e29er build thread

[jasonf150]

Let this be my build thread. Here are the details:

2012 Specialized Hardrock 29er DISC

From ebikes.ca:
- HS3540 rear hub DD
- ½ grip twist w/ regen
- Cycle Analyst
- 7 speed freewheel
- universal torque arm

From cell_man:
- 52v 9.2aH A123 triangle battery

I have had great experiences with both Justin @ http://www.ebikes.ca/ and with cell_man. Paul in particular was very helpful in finding a battery that would fit my 17" frame. I first purchased a 48v Ping battery, but soon realized that it was bigger than I would like, and the C rating is pretty bad. So I cancelled the order and started talking to Paul @ http://www.emissions-free.com. I wanted the 52v 11.5Ah triangle battery (http://www.emissions-free.com/catalog/i29.html) but we realized it would not fit my frame. I have the FalconEV bag and it doesn't fit in my frame. Still not sure how I'm going to mount the 9.2aH triangle I am getting.

PARTS:

BEFORE:

Anyhoo, I started putting things together. I have the throttle, ca and controller "mounted" (if you want to call it that). This is not their final resting place as I plan on making a makeshift dashboard for the ca, a little radio, some speakers, my phone and some switches for lights. But that's another thread for another time. Also, I bought both this throttle and a simple thumb throttle because I wasn't sure which one I would like. I'd like regen, so I plan on trying this one first. With the way my shifters are, it was pretty difficult getting everything to fit right, and it's still not perfect, but we'll see. It'll probably take real-world riding to know where I want everything.

CURRENT:

Things of note so far....
First off, I put the freewheel on without the "freewheel spacer" (you can see the big shiny circle in a little ziplock bag in the parts picture). Annoyed! Luckily I was able to get it off without a freewheel tool since it's barely hand tight. If I had one complaint (too strong a word) it would be that there are no step-by-step instructions for putting these things together. I've read plentry of build threads and none seem to show much detail for us newbies. With that said, will I actually make a better one using my build for the next guy to follow, or will I just piss and moan and move on? Probably the latter.

Since my battery is still 10+ days away, ES user amberwolf has agreed to let me borrow some juice to help me get rollin'. Thanks man!

 

[jasonf150]

Ok, well that didn't take long. I need some help. I have the wheel installed but it's REALLY hard to spin. I don't mean it just doesn't spin well, I mean really hard. I loosened the axle bolts and it helps a little but that hardly seems right. Did I do something wrong? See pics below for reference.

Disregard the Hungry Hungry Hippo game in one of the images. That's not part of the build.

 

[neptronix]

two main causes:

1) disc brake rubbing..
2) freewheel rubbing ( sometimes against the hub, other times against the frame )

 

[jasonf150]

After looking I think it's the freewheel against the frame. So do I just put a washer in there or something?

 

[neptronix]

Yes.

http://www.amazon.com/14mm-Aluminum-Crush-Washer-SW-02/dp/B000JWKMBG

Look for some 14mm washers. I used some to get a 7 speed freewheel on my magic pie that is rated only for a 6 speed.

 

[amberwolf]

I probably have washers or other metal around here that can be adapted to fix the problem, but it will take time to find them. Hardware stores will also have them, probably pretty cheap--just bring in your axle nut and make sure the washer is smaller outside diameter than taht, but at least that size inside diameter.

Now some discussion regarding the old 36V "9Ah" (less due to age/etc now) NiMH pack to be loaned out, and possible mounting options:

What is the shape of the battery you have?

It is roughly rectangular, the size of a very large brick. I'll have to measure it.

Also, what connector is on your controller for power? If I have one like it, I can put it on the battery, otherwise I can leave the wire ends bare so you can put your own connector on it. IIRC it has a separate charging connector, which is not meant for powering anything from.

I have a rear rack, but it's not meant for a 29" bike, *might not* be an issue, or a disc brake bike, which might be an issue. I also have a seat-post-mount rear rack but I'm not sure it'll hold much more than 20lbs.

