Mik -
Now that I actually have a VX-1 I'm obviously much more interested in the work you've done. I just started going through the Vectrix Collabrative Handbook in more detail.
I always knew you'd done a good job from the little I did read. But now looking at it in detail I can really appreciate your work.
Many, many thanks. I look forward to going through all of the info you've posted.
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Now onto ICL's: An "In-rush current limiter" (ICL) is often called a "pre-charge resistor". I can't help but wonder why Vectrix doesn't fit an ICL permanently to every bike? As your home made version shows it could be simply added and at relatively low cost. Maintenance would then become far easier and with less chance of damage. With all the fancy stuff that they did do I bet they could have even made it automagic. Even if not - a simple switch and instructions to wait for X seconds would suffice.
The ICL also protects the capacitors - not just the fuse (in fact in most cases the main purpose is protecting the capacitors).
For comparison purposes: the C1x has a pre-charge resistor that bypasses the main breaker (we use a breaker rather than a fuse). The breaker is normally left on. However, for long term storage we recommend a complete shut down. Switch the breaker off and switch the pre-charge switch off. When powering up switch on the pre-charge resistor first, wait 5 seconds (to allow capacitors to pre-charge), then switch on the main breaker. Both these switches are easily available under the seat.
I think we'll add a home made ICL to our VX-1 much like your design. We'll wire it in with instructions to connect it first, wait X seconds and then connect the main Andersons. Or we might add in a suitably rated breaker (or other switchable disconnect) with pre-charge in parallel to it like the C1x design. So procedure would be breaker off, pre-charge off, disconnect Andersons. Then do whatever work. Then confirm breaker and pre-charge are both off, connect Andersons, pre-charge on, wait 10 seconds, breaker on. Bike ready to go.
Incidentally, I find it strange/hilarious that there was a thread stating there were only 2 or so ICL tools in the US and that dealers had to send them around to each other - when an ICL is trivial to make. Or, is there something more complicated about this tool that I'm missing?
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Do you want stuff like the above added to the Handbook, to a pre-existing ICL thread in the Vectrix forum or as a new thread? Or do you not want to see stuff like this at all? (In which case I'd just post it on my own VifV blog.)
