I just got my nine continents ebike kit with a crystalyte controller (24V-72V, 20A) and my LiFePO4 48V 20Ah battery. To connect to the controller it looks like I'm going to have to put some matching anderson powerpole connectors on the battery out wires. Can't find this product anywhere in town (Victoria, BC) and it looks like you need to have the proper crimper + soldering equipment to make the connection. This the only thing stopping me from going out for my first ride with the kit installed. Is there a short-term solution I can use until I can get the anderson connectors ordered in and connected properly. Maybe I can just stick the battery pos and neg wires into the anderson connectors on the controller and tape them down temporarily with some electrical tape?? I have no idea... I know very little when it comes to electricity and electronics. Someone please help me get on the road faster...
http://www.andersonpower.com/products/singlepole-connectors.html
(not sure, which one I need; I'm guessing the 30A since my controller is 20A and 15A is the next size down that they have available.)
A device called a wire nut can be used to make temporary connections for a test ride. It's a cone shaped thingy found in any hardware store that electricians use to make connections in house wiring, usually when installing light fixtures. Just be extra carefull not to miss wire anything, different color tape can help with that so you don't connect positive to negative.
Be the pack leader.
36 volt sla schwinn beach cruiser
36 volt lifepo4 mongoose mtb
24 volt sla + nicad EV Global
For a temporary connection sticking the wire in and taping it down might work. It's not the best though and unless you have a thick wire it's not going to be a very firm connection.
I think these guys have the best setup for selling Anderson Powerpoles: http://www.powerwerx.com/Default.asp
If you have a hobby shop that deals in R/C equipment they may be selling these connectors.
I'd suggest the 45A models. The 45A fits the same housing and has higher ratings. Even though your setup is only drawing 20A the higher rating gives an extra safety margin.
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki
I stuck the red wire in the red powerpole connector on the controller and, being careful not let them touch eachother, I tried to stick the black wire the black powerpole connector and I got a spark, so I just pulled it out immediately. I'm at risk of frying anything doing this?
Sparks are common when making a power connection. Inside a controller there are parts which hold/store power and when first connected they're empty and they draw some juice to charge those parts up. This is normal.
The question would be how large the spark is. It's a little crackly spark it's okay. But if it's loud/bright/large..then you might have something else going on.
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki
Well, I went for the first test ride tonight. Oh man, was it ever fun. The only real problem was if I twisted the throttle to quickly while starting from a slow coast, the controller would flicker and then shut off. Each time it did this I wiggled the battery/controller connection (which I had taped with electrical tape for a temporary connection) and it was fine again. Do you think it's the connection causing the problem? Would a heavy load somehow spit the cable out if I have it connected with tape only for the time being? I'm hoping that's the reason. I'd like to hear your suggestions. I'm going to order the anderson powerpole connectors and torque arms from ampedbikes.com this week. Hopefully that'll put the finishing touches on a solid kit.
For the record I'm using the nine continents kit from ebikes.ca with a 48v 20ah LiFeP04 battery. My average speed without pedalling on the flat was around 35 km/h. With pedalling I could quite easily get up to 50 km/h. No problem keeping up with traffic downtown. Lots of fun!
I'm afraid you'll FINISH your kit before you get it solid.....
It's hard to wait, but sometimes it pays off long term dividends.
For example, the Andersons connector in the Vectux seems to be built so that it throws the initial spark between parts that do not make contact once it is fully engaged. Your connector might be similar, and by running your bike with poor contact you might damage the surface area of the connector and increase the resistance which it will introduce when you have the correct counter-part!
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
What you're describing is a weak connection that's popping in and out. I alluded to this when I talked about needing a thick wire to make this work. The wire is wiggling around inside the connector. Each time it does there's a bit of sparking, the sparking then, as Mik says, can do damage to the surface area of the connection.
Patience is a virtue...
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki
Hmmm... well thanks for the heads up! I'll stay off the road until I get the proper connectors... I wonder if I should cut the wire coming from the controller and reconnect some new powerpoles on that as well in case I damaged it? Would this have damaged the motor also? Darn my impatience!
Coming into this thread late (Better late than never, or is it Better never than late?!)..but this may be of help. I found this link extremely useful when assembling my powerpoles. Got it from Zoot Katz in the enless sphere forum...enjoy!
http://www.westmountainradio.com/supportrr.htm
scotty,
Good source for the proper assembly of PowerPoles! I would strongly suggest that anyone using 15A, 30A, or 45A powerpoles should consider buying the crimper from WMR as well. I spent about $47 for mine and I'm very glad I did. I make perfect crimps every time! The only ones I ruin are when the die gets too dry and the contacts don't release easily. A little bit of WD40 fixes that quickly. A great tool that saves time and frustration and will last for many years.
Get some wire nuts in the meantime. They handle 20 amps of 110v AC all the time. Life is too short to wait on stuff.
Be the pack leader.
36 volt sla schwinn beach cruiser
36 volt lifepo4 mongoose mtb
24 volt sla + nicad EV Global
THanks for the suggestions. I ended up having the powerpoles soldered at a local hobby shop which stocked them. Last thing is to get torque arms. I have steel forks and I ground off the lawyer lips, so I have the motor bolted in snug and tight, but the torque arms would give me peace of mind. Where can I get some for a decent price? Adjustable ones from ampedbikes.com cost $30 a piece plus shipping to canada. Seems high. This conversion would be pretty smooth if not for the BMS cutting out the power on a quick throttle. I'll have to look at the cycle analyst data, but it seems like the BMS low-voltage cutoff is too high, thus shutting down the battery when I try to accelerate quickly (drawing a lot of current quickly, thus lowering the voltage). Am I understanding this correctly?