutes, down to 40 volts max at the end for a full discharge. Can sag by up to 10 volts at 40 amps.

Interestingly the pack never get hot even at high discharge rate, which makes me beleive there a little more to 'voltage sag' than simply energy lost to heat.

Overall really happy with the performance, about 200 cycles with no drop in capacity. Every once in a while I run the pack down to 1 volt per cell resting voltage, keeping the amps below 20 and tapering off to almost zero as they reach the end. I can get the full 13 AH when I do, aswell as jokes the neighbours who come out to laugh at me riding 1mph in circles on my electric bike :lol:

 

[magudaman]

My newest set up uses my 4 Dewalt packs in 2 series 2 parallel. My cost with 2 charger and 4 packs is around $420 off ebay purchasing the DC900Kl and selling the drill and case. I have a usable 4 ah at 66 v. Weight 11 lbs.

These packs have also been used in an all parallel set up in which I had 33v 8 ah usable and would see peak currents of around 150 amps.

These pack are amazing. They rarely heat up at all and can provide more current that any lead acid I have ever used. In addition I have abused these packs for 10 months with lots of cycles (drained once a day guess average). The pack under test condition have lost no capacity according my CBA. I would recommend these pack to anyone and do believe they will save you money in the long run due to long life.