Help! Controller and display upgrade recommendations.

R0bin

Just Joined
Sep 20, 2022
4
0
Hi,
I got my son an ebike conversion. It has a 250W front wheel drive. It works, but it has issues. It struggles starting on hills and maybe takes a few goes to get going. Also it's pretty digital, if he pedals it whooshes off flat out, there doesn't appear to be much modulation. This is the display.
52180

I'd like to replace the controller and display with something that might give better control. Can you recommend a better solution? This is just a commute to school bike so I'm not looking for anything too fancy.

Thanks for your help,

Robin
 

Benjahmin

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 10, 2014
2,602
1,756
70
West Wales
Think we're going to need more info/pictures.
What's the motor, what plug does it have?
What battery capacity? What's it's maximum current?
What is the existing controller?
Great to hear someones cycling to school.
However, given recent events I hope your lad is over 14 and the bike is within legal parameters for the safety of all.
 

saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
7,316
3,382
Telford
Hi,
I got my son an ebike conversion. It has a 250W front wheel drive. It works, but it has issues. It struggles starting on hills and maybe takes a few goes to get going. Also it's pretty digital, if he pedals it whooshes off flat out, there doesn't appear to be much modulation. This is the display.
View attachment 52180

I'd like to replace the controller and display with something that might give better control. Can you recommend a better solution? This is just a commute to school bike so I'm not looking for anything too fancy.

Thanks for your help,

Robin
If it struggles to start, it might have a sensorless motor. We'd need to know about that before anybody could make a recommendation. Look at the motor cable where it connects to the controller and count the wires.

The three levels you can select are speeds, not power. It always gives max power until it approaches each speed limit. There are other controllers that give different currents for each level, which you'll find much better.
 
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R0bin

Just Joined
Sep 20, 2022
4
0
Thanks Both,

I'll have to get back to you with more details as the bike is currently at school. The motor has hall sensors. ( I know this cause we had a problem related to that before). The Battery is a 36V ( I've just checked the charger and it is 42V).

Thanks,

Robin
 

saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
7,316
3,382
Telford
Thanks Both,

I'll have to get back to you with more details as the bike is currently at school. The motor has hall sensors. ( I know this cause we had a problem related to that before). The Battery is a 36V ( I've just checked the charger and it is 42V).

Thanks,

Robin
What problem did you have with the hall sensors? Were they missing?
 

saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
7,316
3,382
Telford
I think one of them had failed. The motor was replaced and all was well.
So you had some problem with the previous motor, now you have a new motor and it also isn't working correctly. Was it just a guess that a hall sensor wasn't working or did you do some objective test to verify it?

Let me ask the question a different way then. Is your controller for sensored motor, unsensored or is it dual mode?
 
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R0bin

Just Joined
Sep 20, 2022
4
0
Hi,
I'm sorry, I don't know the answer to this right now. I can find out later.
The bike stopped working altogether, the motor was changed and it worked as it does now.
My thought was to get a better controller which had a modulating output. There are many available and I was hoping someone might point me at one that worked.