New member. Kalkhoff Pro Connect. Control switch problem.

[ColB]

Hello everybody
Been riding pedelecs for 16 years.... Giant Lafree first and now one Kalkhoff Pro Connect since 2009.
Alas I've come across my first major problem. The handlebar control switch is packing up. Help! Without the switch the bike won't operate. 50 Cycles actually far from helpful ... A short of shrug and that's it.
Does anybody out there know where Incan pick up spares... The switch runs off the old Panasonic motors.
ColB

 

[flecc]

Col, this handlebar unit was common to many makes using the 26 volt Panasonic units, so some suppliers who may have one or may be able to get one for you. Try Martin at ebikeshop.co.uk or Onbike.co.uk, or electricbikesales.co.uk, all previously handling makes that used this system. Sending them your handlebar unit photo will remind them which unit you mean.
.

 

[ColB]

Thanks. I'll get onto it.
Col

 

[countarthur]

Good to hear that your Kalkhoff is still going though

 

[ColB]

Good to hear that your Kalkhoff is still going though

Yep. And I want to keep it going.

 

[oriteroom]

Hello everybody
Been riding pedelecs for 16 years.... Giant Lafree first and now one Kalkhoff Pro Connect since 2009.
Alas I've come across my first major problem. The handlebar control switch is packing up. Help! Without the switch the bike won't operate. 50 Cycles actually far from helpful ... A short of shrug and that's it.
Does anybody out there know where Incan pick up spares... The switch runs off the old Panasonic motors.
ColB

Let me know how you get on if you would. You didn't say how it's packing up. Is it just when it's raining and gets wet? My wife's proConnect suffers from this. We've overcome it by always carrying a plastic bag and elastic bands to cover it up. If it gets wet, it stops lighting up, but once dried out it's OK again. I've looked into replacement options. The only one i've found is pro-cycling-golla based in germany, but they do not have the controller with the light switch, only the one without which was fitted to the Agattu.

They have an ebay site, but the direct link is.....

http://www.pro-cycling-golla.de/Displays_und_Zubehoer/LED_Display_fuer_Modelle_bis_2009_artikel4f24375791724.html

These are getting to be short supply. They also seem to do quute a few parts for panasonic motor-ed bikes.

Mike

PS We love the old Panasonic motor Kalkhoffs. Do not give up on yours, the alternative of the new Impulse Kalkhoffs is not reassuring.

 

[D8ve]

The Panasonic drives are in my opinion the sweet spot.
So reliable and energy efficient. The improved designs have slightly hire this and that but at a cost both £ and functionality.
If I could ride a normal frame now I would still love the Panasonic, I just wish the new ones were as reliable.

 

[ColB]

Let me know how you get on if you would. You didn't say how it's packing up. Is it just when it's raining and gets wet? My wife's proConnect suffers from this. We've overcome it by always carrying a plastic bag and elastic bands to cover it up. If it gets wet, it stops lighting up, but once dried out it's OK again. I've looked into replacement options. The only one i've found is pro-cycling-golla based in germany, but they do not have the controller with the light switch, only the one without which was fitted to the Agattu.

They have an ebay site, but the direct link is.....

http://www.pro-cycling-golla.de/Displays_und_Zubehoer/LED_Display_fuer_Modelle_bis_2009_artikel4f24375791724.html

These are getting to be short supply. They also seem to do quute a few parts for panasonic motor-ed bikes.

Mike


They have an ebay site, but the direct link is.....

http://www.pro-cycling-golla.de/Displays_und_Zubehoer/LED_Display_fuer_Modelle_bis_2009_artikel4f24375791724.html

These are getting to be short supply. They also seem to do quute a few parts for panasonic motor-ed bikes.

Mike

Thanks Mike.
I'm following this up.
I'll let you know how it all goes.
Colin


PS We love the old Panasonic motor Kalkhoffs. Do not give up on yours, the alternative of the new Impulse Kalkhoffs is not reassuring.

 

[oriteroom]

Yep. And I want to keep it going.

Had any progress or success with a replacement controller yet?

 

[ColB]

Thanks Mike
I've now got a unity rom the Geman company.... Doesn't have the light on/off function though but I'll give it a try. It's been along time since I've dropped a Panasonic motor out of its frame. 7 years... Was always having to do it with the old Giant Lafree.
Thanks for your help.

QUOTE="ColB, post: 318190, member: 17829"][/QUOTE]

Let me know how you get on if you would. You didn't say how it's packing up. Is it just when it's raining and gets wet? My wife's proConnect suffers from this. We've overcome it by always carrying a plastic bag and elastic bands to cover it up. If it gets wet, it stops lighting up, but once dried out it's OK again. I've looked into replacement options. The only one i've found is pro-cycling-golla based in germany, but they do not have the controller with the light switch, only the one without which was fitted to the Agattu.

