what should i get?

[RVD]

Hi Everyone,

I'm sure you get these types of queries very often but I'm brand new at this. This site is obviously a great resource so I've been reading as much as I can for the past few days, etc.

I generally ride my bike a lot and try to commute to work a few days/wk by bike. My commute is 17 miles each way so it does get a bit cumbersome riding all the time so I find myself just feeling lazy a lot and driving into the office. There are also days where I get out of work late and riding home at night for 17 miles has never been all that much fun for me (yes, I do have lights, etc.).

In any case, I figured I would build an e-bike for fun and maybe it will get me to ride to work more often than not.

A few things:

1) I don't plan to use the motor 100% so pedal assist is fine. I suppose having the option of using the motor 100% is nice though. But I'm not really looking for high speeds (above 30 mph). When I ride, I generally ride at around 18-20 mph so it takes me a little over an hour (with a few traffic lights, etc.) to get to work. I would be happy with around 25 mph or so and don't really need anything more.

2) Weight is a concern because there may be times where I use the motor very little or not at all. Well, maybe that will almost never happen but having the option seems nice to me.

3) For cost, I am hoping to keep this build at under $1k.

With these things in mind, I am considering getting a 48v 500w kit from one of the places that most members here get their stuff...ebikes, e-bikekits, cell_man, etc. I am leaning towards a 9c or Mac. There's always ebay but it seems like you need to swap out their stuff for higher end stuff anyway.

I was looking at the Lyen controllers because they seem like they're great and this is an important piece of the puzzle.

As for battery, I think a 48v 10ah LiFePo4 will probably be enough but everyone here seems to go with the 15ah or 20ah. I don't know if I necessary need that much range and I'd rather save the weight. Would a 36v 5ah be out of the question in terms of power? Maybe a light 5ah and a smaller motor (say 36v 250w) would be enough of a build?

Anyway, if anyone has any tips or pointers that would be great. Thanks all! This is fun stuff...

RVD.

 

[Ykick]

17 miles each way is a very tall order for under $1k and maintaining a reasonable chassis weight. I think you're underestimating battery capacity range - even if you're able to charge at each end, 15Ah might not even be enough IMO. And remember too, batteries will NEVER deliver more capacity with age...

 

[dogman dan]

Yeah, what you want, and how ebikes work is a bit different than you think.

The closest thing to what you imagine now, is the smaller planetary gear motors. Ebikekit sells one, Cellman has one, Bafang is the most common one you see on ebay. They come with thrifty 350 watt controllers that make a 36v 10 ah battery possible. With the more powerful motors that run 500-1000 watts, you need 15-20 ah to have enough range for 17 miles and to provide the amps to the larger controllers.

If you want to hypermile, get the 350 watt gearmotor. It's the lightest, and has the internal freewheel for pedaling with the motor off. You can run them on very small batteries with lipo if you want to use the motor very sparingly. Even so, you'll be strapping 20 pounds to the bike. Enough weight to want to motor the whole way for me.

 

[RVD]

thanks for the info. Sounds like a 48v 500 watt motor with a 48v 20ah battery is the way to go.

I will be able to charge at each end and the ride is mostly flat. I also cycle regularly so I'm in half decent cycling shape (although i could stand to lose a few pounds). I weigh around 190 pounds and am 5'8".

Thanks for the advice all...

 

[kafka-cloud]

A cheaper 250w geared motor, like the following http://www.emissions-free.com/catalog/i16.html might be an option. ALthough I would not pass on the cycle analyst...

I have a 9c and I do feel drag when pedalling. a lower watt geared motor could last longer with less use of the battery.

And I would get a 36v either 15Ah or 20Ah from ping.

Having a 48v and limiting my Amp usage to 10A (BMS heats up currently if pushed too far) with a 48v 15Ah, I was able to do a 20 mile run on 2/3 of my battery with constant 500-600 watt pulled from the motor.

 

[nuevomexicano]

A cheaper 250w geared motor, like the following http://www.emissions-free.com/catalog/i16.html might be an option. ALthough I would not pass on the cycle analyst...

I have a 9c and I do feel drag when pedalling. a lower watt geared motor could last longer with less use of the battery.