Even though racks "hold" up to a certain weight, they usually don't seem to rate them properly, because when you hit a bump or pothole, the g-forces can be several times normal, making the effective weight on teh rack MUCH higher than it's rated limit, stressing it, often fracturing it and eventually breaking it.

Seatpost racks are worse about this because they ahve no support at all outside of their cantilevering post, but even regular racks break easily with anything close to their rated loads on them for any length of time. Side-sway doesnt help, as it breaks the joints between rack supports and the rack, and also makes the bike "wag". I've broken so many different designs including my own early ones that I have figured out it is much better to not carry loads on the rack, but rather on panniers attached to the frame, or within the frame itself.

If your rack is too short for the 29" bike, I may have junk around here that can be used to lengthen it. Really easy if it's steel since it can be cut and welded, if you want the change permanent. Otherwise there are other options; you might have to buy bolts or other hardware.

If you have water bottle mounts you are not using, then I have metal plates that can be bolted right to them, and then you can strap the battery to those plates, mounting it securely in the triangle. Makes the ride much better. This battery will fit in most regular triangles, even in some full-suspension bikes.

See here for my first "normal" bike, including a mount and bag I'd used for this battery:
http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=20595
the battery is the green block in the first pic.
The bag is problematic, as you MUST take the pack out of any container it is in before charging it, or it will severely overheat during charging, possibly damaging it but worse it is always possible to overheat NiMH to the point of fire if in an insulated container (like this bag). So I don't recommend the bag, simply so you don't have to remember to take it out every time (which is a PITA).

Eventually this battery will go on my new backup bike, the Nishiki:
http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=33246
when I don't need much power or range but don't care about weight, and then use repaired RC LiPo packs when I need more power for longer or need it to be lighter.

If I ever get it built, the Delta Tripper trike will get all my NiMH on it, since it won't matter about the weight,and will basically just be a short-range grocery-getter, packs slung up under the rear axle.
http://www.endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=22720&start=0

 

[jasonf150]

I'll stop by Home Depot on the way home today and get some washers. I don't think it'll be hard to find them.

I have the 25a controller from ebikes.ca. It has anderson connectors on it. This one:

I agree that racks are not ideal, but remember this is only going to be for a couple weeks until my cell_man tri-batt comes in. I would much rather not have it on the rack but didn't want to fab something up for the triangle since it was temporary. I do have water bottle mounts so I think that would be perfect. I'll just mount it exactly how you have yours.

 

[jasonf150]

Ok, got the battery from amberwolf. Thanks again! I plugged it in and pulled the trigger. The wheel spins. I just need to get to home depot to get the washers and I'll be set.
I also got it mounted. I didn't mount it exactly how you were using it but close. I opted not to use the bag. See images below.

@amberwolf
Coupla questions about this battery just so I'm clear.
- Can I leave it on the charger overnight? Or should I just charge it for a few hours when I get home? How do I tell when it's fully charged?
- Is there a particular lcv I should set on my CA so I don't over-discharge it? Or should I just go by how many amps I've used? Or go by volts the CA is showing the battery is putting out?
- Also, I unplugged the battery from the controller when I charged it tonight. Is that necessary? Does it matter?

 

[amberwolf]

Ok, got the battery from amberwolf. Thanks again! I plugged it in and pulled the trigger. The wheel spins. I just need to get to home depot to get the washers and I'll be set.
I also got it mounted. I didn't mount it exactly how you were using it but close. I opted not to use the bag. See images below.

Looks secure enough for street riding. Just as long as nobody thinks you're riding around with a bomb on there. :lol:

@amberwolf
Coupla questions about this battery just so I'm clear.
- Can I leave it on the charger overnight? Or should I just charge it for a few hours when I get home? How do I tell when it's fully charged?

It shouldn't take more than a couple hours or so to charge from dead, IIRC.

