tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44622530625755230962024-03-16T14:10:07.946+13:00Borderline ProjectsDIYStuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-77201620925516832252020-10-08T10:38:00.057+13:002020-10-11T15:54:39.593+13:00Finished Board Tracker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Specs:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Top speed: 60 km/h</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Range: 50 km</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Output power (electrical): 3kW</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Battery voltage: 52V</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Battery capacity: 24.5Ah</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bluetooth lock</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Components:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Frame: GT Dyno Ultra Glide</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Wheels: GT Dyno Ultra Glide (26")</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hubs: Shimano XT M756 disc series</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Forks: Ruff Cycles Double Down 600mm</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Handlebars: Ruff Cycles Coffee Bar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Seat: Brooks Flyer</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Headlight: Modified LED headlight from Aliexpress </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tail light: Meilan X5 B</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Motor: Cyclone 3000</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Controller: Cyclone 3000 stock 60A </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Battery type: Sanyo NCR18650GA 3500mAh</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Battery configuration: 14S7P</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">BMS: Green bike kit 80A with bluetooth lock</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitB5hKKIZluuHveDSPC0NxWQ4VIf4JknuwQA-0SWGhBc95TgYXyAfkEdSzQkNnUBmHcpHAuWZydhghd_AiG9ywd6gX6sljrQMux5SEboFSWXa9ekoKLl_s7fCZ0bPrnVbvVkghcWEwqh0/s1600/20190324_172111.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitB5hKKIZluuHveDSPC0NxWQ4VIf4JknuwQA-0SWGhBc95TgYXyAfkEdSzQkNnUBmHcpHAuWZydhghd_AiG9ywd6gX6sljrQMux5SEboFSWXa9ekoKLl_s7fCZ0bPrnVbvVkghcWEwqh0/w640-h480/20190324_172111.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2F9DTsGnzPaJziUVuCSTDc0wH5P67t50oxFbvqXhUge3AvyaIS6jBQB4dGbMvTOoCgXNQuJWxDyGdWEZSbwZxm50coR3NDfOqB16WavMPKT1S-QPjqwjaJP1-yAuOgsavkb06a17hmXI/s1600/20190324_172130.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2F9DTsGnzPaJziUVuCSTDc0wH5P67t50oxFbvqXhUge3AvyaIS6jBQB4dGbMvTOoCgXNQuJWxDyGdWEZSbwZxm50coR3NDfOqB16WavMPKT1S-QPjqwjaJP1-yAuOgsavkb06a17hmXI/w640-h480/20190324_172130.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-72118304779127201392019-03-06T08:02:00.000+13:002019-03-06T08:02:11.580+13:00Controller housing and wiring.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of great features of the Dyno Ultra Glide donor frame is that it comes with a mock gas tank. While not big enough to stuff full with batteries, it is the perfect place to stash the controller and the main fuse. Here's a few photos of how I made it work.<br />
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Holes were drilled into the base of the gas tank, and cable glands fitted. This serves two purposes: Cable access, and added structural integrity.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cable glands on the bottom of the gas tank.</td></tr>
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The controller fit snug in the tank after filing down the case a bit, and covering it with bubble wrap. The original connectors were quite bulky, so most were chopped off, and the accessories soldered directly instead.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLN8l6Iis67RFMfvUw5JWuiVsbr0G6CJya0zeXHP0ILQn6Iq_r1AMK68cOl52UptDqd1VWMdSVu6jqCh0a4-ooFUIj1Pi3WmhrcO7xmy4ocojq-jcfO9kRSpwt211gjDNwo8MKX1G-9eA/s1600/20181006_160243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLN8l6Iis67RFMfvUw5JWuiVsbr0G6CJya0zeXHP0ILQn6Iq_r1AMK68cOl52UptDqd1VWMdSVu6jqCh0a4-ooFUIj1Pi3WmhrcO7xmy4ocojq-jcfO9kRSpwt211gjDNwo8MKX1G-9eA/s400/20181006_160243.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the tank.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPwwx35F5ZSt7-hycy6TEP8gmnei3xygCi2WOgAD_12eqHRadynBmkNjSV3zPab8OOCQjXewv9LMKdxaPybTyZWOGQcSI56f15rvZLUyrw0jZk2wwmmlhs3UDwEgs12VOl2AKkVOu4wQ/s1600/20181007_131853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPwwx35F5ZSt7-hycy6TEP8gmnei3xygCi2WOgAD_12eqHRadynBmkNjSV3zPab8OOCQjXewv9LMKdxaPybTyZWOGQcSI56f15rvZLUyrw0jZk2wwmmlhs3UDwEgs12VOl2AKkVOu4wQ/s400/20181007_131853.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soldered and partially heat-shrinked throttle and kill switch connections.</td></tr>
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I chose a <a href="https://www.mrpositive.co.nz/aerpro-mini-anl-fuse-holder">Mini ANL</a> type for the main fuse. This was the smallest fuse type I could find with an 80 amp rating. This was tucked in the back of the tank.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP417QGxjKQhxmBNVcRHHJPyr3arjWBKSnFZigcCUH2k_zwWFRBRVCueKu7-JOOib4EFqdko6ABIjVUvOsT7CzErtvyAnnMW2XDGLyM6uUH9Gre6yaxDbHrtPtV6WQcM59fkWtE1dAsqw/s1600/20180715_185806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP417QGxjKQhxmBNVcRHHJPyr3arjWBKSnFZigcCUH2k_zwWFRBRVCueKu7-JOOib4EFqdko6ABIjVUvOsT7CzErtvyAnnMW2XDGLyM6uUH9Gre6yaxDbHrtPtV6WQcM59fkWtE1dAsqw/s400/20180715_185806.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">80 amp mini AML fuse and holder.</td></tr>
