I saw a post at http://www.vectrixowner.com that mentioned VERY gentle topping of the battery with a 143.7 (or 147.3, dyslexia) charger running just an amp or so in but doing it for a VERY long time to make sure the batteries were fully topped, even more than the overnight charge you get after a battery light event.
Is this something people here agree with? I have been using my new pack for as long as I used my old pack before it started to fail. The bike was a 2007 so it may have taken years to go bad, that I got in 2009. If there was some method to keep me going longer on this pack than the last, as replacement will no longer be free.
Where would one get such a power supply? I am running the 68mph firmware, I hear the laird's is better, but I don't have anyone to help install. Figure I could hook up a terminal on the bike to the battery pack. Then I annually or before the winter run the bike down until the battery light, charge it up and then hook up to the bike for a long time so all the batteries are gently brought up to the top. Thoughts?
-Randy
Hi Randy,
I would advise you to go for the Laird firmware.
I installed it right after my warranty ran out and it stopped battery degradation completely!!
My bike (VIN Sept. 2007, bought in Dec. 2009) has over 50.000 Kilometres now (almost 32.000 miles) and is still on the original 2007 NiMH batteries! Range dropped from 60 kilometres red light to 40 kilometres red light in the first two years using the 68mph software. Recently I did a 45 kilometre trip and ended at 117 volt. So I would say it may even have improved range by a fraction.
Just make sure you charge always just before you ride and not too long in advance. But that applies to any charge method for the NiMH batteries.
Top speed goes down to 62mph though.
Next week I will finally receive my Brammo Empulse so I will say goodbye to my trusty old Vectrix because I traded it in. I really enjoyed riding it and will surely miss the multifunctional throttle! (I wonder who will buy that patent on the 18th).
Happy riding!
Once you go EV, Gas is history!
It could work and be less destructive than a shorter but higher amperage equalization charge. I don't know enough about the cell chemistry to tell for sure.
That said, it seems to me the battery will last longer if you don't over discharge it and don't over charge it regularly.
I think the Laird's firmware should be on your to-do list. I had the 68mph firmware for a short time after I bought my bike used this year, and was never comfortable to let it do a full CC charge and an EC charge - my battery already has some damage apparently and was heating-up too much towards the end of the charge even in cold weather. With the Laird's software I still don't do EC charge every time, but, when I do, the battery is not getting overly hot. After a good EC charge, I just try to not empty it too much before the next charge.
Another plus of the Laird's firmware for me is that it maxes at 6A current (roughly half of yours). This means I can use a medium duty extension cord that barely warms-up at the plug during charging (was getting pretty hot at 12A, even though it is rated at 15A). Or one can use a longer and heavier duty cord that would still be inadequate for the original charger's max current attempts...
Hard to put numbers on it, but seems it likes it better if I charge it when it gets down to not lower than 130V at rest immediately after I stop riding. If I go lower, I can still ride a few miles, but power is not full and I think I may be over discharging some weaker cells in doing so, this causing an imbalance of the pack, thus requiring an equalization charge to bring it up to top capacity again.
Mine is still on a '08 battery with close to 10kmmilesmonnit. And, while I'm not that happy with the range, it seems to be in line with what others are getting: 40km/25miles is what I consider max range in mixed highway and easy suburban driving. But, the last 1/3 or so of that range is not as fun as the other 2/3rds: I have to try and stay below 40-45mph on the flats and up-hills are not welcome, if I want to keep my instantaneous voltage close to 120V (with *very* brief dips to as low as 110V for a quick merge or pass).
What seems to be ideal for me is to charge immediately before riding to about 144V, somewhere in the middle of the CC cycle. Then ride my one way commute of 11-12miles (with more than half of it at 50 to 60+ mph, the rest at around 40mph), pretty much without concern of how I ride (OK, I avoid full acceleration at every opportunity, but I ride briskly), then when I get to the office I have enough juice left to make the return trip without recharging, if I must. But I try not to do that, and instead charge there again to the same level and do the return trip gleefully. This way I have plenty of charge left at all times to run some errands and I don't overcharge. While at the same time, I don't particularly baby the Vectrix since I'm always with enough charge to get to full speed and full acceleration if I need to. It's just not fun to ride on an mostly empty battery (and not good for the battery either).
I've added a bit over 1,000 miles /1667km since I bought my bike used a couple of months ago and I have not seen a degradation of the battery. In fact, I think it performs a bit better after I started to use the Laird's firmware. This is because I can equalize without fear of overheating and by avoiding deep discharges I keep the pack in better balance for more power and less need to equalize. Considering that I only ride it to a point where I can no longer maintain 120V when in motion at around 40mph on a flat road, I am actually leaving more reserve charge than before, when I was riding it to the red light on the 68mph firmware. If I rode it down to what the red light would be, I think I could squeeze another 5 miles at least, for a total of around 30m range (but the last 10-15 miles will definitely not be as much fun, can be dangerous in heavy traffic where brisk acceleration may be needed, and would be very hazardous on the highway where I would not be able to get to full speed)...
The only reason to almost fully discharge it seems to be to get the fuel gauge to sync-up with the actual capacity of the battery. And that does not seem to be worth the potential damage to weak cells and creating an imbalance that robs you of power and that would require an EC charge to fix, which is also not good in the long term. My 68mph firmware was always optimistic - my last 4 bars would usually disappear very fast and then the red light comes unexpectedly. With the Laird's firmware it seems pessimistic - my bars disappear as much as 5 miles before I reach my low voltage criteria above (120V in moderate use in city traffic).
I would install the Laird's NiMH firmware first. The 1 amp external charger is the best to use on a NiMH Vectrix. It is slow and would take 40 hours to charge from flat. If in a hurry then charge with internal charger and then use the external charger overnight. I own a Freddy 1 amp charger that has a transformer and is safe. I have used it to charge flat scooters that I have bought for conversion to Li-Ion. The 1 amp charger will charge and then equalise the pack. The slow charge works better with packs that have individual batteries which are damaged and have high internal leakage. If you drive the scooter slowly a pack charged this way can achieve a range near to new specs.
Like I mentioned everyone, I don't have a way to install the Laird's update (and I have to give up 68 MPH? Never!)
Glad to hear the Freddy should help the Vectrix. I often will not ride the bike, it is a commute vehicle, so it often sits all weekend. This would be a great time to do an equalization. Not a regular thing, but periodic, like my RV does when solar charging that battery pack.
So where does one buy a correct voltage Freddy? And is it best to get one for 144 volts or 152 volts, or is that too small a difference when divided by all the batteries?
-Randy
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I also own a 2018 Tesla Model 3 and a 2012 Mitsubishi iMiev