Charger should shut off automatically when it's done, or when the battery gets too hot. Shut off means it's green light on and fan stops, IIRC. Might have both red and green on. Blinks yellow if it can't find the thermistor, I think, and for a few seconds when first turned on.

If it doesn't shut off, and the battery continues getting hotter even though the voltage is already about 44-45V, then there may be a problem with the thermistor connection (one of the three wires on the charger connector). It didn't have time to finish a charge cycle before you got there, so I don't know if it has developed any problems with that since it was last used (shouldn't have, but you never know with wires that get plugged/unplugged frequently).

Personally, I don't worry about leaving things on overnite, but I am also prepared in case anything does go wrong, and the dogs will alert me and wake me quickly if something happened, like a battery fire, and I'd have the fire extinguisher there to put it out or be able to roll it outside.

It is unlikely that anythign will go wrong with the NiMH, but since part of it's charging/balancing process causes a great deal of heat, and the charger does not shut off if the thermistor disconnects, only if it reads a too-high temperature, there is always the chance of problems.

- Is there a particular lcv I should set on my CA so I don't over-discharge it?

30.0V is basically dead, so anything above that is a good LVC, but I'd go a couple volts above that at least, since it's old.

Or should I just go by how many amps I've used? Or go by volts the CA is showing the battery is putting out?

Theoretically it's 9Ah, but I doubt it will get much more than half of that anymore, realistically. :lol: The volts under load could dip below 30V and still be ok, but if it's sitting at 30-33V it's probably going to need recharging, as it's down to it's last dregs of energy anyway and is not likely to give you much oomph.

- Also, I unplugged the battery from the controller when I charged it tonight. Is that necessary? Does it matter?

It's not necessary, but I recommend it simply so you don't leave the battery plugged in by accident, and end up discharging it slowly by keeping the CA and the controller powered on all teh time.

Also, if you have the CA-SA version with it's own external shunt, and you want to monitor the recharging process, and see how many Ah it takes to recharge, you can plug the CA between teh charger and battery, in reverse of normal connection: Battery to CONT connector on shunt, charger to BATT end. If you have the CA-DP, you can't do this.

 

[jasonf150]

EV GRIN

Went on my first e bike ride just now. Pretty awesome. Top speed on a downhill was about 54kph (about 33.5mph). Top speed on semi-flat was about 24mph I'd say. Not bad with only 36v. I can't seem to locate the CA manual to change it to mph/miles.

So, when I push the motor, either going up a hill, or when I just give it tons of "gas", it stutters (hesitates, sputters, "misses", whatever you want to call it). So is that normal? Is it because of the battery? The motor? Too much throttle? For instance, when I'm going up a nominal hill, I was cruising about 12mph. If I tried to go any faster, it would do stutter like that. Thoughts/advice? Or am I doing something wrong?

Also how important is the volt reading? The CA says vmin is 24. Is that bad? Aren't I supposed to keep it above a certain point? I assumed that would be a always-current reading of how many volts the battery had in it. So as I rode, it would go down lower and lower, until it reached lvc. That doesn't seem to be the case as that reading was all over the place as I rode different speeds.

I really need to find that CA manual and read it again.

 

[amberwolf]

Did the charger shut off automatically with the green light?

Also, I forgot to mention it is best to recharge it only after it has cooled off from the ride, back to room temperature. I've cheated and put it in the fridge for 10 minutes to help this, sometimes. But normally I wouldn't be in a hurry, and just let it cool normally, or at most put a fan on it.

I can't seem to locate the CA manual to change it to mph/miles.

It's on the ebikes.ca site, on the Cycle Analyst page, if you can't find your paper copy.

So, when I push the motor, either going up a hill, or when I just give it tons of "gas", it stutters (hesitates, sputters, "misses", whatever you want to call it). So is that normal? Is it because of the battery?

It's probably because the battery drops below whatever the CA's LVC is, so the LVC lowers throttle output, then voltage goes back up, throttle is raised, voltage drops, etc.

If it's not the CA LVC, then it is probably the controller's LVC.

