Recent content by Gargravarr

Hey folks, So a few years ago, I bought a SkateMaster UK-branded board and modified it to use li-po batteries instead of SLAs. It actually worked pretty well, but I got relatively little use out of it before, during a trip to work in 2017, it stopped working and smoke started escaping the motor...

Well, it's been a very long time. I have actually been using the board as much as I can - it's been working very well with my idea to use the charge adapters and a parallel board. Charging is a simple matter of unscrewing the watertight box on the side of the battery carrier, connecting the...

So, been a while. I haven't given up with this board, but the UK summer has given up without a fight and I've struggled to see decent boarding weather. Thankfully the controller wasn't fried. Surprisingly, the broken positive wire didn't short all the way through - there was still continuity...

Shit shit shit...! I connected the 4 batteries up minus the charge alarms, and sure enough got only a small spark when 24V was applied. As the board stops running long before the cell voltage drops to dangerous levels, I didn't bother with the alarms. However, I got halfway to work this morning...

Okay guys, I think I was right about the charge adapters. I didn't realise they bridge the batteries into series - the central pin in the seven-pin 6S connector is connected to both the positive end of the first battery and the negative end of the second (taking GND to be of the first battery)...

That's what I thought - it doesn't make any logical sense why there would be a short, unless the ESC is doing something very strange that it really shouldn't be. Could the charge adapters have something to do with it? All the other cables are insulated (I even went so far as to replace the...

I suspected it was a short, but showing the same friend this photo, he was convinced it was only a power surge: Well, the current carnage includes: Okay, so I dug out my graphics tablet and created this: Granted, it could be a bit clearer, so let me explain the logic: 2 banks of 2...

The charger wasn't giving an error code, just trickle-charging until it hit either the capacity or time limit. However, while trying to get a photo for RMA'ing the pack, the charger decided it would fully-charge it this time. I've had all 3 cells reading 4.20V, so I'll give it the benefit of the...

Mine's not so much a build as an improvement: Description - Modified Skatemaster UK SF-X Motors - Skatemaster SFX-53M 350W 24V ESC - Skatemaster SFX-PU stock controller with wireless remote Batteries - (2) Zippy Flightmax 3S 4,000mAh 40C + (2) Flightmax 3S 5,000mAh 20C (parallel) Board -...

Quick question - I bought a pair of 5,000mAh Flightmaxes and ended up using them (before giving them a full charge) when the board ran out about half a mile from home on Friday. Although I didn't use them much, I think one of them is giving me trouble. Whilst one of the pair charged up fine, the...

Well, I was able to use the board only once more last week, and again it ran out very quickly about half a mile from home. The hills must be killing it quickly, but at the same time, I was expecting >10 miles range with the 7Ah stock batteries. Sure, these have gone down to 4Ah, but I would hope...

Okay, progress. I got it working :D I ordered some HXT-XT60 adapter cables plus some XT60 plugs and sockets. I painstakingly removed the original power connector and soldered on an XT60 connector instead. I also soldered XT60 plugs to the volt/ammeter, so I can disconnect it if I don't want...

I was more wanting to know if it should be sparking with the board's power switched off, especially since I can't see any obvious shorts or crossed wires - could it just be to do with the voltmeter? Again, I really don't want to short this thing out and be left with a smouldering crater where my...

All right, photo time gents! This is the board itself, with my 360 controller shown for scale. Bit of a beast, I think, although I've never seen another in the flesh. The bits that make (made) it tick, again with the controller so you can see the size of the motor. Big box of fireworks...

Right, thanks sl33py! I just placed my order: 2x ZIPPY Flightmax 4000mAh 3S1P 40C 1x Turnigy MAX80W 7A Lithium Polymer Battery Charger 1x 4.0mm Banana Safety Plug With 12AWG Silicone Wire (4pc) 1x HobbyKing™ Cellmeter-6 Lipo/Life/Li-ion Cell Checker & Alarm 2x Trackstar Fireproof Lipo Storage...