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I found a nice simple kill switch on <a href="https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Hot-Sale-7-8-Universal-Handlebar-Motorcycle-Accident-Hazard-Light-Swith-On-Off-Free-Shipping-CLSK/32471043702.html?spm=a2g0s.12269583.0.0.72321c8bHJ67a6">Alibaba</a>, which I wired in to the controller.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOe_8ge0uQXZVqcpnK3wbTC_gs9eVguZ9MSfO_8mecaAziU8h_xpCeKAARpCSJFBfDV-uUV5LibK8lhvLVg90Hsrl84iWYYvBnLmFEs1J1TOa2CzDVE8-4JASEbDilLJ6d792iDQ-eSk/s1600/on-off+switch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOe_8ge0uQXZVqcpnK3wbTC_gs9eVguZ9MSfO_8mecaAziU8h_xpCeKAARpCSJFBfDV-uUV5LibK8lhvLVg90Hsrl84iWYYvBnLmFEs1J1TOa2CzDVE8-4JASEbDilLJ6d792iDQ-eSk/s400/on-off+switch.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kill switch.</td></tr>
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Once all the connections were wired and heat-shrinked, the cables were finally tidied with some <a href="https://www.jaycar.co.nz/10mm-loom-tube-2-metres/p/HP1224">loom tubing</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDaIPjCZuxkvA2PCRW7LFxdtdkBpzOCaYIlwfHuDC0-KOfQnP6rYEd7U1gTinY3y6umQVUNSwvtJn4yMyfNaqowkqQ8jUhSuwmCytDSIJcxpdbvvSUoay9O2BuhnBFmhR6xOzVbwb2PM/s1600/cable_management.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDaIPjCZuxkvA2PCRW7LFxdtdkBpzOCaYIlwfHuDC0-KOfQnP6rYEd7U1gTinY3y6umQVUNSwvtJn4yMyfNaqowkqQ8jUhSuwmCytDSIJcxpdbvvSUoay9O2BuhnBFmhR6xOzVbwb2PM/s400/cable_management.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cable management.</td></tr>
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Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-61387740511853410912019-01-08T12:22:00.001+13:002020-10-08T10:15:50.508+13:00Battery box part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Once the box laminates were all glued together, it was time to work out how to hang it off the bike, and paint it up. I'd already gone and bought some <a href="https://www.pacificcustoms.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PC&Product_Code=ac750114e-100&Category_Code=billet-clamp-on-mounts">aluminium clamps from Pacific Customs</a>, as I'd seen <a href="https://www.electricbike.com/wolfs-dyno-cyclone/">Jeff Wolf</a> use them in his ebike build. Jeremy and I agreed that we'd be best to fashion a sheet metal plate to attach to the clamps, which we would in turn fix to the wooden battery box.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPgCJePIgRLEqyaYXghYAzNeKo5KhFbHVWAgWUFhPaaGVpH87GBhEwvO6RXG54S0_BVW-vcZtJ4GejhsBU4FS4jyoNSg0i2hQcrkyMFwjjD2es5H97Gob7bTxWb0hel81F7eUrVipOjC4/s1600/20181031_171047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPgCJePIgRLEqyaYXghYAzNeKo5KhFbHVWAgWUFhPaaGVpH87GBhEwvO6RXG54S0_BVW-vcZtJ4GejhsBU4FS4jyoNSg0i2hQcrkyMFwjjD2es5H97Gob7bTxWb0hel81F7eUrVipOjC4/s400/20181031_171047.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A clamp from Pacific Customs</td></tr>
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The clamps were slightly too small for the seat tube, so Jeremy bore them out a little on the CNC router. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoDES2F6zdewHtyDYzhqjXHl8_VwdLmfrGO2R6C3IHwHHus7GeLZJtOnwbOUJ82PrU_XuuwwZFUAW7Fw7uRdi4dPNnxxSXl-Kto4WxVAsjimMAxZG1l2URs0_elmitpk0Pc6NiDaiow0/s1600/20180818_130221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoDES2F6zdewHtyDYzhqjXHl8_VwdLmfrGO2R6C3IHwHHus7GeLZJtOnwbOUJ82PrU_XuuwwZFUAW7Fw7uRdi4dPNnxxSXl-Kto4WxVAsjimMAxZG1l2URs0_elmitpk0Pc6NiDaiow0/s400/20180818_130221.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The CNC router boring out the clamp</td></tr>
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He then designed a mounting plate in Solidworks, and cut it out of stainless steel using the water jet cutter.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnuDwVPYVs75xQKBT1oSVpdlGabLthnxGos58AjqTyrTK8IPbHuHAJW6GOgEHCuA1r2bz7OeenlRWGaxnT0OWXJYt31WgOLGA2DZ_YtopcGPZ2zjebtfG4iKbOZnMeuUcHo1wmqLSz3E/s1600/20180818_153447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnuDwVPYVs75xQKBT1oSVpdlGabLthnxGos58AjqTyrTK8IPbHuHAJW6GOgEHCuA1r2bz7OeenlRWGaxnT0OWXJYt31WgOLGA2DZ_YtopcGPZ2zjebtfG4iKbOZnMeuUcHo1wmqLSz3E/s400/20180818_153447.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cutting the mounting plate out of stainless steel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQCr41-SXe3WiSllfnnRKDGYFcnXGG8ii5Z4ibfDvZ2bV8-bb06i-TWZi29J97Rt_qDVIew6mCRQGuB8Voiq2O-pWFzj4BDp-sPXgZsdcprq8s1PCiprprM0gAryIazn_VnkSRVrI0mU/s1600/20181104_160331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQCr41-SXe3WiSllfnnRKDGYFcnXGG8ii5Z4ibfDvZ2bV8-bb06i-TWZi29J97Rt_qDVIew6mCRQGuB8Voiq2O-pWFzj4BDp-sPXgZsdcprq8s1PCiprprM0gAryIazn_VnkSRVrI0mU/s320/20181104_160331.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished mounting plate, screwed into the box</td></tr>
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Matching holes were then cut into the flat face of the box. Jeremy did this with a more "manual" mill, using more traditional machine shop techniques. The box was then fitted with threaded inserts for the mounting plate and the lid.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwIUheHRpmPaNb7kM6_cvEQWEuYhIPwUhwM_udwzFRjtR5cCYmm69WZuP4AKmg0V518Sgx_sh6GXjqMUIaYmlmxfKPFjRgl3n6QTJS2_TagpVTRaUA4dBg1x45vmggDjBm0XPvAp9IesE/s1600/IMG_20180818_163639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwIUheHRpmPaNb7kM6_cvEQWEuYhIPwUhwM_udwzFRjtR5cCYmm69WZuP4AKmg0V518Sgx_sh6GXjqMUIaYmlmxfKPFjRgl3n6QTJS2_TagpVTRaUA4dBg1x45vmggDjBm0XPvAp9IesE/s320/IMG_20180818_163639.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeremy operating the mill</td></tr>