That NiMH is pretty old and rode hard, and is only really capable of maybe 10-15A without such bad sag that it just about cancels out any increase in current so that the wattage output doesn't go very high with it.

So it won't really support hard riding very well--when you get your "real" pack in, though, you'll probably wonder how anyone ever used packs like that NiMH. :lol:

Also how important is the volt reading? The CA says vmin is 24. Is that bad? Aren't I supposed to keep it above a certain point? I assumed that would be a always-current reading of how many volts the battery had in it. So as I rode, it would go down lower and lower, until it reached lvc. That doesn't seem to be the case as that reading was all over the place as I rode different speeds.

Voltage drops as the battery has to supply current to the motor. This is true of every battery, but with some their internal resistance is so low that you won't notice the drop much, if at all, until current is very high. This is usually discussed as "C-rate", or the multiplier of the capacity of the battery that equals the current it can output without much voltage drop.

A NiMH battery is typically 1-2C, and this one being made of smaller capacity cells, and is old, and only a 9Ah pack, would be the lower end of that, really, thus 9A, approximately, before it sees such voltage sag that it causes much less power than you expect out of it.

If it was still new, it could probably do up to 2C, or 18A, easily, and maybe a bit more. But not nowadays.


What I would recommend to avoid deeply abusing it is settng the CA to a current limit of 15A, and an LVC of 33-34V. Between those two, it will help manage the battery use so you get more range out of it and so it doesn't damage the battery or potentially cause cell-reversal if you pull a lot of current when it gets low on power (close to empty). Cell-reversal in NiMH can actually cause them to burn or explode, though I have never had it happen on the bikes.

I did accidentally charge some little AAA NiCd cells backwards, many years back, when I setup a non-keyed charger for a tricorder prop I'd built. I left it to charge, not realizing my mistake, and after a while it heated the cells so much that it blew the tricorder apart, and put shards of metal from the cell cans in the cieling and walls.

It's not likely that any of that would happen during a ride, but setting that current limit and LVC should prevent it completely.

 

[jasonf150]

Ok thanks for the info. I set the limits as you recommend. I'm planning on riding under power to work tomorrow (11 miles each way). I'll let the battery sit a couple hours, maybe with a little fan on it, before I charge it for the ride home. Still haven't heard from cell_man on whether my tri is done. Hoping it'll be soon.

 

[amberwolf]

I'm planning on riding under power to work tomorrow (11 miles each way). I'll let the battery sit a couple hours, maybe with a little fan on it, before I charge it for the ride home.

Keep in mind that unless you're pedalling a lot and keeping the speed down to maybe 15MPH, I highly doubt this old pack will get you 11 miles.

The higher your tire pressure the better your mileage will be (because of rolling resistance), and the slower you go (up to a point) the better, as well (because of air resistance).

The fan is probably a good idea; you can typically feel the pack and see if it's still warm/hot. If it's hot on the outside, the inside is probably hotter. If it's cool on the outside, it's probably ok. The thermal sensor the charger reads is in the center of the pack, so if it's too hot it *should* just stop (or refuse to start). Stuff does fail, though, so that's why it's best to do it all when it's cooler.



FWIW, I damaged my 48V NiMH pack because the thermal sensor had an intermittent connection I didn't know about, and it disconnected after charging started. The charger, identical to that one except different voltage, didn't stop or alarm when that happened, so then it continued charging without being able to know how hot the battery was getting. Since the charger terminates charge based on either a sudden rise in temperature or by a sudden drop in voltage, it would end up continuing to charge even after the pack was really too hot to do so, and ended up damaging the pack after a number of times this happened. It doesn't supply the full current anymore, without major sag, and doesn't supply the full capacity, either.

That pack you've got there came to me originally because that's what happened to it, too, before I got it.

 

[jasonf150]

Ya I *was* going to use the way to work as a test run. The way home is the part I really want assist with, specially since it's freaking hot. Anyway, we'll try for tomorrow since I had to stay home with my daughter today.