And I would get a 36v either 15Ah or 20Ah from ping.

Having a 48v and limiting my Amp usage to 10A (BMS heats up currently if pushed too far) with a 48v 15Ah, I was able to do a 20 mile run on 2/3 of my battery with constant 500-600 watt pulled from the motor.

Yeah, but the shipping from Asia on that motor and battery is going to make it equivalent to buying something else already here in the US. He could get a geared kit from Amped Bikes with a 36V12Ah battery for less than the above motor and ping battery shipped to the US.

 

[wesnewell]

1) I don't plan to use the motor 100% so pedal assist is fine. I suppose having the option of using the motor 100% is nice though. But I'm not really looking for high speeds (above 30 mph). When I ride, I generally ride at around 18-20 mph so it takes me a little over an hour (with a few traffic lights, etc.) to get to work. I would be happy with around 25 mph or so and don't really need anything more.

2) Weight is a concern because there may be times where I use the motor very little or not at all. Well, maybe that will almost never happen but having the option seems nice to me.

3) For cost, I am hoping to keep this build at under $1k.

With these things in mind, I am considering getting a 48v 500w kit from one of the places that most members here get their stuff...ebikes, e-bikekits, cell_man, etc. I am leaning towards a 9c or Mac. There's always ebay but it seems like you need to swap out their stuff for higher end stuff anyway.

As for battery, I think a 48v 10ah LiFePo4 will probably be enough but everyone here seems to go with the 15ah or 20ah. I don't know if I necessary need that much range and I'd rather save the weight. Would a 36v 5ah be out of the question in terms of power? Maybe a light 5ah and a smaller motor (say 36v 250w) would be enough of a build?

If you can ride 18-20mph without motor assist for 17 miles, then you are in excellent shape. I'm an old fat fart 270lbs 64 years young and I can hit about 16mph with a tailwind on level ground for just a few minutes. I bought a 48v 500w rear motor kit off ebay, and use a 3.5lb 5ah 14s lipo pack and can get up to about 40 miles per charge if I use it sparingly. But I only average about 10mph that way. Top speed is about 27mph, but I rarely push the throttle that hard. The motor kit cost me $227.90 shipped off ebay. The battery pack cost $114 from HK. So it's quite easy to do for less than $1k. Without pedaling I can get close to 10 miles out of the 5ah pack with a typical 17mph speed. To maximize battery usage, you'd want at least over 100 gear inchs out of your bike gears. The higher the better so your pedaling would actually help at higher speeds. Of course the lazier you get, the more battery you will need. If you don't plan on doing much pedaling, then get at least 15ah. The one advantage to lipo besides size and weight is you can easily reconfigure it with more power if you need it.

 

[dogman dan]

Yeah, but charging lipo at work would not be so ideal. Like everybody else, I expected more out of my first ebike than I got. That particular vendor greatly exaggerated the range, etc.

You can get amazing distances out of motors, both direct drive and geared hubmotors, by simply riding slower. 15-20 mph gets you great watthours per mile.

The standard direct drive kit tends to come with a 20 amp controller and a 36v battery. This type of setup will get you a real world 1 mile per amp hour, including a hefty reserve to make the battery last longer, and give you some extra for that day when you have a stiff headwind. This range will be had, riding with full throttle, and a speed up to 25 mph. So if he really wants to go 25 mph the whole way, a 12 ah battery will come up short, and trap him into a perpetual 100% discharge that the battery will not like. If he rode large parts of the ride motor off, with a small watt gearmotor, then the amped geared kit would be perfect.

So for the 25 mph commute, a 36v 20 ah battery and a direct drive motor can be ideal. You'll still get to pedal plenty, adding your 100 watts or so to the total. The idea is to set the throttle to a speed you like, then pedal up 1-2 mph more. You may need a bigger front chainring if you have a 44 up there to pedal along at 25 mph. So a 48 tooth crank will help.

For a faster ride, get a similar kit and run it on a 48v 15 ah battery. It's the same capacity, but will take the 23 mph 9 continent motors to 27 mph. The battery is the same capacity as a 36v 20 ah, so it's still big enough for 17 miles at 27 mph.

