A shorter range solution ?

[Nashville Kat]

In my continuing quest for alternative battery power (smaller range= lighter battery=potentially less cost) and considering all things, but probably eliminating building another bike box or repacking my own existing 36 v bike battery- with 50 give or take a few 18650 li-po cells-

I have come upon another potential "solution". And please bear in mind I'm mostly interested in this point the practical transportation needs or short recreational use in urban/suburban Jacksonville- where it is possible- though maybe not probable- to ride most of the year.

Besides the bike shown in the other thread- I also have ales powered 36v 259 watt front hub wheel I got on the cheap- as opposed to the 500 watts of the other- I'm expecting maybe 13-16 mph out of it on a classic Peugeot Mixte frame- which I think may accommodate some kind of battery nicely along the top rail.

The other candidate I found near summers end for a whopping $15 is a Diamondback aluminum comfort bike lightweight step through 26" wheeled bike with both a front suspension and shock seat post- and remembering that in fact a 700c front wheel usually works on a 26 fork- in fact the China builds both have that set-up on shock forks that are actually 26" - I like the set up especially since it requires a diminutive reach front brake and so especially light considering the added weight of a shock fork. Right now the bike is set up with 1.5 slick urban tire on the back and a narrow 26 x 1.25 inch tire on the front.

Anyway- This is what I've found. A balancing scooter Hoverboard battery
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Balance-Scooter-Battery-36V-4-4AH-Lithium-Ion-Battery-Fits-Scooter-UL-2272/312347127566?_trkparms=aid=777003&algo=DISCL.MBE&ao=1&asc=20131223091518&meid=43b6cc6a89c0489883a584b3da783e98&pid=100013&rk=3&rkt=12&sd=202394675205&itm=312347127566&_trksid=p2047675.c100013.m1986

In fact I already have one in my possession to test- 10 cells a pack, for 37volts, but see probably two or three wired parallel for perhapsa 10-12 mile range- the 250 watt hub is an unknown factor, but I've taken my current battery 20 miles with charge left on it- and pedal assisting.

there are good connectors and even a parallel connector:

https://www.ebay.com/p/Amass-Xt60h-Male-Plug-Connector-With-Shealth-12awg-Silicone-Wire-RC-Lipo-Battery/1180187895?iid=112081259695&_trkparms=aid=888007&algo=DISC.MBE&ao=1&asc=20131227121020&meid=999734028d284c50a42c8255a01b5573&pid=100009&rk=1&rkt=1&sd=162982446974&itm=112081259695&_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982

https://www.ebay.com/itm/XT60-Parallel-Battery-Connector-Cable-Dual-Extension-Y-Splitter-for-DJI-Phantom/271876986662?_trkparms=aid=333200&algo=COMP.MBE&ao=1&asc=20171012094517&meid=e42fe53fcce245e7be59cbdb3401a2a8&pid=100008&rk=2&rkt=12&sd=352403899071&itm=271876986662&_trksid=p2047675.c100008.m2219

I'll be gradually testing this out- these are barely larger than a drill battery and so only 2 lbs a pack- 5" x 3" x 2 and I'll eventually report back on my findings.

 

[Dan]

Kat, Have you considered local grants from organizations? Up my way there are a bunch and a PITB!, but. Most transportation forecasts say people will not own cars in the next few decades and ultra-lite, personal transportation is gonna be a big thing.

Big money is being invested and think e-bike kits are gonna be the future. Dunno but would love to see you do something cool with this.

There are grants and all sorts of support. PITB but if any one can do it, you done way more difficult dear friend!

Build something cool!

