Another little gem on ES Forum.

Nealh

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It depends on your configuration. Those spacers only allow square parking. If you want a compact battery, like my bottle battery, you need 45 deg parking, in which case hot melt is better.

If you build a big battery, you need to think about how heat will get out of the middle. Those spacers are better for that because they leave gaps for air flow, but that would get wasted if you sealed everything up.
 
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Woosh

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May 19, 2012
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I wonder if small blocks of 10S (call it a salami slice) connected via an 11-pin balance wire bus could be an efficient answer to incremental capacity.
Each wire only needs to carry less than 2C, with 3000mAH cells for example, each wire would carry 6A max, thus does not have to be any more than 16 AWG. The bus can thus be laid alongside the cradle spine, you plug in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 salami slices according to the range you want on the day.
 
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jerrysimon

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Aug 27, 2009
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I was planning to start with a 10s3p which I will build in 5s3p blocks for easy balancing. That would give me 9.3Ah at 1.5kg.

My existing Konion packs are built that way and I have two 10s2p, 3Ah and one 10s4p, 6Ah packs I have been using for over three years with no BMS and no failed cells.

The new Sony Konion 3120mAh cells would effectively give me twice the capacity for half the weight. Thinking about it I probably won't bother with the blocks as mine are all gaffer taped up and shrink wrapped.

Woosh (sorry I forget your name), incremental packs have to be the way forward for flatter terrain riders in the likes of Cambridge. There is just no point in carrying around a 3-4kg pack when a 1kg pack of 6Ah using these cells would get me 25 miles on my Brompton.

I think even a 1s, 3Ah, 0.5kg ( I may try one) pack would do me for most rides, though probably restricted to low current draw like my Tongxin.

Jerry
 
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Woosh

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I follow with (commercial) interest d8veh's lightweight conversion using the YTW06 motor. I don't know if it would pull d8veh up his 14% test hill but lightweight conversion would suit commuting because lightweight motors coupled to high quality lightweight donor bikes are usually very, very reliable.

Tony
 

anotherkiwi

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Jan 26, 2015
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I really want to pull the trigger on one of those spot welders but I have to get my dinghy done first...

In the long term I am thinking of making 12.5 Ah 48 V batteries in HL cases. The goal is long range touring so In an ideal world 4 x 12.5 Ah in parallel for 2400 Ah or (hopefully) +250 km daily range at about 10 W/km. Yes that is a 1000 € battery but I prefer thinking that it is 350 €/year running cost which comes to less than a euro a day for the battery. Short term I will be using LiPo that I have on hand.

Next month I will (finally) build my small 9 Ah battery with the Indian kit and use those nkon nickel strips instead of the stainless bars provided. After looking at BMS's and whatnot I could go the route of 2 X 3P5S batteries and balance leads too as I have the balance LiPo chargers in the cupboard.
 

awol

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Sep 4, 2013
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but lightweight conversion would suit commuting because lightweight motors coupled to high quality lightweight donor bikes are usually very, very reliable.
I would have liked to put my motor on a light commuter bike and put it through it's paces but haven't got one yet and there's no point stripping my bike down for it because the bike's heavy on it's own, I keep looking out for bargains. Halfords have a sale on Boardman but the 9kg one I like is not in my size. Might be next year before I get one
 

jerrysimon

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 27, 2009
3,292
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Cambridge, UK
I was planning to start with a 10s6p which I build in 5s3p blocks for easy balancing.

My existing Konion packs are built that way and I have two 10s2p and one 10s4p packs I have been using for three years with no BMS and no failed cells.

The new 3120mAh cells would effectively give me twice the capacity for half the weight. Thinking about it I probably won't bother with the blocks as mine are all gaffer taped up and shrink wrapped.
 

jerrysimon

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 27, 2009
3,292
112
Cambridge, UK

jerrysimon

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 27, 2009
3,292
112
Cambridge, UK
I would have liked to put my motor on a light commuter bike and put it through it's paces but haven't got one yet and there's no point stripping my bike down for it because the bike's heavy on it's own, I keep looking out for bargains. Halfords have a sale on Boardman but the 9kg one I like is not in my size. Might be next year before I get one
I have just been through the paces of going through a few Halfords bikes in terms of test rides. Tried a few Boardman and the Voodoo. The problem with light bikes is by the time you put mudguards, racks etc on them a lot the weight savings disappear :(

The Boardman do seem like quite good VFM. Perhaps keep your eye open for a s/h one which is what I did with my Voodoo which I picked up for £84. I immediately swapped out bars, stem, changed to single chain ring and different tyres etc all of which I would have had to do on a new bike. At my age the riding position is always wrong.