 

[RVD]

ah nice. thanks for the info.

i am in decent shape but when i ride 18-20mph for my 17 miles commute, it is on my cervelo RS road bike...so carbon fiber everything, etc. on my mountain bike, it's a bit slower (takes me about 1:20 to get to work instead of 1:05 on my road bike). i have had a few days coming home in the evening when i just felt sluggish and it took me over 1:30 to get home on my mountain bike.

i pretty much decided on the following (from lots of reading here):

9c 2807 rear hub
lyen controller
cycleanalyst

the only question remaining is the battery. looks like i'll be getting a 48v 20ah from ping. i am still a bit hesitant on whether i want the weight of 20ah and really need it but from reading here, it sounds like people get addicted to this stuff and end up wanting to ride more and more (not less). i'm not really very patient and waiting 3 weeks for a battery kind of sucks. maybe i'll go risk it from that place in chicago...

@wesnewell, i've read a lot of your posts regarding the ebay kit, etc. definitely looks promising but after a lot of thought, i ended up going with 9c instead. the ebay kit was definitely tempting though. glad it's working out for you and if i ever build a second bike, i will probably go with that kit. to make things even easier, i live in SoCal and i have communicated with them and i can just drive over and pick up a kit from them pretty easily.

 

[Ykick]

I like your choices of electric hardware - perhaps I missed it somewhere but have you chosen a bike yet?

I would suggest simple mock-up in cardboard or ??? of the battery using dimensions from Ping and use that to find a good fit - ideally for heavy battery pack someplace on/in the frame is the best weight distribution. 20Ah Ping will be kinda large and heavy - not as much as SLA but 'rather large chunk to deal with on a bicycle.

I wish you a great journey discovering eBikes!

 

[NeilP]

EDIT : BRACE your self...I got a bit carried away typing this out Hope it helps and you make it to the end without the need of a support group :wink:

Hi ...I am a newbie at this too...been looking at it all since ...when did I join now? .. Oct---Nov time last year...and I have only just got my bike together in the last week... If you are in the USA you may get it done quicker and cheaper though.

My cycle journey to work is about half yours...8 miles each way. I can do two of those journeys, so 32 miles, on the kit I ended up buying.

Like you too, i have ( or had, I sold it to finace this e-bike build) a road bike,a Trek Madonne 4.7...My best time home on that 8 miles trip was 19 mins 56 seconds...average time about 25mins ...To work was about 35 mins

Anyway like you got fed up with that so wanted an e-bike, fed up cold wet and also no place to shower and change at work, this was not good


SO, here is what I went for. Everyone said it was over the top for what I wanted...but I am bloody glad I did not listen to all the advice about getting the lighter weigh ...less powerful kit.

What I list here is what I bought and I can do two 16 miles round trips with a bit left over to spare...so it will do your work and back trip just fine...and you wont be left worrying if you are going to over discharge the battery. Yes you could go for the less powerful kit...but I recon you would be disappointed. This is good...The Lyen controller gives you a hree position switch so you can set it to three different speed setings...I have mine at 35% that does about 18 mph..65 % which takes me up to about 35 and then the overkill mode at position 3 120% ...which can kick me along at 49 mph. I had a problem with my controller, so have sent it back to Lyen for repair. Max has sent me a 48 amp Crysalyte unit as a replacement..and yes..it is good...but I would not have been so impressed with this r-bike business had i tried that contoller first..the Lyen 18 FET 65 amps unit is impressive.....GO OVERKILL YOU WONT REGRET IT>>>IF YOU HAVE A ROAD BIKE AND CAN DO DECENT SPEEDS ANYWAY ...ANYTHING LESS WIL ONLY DISAPOINT...TAKE IT FROM ANOTHER E-BIKE NEWBIE

This is my list:

Xlytel 5304 rear with disk brake mounts/
Torque plates...to stop motor spinning in the wheel dropouts
A bike witha frame big enough to fit the batteries inside the frame triangle ...DONT PUT THEM ON THE BACK...you will never keep the front wheel on the ground...I have 15lbs of fishing weight on my handle bars at the moment to keep the front end down...till i fit the batteries in the frame

Lyen 18 FET 65 amp controller...Just trashed that so a 72 volt 48 amp Crysalyte one is the current stand in ...that does 34mph...flat out..so not a super fast e-bike ...but as fast as yo would be cycling on the road bike