 

[Nashville Kat]

So the hoverboard male connectors are in with the open leads so I can put one on the $7 charger and use the other to connect to the leads of my controller/s. That is the big question- will 36 v (10 18650 cells) drive the power through my controllers- I'm hoping and guessing it will. I so far have only one hoverboard pack, and the parallel connection is coming from China so weeks off. On the other hand- it's the Holidays, I'm tired and still all kinds of stuff to do- I hope to test within a month or so, and if it works, I'll definitely get another pack- these things will probably be around for a long time- One of them would probably jam into a water bottle cage with some bending, and two of them will fit in a handlebar bag, rack bag or small part of any basket. At only two lbs each, it would be great if they work- a reviewer says he's run them in parallel to power scooter. Will 4,4 Ah work through my geared hub controllers? Will 8.8 Ah work in parallel? Theoretically, they are about 6 miles with one pack and 12 miles with two charge. My usual trip in town is 6 miles- One pack may cover it, or if I carried the small charger, I could recharge at Starbucks- they're small. If I had to pedal a mile, it wouldn't kill me- They're fine road/touring bikes.

 

[Nashville Kat]

****INITIAL TEST- Disappointing, Still Inconclusive ****
So... It rained all day yesterday, and was supposed to be almost as bad today, but the rains eased this morning and the skies cleared- I took a walk beside the beach- shirt sleeves and shorts- and sat for awhile and had coffee and got some grocery items, and by the time I got back, The sun had broken through and an hour and a half of daylight remained on what turned into a beautiful unexpected sunny and warm day in mid-December.
.
I had realized that all I needed to do to test my hoverboard pack of 10 18650 li-po cells was to attach some bullet connectors to the leads of the connectors that came a few days back- as is the current 6v and I think 12 or 14 Ah battery. If you are jus starting into electric bikes, do yourself a favor and buy several types of wire connectors- these are blue bullet connectors, male and female, and I got a whole bunch- 50 or more- for a buck or two from China on ebay- of course they take a month or more to arrive, so plan ahead. I've also got blade connectors and lots of wire nuts in several sizes. (It is critical to keep the ends of these batteries from touching
and while I thought I might initially use some old school double radiator fan connector plus- that was going to be at $6 or so a pop and I figured I'd probably need three., for the other battery and the charger connections) Yet I'd connected the current big case battery- 50 to 60 cells- I can't tell until I'd someday tear it apart and no plans for that yet! The charger needs some mention- while some can run into higher money, the 2 amp chargers look petty much the same and the connectors DON'T MATCH the battery pack- there is obviously- TYPICALLY- another interface between the charger and the hoverboard battery on the "scooter" itself. Since the cost was low- $7- I stripped the ends off- there was thus an element of gamble- but there they were- A red and a black wire lead- thin but workable I guess-I had to fold the bare wire back on itself to get a good crimp on the bullet connectors- one male on one lead and one female on the other- to prevent plugging them together wrong into the controller and the charger. The red and black are consistent markings red positive and black negative so no troubles putting the leads and connectors together . Since there is only one connection on the hoverboard battery, I guessed that it must charge through that lead too. It's in the kitchen right now and coming up on an hour and three quarters and still red has not changed to green- I don't feel much heat or vibration like with the bike battery charger, so the charging is still questionable and may have to be done with stronger charger and packs in parallel if I go further.

Here's what happened- I got it together in 15 minutes- at first I was going to be patient and charge the pack first- but the circumstance of time was pressing towards dark and so I just ran the battery as it was- UNSURE of it's age and initial state of charge. I was also thinking that I'd probably need at least TWO packs to get much mileage- that's 20 cells compared to the aluminum battery's 50-60, or roughly a third, probably more- but with a proven 20 plus miles once travelled on that battery, I' was hoping for maybe 6-8 miles with two hoverboard packs- the mileage they claim the hoverboard can travel is unbelievable frankly- with tiny wheels and one pack- 20 miles or so I think I've seen them claim.. I was thrilled that when I plugged in the pack to where the bike battery plugs into the controller- the unit powered up and the LED indicator was shining two of the four red lights that usually glow with a full charge. Would it take me somewhere near ten miles- that wasn't my projection, but I hoping maybe 5-6 for each pack on flat land. I secured the pack stable with a bungee cord inside one of the folding saddlebag baskets.