Jerry
 

jerrysimon

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 27, 2009
3,292
112
Cambridge, UK
Well gizmo turned up today. Ordered Saturday posted Monday arrived 07:30 today pretty quick!

He sends them EMS but once in the UK Parcel Force deliver them. I did pay a bit more for the faster delivery. I haven't been sent an import duty bill yet. Fingers crossed.

Box a bit battered

IMG_0453.jpg

Packaging

IMG_0453.jpg

IMG_0455.jpg

You have seen all the other closeup pics on line so I wont post. Nice touch he includes a XT90 plug for your battery an some nickel tap strip. The little green wire caught me out until I realised it was the trigger for the tab spot welding pen. I way tape that to the pen for one handed operation or get a foot pedal which I saw others using.

I got the recommended Turnigy 5000mAh 3s 40c battery (£28) he recommends from UK Hobbyking and some extra XT90s for my charger. I have five pairs and will never use them all, so if others buy this and need a set give me a shout and I will post you one.

I will report back after I try my first tab weld lol

Going to be a busy weekend, wife is visiting her win sister and my motor is also turning up today!
 

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Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
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I chose snail mail so will be a few weeks yet.
PF retain items until any outstanding duty or vat is paid so you should not expect any further payment, how much did he mark the cost as ?
 

jerrysimon

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 27, 2009
3,292
112
Cambridge, UK
$30 though as I said I did not ask him to.
 
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jerrysimon

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 27, 2009
3,292
112
Cambridge, UK
Well I got it all working and it was going so well testing on sample strips.

I then plugged in the switch unit and when I used it there was a nasty smell but I could not see any magic smoke. It powercycled itself probably as there is some kind of overload protection.

Alas, although it all powered back on ok, the dial would still cycle between the settings by pushing it, but turning the knob did not do anything i.e would not change the settoings. After much faffing arround I found I could change the settings, but only if I held the button in on the manual trigger switch ????

Very bizarre. Although I can change the settings and it works in auto mode fine, it will no longer work with the manual trigger sigh....

Emailed the designer and he was very quick to respond but his English is not great. Has suggested I return it to be repaired.

Not sure what to do given it works, kind of.
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
20,917
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West Sx RH
:( Oh dear !!!
Having watched the vid's the manual mode didn't appeal to me, so I probably won't use the switch. In auto mode it looks good and appears to do the job nicely.
Price of returning to Korea with tracking ?
 
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jerrysimon

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 27, 2009
3,292
112
Cambridge, UK
Yep its a tough call. Cost if @12.45 as its quite light.

Having paid £80 I am not sure if to or not given that it does work albeit just without the manual switch. The only benefit of that as I can see it is to allow you to position the welding probes exactly before you apply the spot weld.

Its not like I am going to be using it every day. I dounb it will be used to ever build more than a dozen packs in its lifetime.

Looking back maybe it was a rash purchase it just looked so cool. I should probably have done my own DIY one lol
 

awol

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 4, 2013
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How does the auto function know when to spot weld?
 

jerrysimon

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 27, 2009
3,292
112
Cambridge, UK
Good question. My guess is when both spot welding pins touch the metal it makes the circuit and does the spot weld. There is a setting where you can delay that to whatever time gap you want.

You have to change it to manual mode i.e. the default is always auto.
 

jerrysimon

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 27, 2009
3,292
112
Cambridge, UK
Should have purchased one of these

s-l1600.jpg

That would hold the welding tabs on lol

Anyway looking around at the other small spot welding projects on ES this one still represents good value for money.
 

mxer

Pedelecer
Nov 28, 2010
92
10
I'm thinking of going down the Kweld route has anyone purchased here or have any thoughts on it?
I think it's a little more expensive but I like the idea of building customizing my own case to fit as it comes in bits ready for assembly.
 

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