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After the box was drilled it was time to get sanding and painting. My friend <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbSkXMuPZ_Fd1V2ojauJEzA">David Parker</a> coached me through the whole thing. He recommended <a href="http://www.autopaint.co.nz/">Auto Paint</a> out in West Auckland. They hooked me up with everything: Sand paper, fillers, paint, and polish. They were extremely knowledgable, and happy to indulge all my novice questions about my odd-ball project. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxexQRb4I5twOEf0cY6-Ia9uWj97LhzDuY3q8RHlLddvSCBua-eb3CG3g_zfqOe_td6UF_vIiYnmSY3vnEHe3ivAFvKRHy7gSycRi2im9BCAK3lGI9tf6dcaNAY0gmkjEgSuDCKOIcRtU/s1600/20180909_154224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxexQRb4I5twOEf0cY6-Ia9uWj97LhzDuY3q8RHlLddvSCBua-eb3CG3g_zfqOe_td6UF_vIiYnmSY3vnEHe3ivAFvKRHy7gSycRi2im9BCAK3lGI9tf6dcaNAY0gmkjEgSuDCKOIcRtU/s320/20180909_154224.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David helping me sand the box in his fancy workshop</td></tr>
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The ply box was sanded, filled, sanded, filled, again and again. I used <a href="https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/~/3M-Acryl-Putty/?N=5002385+3293211328&rt=rud">3M Acryl-Green</a> spot putty, and sanded as fine as ~200 grit. I started painting once I realised I couldn't work the box any smoother.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0S2X5CHed1uZ5JU0U83575oiwJ6mWjWY4S861gl-9nRSshZLsHbf2VGtr8ccvFuP2lVToWvVbPt477hy5WXVpMBMx6KuzG5SYCT0ZnS9vzEdenB8-6yaUflyyC5JDCdEHGk93mk-isS0/s1600/20180913_181112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0S2X5CHed1uZ5JU0U83575oiwJ6mWjWY4S861gl-9nRSshZLsHbf2VGtr8ccvFuP2lVToWvVbPt477hy5WXVpMBMx6KuzG5SYCT0ZnS9vzEdenB8-6yaUflyyC5JDCdEHGk93mk-isS0/s320/20180913_181112.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sanded and filled box</td></tr>
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I used car acrylic, which was colour matched by the guys at the paint shop. Four types of paint were used: Primer, base red, pearl red (which made it shiny and metallic), and a clear coat. It took me forever to get good even coverage. I also learnt that it's much easier to get consistent results inside in my garage than outside.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9AdtUk7qfz4irbqdObpow2Qk-Skx0jyMt_Nv1cifXa_LY2bjgffbIqO1dVCxC7T5WOnzQNJOkBck4d9niEAnZgydPHqHZHnYfOb0z-Q0bYruq1UkI9IHN1DPbN-_ji6atVm94NzzMo0/s1600/20181014_115651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9AdtUk7qfz4irbqdObpow2Qk-Skx0jyMt_Nv1cifXa_LY2bjgffbIqO1dVCxC7T5WOnzQNJOkBck4d9niEAnZgydPHqHZHnYfOb0z-Q0bYruq1UkI9IHN1DPbN-_ji6atVm94NzzMo0/s320/20181014_115651.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey primer on the box body</td></tr>
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I kept on applying coats until I ran out of paint. The end result wasn't perfect, but good enough for the bike. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKi4uosNaLfp0bj_O8BZEUSeHxI65g8ro6Ex544SikAH5U-jyCAPewrdNmty5RfRDZgSSylZeySjjZyGy8rC2yQCLtUCbR-RGtzg6sbrKDRGWMaEPdZSblJuZT7Ao7pFOrpEwnaDrzTA/s1600/20181017_171758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKi4uosNaLfp0bj_O8BZEUSeHxI65g8ro6Ex544SikAH5U-jyCAPewrdNmty5RfRDZgSSylZeySjjZyGy8rC2yQCLtUCbR-RGtzg6sbrKDRGWMaEPdZSblJuZT7Ao7pFOrpEwnaDrzTA/s320/20181017_171758.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearl coat on the lid</td></tr>
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I started to get a sense that the project was coming together once the box was mounted on the bike. Note how well-matched the battery box's paint is to the rest of the bike. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsem25qxDBAeWh653yvydcIn01w4o_7UFkIByYlyRp95YK8DYuTgbkuuinTMlkgnwJFxS8M7nVk6muaBbMRKue1aA7eLML4WiZ1KfWsKpWd27Etj76lO7yvcOT-xOFHWrNilsfe13qJs/s1600/20181030_184251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsem25qxDBAeWh653yvydcIn01w4o_7UFkIByYlyRp95YK8DYuTgbkuuinTMlkgnwJFxS8M7nVk6muaBbMRKue1aA7eLML4WiZ1KfWsKpWd27Etj76lO7yvcOT-xOFHWrNilsfe13qJs/s320/20181030_184251.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bike with its new battery box</td></tr>
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<br />Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-33357774624146849102018-10-25T13:28:00.001+13:002020-10-08T10:17:10.656+13:00Battery box part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The bike needed a box to house the battery pack. Initially I was planning on doing something pretty rough with folded sheet metal at a local engineering shop, but my bud Jeremy offered to help, so we ended up designing and fabricating something much fancier with plywood. </div>
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First I guesstimated the number of cells I could squeeze in the cavity between the seat tube and rear wheel with a few bits of board, and some old 18650 batteries I had lying around. I worked out I could fit 98 (14S7P).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XWI5p6peVWr9bmyIJqKSTWrIeu2ueCsUqIIo47AUDwOkSLmzZQ57expkIw5oq_2vJbrvMhgu_IdQfo_U4b51ic5b-3BovdEdQq8tu7xBw6P-926xsl-ycHAfFVt12H4XC329EME261Q/s1600/20180111_205843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XWI5p6peVWr9bmyIJqKSTWrIeu2ueCsUqIIo47AUDwOkSLmzZQ57expkIw5oq_2vJbrvMhgu_IdQfo_U4b51ic5b-3BovdEdQq8tu7xBw6P-926xsl-ycHAfFVt12H4XC329EME261Q/s400/20180111_205843.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Battery pack sizing</td></tr>