I put my helmet on and put the other battery connector- with matching bullet connectors- into my jersy pocket and started out. The first thing I noticed was that it was not generating the same kind of power and speed, even though it's 36v On the 12 or more amp battery, the 500 watt hub does about 20, this felt like maybe 15 or eve just a bit less. The bike I may use this on has a 36 volt hub of 250 watts- HALF of this ebiking kit, so I'm think the speed will be less and wondering then if the battery- whatever kind it is- may get more miles with a slower wheel pulling half the power- I don't put much into the pedal assist, but spin my legs around very comfortably and in a gear that gives it SOME help- on this test, I kept my pedaling minimal to see what the pack might do. I hadn't gone far when I decided that the speed had diminished maybe down to 12-13 and so I was thinking maybe I should have made sure it had a full charge- after a mile and a half the pack- 10 cells mind you- internally wired in series to make 37 volts had slowed down to about 10 miles an hour, with me moving my legs along with it.

At only 1.75 miles it cut off- I drove back over the route in my cat to verify the mileage. So that was it - disappointing. I'll make sure the pack is well charged and try it again- maybe it's a year or two old from manufacture and was down, or maybe they just use really cheesy cells to make the kiddies buy new batteries all the time- STILL TESTING- And I'll probably get at least one other pack- This one I got for under $40, although they generally sell for about 50. I have a feeing that two in parallel may do more than three and a half miles when fully charged- still hoping for 6 and maybe 10 with three, but that's starting to get closer to the price of a full battery.

If they don't pan out, they are perhaps something I can pack along if I ever want a few more miles of range or worry abut the bike battery dying before I want it to. I can just plug them in instead of the bike battery.They may also repack too- they obviously have some kind of Battery maintenance system for each ten cells- so maybe they can eventually be repacked with quality cells- the cost effectiveness fades away with every pack or new cell and connector I may need, but I'm still hoping that maybe it didn't have that great an initial charge-

or maybe as I said in my last thread- it may be best just to pay the piper for a built up battery.


As you can see, I have the controller perched on top of the battery and held in place by the same two worm clamps that hold the battery to the rack

 

[Nashville Kat]

*** AN INTERESSTING AND ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENT ! ***

As I mentioned earlier I had the pack plugged in and charging- four hours later it didn't appear to be doing much- no sound no vibration, no discernable heat- the red light still on, but not changed to green. Oh no. Was this more trouble. And so I unplugged it and took the pack and plugged it back into my controller on the bike-

This time, when I turned on the LED meter- ALL FOUR lights LIT UP! I don't think the pack is really even fully charged NOW, and probably certainly wasn't very charged for the initial test run- so I'll see what happens with the charger going again- Will it turn to green on it's own? Can I get out tomorrow again- probably- for another test and will it do better now- lighting FOUR indicators instead of two?- I have a good feeling it will!

If it does 3 miles or more, I'll probably order another pack soon. One or two would make a great beach cruiser (but not with this bike- something 26" wheeled). I'd like to get my other 700 wheel tested too. I foolishly cut of the nine pin connector when I got it, thinking it was some odd thing I'd never find, but I've seen the other side and a harness for sale. I've got wires and the correct connectors for its wires and will build a short harness . It'll likely fuel that Peugeot Record Mixte bike above.

 

[Nashville Kat]

. An EXCELLENT result!
I went out again- this time with a fully charged hoverboard battery lighting up all four of my LED indicators. First thing I noticed was more power- similar- maybe 90 percent of my bike batteries speed. But I didn't want to press that- I wanted to see how far it would go.

And so I traced the exact route I took yesterday, again moving my legs with only slight input and letting the pack do most of it. I reached the point of yesterdays cut-off- a mile and three quarters gone, and not quite 1/4 mile back towards home. There were still two indicators lit except under accelleration.

So I got back home and went past in the other direction- a distance that I accurately can guess would be 3.25 miles TOTAL at that point. There was still an indicator glowing and I went past another 1/4 of a mile, before deciding to shut it off before complete drain- so that was at 3.5 miles with some battery left. I switched connectors and rode on my bike battery another 5 miles or so, moving my legs, looking at the fall colors and enjoying another sunny day in the mid-60's - long sleeve wool jersey, '80's Bellweather wool tights. Through the neighborhoods, Beautiful !