They have an ebay site, but the direct link is.....

http://www.pro-cycling-golla.de/Displays_und_Zubehoer/LED_Display_fuer_Modelle_bis_2009_artikel4f24375791724.html

These are getting to be short supply. They also seem to do quute a few parts for panasonic motor-ed bikes.

Mike

PS We love the old Panasonic motor Kalkhoffs. Do not give up on yours, the alternative of the new Impulse Kalkhoffs is not reassuring.

 

[oriteroom]

Thanks Mike
I've now got a unity rom the Geman company.... Doesn't have the light on/off function though but I'll give it a try. It's been along time since I've dropped a Panasonic motor out of its frame. 7 years... Was always having to do it with the old Giant Lafree.
Thanks for your help.

QUOTE="ColB, post: 318190, member: 17829"]

Please let me know how you get on with the new controller. Altho' no switch fir the lights if it woks it's something we could live with if the motor control works. As I say, we have the 'workaround' at the moment with the plastic bag in the rain but the day may come....... If it works for you I might get a controller in stock myself before they become unavailable. Cheers...

 

[ColB]

Please let me know how you get on with the new controller. Altho' no switch fir the lights if it woks it's something we could live with if the motor control works. As I say, we have the 'workaround' at the moment with the plastic bag in the rain but the day may come....... If it works for you I might get a controller in stock myself before they become unavailable. Cheers...

 

[ColB]

Hello.
I will be sorting the switch sometime next week and I'll certainly keep you in the picture.
I had a problem with light connections failing in the rain and used a Servisol Spray ( Maplins ) Contact Cleaner and that did the job. Drives out water and cleans up any dirty contacts.
Do not be tempted to use WD40 for the same task. Or so I've been warned.

 

[oriteroom]

Hello.
I will be sorting the switch sometime next week and I'll certainly keep you in the picture.
I had a problem with light connections failing in the rain and used a Servisol Spray ( Maplins ) Contact Cleaner and that did the job. Drives out water and cleans up any dirty contacts.
Do not be tempted to use WD40 for the same task. Or so I've been warned.

Hi again ColB, any progress on fitting your replacement switch?

 

[Zack @ Byocycles]

Just for my own selfish interest, could someone send me a photo/reply with one of the display connection? A display is pretty universal in my experience, however there are some anomalies.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Does anybody know how it works? The Chinese ones have exactly the same functions and are very simple (functionwise). They have 5 wires. Two of them are main battery positive and negative. The two switches (lights and power) latch transistors that join the battery positive to a wire that powers the controller in the motor and one that powers the lights. The 5th wire is a PAS signal wire. There's a simple voltage divider that divides 5v into 1v, 2v, and 3v. Each time you press the PAS button the CPU steps through those three. The controller reads those voltages to decide how much power to give.

The control panel works independently from anything else on the bike. If you provide 24v to the two power wires, you can check what happens on the remaining three when you press the switches. I think it's a pretty fair bet that its exactly the same as a Chinese one, in which case you can get a replacement for a few quid and swap the connectors.

 

[ColB]

Hi again ColB, any progress on fitting your replacement switch?

Hello
Yes..result !
Although not the one I was expecting.
I have not fitted anew switch but instead refurbished the old one.
When I opened the switch up I discovered that the problem was some broken connections.
So I re-soldered the connecting wires and tidied them up with heat shrink tubing.
The ten re-connected wires were then tidied up by encasing them in a larger diameter piece of heat shrink tube.
It was a bit fiddly pushing the resulting bundle back into the switch space but it is possible.
I closed the switch with a mastic glue and tidied it up with insulating tape with cloth handlebar tape.
All this might sound a bit nerdish but it may help you if you are settling out to do something like this yourself.

So in no particular order . The complete repair with blue heat shrink and zip tag to make the join watertight.
The wires pulled out of the switch.
The completed repair.
What you find when you open up the switch.

 

[oriteroom]

Hi ColB

Thanks for the useful update. Out of interest can you tell me which colour wires were 'missing' from the new switch you bought. It would indicate which ones control the lights. What plans do you have for the switch you bought? Retain in case of need?

 

[ColB]

Hi ColB

Thanks for the useful update. Out of interest can you tell me which colour wires were 'missing' from the new switch you bought. It would indicate which ones control the lights. What plans do you have for the switch you bought? Retain in case of need?

Curious thing there are the same colours on the existing unit as well as the replacement.
And the maddening thing is , no matter how many times I count...the new unit appears to have an extra lead. ( even though it has no light function )
I've attached photos f the wiring on the new switch.
At the moment I think I'll retain the switch I bought...just in case.
Col

 

[oriteroom]

Thanks ColB. Was the switch brand new? Or do you think it was a recovered one?