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I then came up with a more pleasing geometry with a trusty bit of cardboard, a ruler, and a protractor.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2R_9dxozMsDOkoa_-jZm8CHMDbySO5lPyBoltABbaBelxNp7rgOZrTYSMVkkN99rMJa0Nl-9p86NhwveNwIKMMynWpuyobtYuUrk31aRArZESbPgFAXTLLwgaFUNRx_DLtgyq27GOUdA/s1600/20180207_204816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2R_9dxozMsDOkoa_-jZm8CHMDbySO5lPyBoltABbaBelxNp7rgOZrTYSMVkkN99rMJa0Nl-9p86NhwveNwIKMMynWpuyobtYuUrk31aRArZESbPgFAXTLLwgaFUNRx_DLtgyq27GOUdA/s320/20180207_204816.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rough outline</td></tr>
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The outline was fed into Solidworks, and the files given to Jeremy. He then beautified the design, and did all the important Mechanical Engineering stuff like working out wall thicknesses, hole sizes, etc. A prototype laminate was cut out of acrylic, and we sanity checked the fit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08agQ4Go7X2T7Iareh2Q8pGVAmV3He1IFRt__9G3zc9gAwuLGt6w8mnE6rS_2AD4bpGVQLH7B2_TTm7UMGd4IZS39mEvDdU4AbxpIv2rwWKxGAAMAxd6IK1d_6Qf9MYByZiUki4As6tA/s1600/20180626_180041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08agQ4Go7X2T7Iareh2Q8pGVAmV3He1IFRt__9G3zc9gAwuLGt6w8mnE6rS_2AD4bpGVQLH7B2_TTm7UMGd4IZS39mEvDdU4AbxpIv2rwWKxGAAMAxd6IK1d_6Qf9MYByZiUki4As6tA/s320/20180626_180041.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmsFELnrmOhrlIkCj-jkeOJ93dhzOFFlWbLqKONh6kNCl4bZwDHNa94209Q1sBX42cMsEdPKhfq1ZfnWWMS99AtGjsvwxEZMlr7nALOjhpgd1pC-bbhVjRW2vC6_jWFIWxMiaBlEdyojk/s1600/20180625_212306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmsFELnrmOhrlIkCj-jkeOJ93dhzOFFlWbLqKONh6kNCl4bZwDHNa94209Q1sBX42cMsEdPKhfq1ZfnWWMS99AtGjsvwxEZMlr7nALOjhpgd1pC-bbhVjRW2vC6_jWFIWxMiaBlEdyojk/s320/20180625_212306.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Prototype sidewall laminate</span></div>
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Jeremy then made a cardboard model of the battery box on Solidworks, and then we checked the geometry on the bike. It looked good.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgmkOSLs3UYPINCYEwZ_Ei6zA6iQ6Qe0fUNCgCCLRh0WyCnb6XYNvEIn-aCHr8TVMWuXIOqZ873Vtl0WbBz4CURKAO-LikUvPXqB6F_Q8QRKTtecUjJqNAwnMv_oKWWXQ-B75nczbuA4/s1600/20180712_172411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgmkOSLs3UYPINCYEwZ_Ei6zA6iQ6Qe0fUNCgCCLRh0WyCnb6XYNvEIn-aCHr8TVMWuXIOqZ873Vtl0WbBz4CURKAO-LikUvPXqB6F_Q8QRKTtecUjJqNAwnMv_oKWWXQ-B75nczbuA4/s320/20180712_172411.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Test fitting the cardboard model</td></tr>
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Next up was cutting the actual box material. We went with 18mm ply for the size walls, and 9mm for the lid and base. This was cut with a water jet cutter at Jeremy's work. That thing is seriously badass piece of kit, and made short work of the plywood.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpt6gViKxFJ9rlc7RQgrTBPECJEQUtPFSiOMZF-Sx00_2YeEXIsylq6lLJxu-YP9okOB65ViVGgRoxpnOIBgHuC6d2zJ2LQnCQQQrkVh62ycqMW-UbqBOZYEIOp2P7s78RXx7r0M2YlMw/s1600/20180722_103714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpt6gViKxFJ9rlc7RQgrTBPECJEQUtPFSiOMZF-Sx00_2YeEXIsylq6lLJxu-YP9okOB65ViVGgRoxpnOIBgHuC6d2zJ2LQnCQQQrkVh62ycqMW-UbqBOZYEIOp2P7s78RXx7r0M2YlMw/s640/20180722_103714.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeremy at the water jet cutter controls</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotwB1YIi4A3h5ESGVIeYJZuzue-bkNVUj1rEjGHYssXK3KE9K89k4k9iVaO3YPvS9zxR8QeUqEIe0HPPzWVc0Ze0ajs3eXeYo_tr9Y4Xa1Sopg7lAHa2RLi9gV8MOVLMbT7fiwjYuBSk/s1600/20180722_103229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotwB1YIi4A3h5ESGVIeYJZuzue-bkNVUj1rEjGHYssXK3KE9K89k4k9iVaO3YPvS9zxR8QeUqEIe0HPPzWVc0Ze0ajs3eXeYo_tr9Y4Xa1Sopg7lAHa2RLi9gV8MOVLMbT7fiwjYuBSk/s640/20180722_103229.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laying out the plywood.</td></tr>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wPgDyiDguuw/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wPgDyiDguuw?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Cutting plywood</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIa0ZksWi32h258vho3fPfDjG7fpJj903dFyCoeXNTPNZ5YktEBFOtc16SJpcuFQpvDlR4o5UOMzAvWsDp0BV9zpPEX7u9zctErhc4SIx7JMbhQXkbIh3bHRLtNMl9HLtKZKIcK9JpOM/s1600/20180722_114454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIa0ZksWi32h258vho3fPfDjG7fpJj903dFyCoeXNTPNZ5YktEBFOtc16SJpcuFQpvDlR4o5UOMzAvWsDp0BV9zpPEX7u9zctErhc4SIx7JMbhQXkbIh3bHRLtNMl9HLtKZKIcK9JpOM/s640/20180722_114454.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished laminates</td></tr>
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Jeremy didn't trust me to glue the box together (fair enough), so did it himself. I don't know how he did it (magic maybe?), but I presume he used glue and clamps.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVSX0kiUTlAhs1Ne9w-gCXkBsB78lTV8ytSSwYR95R6OHexMH_OVSpbPBzLZt1sVdzIN8kdGfs_RpNO5Q7ejF5cwVd5wS2RYjqpVTm98MWzIHA4ahwkFqd1te6jyWOM2zVdhHtu6bERI/s1600/20180722_114545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVSX0kiUTlAhs1Ne9w-gCXkBsB78lTV8ytSSwYR95R6OHexMH_OVSpbPBzLZt1sVdzIN8kdGfs_RpNO5Q7ejF5cwVd5wS2RYjqpVTm98MWzIHA4ahwkFqd1te6jyWOM2zVdhHtu6bERI/s400/20180722_114545.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The box all glued up.</td></tr>
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Next up, we had to come up with a mounting solution for the bike, and surface finishing.</div>