And so it seems the 10 18650 cell pack has about 4 miles- or 8 for two, or a 12 mile battery for three wired in parallel. Two will get me where I usually shop and back.

So not a really great price break- but cost effective for shorter range and a lighter weight battery. a 3 pack 12 mile battery would be some good savings over what a 36v battery= range 20 mile plus- is going for. Two packs for 8 miles is about half as much.

The microwaves gone off and a baked potato and veggies are waiting

We gone.......

 

[cannonball2]

Haven't been keeping up with 18650s lately but last I checked most cells were less than the 3000mah range. There were many claims of higher ratings that were inaccurate. If its a 10 cell 36v pack then its in series and the ah is probably much lower than claimed.
You must know I'm a big lipo fan. I can put an honest 5000mah 4s pack in my shirt pocket. 3 in series (50.4v) will work with your 36v system. Will pep it up and give a solid 10mi range in the flats. Only down side you will have to monitor voltage as the lcv of your system will be too low. I paid $19 a pack. Fairly cheap considering.

 

[Nashville Kat]

Suddenly: NEW PRODUCTS !!

Looks like the Chinese waited for the new year- I'm seeing now a wider range of blue packed cells-
Some with 40 18650 cells to a pack are undercutting the solid battery cases in prices- maybe we'll see greater price competition and lowering of prices - at any rate it looks like we're suddenly getting more choice.

Heres the cheapest of the 40 cell lot:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/36V-Li-ion-Battery-8AH-36V-Rechargeable-Bicycle-500W-E-Bike-Electric-Li-ion/253985601621?_trkparms=aid=888007&algo=DISC.MBE&ao=1&asc=20131227121020&meid=35a52072cdbb471084c49ea9d274507e&pid=100009&rk=1&rkt=1&sd=273642008405&itm=253985601621&_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982

I see basically the same 40 cell package being advertised from $98 to $138, and the ah amp numbers very wildly- I'm not sure if it's differences in advertising claims and/or price schemes- so "Caveat Emptor" - Let The Buyer Beware!
Extrapolating the data from my own testing here with ten cells and the hard case bike battery I have- 50 to 60 cells- It seems that a 40 cell pack like this might get something in the 16 mile range with my 36volt 500 watt set-up.

I have now TWO of the Hoverboard packs- 10 cells each for 20 total and at the cheapest prices for "new" I spent about $85 for both, and a few dollars more for connectors. This pack now has 40 cells and ranges from $98 to $138- more cost effective, but you have to spend that all at once and a bigger gamble I think on something right now only from China- the Hover Board packs are often already U.S. stock- so that may happen with these too- at increased cost I presume. Of course, the weight goes up and down with more or fewer cells, but it'ds nice that we can now more tailor a battery pack to our needs.

Meanwhile the cost of the hard cased 36v bike batteries has also lowered slightly and can be found as low as $169-$179 - usually rated at 10 to 12 amps and between 50-60 cells inside.

Does anyone have solid thoughts on the relationship between hub wattage? Will my 250 watt hub get any farther range, at a lower speed than my faster 500 watt hub?. In 36v the 500 watt seems to be a workable range, while any larger wattage- usually 750 or 1000 will only eat up the cells faster, while gaining slightly more speed. There's also the 350 watt range of motor- about 18mph- not a bad little trip to the store or around the city or neighborhood.

