My solar-assisted custom tricycle FOLLIES

ddk said:
You'd think and old retired engineer-type like meself would remember that RT(F)M is always the best way to start a project, re-reading as required.
I usually prefer to poke and prod at stuff until it either does what I want, or I'm incredibly frustrated with it. ;)


But the poor Japanese have to deal with not just one written language, but three (or possibly more) completely different languages!
All of them used for tech stuff.
I never got really deep into it, so I could be wrong (started learning due to watching first anime, then getting just a bit into Japanese culture out of curiosity), but IIRC it's not exactly different languages, but rather different writing systems (Hiragana & Katakana (phonetic), and the really hard one, Kanji (ideographic *and* used phonetically sometimes too).


I suppose I should have let Amberfella write about how to go about setting up a reverse just so the info is available in this thread but I kinda knew I didn't want to hang around the forum during the dreaded holidaze (yes, I AM the grinch) :pancake:
THat one I totally understand--I work in retail, *and* have a bunch of assholes in the neighborhood, so I get pretty grinchy too.
 
@amberguy- ya like I wrote... 3 written languages.
Funny, I never met a native (Japanese) speaker who completely understood written Japanese and I was somewhat involved with a teleconference class teaching Japanese until we were told to stop.
Seems we weren't teaching 'formal' Japanese... I kinda knew this because what we taught didn't jive with what I needed to know translating Japanese manuals.
Some of the Japanese actors kept telling us we were doing it wrong but the key word here is "some", as they couldn't agree on what would be the formal usage whereas the other actors agreed with our instructors interpretations (silly, but very true).
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I've had several occasions to go shopping in both rainy and dry conditions. My average power usage was 12W indicating that indeed, the old geared hub motor was... old.not too cold.jpgbuddings.jpg
 
gave myself a scare, because batteries 6 years old shouldn't still be good to use,. Or can they?
Well, a few months shy of 6 years, anyhoo.
This particular set of batteries includes 3 nanotech batteries who's first three years of life was beset by never, ever staying in balance. Funni enuff was the fact that this was random as to which of the 9 cells would go out of balance because it differed with each charge cycle.
They are the reason I built a singe cell charge rig for multicell packs.
Eventually I just would charge the whole set of nanotechs to 90% of the strongest cell,but then, three years later they never went out of balance to this day.
But back to the scare...
I traveled down to the harbor/beach area and back. A trip that usually uses around 25W from this pack (total pack capacity is about 400W) but on this trip I used 95W!
Thinking the batteries may have started their end of days I recharged the pack, intending to steel myself into dealing with HK and the offensive paypal system, whose motto seems to be "lie, we must" on the morrow.
But before I did that ornery task I made another trip to the harbor, as it was another glorious day in the 70s(F).
Upon returning I glanced at the pack and noticed it used 30W (it was a very windy day).
AhA, I must have forgot about other trips using this pack! Silly meme.

But it is noted that this pack, like all the packs I've put together since, has had charge/discharge cycles of less than 50%. Starting at 90-95% and discharging (usually) to just under 80% has extended the life of these packs well past other users' experiences with the same HK stuff.
Go figure...
At least I definitely got my moneys worth so far.

Pictures of the recent moon you're thinking?
Of Course! ..or at least til I couldn't stand to suffer the 5C cold any longer (yes I'm acclimatized to this area finally)nice weather.jpggone fishin.jpgalien or kite.jpg
 
and more of the same...
The MPdPM still acts the same so really, there's nothing to say. The weather suddenly got colder and we've seen temps below 39F for the first time this season.
I'll probably refresh the 7S packs with new HK bats soon.peable.jpg
 
I've just ridden up a >30% grade with the DD motor in MPdPM's front wheel and the DD motor's performance was almost non-existent. The trike slowed to 13kph which to me, meant the rear motor was the only thing actually doing the heavy lifting.
The same trike with a MXUS geared-hub motor went up this particular grade at 25kph!

...but the DD motor makes for a great brake, esp. on downhill grades of the same type.
 
will I ever replace the 7S battery packs?
The 15S pack died by way of the internal self-protection system and all cells have self discharged to 0 volts.
Probably time, as I stopped using the pack when I realized it was destroying the MXUS motor a year or so ago.
My recent extravaganza involves using an 8S pack in loo of the 7S pack...
...Still yet to be determined if this extra voltage may or may not cause the associated motor's sprag clutches to self-destruct; obviously I'm hoping this won't happen, as I'd like to replace the 7S cells with quad high capacity 4S 16Ah packs because for unknown reasons HK no longer stocks high capacity 3S packs. (I thought they did a few years ago) (or maybe they never did) (who knows?) (who cares?)