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Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-15732059035220622962018-09-02T11:36:00.000+12:002020-10-08T10:17:21.778+13:00Battery welding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Lately I've been occupied with welding e-bike batteries. I ran into a ton of problems trying to get the process right, so rather than my usual blow-by-blow diatribe of how I put something together, I've just outlined my learnings, and posted a few photos of my progress. Hopefully this is helpful to others having trouble.</div>
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I had to make a new battery pack for Jenna before I could start on my board tracker. Her bike had just come back from being at MOTAT, and her pack had significantly degraded. One of the things I struggled with was finding good advice for troubleshooting my particular issues. </div>
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Where I looked first:</h3>
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<a href="http://www.ebikeschool.com/how-to-build-a-diy-electric-bicycle-lithium-battery-from-18650-cells/">E Bike School</a><br />
<a href="https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=68005">Endless Sphere</a></div>
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Equipment and parts I used:</h3>
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<a href="https://batterybro.com/products/panasonic-sanyo-ga-ncr18650ga-3450mah-10a">Panasonic/Sanyo NCR18650GA cells, (the same you find in a Tesla)</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.sunkko.net/sunkko-709a-pulse-spot-welder.html">Sunkko 709A 220V welder</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Thickness-0-2mm-Weight-1kg-Low-resistance-99-96-pure-nickel-for-battery-spot-welding-machine/32336236156.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.47f14c4dVVWwrK">0.2mm pure nickel strips</a></div>
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Before starting I wish I'd known:</h3>
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<ul>
<li>The best way to dial in your welder parameters is to do a test weld with two bits of nickel, and inspect the underneath side of the weld. If you can't see obvious weld marks, you're not using enough current and/or pulses.</li>
<li>The welder pen on the Sunkko 709 series welders is only good for up to 0.15mm pure nickel strip (I purchased some and verified this).</li>
<li>You can do thicker pure nickel with the fixed welding head (I used 0.2mm pure nickel)</li>
<li>The welding pins need to be pressed against the nickel strip with enough pressure to remove any air gaps between the pins, strip, and battery. Failure to do this will result in big sparks and unreliable welds.</li>
<li>To help guarantee good contact when using the fixed welding head, always trigger the welder with the footpedal.</li>
<li>If in doubt, use wider, but thinner strip (e.g. 8x 0.15mm over 7x0.2mm)</li>
<li>Use a battery load testing jig to test your battery performance, before fitting it to your bike.</li>
</ul>
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Photos:</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzXcDhP0tByIge7aFTZSNyejDlWFmifL53TYCtvifOiuatP0johK6zPlq3HRsd60EXMgHyObvdiRxHlU3XK8XYidSBybbW4vw94FmCU_pMcFJM5ukK2UIUKmpEojFEuxPaFJv0TvNP5s/s1600/20180728_104000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzXcDhP0tByIge7aFTZSNyejDlWFmifL53TYCtvifOiuatP0johK6zPlq3HRsd60EXMgHyObvdiRxHlU3XK8XYidSBybbW4vw94FmCU_pMcFJM5ukK2UIUKmpEojFEuxPaFJv0TvNP5s/s400/20180728_104000.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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My welder </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmrZRWxEoquAC8bCKmvK-PA84GHK9UhJpnRXFeETR6nBxqzQdMgUDfcz4RH0gRhEk99EUkroyHIPKJ9W2l3o51wo22xRYRg72WhYJQZrj4ECE9eYtbndoIUlTnVY45Zbx55STfhpKxmo/s1600/20180728_103941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmrZRWxEoquAC8bCKmvK-PA84GHK9UhJpnRXFeETR6nBxqzQdMgUDfcz4RH0gRhEk99EUkroyHIPKJ9W2l3o51wo22xRYRg72WhYJQZrj4ECE9eYtbndoIUlTnVY45Zbx55STfhpKxmo/s400/20180728_103941.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Panasonic NCR18650 cells. These things can discharge a crazy amount of continuous current (10A), and hold tons of charge (3.45Ah)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrjaoXV55AiSLD6o8beDAOB0zjoI_RjmNcofzzTMs3B1A1Bu9nEieMRR5QBiMgj1JiswIOuu6_lkyhY3fUA6DUmWbIgYyDPiSKfW01FXsporj7Touq8hL-VIi3HkYEqeHxgUMykpeqBtU/s1600/20180729_155433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrjaoXV55AiSLD6o8beDAOB0zjoI_RjmNcofzzTMs3B1A1Bu9nEieMRR5QBiMgj1JiswIOuu6_lkyhY3fUA6DUmWbIgYyDPiSKfW01FXsporj7Touq8hL-VIi3HkYEqeHxgUMykpeqBtU/s400/20180729_155433.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Test fitting the cells on Jenna's bike, before I realised I had major welding problems.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmyzjomW1MKpFL4ItmAWKCoFZQK4I_oVeXFVtNjp7GfH-nJKAMY85f2rK7du_asmmiQJFBK4jS2uIHbo9HoBrqaB9XHPDMQzKtdXlVaBkubKsENUbZZxOAz3x2KNCY-qfP8JcBAeKKjU/s1600/20180804_142319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmyzjomW1MKpFL4ItmAWKCoFZQK4I_oVeXFVtNjp7GfH-nJKAMY85f2rK7du_asmmiQJFBK4jS2uIHbo9HoBrqaB9XHPDMQzKtdXlVaBkubKsENUbZZxOAz3x2KNCY-qfP8JcBAeKKjU/s400/20180804_142319.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My load testing jig: Some big 4ohm resistors in a bucket of water. I measured the voltage across each cell group at the BMS while the battery was discharging. Any groups measuring significantly differently from the majority, would point to problem welding.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZly-bjFIYzp7ez-L7_Hy0DFP5mkNwtO_sFgnV6PVi5tG2vLz-BZyZ_am2NBR4YhLWsJ94YuSfrH4XsRNd0W00m9aDS7Qc-_HthIx1fVGdGg-au1ivm76pmr2oxivq0bVoWWGfhZbuCeY/s1600/20180826_173101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZly-bjFIYzp7ez-L7_Hy0DFP5mkNwtO_sFgnV6PVi5tG2vLz-BZyZ_am2NBR4YhLWsJ94YuSfrH4XsRNd0W00m9aDS7Qc-_HthIx1fVGdGg-au1ivm76pmr2oxivq0bVoWWGfhZbuCeY/s400/20180826_173101.