anyway- heres more links:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Li-ion-Battery-9-6AH-36V-Volt-Rechargeable-Bicycle-500W-E-Bike-Electric-Li-ion/253908184014?_trkparms=aid=333200&algo=COMP.MBE&ao=1&asc=55164&meid=416adb3af0de448fbf56ba538b96b78e&pid=100752&rk=3&rkt=12&sd=253985601621&itm=253908184014&_trksid=p2047675.c100752.m1982
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Li-ion-Battery-36V-12AH-Volt-Rechargeable-Bicycle-500W-E-Bike-Electric-Li-ion/273642008405?_trkparms=aid=555018&algo=PL.SIM&ao=1&asc=20131003132420&meid=27aa7ecd0d154988b13a11e0df9f2754&pid=100005&rk=1&rkt=12&sd=253908184014&itm=273642008405&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851
https://www.ebay.com/itm/36V-Li-ion-Battery-10AH-36V-Rechargeable-Bicycle-500W-E-Bike-Electric-Li-ion/254012633858?_trkparms=aid=222007&algo=SIM.MBE&ao=1&asc=20131231084308&meid=e3e0ccd202594dd4b258371acb076bc0&pid=100010&rk=4&rkt=12&sd=273642008405&itm=254012633858&_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109

 

[Nashville Kat]

Just another short follow-up- I was first wondering about these 40 cell packs- 10 cells in a series wired four parallel grouping, because they have different amperage claims. Now looking more carefully, I see that the ads DO contain the ah rating for the cells- so that is the difference. The $98 pack does not seem as cost effective comparing to the Hover board packs hen one sees that the cells are rated at only 2 ah while the Hover packs claim 4.4. (I suggest you read the thread "The Darn Spot Weld Wall" for some interesting comments by Junglepig on the possibly false claims of 18650 cells by sellers.

Among the 40 pack cells- claiming between 8 ah to 12.8 ah, the ah rating for the individual cells is in fact given in the ads, if you look closely. The cells vary in amps and so the claims of ah in the pack vary. It's tough to tell if the claims are in fact accurate, but probably vary in a relative way at least. 10 ah packs claim 2.6ah individual cells, the 12 ah packs claim 3,2 ah individual cells. Junglepig says on the other thread that most claims over 3.0 ah are exaggerated, so Caveat Emptor. Anyway- if I bought one of these, I may look for cells higher than the 2.0ah of the cheaper $98 pack- the difference between 10 ah and 12ah packs might not actually be 2 amps if you believe Junglepig, and he sounds like he's hip to the 18650 scene

I have now taken delivery on a second hover pack and have a parallel connector to run them both- projected range of 8 miles a charge- total cost about $88- a hun less than the cheapest 36 volt hard battery, before these 40 and 30 cell packs came along. I'd maybe run something 24v, because the batteries are cheaper and lighter, but they've disproportionately priced those hub motors sky high, unless you build your own wheel and you can find the hubs for just over $100 then- probably spoiled now by the speed and power of the 36v 500 watts, but may want less as I get even older... if I do!

Could Junglepig pack enough 18650 cells in the back, to again drive this old Shell truck?

 

[Nashville Kat]

Well. I've been slightly confused- I thought the Hoveboard balancing scooter packs had ten cells apiece- but according to these photos now appearing in an ad- apparently they have 20 cells:
(The yellow connectors on the end are T60 female connectors)

And so their relationship to the other cell packs and bike batteries is different- the 40 cell packs are actually similar to two of the hoverboard packs- not 4 of them. The amperage claim specs for the individual cells is the difference. they almost always describe the Hover packs as 4.4- so two of them is an 8.8 battery otherwise, of 40 cells. I think I should then be getting more miles from them.

Perhaps my initial pack- and still the only test I've done- colder here now- may NOT have been at full charge- my cheap charger never has turned from red to green- so the packs may do better than my last result- I now have TWO packs and clean T60 parallel connectors, so awaiting more test results.

It seems that 3 packs should then yield the 20 miles-plus I've had my hard rack battery go- Ugh! I'm afraid those batteries last longer than I can!- If I somehow don't get more than I've tested so far, that would be more like 0nly 12 miles for about 60 cells- I really think I need more charge

but anyway, I'm going to be testing them more, and probably seeking at least one more pack- the 40 wrap packs are then priced very similar in cost per cell- but the availability of the varying cell packs at least means the choice of spending less for lesser charging difference. Or FOR LONGER RANGE- maybe TWO 40 packs on the back rack.

