My Vectrix Lithium conversion

Old batts out, playing with fit of the new ones. Like a kid at christmas :D

Looks like 30 in the bottom layer mounted conventionally and, in the next layer, 12 more stacked 2 high on their sides will fit fine in the standard battery space.

will need to trim these gussets at the rear bulkhead though

any one else noticed this on the fan housing?

nothing in that area looks to have generated the heat. But there is a cable and connector in the MC that fits into the depression. Factory mod to make it fit?

thanks for the pics in the handbook.

The laptop in the pic above was actually on that link. It helped me find the screws by the rear foot boards

ground the chassis today

taped up the controller with plastic to exclude aluminium dust, then vacuumed up all the mess.

I think this needs doing so the lugs don't interfere with the cell cases at the back. Not much room left with 15 cells front to back

I knocked all the high spots off the welds in the sides of the battery box too.

The vertical tubes at the second cells from the rear interfere with the tops of the cells that aren't well aligned.

Shuffling cells seems to work out ok

As the cells are only plastic casings, dont they swell if overcharged, Are you going to strap bunches of cells together?being tight might make a better fit?

I think they do swell. but I hear cells produced after 2009 have stronger cases and no longer require strapping. I think I will strap the top layer cells, the bottom layer I might make something to compress them between the battery box ends

will you be replacing some form of ventilation?

I'll keep the stock fans, they direct air over the controller cooling fins. I need to space up the bottom row so incoming air can come up through them. Not much room to do that if I go 3 high on the top layer, so they won't get full flow. I'll probably need to bypass some of the air straight to the fan to keep it at stock flow rates. Would any one happen to know the air pressured on the intake side of the fan with a stock battery?

Could do away with the stepthough and stand the cells upright, but then they did look rather high already
looking forward to your performance. in particular the distance vs charge time
so many questions,..... I am coming to visit you when this is operational,
I am down to 25k's on my V
regards Peter
PS already in Victoria.

The 40aha cells look like they will fit in the height under the seat 2 high on their ends. deleting the stepthru is an option but probably only necessary with the 60ah cells. See antiscabs vectrix thread

look forward to meeting you. Bringing your vectrix? (imagines a gaggle of electric scooter riders terrorizing the local pub)

so this is why the V has been sluggish and short range

2 cells in this group 0.00 voltage, swollen and black celsidot. about 2000km on this

30 in, 12 to go.

I need to make up some strips to sit on the bottom row and support the next layer

I will use the stock anderson plug to split the pack 15,15,12.

the two 15 cell strings here show 50V each. Should make about 140V to start with.

I wonder if Vectrix has new software for this charger to charge their new Lithium cells? If so, I wonder if they would be willing to share?

Thanks Matt, I've nicked some of the drilled and tapped screws from the stock pack to mount the sensors and installed them in the bottom row already. Hope to be running today.

Squeezed more 60s in yet? Where did you pick up the Elcon from? Emma Chisset?

I have almost all the parts to build a freddy. Waiting on the 10W resistor. I want to put an auxiliary charging point under the seat. I found these: http://www.neutrik.com/fl/en/industry/203_1970434001/powerCON_group.aspx but haven't been able to get hold of a supplier who sells less than 100 off.

I didn't like the way the CM sat on the inter-cell connector

I was worried that the interference on the curve might damage the board and/or reduce the compression at the terminal/inter-connect joint.

So I bought 200 1/4" by 5/8" SS washers

Much happier :)

The last 12 connected

As they will fit in the bike

still have to do the spacers, connect and solder the CMs, fit the Master unit and rig up an inrush current limiter

I note you had to grind away part of the frame....is there any risk that you will burst the frame if the batteries swell up? That could be nasty.

Really minimal material removed, a little gusset and the weld high spots (proud of the tubes) I don't think it will have weakened the structure significantly. swelling cells on the chassis rails is new ground, so probably something that we need to monitor and report back on if we have any trouble.

Freddy is still away off yet, maybe next Weekend. I'll fret about that then.

Just fitfed bits of an old kitchen to the bike...

hmm, two minor SNAFU's.

1. connected the anderson plug with the controller endo of the battery still open circuit to see that all was well. 51V... I had hooked each plus +ve and -ve to the sub pack +ve and -ve's. The 12 cells on top were reversed. some times it pays to be curious.

2. the top packs sit 40mm above the chassis rail. the stock pack was 32mm. I'll see if I can space the battery box lid up and still have the cover and seat fit reasonably

not gunna work.

I'll try 3 packs of 4 cells. Will fit easily but I'll have to work out the connections. that'll make 17,17,8 split at the anderson plug, not as good but workable

0.5 ohm +ve probe to +ve terminal, 0.0 ohm the otherway

another trial fit

the Master control box looks like it will just fit under the extra bit of clearance at the front of the battery box.

I have to route the mains to the charger in between the front two stacks.

I don't think it is necessary to have three parts to the battery. You could also use a single pole connector at the battery mid-point. That would also be the most sensible location for the fuse. I might be wrong about this....

I agree. But I have the anderson plug and other connectors from the stock vectrix pack.

ICL, from the design in the hand book.

Hooked up the the power, the bike booted up with the key on. Full battery gauge, as I left it.

Plugged in the charger. 141V on the screen and the fuel gauge went to no bars. CP000 and no current for 2 min ??

unplugged the charger, Bars stayed at zero. I hope the charger is just confused at being disconnected for a week

The bike is sitting on bricks, keeping it vertical to ease battery removal. I kicked the side stand in, left brake and right break. GO! Wound the throttle on and spun the wheel up. Smoke billowed up around the battery box! Panic! Key off, unplug the anderson quickly look around and realise the tyre was just contacting the floor. The smoke was rubber, not burning electrics :)

(If the battery voltage sense leads are not connected to a proper resiive voltage divider,..... it is likely to not work.)

hmmm, the battery leads are currently insulated, rolled up and tucked away. Is there any way to hook these up to a 42 cell lifepo4 pack?

Arrived in the mail today

CycleAnalyst

I'll be much more comfortable with this. instantaneous current Wh used displayed. Lots of other data available to play with

now, out to the shed :)