Anyway, I made some progress on my dashboard. Obviously it'll be nicer looking once it's done, but this is just a proof of concept. As you can see, the controller is mounted underneath, on the right side. Makes it super easy to turn on and off. And is pretty out of the way.

The middle thing is the speakers. It's was originally a clamshell design that zips open and mounts on the handlebars. I cut the top from the bottom and just screwed the speakers side to the board. The 2 wires under it go to the battery bay. They will go to a toggle switch (switches will go on the top right) and to the main battery pack.

The CA, obviously. I removed the handlebar clamp it came with, and just screwed remaining part of the mount to the board. Still have up and down rotation. Seems to work well.

I listen to AM sports radio to and from work. The radio is a COBY armband AM FM radio. It's mounted to it's normal armband piece and I screwed that to the board. Not ideal. I'll probably end up using velcro because it's not on there very well. This is powered by the main battery pack, but doesn't go through a switch.

NOT PICTURED:
The big empty space under the CA is for my iphone. I haven't determined how I'm going to mount it. Well not really a mount, but more of a holder. I have a RAM mount for a car that would work, but it requires an uncased phone. I like my case, so that idea is out. One idea was 2 bolts from the back on each side and one on the bottom. I would wrap the bolts in tape for obvious reasons, and also to make it a tight fit. The phone would just sit between them. My commute is pretty smooth, so not too worried about it bouncing out, but it should fit snug. Still working on that concept.

Directly above the radio I'm going to velcro my 6th gen ipod nano. Used mainly as a clock, but also incase I want to listen to mp3's or FM radio. It's a better radio than the other one, but no AM on the nano.

2 dollar store 2 AA flashlights for headlights. Wired to the main battery pack and a switch. Still waiting for the mounts from meritline.com. Could've gotten them cheaper from Amazon or tons of other places, but I'm cheap. Another set of dollar store flashlights are going out back, along with a way for them to blink, but that hasn't been constructed yet.

The switches will be mounted on the top right. One for the headlights, one for the taillights and one for the speakers. I was originally going to have a 4th for the controller, but since I was able to mount it where I did, there's no need. And I'm glad, since I didn't want to mess with wiring an external switch for it.

I think I'm going to mount the batteries to the bottom. 4 rechargeable AA's in 2s2p (I think). 2 of them wired in series making 2.4v. And 2 of those wired in parallel making 4aH (the ones I have are NiMHTenergy Centura 2000maH bought on Amazon, $8 shipped). Tenergy also sells a NiMH rechargeable D battery that's 10aH. It'd be nice to just have a set of those back there, but I'll start with the AA's to see how it goes. I also have a spare brand new Dewalt drill battery since my drill came with 2. I don't use it enough to need both. I could make 3 separate 6v batteries, then just charge them together. That voltage would be fine for the lights since I can get 6v bulbs but I would need to step it down for the speakers and radio.

So I'll try and make more progress today since I'm home.

 

[benend]

Great info. Why direct drive over geared?

 

[amberwolf]

I think I'm going to mount the batteries to the bottom. 4 rechargeable AA's in 2s2p (I think). 2 of them wired in series making 2.4v. And 2 of those wired in parallel making 4aH (the ones I have are NiMHTenergy Centura 2000maH bought on Amazon, $8 shipped). Tenergy also sells a NiMH rechargeable D battery that's 10aH.

I seriously doubt it is anywhere near 10Ah. Most of those NiMH cells are "optimistically rated", shall we say. The D cells in that green pack were originally 9Ah, optimistically, and they're good cells.

If you're only running tiny loads, a few mA, then you might see something close to the rating. But keep in mind also that most NiMH has a high self-discharge rate, so that if you are not recharging them immediately before use, you may lose several percent a day with bad ones, a few percent a week on meh ones, and maybe 1 percent a month on really good ones. I've all all of those types, mostly in the AA and AAA sizes, but also in laptop packs way back when NiMH was the big thing for them.