The ability of the battery through time and chargings has always been some concern to me in investing in electric components- Now two years with the battery and a year of riding has me more confident in the continued viability- I'd just ride my China Girls if I had to- if I was forced to buy a big battery every year or two, but so far the results aren't bad....

I think the charger that came with the ebiking kit is better than the cheap $7 one I bought for the Hover packs, but both work at some level. The ebiking charger puts the battery back up in two or three hours.

Old Brown County IN truck

 

[Nashville Kat]

I've found another charger- a better one I believe- the &7 one I've been using is rated 42v and 2 amps, but is more I think for lead acid scooter batteries- it stil won't change from red to green on either pack so I'm speculating that it just doesn't have enough oooomph. The ebiking charger is vented with a fan and makes noise and charges my aluminum battery in 3 or 4 hours at most, while the $7 "scooter battery{ charger makes no noise or vibration but obviously achieves a certain level. So I found a more substantial looking charger- 4e2v 3 amp- labled for Li-on batteries, for $25 that even has a T60 male end on it- I had to splice a lead on the cheap one- so anyway I can plug the packs and probably the parallel two or three packs directly in-

I also have now more carefully looked at the aluminum battery to compare the number of cells- My present two Hover batteries number 40 cells between the two current packs- the aluminum case would only hold two blue packs if I put them in- an option which I considered, but rejected , though some might like that option as the empty cases - with discharge fittings and charger input, can be had as cheaply as $23 as of this writing-

I'm not sure how many cells are actually in my pre-assembled battery, but I think I've seem the figure between 50-60 for a 12 amp frame battery. So- probably about 55 cells- considering some extra length is left in the case and removing the side mounted pack BMs and placing them at the front- and the case probably has slanted mountings that use the space better- notice the packs have cells mounted side by side- the comparison is now 40 to 55: more than two thirds the cells-irrespective of the amps- at 2200 mah the pack cells boast no particular - the bike battery PROBABLY at least that and maybe slightly more. I think I should actually get 15-16 miles from two packs and hoping for that with the more appropriate charger.

Another 20 Hover pack wired in with a $2 parallel connector would then give me MORE cells -than the silver fish aluminum case- and if the amps are similar theoretically MORE than the 20 plus miles I've already tested the bike battery at.

So- shopping around and being patient for deals I've found two packs- both new at this point for $85 and the silverfish aluminum batteries at 12 amps are selling mostly for 200-plus

So will the better charger give me even better results than I've gotten?- I've got a fairly good feeling it may .

I'll be back here with any results I find in several weeks.

 

[Nashville Kat]

I've made some decisions now on the Peugeot mixte frame I'm fitting a 36v 250 watt hub motor to. I'm using the hoverboard battery packs- probably two of them (20 18650 cells apiece wired 2x 10 series each for a total of 40 cells, yet I have the option of adding one or two more packs or only using one).

So anyway- one pack fits in a nylon triangle frame pack tucked very nicely between the pedals and another will latch onto the mixte rails above it-the controller will affix under the rails. The T60 parallel connector reaches both battery packs from here and a short reach then to the controller.

So this battery arrangement leaves me FULL carry potential- with both a front basket and saddlebag baskets and rack top for goodies I may want to bring home. I originally was going to put both battery packs and the controller at the bottom of a front basket and that would still leave 7 inches of depth on top of that. This arrangement will keep the battery weight (2 or 4 lbs with 1 or 2 packs) lower in the center of gravity on the bike The controller will also be fixed to the rail with a worm clamp or two- and not the rubber band shown here,

Pictures may say it best- Not rushing the process but hope to have running in a month or two. Tires are 700 x 28 mm, the Stronglight 93 is an upgrade from a steel cottered original crank, so this is built with lightness in mind- Projecting 16-18mph under it's own power with any amount of pedal assist I choose to give-, and a range of 10-13 miles. (I went out on the GT electric yesterday and after hibernating felt sluggish, so I let it take me more than otherwise)

The paint needs some further touching and clear coat I think and is a blend of Folk Art green and another acrylic green. Here's what the frame looked like when I got it. I just had to GO GREEN. There's a green one on ebay I saw last night if you're interested,

 

[indian22]

Great start!