Batteries are 8 Turnigy Nano Tech 5Ah 10s packs. wired as two packs of 4. 4 in parallel and then the two packs of 4 in series to give a 20s4p pack..84 volt 20 Ah I went for the 25 C packs..cheaper and you wont need the expensive 45 C-90C capability anyway

Cycle analyst Direct Plug in Unit

Lyen Throttle
Lyen Three position speed switch
Lyen Pedelec unit
Lyen E-brake levers...ask Lyen to do the R12 regen resistor mod before he sends you the controller otherwise the regen braking won't work
Lyen Cruise control

Charger. from Hobby King...iCharge 3010b
two meanwell power supplies S-350 48's ..so you can use one to run the iCharger for weekly balancing and then put two in series to bulk charge the pack on a daily basis

A list of other things that you need to get.
At least 4 Battery Medics from Hobby King..so you can monitor and balance if you feel the need while bulk charging
parallel boards to connect up the balance wires on teh LiPo packs...tppacks boards I used
extension leads to connect the pack wires to the balance boards
Spare extension leads to connect the packs to the charger balance board,a nd some to cut up to make up parallel adapters etc
at least 3 meters of red and black Turnigy 10 gauge silicon wire
At least 20 pairs of bullet connectors the same as the ones on the patteries to make up the wiring loom
Connectors to connect phase wires from controller to motor/ Lyen uses big spade connectors. Andersons are very good...but bloody big and bulky
I asked Lyen to send my and extra 20 or so pairs of his big spade terminals
Selection packs of heat shrink tubing

If you have nto already got a digital or analogue multi meter...get two or three..or more..always handy...I bought 4 of the $0.99 ones from China from e-bay ..brilliant value and no different from the ones you will buy in your local car parts store for 10 times the price...in fact buy 10 and give the spares away to mates who help you out

Solder.

Big plumber style electric soldering iron...for doing the 10 gauge wire
standard soldering iron for the smaller wires etc
wire srtrippers, crimpers etc etc

Battery isolator switch for the main supply...sort of thing you see on boats etc to isolate main batteries
150ohm 10 watt pre charge resistor and switch ...you connect this across the main isolator to feed power through the resistor to the controller...prevetns a big spark cross isolator contacts when contolller capacitors charge up
Ignition key to power up the controller

Selection of automotive crimp on terminals

Big in line fuse holder...to take your battery current to the controller.

Lots and lots of cable ties

Would also highly recommend the E-bike motor and controller tester that Lyen sells. When I had my problem with my controller the other day...it toldl me instantly where the fault was...and more importantly where it was not.

What else have I used...needed....There is a lot of things like extra connectors..spare wire etc etc that tend to get over looked when giving advice to newbies like our selves. So you then only realise you need part X, Y or Z ...once you have started the job...so then yo have another two week wait for that next little part to be delivered.

Maybe spare Hex headed bolts ...5mm I think to screw things to the bike frame mounting points...water bottle holder screw..
A 'Nut sert' tool it is the thing that allow you put a captive thread in the frame of the bike...exactly like the ones that hold the water bottle rack in place

Some sort of cable sheathing .spiral wrap to bind all the cables up to give scuff protection and make it all look a bit tidier when finished.

Building your own wheel from a supplied hu?...tha is a whole new subject in itself.....I did mine..easy enough ..but fiddly.....but one ready laced if you can

Hydraulic disk brakes?...I have basic V-Brakes..Tektro Comp I think..they do well enough...maybe XTR Parallelogram ones are better..but mine stop me just fine.

Once you have started to fit the throttle...and cruise control, and three position switch...and brake levers...and gear shifter ...you will fond that some of them do not play together nicely on the handle bar.
if yo have a 7 speed setup on your donor bike just fine...but if you have a 8 or 9 speed...problems potentially...the Crystalyte hubs only accept a max of a 7 speed Freewheel ..so that means getting s different shifter...the if you are fussy liek me...it wont match the LH front chain ring shifter.