It'd be nice to just have a set of those back there, but I'll start with the AA's to see how it goes. I also have a spare brand new Dewalt drill battery since my drill came with 2. I don't use it enough to need both. I could make 3 separate 6v batteries, then just charge them together. That voltage would be fine for the lights since I can get 6v bulbs but I would need to step it down for the speakers and radio.

What voltage do the speakers and radio take?

You may want to use LED flashlights instead of incandescent ones--lower power and higher brightness with the little power they do use. Cheap ones don't have much beam concentration, but even the free ones at Harbor Freight (using the coupon they put in their ads frequently) are good enough to be better than just about any dollar-store incandescent flashlight. If you limit current with a resistor or a fixed-current supply (which can be built out of an LM317 and some resistors and maybe capacitors if they're needed), you can still use the LED ones at higher voltages, since it is current that matters most with LEDs.


A local friend of mine uses those HF flashlights on his and his wife's bikes, with some up on the bars (mostly to be seen by) and some mounted down near the axle on the fork legs, to light up the road surface in front of the wheel. The ones on the fork legs use plastic cable hangers/wire clamps to hold the flashlights, and are screwed down to the fork via the fender mount screwholes. The ones on the handlebars use two hose clamps--one around the flashlight and one around the bars, with one of them passing thru the other.


None of these flashlights is really good enough to see by, especially at much faster than walking speeds, but they do let other people see that you are there, if the lights around you aren't too bright to drown them out. If you're looking for a good headlight to see by, I recommend a moped or motorcycle headlight, as some of them are available aftermarket that will mount on bike forks or bars, or could be made to do so, and are bright enough to see by at speed without blinding other people on the road (which is a problem with just using flashlights or other lighting not actually designed for road use).

 

[jasonf150]

I'll get back to the lights and dash area later.

So my first ride to work under power. I didn't use the system the whole time since the first few miles of my ride to work is downhill. I pedaled basically the entire time. On just the motor I was getting abut 20mph. Although only about 17mph by the time I got to work, which may or may not have been effected by elevation. So I held the throttle at about 17-18mph, and pedalled to about 19-20mph. Obviously using very little of my power. The real test will be on the way home, where I have a nasty hill (no idea what grade the slope is). I guess not that nasty since the starting elevation at work is 1,099ft and the elevation at my house is 1,484ft. But most of that is in the few miles near my house. Anyway, looking forward to the ride home today and also getting my battery.

Here are the #'s:
26:44 (total 11 mile trip was about 42 minutes)
7.515 miles
2.112 aH
avg spd 16.8 mph
74.375 wh used
9.6 wh/m
2.7% regen
.0575 regen aH
2.1669 fwd aH (not sure what this is)

 

[amberwolf]

Here are the #'s:
26:44 (total 11 mile trip was about 42 minutes)
7.515 miles
2.112 aH
avg spd 16.8 mph
74.375 wh used
9.6 wh/m
2.7% regen
.0575 regen aH
2.1669 fwd aH (not sure what this is)

That's an extremely good efficiency figure: 9.6Wh/mile.
I'm not certain if you simply didnt' have the motor/CA system turned on for part of the trip, only turning it on when using the motor, or if the motor was used only part of the time that the syste was turned on.

If you're only using the motor for a small part of the trip, it will read low like this. If that's the case, and you want to figure out what your *real* efficiency is, divide your Wh used by the actual mileage you used the motor for.


"Fwd Ah" is the actual Ah used, while the main Ah reading shows the total of regenerated plus used Ah. So if you regen a lot (unlikely unless you are braking non-mechanically all the way down a steep hill with it), that main Ah reading could be signifcantly lower than the actual used Ah, because regen is adding charge back to the batteries.

In a way, it's a little deceptive with some battery chemistries, like NiMH NiCd and SLA, because it can take up to 1.5x the amount of Ah the batteries hold to actually fill them up. Some imaginary numbers: Let's say you regen 3Ah into a NiMH pack--you've really only charged it about 2Ah! So if your total Ah reading showed 10Ah used (out of 12), and 3Ah of that is what was cancelled out by regen, it's really 11Ah used. Meaning you really have a LOT less power left than you think you do.