Rick C.

 

[zing]

Hi Kat "Does anyone have solid thoughts on the relationship between hub wattage?"

I saw your question about hub wattage and I have been wondering the same thing.

I intend to order my dc motor in the next day or two and I was initially thinking 24 volt 350 watt or close to it and I think now I should go with 36 volt 500 watt or the 48 volt 750 watt
So I still have 3 voltage choices

Before I forget I followed your ebay link and saw down below, a battery holder clip that was pre wired for double a batteries.

I did a search and was delighted to find similar plastic clips for the 18650 batteries where I can just pop in 4 18650 batteries and the clips are pre wired making experimenting easier

I have no association with the seller at this link so CHECK THEM OUT . They are selling 20 holders for 28 dollars. I could put eighty 18650s in wired clips without soldering !! It was new to me.!!!!!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/20-PCS-Hig...rentrq:341a0e311690a688cbe0fb0effe3e7e2|iid:1

Great work and thanks for sharing your experiments along with the links ! Nice work with your camera too !

 

[Nashville Kat]

I think 4 battery holder arrangements may work better for 24 v than 36- most 36 packs are wired in series of ten X whatever the parallel factor, for 42 volts then they run down from there- although I've never used them I think the consensus may be that the holders may not work that well- the wires are a little flimsy for the voltage and be careful how you wire them! You'll probably want to wrap the packs too to avoid the batteries becoming use. They are also available w/o the wires but with metal leads to wire up, and then you might want to use heavier gauge wire.

Anyway as far as my own project has gone- I had some problem with the Peugeot controller, and got the wheel running with the turn of a key, but could never get the three pin- black green, and red- throttle control to have an effect. Apparently it functions at a low voltage level of about 5v, like a car relay I assume- to open and regulate a line to the wheel with the varying 0 to 42 voltage.

The controllers are a bit of a can of worms if purchased outside of kits as this was, and complicated by the fact that I'd bought it a year or two ago. The harness I put together to replace the cut 9 pin line apparently worked, but the specific wires and their functions from the controller were baffling- different on almost every one I studied on ebay as a replacement and I was getting quite frustrated. A couple of questions I tried to ask vendors went unanswered, and the connectors appear to be in a manufacturing state of flux- generally becoming smaller.

Long story short- I ended up getting another controller from ebiking- who I bought the kit from on the 500 watt silver GT step through bike. I also got an LED display from them I knew would then plug in and turn it all on- mostly to eliminate that factor, which was confusion on aftermarket Chinese controllers- but then I opted not to use the key throttle grips that were displaying the Peugeot's voltage in red block letter- Tant pis! too bad. Anyway- I'm familiar with the 4 LED dot system, so off I go.

Now I have a 500 watt controller-larger and heavier- but DEFINITELY stronger- drawing 22 amps instead of 13. And the wheel now spins much faster than when I did when I had it going under key, but not throttle-
So with a little bit work= I've had the Peugeot Mixte out to test a short bit- with this stronger controller- it's almost as fast as the other bike with the better silver fish 4ike battery, but surprisingly a little bit louder for some reason. This 250 watt hub motor whirrs louder- it might be the 500 watt controller I suppose, but it's loud under any amount of throttle (though not like a China Girl!) Once again I found the little Stronglight 39 chain ring insufficient and was overspinning at full throttle- I'll put a 42 crank set on, but I think you can go 45 or 47 if you really aren't granny aged like myself. I'd probably keep both rings and a front shifter if I was in my prime, but not all that need in flat Florida. I want to go out again- the test was short- 2 or 3 miles and just sorting out the bike frame and wheels for the first time too.