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Weld testing, pin side</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSbtzieXpnE9dWzfTnh5FdPvHAKBgye0n-tMPMWlSVFWdCWhZ-R9A0Kd1mlmG81bBkNt08zOdXx7A99-Dwm-UqYOq5H4LcX_7j2KOWBvgyYUJF4O2RSn0s9xel7L_x5ge2JqvdcAznao/s1600/20180826_173111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSbtzieXpnE9dWzfTnh5FdPvHAKBgye0n-tMPMWlSVFWdCWhZ-R9A0Kd1mlmG81bBkNt08zOdXx7A99-Dwm-UqYOq5H4LcX_7j2KOWBvgyYUJF4O2RSn0s9xel7L_x5ge2JqvdcAznao/s400/20180826_173111.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Weld testing, underside. This is an example of good quality welds. Notice the visible weld marks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-kpoapn9_Xhq2rAHj2P-raHONLHCT0TXvDA7uy37_esROO2lzualkYqKdqLZmzzS4Py9ZRxddo8EO6xisreU4IbQVRKuVAXJf1EYK9sU-TM9HAaYesePQXG5GHvHqbfO3UXZ9O0LtGk/s1600/20180817_205510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-kpoapn9_Xhq2rAHj2P-raHONLHCT0TXvDA7uy37_esROO2lzualkYqKdqLZmzzS4Py9ZRxddo8EO6xisreU4IbQVRKuVAXJf1EYK9sU-TM9HAaYesePQXG5GHvHqbfO3UXZ9O0LtGk/s400/20180817_205510.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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The welded battery pack for my board tracker. I'll be writing up a seperate post for the battery enclosure.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArJ3sLlzhUpmRmDmiAPhTAtjXuQKmuSI7PVuTo-SnrI-AX-ZXfIUdHBNxVxhfpmPoytA3B3x8fJJSnnbfE4zAYRJyFVQQ3tGJ5MUzosCC9OgVhiqjytOYQpnuYfRR4J2dnEsltXiUvGo/s1600/20180817_232152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArJ3sLlzhUpmRmDmiAPhTAtjXuQKmuSI7PVuTo-SnrI-AX-ZXfIUdHBNxVxhfpmPoytA3B3x8fJJSnnbfE4zAYRJyFVQQ3tGJ5MUzosCC9OgVhiqjytOYQpnuYfRR4J2dnEsltXiUvGo/s400/20180817_232152.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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The board tracker battery pack with the BMS fitted, and shrink-wrapped. This thing is a 52V 24Ah battery, with a 60A BMS. It's scary powerful.</div>
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<br />Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-42485947192104747112018-04-03T12:18:00.000+12:002020-10-08T10:17:30.723+13:00Disc brake conversion<style type="text/css">
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<div class="p1">
I decided early on that I wanted disc brakes on this bike. They'll provide the necessary stopping power for the 2000 watts of power that I expect this thing to put out, and hopefully look a bit bogan. Unfortunately the Dyno frame doesn't have mounts for the disc brake callipers. This wasn't a problem for the front wheel, as it's easy enough to fit new forks. However, for the rear wheel something more involved was necessary.</div>
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<div class="p1">
I'd seen this guy from California who runs a shop called <span class="s1"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/WolfCreativeCustoms/">Wolf Creative Customs</a></span></span> make his own rear <span class="s1"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.electricbike.com/wolfs-dyno-cyclone/">dropout attachments</a></span></span>. Basically he'd machined extensions for his rear dropout, and drilled out disc brake mounts. This extends the wheel base, and adds more space for batteries behind the seat post.</div>
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<div class="p1">
My friend Jeremy very kindly offered to help with designing and fabricating the dropouts. We took the bike into his work and started playing around with ideas. We got inspiration from the dropouts made by <a href="http://www.paragonmachineworks.com/">Paragon Machineworks</a>, and also managed to find the <span class="s1"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.magura.com/media/1997/is_e_09-12-02_11.pdf">"ISO" dimensions</a></span></span> for the disc brake mounts. Jeremy's work has access to all sorts of fancy equipment, which made the whole design process really fluid.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6btxIlWm96BmtUelt8FvuhfEWvq2g2WxmYFWN2xfL-DKWKQxe0dmH2yC6py7w8-eHzZKu4j1-rcs3lz5iIm6JLLYjW3Kv3RfBun9wZzMwne9ELNIlfVOTKLlkQKI9TrYzfS5GdW8SeU/s1600/20180102_144104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6btxIlWm96BmtUelt8FvuhfEWvq2g2WxmYFWN2xfL-DKWKQxe0dmH2yC6py7w8-eHzZKu4j1-rcs3lz5iIm6JLLYjW3Kv3RfBun9wZzMwne9ELNIlfVOTKLlkQKI9TrYzfS5GdW8SeU/s320/20180102_144104.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tracing the frame</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ95nXmmvNgKzV2GT0ZCHu-ddO5E_onUvjBlS3b_Jf4h1lRRc1PdHOcl7Q5EmOZvOxrXTN5WtVTdtnyUEH4UvW5ecFsfO9v-1SPLlyRqh86nLvSgzkZD5BF317plSC6KnmKN2_8SJh__E/s1600/20180102_145759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1018" data-original-width="1600" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ95nXmmvNgKzV2GT0ZCHu-ddO5E_onUvjBlS3b_Jf4h1lRRc1PdHOcl7Q5EmOZvOxrXTN5WtVTdtnyUEH4UvW5ecFsfO9v-1SPLlyRqh86nLvSgzkZD5BF317plSC6KnmKN2_8SJh__E/s320/20180102_145759.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Importing the trace into Solidworks</td></tr>
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<div class="p1">
