GRIN baserunner with "shark" pack that has no controller case like EM3EV's?

[NeezyDeezy]

I searched but didn't find quite what I was looking for. Has anyone used a GRIN baserunner with a shark-style battery pack that has no controller case in the slider? I'm wondering if the phaserunner would be preferable in such a configuration, as the baserunner seems like it wouldn't integrate with the battery pack as intended.

Thanks so much!

 

[Alex W]

They sell a version with Anderson connectors for that use:
https://ebikes.ca/shop/electric-bicycle-parts/controllers/baserunner-z9-stand-alone.html

 

[NeezyDeezy]

Thanks - I'm curious where people are putting the baserunner when it's not in the battery housing. A phaserunner is designed to attach to something like the seat-tube, but it looks like the baserunner would just kind of hang out... I don't want it flopping around so any tips for housing it would be much appreciated!

 

[amberwolf]

What does the rest of the project look like? Knowing what you ahve and how you want it to look and be setup will help us help you figure out a place to put it and way to mount it that makes sense with your particular needs.

 

[NeezyDeezy]

Thanks Amberwolf. I'm going to be running a 8T GMAC off a L10 baserunner in a 26" wheel on a KHS pro soft-tail bike, with a EM3EV super shark 17AH 52V pack. Notably I will also be running a CA3. I have a big full triangle on the frame for the battery with room to spare, so I guess I can just stuff the baserunner and any cables in a bag in the unused part of the triangle. Not very elegant, but I didn't want to pay a $300+ premium for grin's battery just to be able to keep the baserunner in it. The bike looks just like the one below. The second photo is my best guess for where to run the baserunner up into, though I'm not thrilled about it, in part because I'd have to run cables along the toptube for the CA and the seattube to the battery and the chainstays to the rearhub.

 

[amberwolf]

Thanks Amberwolf. I'm going to be running a 8T GMAC off a L10 baserunner in a 26" wheel on a KHS pro soft-tail bike, with a EM3EV super shark 17AH 52V pack. Notably I will also be running a CA3. I have a big full triangle on the frame for the battery with room to spare, so I guess I can just stuff the baserunner and any cables in a bag in the unused part of the triangle. Not very elegant, but I didn't want to pay a $300+ premium for grin's battery just to be able to keep the baserunner in it. The bike looks just like the one below. The second photo is my best guess for where to run the baserunner up into, though I'm not thrilled about it, in part because I'd have to run cables along the toptube for the CA and the seattube to the battery and the chainstays to the rearhub.

I don't recommend putting any controller in a bag, as it won't have any airflow to cool it off; all the heat will be trapped inside the bag with it. It may not outright fail, but it will age faster than normal, and it might have unexpected behaviors when it gets too hot.

There aren't many good places on that frame to put things. For something flattish and wideish, you might be able to tuck it up under the seat itself with a relatively simple mount, though that makes the wiring even longer.

If the BR is fully waterproof, you could mount it "under" the battery pack, on the other side of the downtube from the cradle or mount. There are tube clamps available that look something like these
https://ebikes.ca/shop/electric-bicycle-parts/battery-accessories/battanch-clamp.html
for various ways of mounting flat things to pipes and tubes. Your local hardware store may have something, or at least something adaptable to the purpose. If not, the internet is full of things, some examples
https://www.google.com/search?q=tube+clamp+mount
or you could design something to be printed in 3D plastic or machined in metal. (the former is probably cheap, the latter I expect costs more).

Using similar mounts you could even put the BR down by the motor (shorter phase wires that way, since there's more of them and currents are usually higher than battery currents). It could be put at the intersection of the seat and chainstays near the dropout, or in front of the wheel at the intersection of seattube and chainstays.

 

[Mclewis1]

I think the best answer (but most costly) is in the OP's first post ... use a Phaserunner instead of the Baserunner (sell the Baserunner if it's already arrived). The Phaserunner mounts well in a variety of locations on the frame and is quite inconspicuous. It would require a little surgery on the wiring as I doubt the larger L10 connector would be needed.

Alternately (and cheaper) a small plastic case could be used with the Baserunner and a little ventilation added if necessary. One of the controller cases offered by the Asian ebike kit suppliers would work well (many are designed to mount well against a round tube).

 

[NeezyDeezy]

Thank you both! I didn't even realize those plastic controller cases were a thing -- ebikes have really picked up since I built my first one 15 years ago, interesting that there's now those kinds of accessories. I'll look into finding a small one.

 

[amberwolf]

Make sure that the heatsink of the BR (or any controller) stick out of any case you put it in. If you don't, the case, like a bag, will prevent the heat from escaping easily enough, with the consequences I noted before. THe BR (and PR) have built in thermal limiting, so they should rollback power before they actually damage themselves....but it is still better not to put the heatsink of anything that makes heat inside something, and instead leave it out in the airflow.

 

[NeezyDeezy]

Ok thanks - very helpful amberwolf, my order hasn't shipped yet so I just emailed GRIN to see if they'll let me pay the difference for the phaserunner.

 

[NeezyDeezy]

Grin sent me photos of a bracket they'll have available eventually. I'm not sure what it attaches to or how. I've asked them but they're pretty busy.

 

[amberwolf]

The hole in the bent part of the bracket looks about the right size for a kickstand bolt? (for frames with kickstand plates just b ehind the BB shell)

 

[NeezyDeezy]

Thanks Amberwolf. After a lot of sleuthing, I found out it's designed to fit on the front fork caliper brake bolt, to mount the controller just above the front fender, below the downtube. Kind of a funny place. It's designed for a specific conversion of Brompton bikes as shown below. So, that isn't a good option for me. Back to the drawing board.

 

[amberwolf]

After a lot of sleuthing, I found out it's designed to fit on the front fork caliper brake bolt, to mount the controller just above the front fender, below the downtube. Kind of a funny place. It's designed for a specific conversion of Brompton bikes as shown below. So, that isn't a good option for me. Back to the drawing board.

Doesn't really matter what it's meant for, as long as it is adaptable to your usage.

So...where on *your* build do you want to put that controller?

What would be needed to connect that bracket to that spot?

 

[NeezyDeezy]

That's a good point, thanks -- I think the best place is probably on the top of the downtube near the headtube. There might be just enough space beyond the front of the battery pack if I mount the battery pack on the bottom tube right at the junction with the seattube. The bracket doesn't seem helpful for that, other than as protection/conductive metal for heat dissipation maybe.

Second best option would be to flip the order, and mount the controller at the bottom of the main triangle where the seat-tube meets the downtube, but it seems more likely to get kicked/knocked around there.