If you are doing 30-35...maybe you will want to change the front chain ring to a 53 or 54...and maybe go with an 11-27 or 34 mega rand on the back? Ok so you wont need any but the 54 and 11 for every day electric and pedal assist use...but they day it all goes wrong..and you have to climb up that steep incline to get to where you are going on pedal power alone...you will be glad of the 34 on the rear...I know I was.

I am firing a lot at you here, all little things that are generally overlooked when answering a question such as yours...i know these sorts of things were not mentioned when I first started posting here 6 months ago. Now don't get me wrong...everyone here is VERY HELPFUL...it is just all that little things that get overlooked...All the things that ''''oh anyone could have told you that" and that you probably know your self...but yo will get so bogged down in worrying if you should go for a 9C and Xlytel 5 series and 4 series, a new brushless Crystalyte...or one of the coumtless other motors out these..that all the small things get overlooked...till the order from China arrives...you look at it and realise that you cant plug tha battery in to it as yo do not have the correct connectors...so back to Hobby King for another two week wait.

OK, I shall shut up now and let you digest my compressed 6 months worth distilled knowledge

 

[gensem]

I can understand what Neilp was trying to say...
I started with a 250w geared hub and now im trying to build a 2500w continuos ebike.

The only problem with his setup is that you ll have fold 3k dollars on the motor, controller, battery and chargers.

But it bet his bike is good.

 

[RVD]

wow nice post. lots of info there. thanks for the advice and info (especially from another roadie).

as for my frame, i will probably go with a tidalforce s-750 because it looks cool

Dan.

 

[Floont]

EDIT : BRACE your self...I got a bit carried away typing this out Hope it helps and you make it to the end without the need of a support group :wink: ...

Neil,

That is probably the best overall single post summary I have seen to-date!

I've spent countless hours reading and reading and reading here and all the information is here, but it takes months to get the information that you specifically want. I'm even going to use your advice regarding the Lipo's, since that's my the next step in the evolution of my ebike. (I'm still on lead).

Great post! Thanks!

FA

 

[NeilP]

That is probably the best overall single post summary I have seen to-date!


Great post! Thanks!

FA[/color]
[/size]

Hey thanks...It still needs a bit of editing. I keep going back and changing bits, that do not read correct.

if nothing else...it gives someone just starting out a realisation of what is involved...choosing the motor, battery pack and controller, is just a tiny fraction of what you need to consider. Wish someone had made that clear when I started..Well maybe they did...but possibly in a short phrases ...such as ..its a lot of work...a mammoth post ilke mine really helps to bring it home ..I think...and I never even got started on wheel building and making the battery box....ooops...look what you've done stated me off again...NO Honest...I'll stop NOW

 

[gensem]

If was to start over again, they only real thing I think I would done diferent would be to go straight for 24s A123 cells. They are pricy but you have a good life spam and they can handle very hi discharge rates.
Wish I knew about C rating and chemistry type when I started at ebikes a couple months ago.

 

[RVD]

heh yeah...i know it's just a can of worms waiting to open up.

i already have 3 bikes and this will be a 4th. my wife isn't going to be too happy but oh well...i'm pretty good at building stuff in the garage without her knowledge. but one day she'll notice another bike out there.

come to think of it, my 5 year old son has 4 bikes. maybe i should just toss one of his in the trash to make some space.

 

[julesa]

I think 48V 15Ah should take you 17 miles at 25mph if you're pedaling, though some motors won't go that fast on 48v. I've gone 20 miles with a 10Ah pack...barely. Going slow and pedaling a lot. My LVC kicked in one block from my front door. Check out the simulator at ebikes.ca to get some idea of the speed you'll get from different motors.

I'll add another vote for RC lipo, too, though I'll have to admit I haven't finished building my first lipo build yet.

The first bikes I built used LiFePO4, 48V 20Ah each. After spending a lot of time and energy fixing broken racks, rebuilding battery housings, etc. I decided it was just too much weight for my bike and reconfigured them into 48V 10Ah on each bike because along with the 15 lb. motor, that was as much weight as I could add while still keeping the bike feeling like a bicycle. 520 watt-hours, 18 lbs of Headway cells. (though Headways are heavier than Ping LiFePO4)

And I thought I would be happy with 25mph... but I'm now working on what I should probably have done from the start: a dual-suspension Kona Dawg. I've got a 40A controller and a 10x6 9C motor from ebikes.ca on the way. And 68V 15Ah of Lipo from Hobbyking: just over 1000 watt hours in a 16 lb pack.