Prototype shapes were laser cut out of acrylic, fitted, and adjusted until we arrived at a geometry we were happy with. We tried about 3 or 4 shapes until we were satisfied. It was really efficient being able to make a small adjustment on the CAD software, and then having a freshly cut prototype 5 minutes later. Much more sophisticated than the old mate Stu cardboard cutout method which I usually employ.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HnG4rFvTwNrcMVsE742pvblR2QvgQtrNxYFCwczZyBxVML-xBD3qqzeVKk89oXvYqJLkphhCyFk-QESveqL0tQnjsqf-qHxqDk529-MhEz55WXCUcrE46-YG7Jjv3j5OQu4PkpJDoNk/s1600/20180102_152537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HnG4rFvTwNrcMVsE742pvblR2QvgQtrNxYFCwczZyBxVML-xBD3qqzeVKk89oXvYqJLkphhCyFk-QESveqL0tQnjsqf-qHxqDk529-MhEz55WXCUcrE46-YG7Jjv3j5OQu4PkpJDoNk/s320/20180102_152537.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lasercutting prototypes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdDxWfzHflgdt0MI6mfqCnfutl4Lc1DbQaHoRgipmNApbk9nd5uKPycdL8q9SSH6M8oGOcMpbQ4Fj2Zg2Q8U2ArigspST1ONX2xxXp6d5WOYaeHZpiXkhhv8E42LdjrFKtbyVpAQ9x7g/s1600/20180103_183913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdDxWfzHflgdt0MI6mfqCnfutl4Lc1DbQaHoRgipmNApbk9nd5uKPycdL8q9SSH6M8oGOcMpbQ4Fj2Zg2Q8U2ArigspST1ONX2xxXp6d5WOYaeHZpiXkhhv8E42LdjrFKtbyVpAQ9x7g/s320/20180103_183913.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First cut</td></tr>
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<div class="p2">
Jeremy's work has these incredibly impressive CNC machines. One was programmed with the design files, tools, and other settings, and then set to cut. It was pretty awesome to watch. Once the parts were machined, they were fitted, and then touched up with a "manual" mill. They came out awesome, and will be anodised at a later date.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CwRzapfPdhZzBxY1LzLsG_H4rFmpdSrjBTS0j9ipPbpVF-YZbHpLt09aOEjZ3I4h70_Q4fiYKSu6-blhu3rVn7OlqmvKzaZmuKiRAbCQSUC-pCLWcpZlyxQEXRMJ2yWLS_PG5cn2Dx8/s1600/20180218_115653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CwRzapfPdhZzBxY1LzLsG_H4rFmpdSrjBTS0j9ipPbpVF-YZbHpLt09aOEjZ3I4h70_Q4fiYKSu6-blhu3rVn7OlqmvKzaZmuKiRAbCQSUC-pCLWcpZlyxQEXRMJ2yWLS_PG5cn2Dx8/s320/20180218_115653.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Machining the final parts</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOdXaT9u2B9vH-nTX5YUy_8StIqbdhK8_iK6upJHdujUOa1GkePS5jPK47BVpMo5-31c127ij0d_VuckHyoDbjZ1p870xyw41NkyO06wPE_Jx0ivnSVlb2EFeoAxkfpf-nKGHYdr328I/s1600/20180218_121616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOdXaT9u2B9vH-nTX5YUy_8StIqbdhK8_iK6upJHdujUOa1GkePS5jPK47BVpMo5-31c127ij0d_VuckHyoDbjZ1p870xyw41NkyO06wPE_Jx0ivnSVlb2EFeoAxkfpf-nKGHYdr328I/s320/20180218_121616.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Machined parts, fresh from the billet</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVfneXVxSK2LJtJCe8GOsE1-wOQKrjglLWQAXHOoK5igPCE-C1X5YXeChEitrLUD-3keVYTaPoyxEa7KAeyif41DxXJVzxUHkICAsk1UAi1-JPKRoOFag9cmcC5RJgt5duSDRdlV4xVY/s1600/20180225_113626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVfneXVxSK2LJtJCe8GOsE1-wOQKrjglLWQAXHOoK5igPCE-C1X5YXeChEitrLUD-3keVYTaPoyxEa7KAeyif41DxXJVzxUHkICAsk1UAi1-JPKRoOFag9cmcC5RJgt5duSDRdlV4xVY/s320/20180225_113626.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Touching up the insets on the manual mill</td></tr>
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The bike was then passed onto <a href="https://t-whites-bikes.myshopify.com/">Tim White</a>, who re-laced the wheel onto a new hub with rotor mounts. I think it looks pretty sweet!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvxRBmcnWzx3T4YiHoEnYjVIwSGjnVltw327OaQSEVXYwacAzQwjVRPxCRdm59Bg7YSUaytUzaXtguUfnPJgn7QgegsqJYcgZOGUQgu5mBEstwmIIzh3l8TQEGco84PUvyrMH_SZT_eE/s1600/20180402_095645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvxRBmcnWzx3T4YiHoEnYjVIwSGjnVltw327OaQSEVXYwacAzQwjVRPxCRdm59Bg7YSUaytUzaXtguUfnPJgn7QgegsqJYcgZOGUQgu5mBEstwmIIzh3l8TQEGco84PUvyrMH_SZT_eE/s320/20180402_095645.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All fitted together - look at all that space for batteries behind the seat!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ckLKR7GeEk2U_30xQjkXj3OMEll-hKzkt58GXamVhTVC6wd83i5r6QhP0SHSRncvNPHdLECNgx4j3X2SeUt-tvd1rPnaw_p0A9-Da28rEQCD8-kJk9W-PpBnC07bJY0Tei7HKlgaI4k/s1600/20180402_095652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ckLKR7GeEk2U_30xQjkXj3OMEll-hKzkt58GXamVhTVC6wd83i5r6QhP0SHSRncvNPHdLECNgx4j3X2SeUt-tvd1rPnaw_p0A9-Da28rEQCD8-kJk9W-PpBnC07bJY0Tei7HKlgaI4k/s320/20180402_095652.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brake side dropout</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbW28K6rh1c1KeGk1jTHXx2AbjkmTgUZA4aiErP_UVnArOZGDoRs6XCp7eUhBbwZ79MBGsn1FYVoyuoRYeylf98rvH5Am7Nub82TwIbfivwKuhAIFkYNQi4FH5rMG0TFORd3WLpw4bxc/s1600/20180402_095602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbW28K6rh1c1KeGk1jTHXx2AbjkmTgUZA4aiErP_UVnArOZGDoRs6XCp7eUhBbwZ79MBGsn1FYVoyuoRYeylf98rvH5Am7Nub82TwIbfivwKuhAIFkYNQi4FH5rMG0TFORd3WLpw4bxc/s320/20180402_095602.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drive side dropout</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihuEVnN2wZqhBT7jriRchVq-tg1kY3NDZs9PRSmsY9bd5j9OW5QRx7Qm7a8RBbQrV5VulhWUkPsdAHzK-YpkSwVyUOLTHG0A664-pzssoQWpRuYV4x1YasgNbKyhG44k-eRIFNOu4_O4k/s1600/20180402_095707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihuEVnN2wZqhBT7jriRchVq-tg1kY3NDZs9PRSmsY9bd5j9OW5QRx7Qm7a8RBbQrV5VulhWUkPsdAHzK-YpkSwVyUOLTHG0A664-pzssoQWpRuYV4x1YasgNbKyhG44k-eRIFNOu4_O4k/s320/20180402_095707.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top-down view</td></tr>
