battery issues
- Thread starter deacon
- Start date
I think I'll pick one up today on ebay they are less than 20 bucks. I also want to keep this one for the sla battery packs. It did okay on those. It was when I tried to hook it up to the flooded cells that it when pop. Never put out another volt.
The trailer is loaded, the batteries are charged, but the weather won't cooperate. Tomorrow maybe.
The trailer is loaded, the batteries are charged, but the weather won't cooperate. Tomorrow maybe.
Same here. Rain all weekend. 
Hopefully the weather will clear and I can make the 10 mile round trip commute to work on Monday. The Watt meter should also be here by then hopefully...
Hopefully the weather will clear and I can make the 10 mile round trip commute to work on Monday. The Watt meter should also be here by then hopefully...
So actually the watt meter is real time on the bike. It isn't a battery test meter per se.
I think those silly lights that they have on the bike to warn for low power are a bad joke.... after a couple of miles mine goes low battery every time I hit a hill and goes off whenever I head downhill. I never know the real condition of the pack till I get home and test it and then it seems to be fine. It's a real mystery to me
I think those silly lights that they have on the bike to warn for low power are a bad joke.... after a couple of miles mine goes low battery every time I hit a hill and goes off whenever I head downhill. I never know the real condition of the pack till I get home and test it and then it seems to be fine. It's a real mystery to me
Yea, that's why I want to mount it on the handlebars, if possible.
My "low power" indicator is the same way. Useless. I haven't seen it again since I switched to the LiFePO4 battery though.
Also, I've noticed that the poer and high power LEDs seem brighter...
Deacon, what happened to your battery charger that it threw craps on ya ?
Could you have blown a diode or something that could be fixed ?
Do you know any electronics people around your area who could look at it, and did it make
any sound when it went poof ? That sound can give them a clue what crapped out.
Could you have blown a diode or something that could be fixed ?
Do you know any electronics people around your area who could look at it, and did it make
any sound when it went poof ? That sound can give them a clue what crapped out.
I don't have anyone who would fix it for fifteen dollars lol. That is the price of a used razor type 24volt charger. It's what I had. If it had been a three hundred dollar fork lift charger, i would have gone looking for a repairman.
Yeah it was something. I checked on the fuse but knew it wasn't that. The light was blinking on the power indicator. It usually burns red or green. And of course it wasn't putting out anything.
Something bout those flooded cells got it. I have no idea what could be different about them. I hooked it up and then it went pop and was no more. I think I had the leads reversed to be honest but i'm not at all sure. When I get the new one I won't be putting it on the flooded cells. I have a couple of chargers I can use on it.
What would make a good one I think would be a 24 volt power supply for some electronic gizmo. They usually put out one amp or less of charge.
I have a box full of them but nothing that big. I wonder what would happen if you hooked them in series. I have no other use for them I might just give that a try later on.
It would be interesting to know. He who does not try never wins
Yeah it was something. I checked on the fuse but knew it wasn't that. The light was blinking on the power indicator. It usually burns red or green. And of course it wasn't putting out anything.
Something bout those flooded cells got it. I have no idea what could be different about them. I hooked it up and then it went pop and was no more. I think I had the leads reversed to be honest but i'm not at all sure. When I get the new one I won't be putting it on the flooded cells. I have a couple of chargers I can use on it.
What would make a good one I think would be a 24 volt power supply for some electronic gizmo. They usually put out one amp or less of charge.
I have a box full of them but nothing that big. I wonder what would happen if you hooked them in series. I have no other use for them I might just give that a try later on.
It would be interesting to know. He who does not try never wins
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I was just curious Deacon. I've seen small .85 cent protective diodes used in the circuts
to protect like a fuse. They usually make a "pop" sound when they blow. I grew up with a
bunch of electronics and HAM Radio guys who were always fixing stuff that people gave them
thinking it was shot.
We need to get some electronics people interested in this hobby and on this board. Some HAM's or Avionics tech's could be quite beneficial.
to protect like a fuse. They usually make a "pop" sound when they blow. I grew up with a
bunch of electronics and HAM Radio guys who were always fixing stuff that people gave them
thinking it was shot.
We need to get some electronics people interested in this hobby and on this board. Some HAM's or Avionics tech's could be quite beneficial.
If you build it they will come.
We have the most active diy forum around I expect. There was not one at all six months ago. This little forum here is getting a lot more interest than it was a while back. i see a lot of new name in here lately.
Give it time and someone will come along to set my muddled thinking straight. There is a heck of a lot of information flowing and we could use a lot more. People who would not even think of posting will post in a caring environment and we have that here. When that happens information flows and everyone benefits...