 

[Dave Sloan]

On cost alone if you were to limit yourself to 1.2k dollars and get a GOOD combo :
Trek 820 - $320 - 48 tooth so you can still pedal at 25mph (26 inch rim) - well balanced frame good tires.
Nine Cont. - $180 - from e-bike.ca or ebikekit.com (on sale) 2807 - black to match.
LiFePO4 - $520 - 48v - 20ah - cylinders are a bit heavier then pouch - but life of pack appears better - comes with BMS and charger.
Controller - $65 - from Golden Motors - nice backup features - haven't tried Lyen - looks pretty good.
Bike Rack - $30 - Voyager Fx Rear Rack or equivalent to hold battery.
Trakker - $20 - Voltage and Watt Meter
wire etc. - $65 - Lots of velcro and ties plus puncture proof tubes (45lbs pressure) 12 gauge heat proof - Anderson 30a Powerwerx connectors.
And when you have a few extra dollars an eTrex GPS for $65 dollars so that you can tell yourself that you went 35 miles at average 18 mph and used 15ah of your battery because that is what I just did on this three year old battery on a controller that is the same age. I paid a bit less for the battery (400 delivered) because they had better bids back then, but the price is pretty fixed now. The motor is the best choice for the price - do NOT get a cheap one on eBay! The one I have on the bike is two years old and at least 3000 miles = the bearings are just broken in and it is easy to pedal when I test the 40+ mile ride where the battery goes empty.

 

[RVD]

I've read pretty much everything that I can get my hands on regarding lipo but I'm still not totally understanding it's range, etc.

Yes, I understand that a very high quality charger is required to ensure safety. Charging it in a virtually fireproof area is also good (oven, bbq, ammo case, etc.).

Don't worry, I won't be jumping into it blind...I will make sure that everything is set up properly and safely before proceeding.

But can anyone point me to some more info regarding the output of around 48v to get a range of 25 miles or so? Yes, I understand that I should discharge or overcharge beyond the specific thresholds but I'm a bit confused as to where to get lipo batteries, how to set them up, soldering, etc. Thanks!

 

[julesa]

I bought my lipo from hobbykings USA warehouse. As for how much battery you would need to go 25 miles, there are too many variables to give a good estimate. Riding style, prevailing winds, which motor and controller you're using, etc. If you're pedaling and going 25 mph, I would be surprised if you used 15ah in 17 miles, but if your kit isn't a power sipper 25 miles might be pushing it unless you're packing some more batteries.

 

[wesnewell]

I've read pretty much everything that I can get my hands on regarding lipo but I'm still not totally understanding it's range, etc.

Yes, I understand that a very high quality charger is required to ensure safety. Charging it in a virtually fireproof area is also good (oven, bbq, ammo case, etc.).

Don't worry, I won't be jumping into it blind...I will make sure that everything is set up properly and safely before proceeding.

But can anyone point me to some more info regarding the output of around 48v to get a range of 25 miles or so? Yes, I understand that I should discharge or overcharge beyond the specific thresholds but I'm a bit confused as to where to get lipo batteries, how to set them up, soldering, etc. Thanks!

While a good lipo charger may be recommended, it's certainly not required. You can charge lipo many different ways safely. When I use my sla charger to charge mine I just leave it on the bike. When I use my lipo charger, it's about 2' from me on a desk. And I sometimes don't stay with it, The charger will shut off automatically when charged. I certainly don't go to bed with it charging though.