But it is unlikely to ever really be that close, and any Lithium-based pack is not going to have that kind of issue. For instance, in recharging my 48V 10Ah ammocan RC-LiPo pack, it's much less than half an Ah difference from what was put back in to what the pack actually "keeps". Meaning, if I used 7Ah then it may take 7.2Ah to fill them back up. (not counting inefficiencies in teh charger itself converting from the wall voltage, only in the battery chemistry of absorbing the charge).

 

[jasonf150]

That's an extremely good efficiency figure: 9.6Wh/mile.
I'm not certain if you simply didnt' have the motor/CA system turned on for part of the trip, only turning it on when using the motor, or if the motor was used only part of the time that the syste was turned on.

That's pretty much it. I was pedaling for just about the entire time I was using the motor though. Maybe that's why it was so efficient. And now that I think about it, there was about a mile or so that I was geared too little to use the motor, so I was basically just pedaling and trying to figure out why the motor wasn't helping. Then I shifted and it started. DUH!

 

[jasonf150]

@amberwolf
The charger isn't charging anymore. The yellow light and fan come on for a few seconds, then they go off. According to the label on the charger, that means "disconnect". I checked both fuses. Any ideas?

 

[amberwolf]

@amberwolf
The charger isn't charging anymore. The yellow light and fan come on for a few seconds, then they go off. According to the label on the charger, that means "disconnect". I checked both fuses. Any ideas?

First, does the battery read voltage at both it's main anderson outputs and at two of the three charger input pins? (I can't remember for sure which two, but probably the outside two). If not, there could be a broken connection at one of the cell interconnects somewhere inside the pack (they're just nickel strips). It hasn't happened to me on that pack, but it did happen on the other NiMH pack from vibration or shock (dunno which).


But the most likely is that one of the pins in the three-pin charger connector is not making good contact. One side has pins, the other round barrels with a split in them; if the barrels expand so the split is more than just a little hairline gap they may not make good contact. I'd have to look at them to see; it's often hard to know if they're right unless you know what you're looking for.


Since the thermistor wire is very thin, it's also possible it is broken inside the insulation somewhere along the way, on either charger or battery. If you set your multimeter to ohms, and measure from the thermistor pin to the ground pin of that three pin connector, it should measure a high but not infinite resistance. If it gives no reading, then there is probably a wire problem.


It is also always possible that the charger itself failed, but this is less likely.


If you need to, you can bring the pack and charger by here tomorrow afternoon and I can give it a look-see. I should be home by the time you get off work, and be home the rest of the night.

 

[jasonf150]

I know that the anderson connector has power since it lights up the CA when I plug it in and turn it on. I didn't see your reply until this morning, so unfortunately I wasn't able to check those things. I leave for work right when I get up. I should have taken it to work anyway so I could check it here. Oh well. I'll check it when I get home.

 

[jasonf150]

OK, I used the multimeter and determined that there is a break in the connection from the battery to the charge plug. I'm going to try and figure out which of the three wires isn't connected to the battery.

 

[amberwolf]

I would guess at the thin wire for the thermistor, as that is the easiest to break at the battery end. There are actually two wires for the thermistor, but one of them goes straight to battery negative inside the pack. The other goes to the thermistor pin on that charger connector. Either wire breaking could cause the problem.

If you end up needing to bring it over, I will not get home until after 830pm, maybe 9pm, tomorrow night, but I am almost always up very late. Friday I do not know yet, and Saturday is pretty much shot.

 

[jasonf150]

I was just typing out a response when I noticed you posted. Here is a picture of where I am. Should I try further or just bring it to you?

***EDIT***
There is no reading coming from the plug. I tried every combo in the plug and nothing moves the meter.
***EDIT***

link to larger image (http://11.a.hostable.me/images/battery_taken_apart.JPG)