On the diode I expect you are right but If a real repairman got hold of my changer it would cost a lot more than 15bucks to fix it. If we had someone here to point out what to do, i bet we could fix them.
We have the most active diy forum around I expect. There was not one at all six months ago. This little forum here is getting a lot more interest than it was a while back. i see a lot of new name in here lately.
Give it time and someone will come along to set my muddled thinking straight. There is a heck of a lot of information flowing and we could use a lot more. People who would not even think of posting will post in a caring environment and we have that here. When that happens information flows and everyone benefits...
On the diode I expect you are right but If a real repairman got hold of my changer it would cost a lot more than 15bucks to fix it. If we had someone here to point out what to do, i bet we could fix them.
NOT A GOOD TEST DAY SO FAR
I started out with the flooded batteries. I found instantly that they are too far gone to even test with. I turn the throttle on the very first time and got a low battery light. One or both of the batteries will not hold a charge under load. I still tested how they pulled and it was a little bit harder pull but still doable. My bike is 250watts. Probably a 600 and up bike wouldn't have any trouble.
I switched out the battery trailer for the sla battery and it read hinky. I have shorted that pack several times during the testing process. I think one of the cells is gone in it as well. I have it on a battery tender. One cell read fine the other read low and now it doesn't seem to want to charge. I'm going to let it sit a while then make sure all the cells are up before I ride it again.
I did some reconfiguring of the hitch on the trailer so it's something else that needs testing.
always something. The hitch on the new trailer was too long. Better long and trim than short and have to figure a way to add a few inches. The L bracket I had on the bike was too light weight. I have a heavier one on now, but it is probably over kill.
I started out with the flooded batteries. I found instantly that they are too far gone to even test with. I turn the throttle on the very first time and got a low battery light. One or both of the batteries will not hold a charge under load. I still tested how they pulled and it was a little bit harder pull but still doable. My bike is 250watts. Probably a 600 and up bike wouldn't have any trouble.
I switched out the battery trailer for the sla battery and it read hinky. I have shorted that pack several times during the testing process. I think one of the cells is gone in it as well. I have it on a battery tender. One cell read fine the other read low and now it doesn't seem to want to charge. I'm going to let it sit a while then make sure all the cells are up before I ride it again.
I did some reconfiguring of the hitch on the trailer so it's something else that needs testing.
always something. The hitch on the new trailer was too long. Better long and trim than short and have to figure a way to add a few inches. The L bracket I had on the bike was too light weight. I have a heavier one on now, but it is probably over kill.
I know EXACTLY what you mean! You have no idea how much I was cussin' when I discovered that my battery was two inches too long for my Topeak bag!!
Deacon i have a 24volt golf cart charger in my shop and no 24 volt cart.I will get it checked out next week to see if it works,if it does its yours.It is about 12inches x12inches and 30 pounds.HARLEYS DAD
I have already bid on one Doc, so hold off someone else might need it more. If that doesn't solve my battery problems, which have suddenly popped up, I'm going to go with lithium I think. I hate to spend the money but I really wanted to be able to hop on the bike and ride. I didn't want to go through a hassle every time i wanted to ride.
I was able to do just that before I got the wild, test the flooded cell batteries, hair up my rear. If I get back to that,
I was able to do just that before I got the wild, test the flooded cell batteries, hair up my rear. If I get back to that,
I took the newest bike trailer out for a test spin today. It is the one I made from lawnmower wheels. It will be used when I carry both battery packs. The single pack will go on the trailer with the pneumatic tires.
The difference is more in noise that it is in performance. The trailer with the lawnmower wheels rattles to beat heck. As far as pulling goes I can't tell a lot of difference. It might have a little more drag but it isn't very much.
The one with the scooter wheels has bearings, the lawnmower wheels have plastic bushings.
The difference is more in noise that it is in performance. The trailer with the lawnmower wheels rattles to beat heck. As far as pulling goes I can't tell a lot of difference. It might have a little more drag but it isn't very much.
The one with the scooter wheels has bearings, the lawnmower wheels have plastic bushings.
mongoose from walmart
24v 300watt motor with 2 sla 12v 7ah batteries = 5 miles
300 claimed recharge cycles - actual recharge cycles 60
10% battery power left = 1/2 mile
you might want to go with a diffrent type of battery
24v 300watt motor with 2 sla 12v 7ah batteries = 5 miles
300 claimed recharge cycles - actual recharge cycles 60
10% battery power left = 1/2 mile
you might want to go with a diffrent type of battery
Good to know... So far I have charged mine about twenty times and still have 100% charge or 13.25 after storage. I'll let you know.
