Battery Lead for a Byocycles Zest

[Recy]

Hello Folks, I bought a used Byocycles Zest minus a battery to controller lead (which I knew about of course) so I now need to make one up. The battery has a chunky 4 terminal screw thread connector and the controller has 2 bullet connectors - red male & black female. I would post the images I have if I knew how to!
Could someone here please tell me the name of the battery connector I need, best place to get one and a wiring instruction for the controller connection as stated so I can get one made up - or would it be more straightforward to purchase said lead and if so where from. Everything else is fine with it as far as I know and as soon as I'm on the road I look forward to posting a review.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Is it this one? If not show a photo. There's hundreds of 4-pin screw connectors.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M16-16mm-4-Pin-Screw-Type-Electrical-Aviation-Plug-Socket-Connector-/281784780341?hash=item419bae8635:g:kZMAAOSwBahVLcze

 

[Recy]

The very thing - thank you. Which pins should I connect to the red male & black female bullet connectors? Or how do I find out which pins?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

You need a voltmeter to check the battery. Two pins are positive and two are negative. Use two pieces of 14g wire and on each piece split the strands to solder half to each of the two pins. Make sure that the positives can't touch the negatives afterwards.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/14AWG-14-AWG-Silicone-Wire-50cm-500mm-Red-Black-Red-/330550474144?hash=item4cf657f5a0:g:2bMAAMXQxU9SChfP

 

[Recy]

Thanks - I'm on the case!
Found a UK supplier for the connector too so hopefully I'll have the lead made this week, Great.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/400V-M16-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-Pins-Electrical-Aviation-Plug-Socket-Connector-Screw-Type-/282251081164?var=&hash=item41b779b5cc:m:mVF7mxMJJPVArjZ6jsa9_6w

Any ideas on a source for the (probably) standard size bullet connectors for this arrangement?
Also, what might be the purpose of the slim white connector in the photo - it seems to be attached to the controller.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Don't get any bullet connectors. You don't need them because you have the 4-pin connector. Instead, solder the wires together and insulate them.

The white connector is a USB programming lead for the controller. To use it, you need special software unless you know about serial communicatin protocols.

 

[Recy]

Totally logical - thank you.
I'll see if I can find some expertise amongst my coding buddies for the communication port & keep you posted if I do.
I imagine a 30w + iron will take care of the soldering?

 

[VictoryV]

Totally logical - thank you.
I'll see if I can find some expertise amongst my coding buddies for the communication port & keep you posted if I do.
I imagine a 30w + iron will take care of the soldering?

more than capable

 

[Zack @ Byocycles]

Hey Recy,

D8veh was on the case as per! Sorry I missed this post.

The pins go, from Top, clockwise: Positive, Negative, Positive, Negative, however, where "top" is is what you'll need to find out!


As far as the comms lead goes, there isn't a great deal you can do with it. I spent many days (and nights) playing with it, tried a fair few different communication types, different connectors. It's completely different to the easily hackable BBS02. We ended up buying the programming cable from Lishui for $50.00.

Using Lishuis software, you can reprogram the controller only, by using files provided by them, if you do go down the route of buying the cable.

Diagnostics was the route I intended to go down with it, but with everything else I do at Byocycles, find the time to sit and develop was nearly impossible.

 

[Recy]

Thanks for all the relevant info folks. I will post a review once said parts have arrived and the 'show is on the road' as it were.

 

[Recy]

Zak what is the motor and controller in a 2014 Zest. Can you provide a few specs?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Probably easier and cheaper to change the controller to one that can be programmed yourself without hardware - about £50 with LCD. Then you can set the speed limit to whatever you want and change the throttle to work how you want it.

 

[Recy]

D8veh I'm struck by your ability to get straight to the crux of a matter & simplify a way forward - excellent. Thanks.
Hopefully Byocycles Zak responds to my previous post.

 

[Zack @ Byocycles]

Zak what is the motor and controller in a 2014 Zest. Can you provide a few specs?

Hey,

Motor is an MXUS 250w, 36v motor
Controller is a Lishui 15a controller.

Off the top of my head, I can provide a bit more information, but it means going to the vault and getting the technical file for the 2014 Zest!

Hope that's reasonably helpful.

 

[Recy]

Thanks for that.
Still waiting for the 4 pin connector to arrive.

 

[Recy]

Well the connector has finally arrived and I'm in the process of making my battery lead - but contrary to Zaks advice above regarding pin assignment being pos-neg-pos-neg I find that my Byocycles supplied battery has an assignment of pos-pos-neg-neg at its socket.
I.E - pins 1 & 4 (at the 'top' & either side of the alignment key) give a positive reading of 41.4v, with pins 3 & 2 being the negatives - either negative works with either positive.

I'm thinking that I should wire my plug & lead to the controller accordingly - positives to 1 & 4 ('top' two pins) and negatives to 3 & 2 ('bottom' two pins).
Quite different than Zaks explanation above.
Advice gratefully received!

ps Additionally, the switch on the battery does not break the circuit.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Do what the meter says. I haven't checked a Biocycle, but every other bike I checked with that connector had it like you described, so that you split the wire strands into two bunches and wire one to each pin. You can't do that across diagonals.

 

[Recy]

Will do, thanks.

 

[Recy]

Just to correct myself - pins 1 & 2 are +v, pins 3 & 4 are -ve. Adjacent pins as stated by D8veh.
Lead is now made, so far so good. Fitting to bike tomorrow.

 

[Recy]

The lead as wired works, bike powers up & on first impressions rides well (more on this later).
SW LCD Kingmeter working fine, pas working fine butno readout of mph/odometer etc - any ideas?