I'm also considering never fixing the rear motor contraption of rat trike, since I find I only rarely ride it.
It's a comfy ride except for the wind chill factor.sailing.jpg
 
As I discovered earlier in my quests for a (legal) bike that effortlessly climbs steep mountains, two small geared hubmotors beats most contenders for simplicity. Mid drive contraptions powered by small geared hub motors with an additional small geared hub motor work a bit better for heavier anticipated loads (over 444 pounds, thereabouts).
What doesn't work too great are any combination involving a DD hub in a wheel. Even a small 16" wheel.
Applying 1500 Watts (already not legal in my jurisdiction) to the front hub motor mounted in the 16" wheel + the 700 Watts driving the rear motor of MPdPM will get me up a 10% grade ok, but that's about it's limit. (500 pounds -or- a quarter ton of fun)

Bottom line- if I want to climb the steeper slopes of this area once more, I'm gonna hav'ta fix my other trike with it's failed failbrook transmission.hidden features.jpgall that rigging rigged.jpgcrusing on a sunday afternoon.jpgtall ships attack.jpg
 
welp... time to make that decision again.
What to do about the Ratt trike.
Initially when I decided to use a Nuvunci transmission as a "mid-drive" it was basically an experiment to see what benefits a multi-speed motor would get me.
Basically, not much was gained.

explanation:
I use the rear motor of my multi-motored trikes to climb steep slopes and sometimes accelerate from a stop. Other than those two conditions I don't bother powering up the motor as it don't make cents to use limited battery power for going down the road at 20mph or less. Therefor I found i used only two settings on the Nuvinci.

One, we'll call 20mph and the other we'll call 5mph.

The 20mph setting was used mainly so I could pedal at a reasonable cadence with the front motor traveling at (obviously) 20 mph and "just in case" the front motor system failed for any reason.

The 5mph setting was for climbing hills as I found this setting the most useful using both motors to climb any grade locally (up to a 33% grade).
Since then my ability to pedal at high cadences has been compromised and I find I only use the highest gear no mater what speed the trike travels at. (I'm no longer able to pedal 'motorless')

I use totally redundant motor systems i.e batteries, throttles etc. and with the last several bikes and trikes I built and I've had -0- failures of the front motor system (whilst knocking on wood I wish I could say that about the rear motor systems also, but alas, stuff happens...)

Two trikes previous to Ratt trike (with Nuvinci) I used single geared motor systems for the rear motor of their AWD with Great Success! so methinks I'll replace the failed Nuvinci with a simple jackshaft containing a single gear for the rear motor setting and a single gear for for my pedal power contribution (which is almost, but not yet 0)
-as adding the complexity of gears now makes little sense for my wonderful physical condition.
and should the front motor system fail I'll still be able to 'limp home' at 5mph. lol :pancake:

...
 
That sounds pretty much like my SB Cruiser gearing choices; using the 3speed IGH with the sprocket sizes I have in the chainline everywhere gives me around 1-2mph low gear, 5-6mph middle gear, and 8-10mph high gear. I cant really use the high gear for more than a few dozen yards most of the time, but I can go a small ways with the 1-2mph gear--how far depends on my condition at the time.

But I doubt I could pedal it uphill in *any* gear. :oops:
 
so...
I've been riding the enclosed trike with a DD hub in the front for a while now but one thing has always bothered me.
And that is the fat rim and tire the motor came with, in that the V-brakes are barely clearing the rim
and the arms are spread way too far apart... outside my comfort zone anyways.open  w  i  d  e.jpg
The brake works, otherwise I might not be writing about it (having crashed due to lack of brakes) but it's a bit dicey as things go.
I spent a couple of hours trying to get things adjusted, including trying narrower arms but nothing works out. I'm thinking the only thing i can do is weld bosses farther apart or make an adapter plate also with bosses welded farther apart.
ATM I'm thinking the adapter plate is the best-ter option.cockeyed alignment.jpgbear lee clears.jpg
But that means I'll have to mod the fender to accommodate the plate, because I live in a rain forest where a fender is an absolute 'must have'... of course the fender barely clears the fatter tire but there ya go... and bob's yer uncle, or whatever tweaks yer fancy. :pancake:
 
How about cutting the complete arch with bosses off a junked suspension fork? Then you can bolt & clamp it onto your existing fork to test it out. If it works out you can then weld it on.