There was great weather yesterday and I took the silver bike out and down to the river- got rained on a bit and came back- and then out again an hour or so later when it cleared again. I figured maybe I did 10 or 12 miles total- much of it riding much like a bike- only "pedaling" while the motor does most of the work- so I'm actually getting a mild work-out I can control, and I find the experience very satisfying.
Two of the four LED indicators were still lit at the end with the larger battery starting it's second year.

A picture I took on the river as it started to rain and forced me home:

 

[Nashville Kat]

 

[zing]

Great advice Kat about the clips. I would hate to buy something that would not be suitable !

I am definitely buying as complete a kit as I can to hopefully avoid compatibility issues. I would like a luna mid motor kit but I think to start a BLDC gear motor or I may possibly decide to go BLDC motor with a clutch or jack shaft and speed control with throttle 36 or 48 volt

An Ebike photo safari along such a nice river is a trip to look forward too !

 

[zing]

View attachment 100321

Off subject Question if you don't mind Kat. Is that a Hummingbird in your picture ? I love that color of sunburst. My mother had an 1959 lg-2 the same color beautiful. She taught me Travis style on it. Thats a real gem of a guitar you have !

 

[Nashville Kat]

Zing- it is a Hummingbird- I sold it four or five years ago- It was a particularly striking one- I play mostly classical and have other steel string guitars too- I hate to report I found the intonation a wee bit off moving up the neck and the action was too heavy with heavy strings I never played enough to change to lighter ones. But I had wanted one for years and got it out of my system- they usually aren't as ascetically beautiful these days.

I've been playing with bottle cages and with a little bending- of the cheap from China cages (about $2 each) the 18650 Hoverboard packs fit in pretty well- With another strap bungee or plastic ties they would probably work well two in a series on a more modern frame with two sets of bottle braze-ons.

like this Lotus for instance:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lotus-3000...-Fork-21-Tange-/254153145080?oid=254109252329

And so with a controller in a triangle frame bag and two hoverboard packs in bottle cages for a range of 10 or 12 miles it's possible to have most of a kit inside the main frame diamond.

 

[Nashville Kat]

Excellent results - well almost

I took the Peugeot mixte ot for coffee at the usual Starbucks- normally a little more than 6 miles round trip- and did a bit of random lollygagging on the way back-

I was going to take a longer route, but the crank was ticking against the kickstand, and when I stopped to check it out, I found the crankset loose- the fixed cup had begun to loosen- so I cut the long way home shorter for that reason.

I also had not changed the Stronglight 93 39 chainwheel yet, so when this baby gets up to speed- must be about 18-20, I can't add any pedal assist to the equation- in fact then almost the whole trip was under the motor's own power- pedal assist extremely minimal.

I'm going to invest in a cheap electronic speedo- if you get a LCD display with the kit or option one later- speed sensors in the motor give you all the readouts on that- speed top speed, distance etc and very accurately I imagine.

So anyway, I got home- an estimated trip of between 7 and 8 miles almost all under motor power, with three of the four LED indicators lit except under acceleration when that was dropping to two. So that was using two Hoverboard battery packs- 2 pounds each- 20 cells apiece and an ebiking 22 amp 500 watt controller.

I was loving every minute of it- just like good ole bike riding, but I won't have cramps for most of the night and I can put as much effort into it all as I desire.

The Stronglight crank is off and I have to sort out the chain ring and bolting situation on another crank- I have a 42 Ofmega or another nice 42 alloy to use and that should give me just enough at speed to keep up- 42 x 14. The set up adds about 10 pounds to the mixte otherwise- 2 x2 lbs for the pack, 1 lb for the controller and throttle and 5 extra lbs for the front wheel and the bike is lighter with the alloy crank and only one chainring, no front shifter and lighter faster rolling 700 x 28 tires on alloy rims.

I also got the stronger charger with the T60 connector and it's in the next room whirring fan and charging as we speak- the packs are doing fine, and two wired in series together should suit much of my in town and through the neighborhood needs.

By the shores of Gitchee Gummee,
By the shining Big Sea Waters
Stood the Peugeot Record mixte
Daughter of the Gonofumee....,