As for range, that is dependent on many factors. Rider weight, average speed maintained, stop and go or not, pedal assist or not, hills involved, etc, etc. Without knowing all these factors, there's no way one can answer your question with any amount of accuracy. For instance, I ride mostly for exercise and don't use the motor much. Doing this I can get upwards of 30-40 miles out of a 5ah 14s1p pack charged to 95% (58.5V). Then again, if I just use nothing but the battery, don't pedal, and run about 17mph on average, all I can get from it is about 10 miles. And that's on fairly level ground with not much wind. I've got a 48V 500W motor. So if you pedal a lot and use the motor very sparingly, you can get 25 miles easily from a 5ah 14s pack. I do it all the time and I weigh 270lbs @64 and in pitiful shape. If you don't want to pedal at all, then get a 25ah 14s pack. That will get you 25 unless you are 250+ lbs and have lots of hills and/or want to at top speed all the time. Want to pedal mildly, then 10 or 15ah will probably be enough if you ride conservatively.
Hobbyking.com is where many get there lipo from, including me. As for hooking them up, it's pretty simple. Parallel them for added ah, Serialize them for voltage. Same as any other battery technology. And you can use connectors that don't require soldering if you want to.

 

[RVD]

thanks for the info wesnewell. i took your advice and i'm going lipo. i bought 8 turnigy 6s 5000mah 20c lipo packs from HK. i bought a fairly inexpensive charger as well as some other stuff. i plan to run them in 2 series (so 12s) and 4 parallel for a total of 20ah equiv. however, at start, i'll play around with just 2 series (12s 5ah) and see how that goes before going too far.

i think i wrote some of my stats in an earlier post but i'm about 190 pounds and in decent shape so i plan to pedal while i ride. on a normal mountain bike, i don't really have a problem riding all the way to work (17 miles) but i do get a bit sweaty and coming home at night is a chore sometimes (especially if i work late, etc.). i like having the option of having a motor to help me out as well as something to play with. i actually think i can probably get full range to work on 12s 10ah but i also don't want to run the batteries down too much (i read about the thresholds for lipo) and i also like lipo because it seems like it's pretty easy to just reconfigure my system for a short trip vs. long trip, etc.

what are the best connectors that don't require soldering? i'm not adverse to soldering (have done it before) but would prefer not to i guess (just like most people). anderson connectors?

 

[wesnewell]

Those turnigy packs have 4mm bullet connectors same as the zippys i bought, so get some male/female 4mm bullet connects. I used a $2 pack of 3M .156 connector set I got at Walmart and they worked fine. Use 14 gauge stranded wire with them.

 

[NeilP]

Yes, go with the same connectors as the packs have...saves re making one lot of connectors. So make at least the battery end of the parallel loom with the 4mm bullet connectors. Use whatever you want at the battery isolator, Fuse holder and controller end.
I tried to get my 4mm connectors from Hobby King...but they always seem to be out of stock..there are plenty of e-bay sellers with them.
Probably have to solder them though.

For making up the parallel wiring loom, and all wire to the controller, I used Turnigy 10 gauge sisicone from Hobby King. You have 8 packs same as me...so order at least two meters of each colour...better make it three meters of each...I only barely had enough with two meters. I have just ordered another three meters of each colour ...damn I forgot to order more connectors.

For the fuse, I used one of these
http://www.technobotsonline.com/fuses-and-fuse-holders/fuse-holders/maxi-blade-fuse-holder.html

It takes big blade fuses, from 20 to 100 Amp
http://www.technobotsonline.com/fuses-and-fuse-holders/automotive-fuses/maxi-automotive-fuses.html

As for the battery connections to the controller I did have Andersons, but have swapped them for smaller connectors...Spade and socket type from Lyen. These are bigger fittings than you usually see, you can crimp then only if you want to, and they are no way as bulky as the Andersons. Lyen Supplies some ready fitted to his controllers...for the power and the phase connectors.

What are you doing about the balance leads? are you making up balance boards? or just using parallel sets of leads. I used a parallel/LVC/HVC board from tppacks
http://www.tppacks.com/proddetail.asp?prod=EBKE-2x6s-LVC



One double unit as pictured will be enough for you. I had 10 s packs for a 20 s total...so needed two of the double units...

If you use those, you will probably find that the leads are not long enough to go from battery to the board, so you will need extensions as well.

These are good as they plug in to the controller for LVC..and charger for HVC..but with all their associated extension leads, they are bulky. I am finding it difficult to gt it all to fit my battery box..so I am thinking of not using the board now, and making up parallel leads to reduce the bulk of wires.
Down side of these is you have to make them up your self...BUT..check out the for sale section of the forum...someone John? is making up ready built LVC/parallel boards with SMD's