I've done both of these on different forks and bikes/trikes (mostly to get bosses where there weren't any).

Some pics here for present clamp on version
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=91845&p=1339914&hilit=arch+boss#p1339914

or the extreme version
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=67833&p=1289662&hilit=arch+boss#p1289564

previous version on CrazyBike2
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=67833&p=1289337&hilit=arch+boss#p1289337


the welded on version
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=63083&p=943476&hilit=arch+boss#p943476
 
amberwolf said:
How about cutting the complete arch with bosses off a junked suspension fork? Then you can bolt & clamp it onto your existing fork to test it out. If it works out you can then weld it on.
The rural area I lives in is mainly void of "junked bikes"
I have three, not-being-used-forks with bosses for linear-pull brakes and they all have the same width as the MPdPM fork. To work with this rim (kinda) the bosses would need to be moved diagonally about 5mm per side minimum.

Actually I'm giving up on this project, as the real fix involves acquiring a different motor/rim combo that's specific to rim brakes, whereas the motor I has is meant for a disc brake. The current rims' side wall is not really meant to be used with a rim brake!

Eh, the brake works as it is and I'll just pay a tiny bit more attention to it during the pre-ride check.

...this is wut happens when you improve something until it's broke. berry salmon.jpgblackberry bloom.jpgwild lilys in the wild.jpgeat not the berrys.jpg
 
I've never quite understood the term "cheap chinese crap" or "bso".
Over the years I've owned 2 "cheap chinese crap" bicycles and 1 tricycle and they all were completely adequate to my needs, and afaik still being ridden.
The only reason I stopped using them is my physical abilities keep changing (for the worse, I suppose)
All these e bikes/trike were far more reliable than my earliest attempts at motorizing a bicycle.

I purposely would ride "bso" bikes because the effort required to go just 10mph = the effort to ride 14mph on a "good" bike and since I was more interested in exercise rather than speed, a "bso" bike was the better choice for me. 4mph notwithstanding.cone bearings.jpgmore escape artists.jpgsomething.jpgspeed fishing.jpg
 
ddk said:
I've never quite understood the term "cheap chinese crap" or "bso".

We live in a culture that loves hyperbole. Very good becomes "totally awesome" and mediocre quality becomes "junk" or, perhaps, a "BSO." Not as good becomes "totally inadequate" and very nice product becomes "must have." In a recent post one fellow stated that "Mechanical discs insult the rider every time you use them." This guy apparently likes hydraulic brakes. :^)
 
noodley goodness.jpgBesides all the spam I get from suspicious characters using my nom de plume and unknown people named Sara requesting I stop sending them photos (this I understand... I would never want to receive photos of myself... except I never send photos to anybody, except this unfortunate forum) I've also been sent bills for services I've never contracted for!

methinks someone is using my name(s) in vain...

such is life in this new world.pickup truck or suv.jpg

You could call my trikes anything like transportation device, Rv's, thingamahooeys, car substitute, but in the end they're just trikes.
 
It's already time to be disgusted with my latest motor change on MPdPM. It's like, the weakest motor I've ever used including those tiny Unite brushed motors!
Of course, the motor came from an unknown source and although it looks like a Leaf-branded motor I have severe doubts it is. A leaf motor specs doesn't show it as being a wimpy motor.
Why do I think this?
The motor's performance under stress is at best, pitiful. Besides its' (non)performance exhibited on grades over 10%, yesterday the trike hit headwinds of 30MPH and full throttle to this front-mounted motor added a measly 1mph boost to the rear motor's operation!

I'm too embarrassed about not following through with hightechbikes this last time (because sometimes life gets too close to lifeless)
After the holiday I guess I'll give that grinning guy's shop a call. :mrgreen: View attachment 5bulk charging a 12S 32Ah pack.jpgsingle blackberry.jpgbumper crop.jpgsmoke filled skys.jpg
 
excuse me as I show off my stupid side.