Some of the bikes... I get about five miles on a 12ah new sla. But my controller shuts the motor down at 12.25 volts which is not dead empty. If you were getting five mile on a 7.5 ah I wonder if it was draining the sla completely. Those things are not deep cycle so that could have led to a untimely death.
Still manufacturers do inflate their speed and battery performance.
Some of the bikes... I get about five miles on a 12ah new sla. But my controller shuts the motor down at 12.25 volts which is not dead empty. If you were getting five mile on a 7.5 ah I wonder if it was draining the sla completely. Those things are not deep cycle so that could have led to a untimely death.
Still manufacturers do inflate their speed and battery performance.
I have decided to go back to the single battery pack pulled on a trailer. The double pack while not a great deal more weight was just enough to make rolling it in and out of the shop a bit of a pain. Also it was more weight to pedal up those hills this town if famous for. (High Point NC). But the real decision came when I made a comment about how far I could stand to ride a bike. Five miles is about my limit without a break.
That's when I realized most everywhere I go is within five miles of the house. I also have a complete second set of batteries ready to exchange should I need to make a second trip. I can also double them up no sweat if I need to make a longer trip for some reason. Now that too is an interesting story.
Both of my battery packs have been converted to a house type extension cord female end. To double them I just made a cord with two male ends. Being very careful to keep the polarity the same. I just plug them into each other and have double battery capacity.
I also plan to work on my personal strength and stamina the single pack will help me by forcing me to stretch the range a bit now and then. So I will be getting ready for that by doing more pedal assist rather than motor assist.
In my mind pedal assist is when I use the motor to make pedaling possible. Motor assist is when I pedal just to keep the motor from bogging down. I used to think of it as riding for pleasure or conservation. The new terms are more descriptive I think.
That's when I realized most everywhere I go is within five miles of the house. I also have a complete second set of batteries ready to exchange should I need to make a second trip. I can also double them up no sweat if I need to make a longer trip for some reason. Now that too is an interesting story.
Both of my battery packs have been converted to a house type extension cord female end. To double them I just made a cord with two male ends. Being very careful to keep the polarity the same. I just plug them into each other and have double battery capacity.
I also plan to work on my personal strength and stamina the single pack will help me by forcing me to stretch the range a bit now and then. So I will be getting ready for that by doing more pedal assist rather than motor assist.
In my mind pedal assist is when I use the motor to make pedaling possible. Motor assist is when I pedal just to keep the motor from bogging down. I used to think of it as riding for pleasure or conservation. The new terms are more descriptive I think.
I think I've come to the same conclusion as you about extra batteries. Yesterday I did what you did, adding plugs to my bats. and now carry 4 bats. I wanted to go with a third battery but having only a 24 volt charger I figured I'd go with two 24 volt systems.
I've created a monster. When you add in the gas engines weight, along with me and 4 batteries I think I'm getting to the point that I'm fighting myself. I'm feeling like I've got the weight of a motorcycle with "moped" power.
I'm not sure if this hybrid thing was such a good idea. It was interesting though.
I've created a monster. When you add in the gas engines weight, along with me and 4 batteries I think I'm getting to the point that I'm fighting myself. I'm feeling like I've got the weight of a motorcycle with "moped" power.
I'm not sure if this hybrid thing was such a good idea. It was interesting though.
As long as we learn it is never a waste of time to do this kind of thing. Too many people stop learning at my age I think. Im 63 almost 64.
Looks like my batts are taking on full charges. One ran 28 volts at full charge. The others maxed out at just over 27 volts.
Took an extended ride after work today. Just running errands and buying my lunch. Must have cruised an extra 3 miles on top of the 4 mile round trip for work. Still had juice to spare, but there was a noticeable drop in performance. So I guess I can safely say that my packs are good for up to 8 miles with pedal assist, like it's supposed to be, although today I did a little more free riding than normal.
Oh yeah. Half my extended ride is a mile uphill so the throttle displayed a red light when the motor was under load. Probably good to go about 10 miles without all the hills.
Took an extended ride after work today. Just running errands and buying my lunch. Must have cruised an extra 3 miles on top of the 4 mile round trip for work. Still had juice to spare, but there was a noticeable drop in performance. So I guess I can safely say that my packs are good for up to 8 miles with pedal assist, like it's supposed to be, although today I did a little more free riding than normal.
Oh yeah. Half my extended ride is a mile uphill so the throttle displayed a red light when the motor was under load. Probably good to go about 10 miles without all the hills.