I just revisited the leaf motors' spec sheet and (finally) noticed it's capable of exactly slightly over 1/2 the torque of the gear motor it replaced AND it's max power point hovers around 12 MPH.
-IOW it IS a wimpy motor so the motor I has is probably a Leaf motor, since it also matches (approx) the Leaf specs.

interdasting

The only other DD hub motors I've applied to the front wheels of trikes have been a half dozen Aotema 500w guys and Magic Pie IIs, both of which are supplied power via 25A square-wave controllers. With 14S LiCo operation they both exhibit about the same power (thrust, not speed) performance as the MXUS mini geared-hub motor operating at 10S LiCo, with the Aotema being a touch stronger then the Magic Pie... but Aotema don't make that motor no mo.
And the 16" magic pie is definitely not compatible with rim brakes so it's out as a possible contender, as I do not wish to screw around trying to add a disc brake caliper mount to a not-so-standard fork that lacks it.
Prices from Canada zoomed upwards to infinity due to the infantile actions of a -never mind-
Nobody but nobody seems to offer a 16" DD hub motor besides the who's I just mentioned so...
... I guess I'm gonna grudgingly continue to use the motor I have because it does solve my issue with mechanical brakes.eplane  eplane.jpg

oh whoa is I
 
I been flying electric model aircraft since the '60s when Bob Boucher started Astroflight. I had to quit around 2000 when I almost crashed one straight into the polo field owners Jeep. Time for model trains then. Easier to see.
otherDoc
 
docnjoj said:
I been flying electric model aircraft since the '60s when Bob Boucher started Astroflight. I had to quit around 2000 when I almost crashed one straight into the polo field owners Jeep. Time for model trains then. Easier to see.
otherDoc
I Unnerstand it's quite a bit more difficult to dive bomb a vehicle using a model train... But I'm surely of the thought that somewhere, someone will attempt this very thing.
Sorry about taking so long to reply, but I was mainly posting as an excuse to avoid refinishing my workshop!
Procrastinator is my second middle name, right after Lackadaisical. But alas, the weather uncooperatively became sunny and slightly warmer (low 70F) and I finished the project, with the (major) help of my son.
Speaking of weather, I doubt it locally warmed above 70F more than a half dozen days this summer. And when I say local, I mean within 500 feet any direction where weather deviates in sometimes improbable ways. Such is life along the coast, apparently.looks about the same.jpgView attachment 1

OK, I know if I give the DD motor on MPdPM double the amps (from 26 to 40 or more) it might react like the MXUS mini-mite motor it replaced. But I'm not gonna go there, as that creates more problems than it solves.door install takes a couple of seconds.jpg
 
ddk said:
Speaking of weather, I doubt it locally warmed above 70F more than a half dozen days this summer.
after I wrote that, the weather here has consistently stayed warm, with the nights cooling down to this summer's daytime temps (50F-60F-ish)
...it's the summer that never came during the summer!
oh, and I took the door back off, as we've only received one night of rain so far...
and I mention that to hopefully cause more rain to fall. lol

look ma. no pics
(ma's dead, she don't care) :pancake:
 
oh..hi!
Mr Contrary here.

I'm sure you're all aware that it's best practice to leave your Lithium batter mix discharged when not using it.
I, being basically lazy, never do this.

Instead I charge batteries whenever and leave them in whatever
state they may happen to be in.
-which is why I recharge battery packs about once a month.

excepting two 300W 4S packs used for lights...

those might get recharged once a year, depending on use.

The batteries stay perfectly balanced in one pack and incredibly unbalanced
in the other.
Of course I use the later pack most often.
So yesterday, after several years of leaving this pack unbalanced (because, lazy)
I decided maybe I should change this situation.
Putting on the old balance charger for a couple of hours
I'm once again reminded that balance chargers do a terrible
job of being balance chargers.
...so I broke out the single-cell recharge rig.
The issue of using the rig is it charges through the balance wires of the cells
made of 22ga wire.
This wire limits the amount of current you should use for recharge to about 2A.
less see...4V x 2A = 8W for a 90W cell = a really long time.
Four hours later the cell(s in P) rose from 3.95V to 4V.
I should probably build more than one single-cell rig and disconnect the cells in parallel blah blah blah
...to do this onerous chore of watching the paint dry faster
-but alas, I be lazy.

did I mention both packs are over five years old?

(ha ha no pics)
 
This year's modifications will, I believe, involve the application of two large googly eyes to the front windshield of MPdPM.mini fall flowers (weeds).jpgwaves High.jpg

That is all... :pancake:
 
*-I like that idea. :) Get (or make) the ones with the pupils that roll around in the bottom. :lol:

Maybe I'll put some on the sides of SB Cruiser's new main cargo hold, along with a silly doggy face. ;)
 
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