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<br />Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-14178150600485874072018-01-14T16:17:00.002+13:002020-10-08T10:17:49.527+13:00New project: Dyno Glide electric trackerI've been thinking about putting together another electric bike for awhile. Since making up Jenna's e-bike, I've found myself riding it quite often - more than I thought I would. It's the perfect transport mode for shortish trips around Auckland, from cruising down to the swimming pool, to meeting friends at a bar in the evening. I still like to ride my road bike on my work commute, however I've found that an almost all other trips where I'd normally take my car, an Uber, or the bus are more convenient on an e-bike.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately I still can't find a ready-built e-bikes out there I actually like. Most are either ugly, under powered, or overly expensive. So if I want one, I gotta build it.<br />
<br />
I figure that if I'm going to build a new bike, I might as well try out some new techniques, and experiment with new parts, like:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Getting some custom parts fabricated</li>
<li>Spot welding battery cells</li>
<li>Using high performance battery cells</li>
<li>Converting with a mid-mount, rather than a hub motor.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Tim at T. White's Bikes put me onto <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WolfCreativeCustoms/">Jeff Wolf</a>, a really skilled custom 2-stroke bike builder in Los Angeles. I was inspired by his use of GT Dyno beach cruisers, in particular an <a href="https://www.electricbike.com/wolfs-dyno-cyclone/">e-bike conversion</a> he uses as his personal commuter.<br />
<br />
One thing I learned while converting Jenna's bike was the importance of selecting the right frame first. Tim warned me that if I wanted to use a Dyno frame, I should make sure I buy one with a 1 1/8" threadless headtube. This would allow me to easily select a pair of front forks with disc brake mounts. Unfortunately only some of the later models were manufactured with this head tube type. After about 6 months of waiting, a 1999 Dyno Ultra Glide turned up on Trademe. Here it is:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphenFjY4y9MKeK7VH3n5NKjf3p6lcWkwyIPhyTX09JnaQRMXg9cxh_CASucQXqJkpRTn3fJcA-NXVaKHh_866fBfvEKgm0C2fa9DT35Ovxu3D_tVTFWbtKlcneQXRtPOvaPUXj2akkUSEo/s1600/IMG_20180101_154311_943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1600" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphenFjY4y9MKeK7VH3n5NKjf3p6lcWkwyIPhyTX09JnaQRMXg9cxh_CASucQXqJkpRTn3fJcA-NXVaKHh_866fBfvEKgm0C2fa9DT35Ovxu3D_tVTFWbtKlcneQXRtPOvaPUXj2akkUSEo/s400/IMG_20180101_154311_943.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Upon receiving the bike, I was struck by how pleasurable it is to ride. It feels extremely laid back and gentle - I imagine perfect for meandering down the Venice boardwalk with a six pack dangling in one hand. Now I just got to mod it for the nasty 8km journey from Mount Roskill to Point Chevalier beach!Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-37986131490330247532016-03-15T15:06:00.000+13:002016-03-15T15:10:42.117+13:00Battery re-mount<div class="MsoNormal">
The latest task on the e-bike was moving the battery pack
from its temporary home on the back carrier, in a dodgy shoe box, to being
properly mounted in the frame. Having the batteries on the back carrier is
problematic because it shifts the centre of gravity on the bike from the centre,
to the rear wheel. This in turn makes the bike not handle as nicely. I wanted the batteries to the be incorporated into the
bike frame, balancing the bike weight, and making it look cooler than a normal
e-bike.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPb2tBdjJSv-g7na93CFA1l_t3lJ92RG6myHCXROSO1utPt_BM-rFi6gH52SOT3mYM4u3pgwyKcdXraFfCG_biMX8IxRtb0IQ28xHjMADZ6VleP2weTav7jT42rV3LDbiUexcTUL-WpmA/s1600/IMG_20150920_165603315_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPb2tBdjJSv-g7na93CFA1l_t3lJ92RG6myHCXROSO1utPt_BM-rFi6gH52SOT3mYM4u3pgwyKcdXraFfCG_biMX8IxRtb0IQ28xHjMADZ6VleP2weTav7jT42rV3LDbiUexcTUL-WpmA/s400/IMG_20150920_165603315_HDR.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Batteries in their old position on the carrier</td></tr>
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I'm personally not much of a measurer, nor am I very good at
picturing physical objects in my mind. Instead I like prototyping first, and
adjusting later. For the battery pack, I got some extra batteries I had lying
around, and mucked around with taping them to the frame, to see what fit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZPe6BLk2E7tJmv4WpLfa3qyrVNsBSJmJDTo81Wzjv9nZybQzOu645Xd-0jnAEUV-WQ2wJi5bpN-v7v4CdoLRPnug4JDQg3kWRjUQe-c43J9ACZ_BkBObVLwH7Vj0f5Pd96c7piCsH1Y/s1600/IMG_20160117_121504961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZPe6BLk2E7tJmv4WpLfa3qyrVNsBSJmJDTo81Wzjv9nZybQzOu645Xd-0jnAEUV-WQ2wJi5bpN-v7v4CdoLRPnug4JDQg3kWRjUQe-c43J9ACZ_BkBObVLwH7Vj0f5Pd96c7piCsH1Y/s400/IMG_20160117_121504961.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Experimenting with battery placement</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After I managed to get all the prototype batteries in the frame
in a way I was happy with, I disassembled the actual battery pack, and
reassembled it in the new geometry. I actually split the pack in two, with the
majority of the batteries sitting underneath the main crossbar, and the extras
under the seat post. Once this was done, I covered the whole pack in large heat
shrink. This gives the pack a bit of weather/impact protection, and hold the
whole thing together. I fixed the battery pack to the frame with cable ties.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSg8wlFt5j-oze8mC8c2hgJBz1zk-CpPB_E0u-i-vj1N29Y3owwrHNOH45HsM2MMjF_L-7oYeCPzYpJZqPng9zoFhoeHQiyDAUgkBEMug-XoxTHvULhUd0s5SewivqhmaWoOyxaSRvf_s/s1600/IMG_20160118_214151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSg8wlFt5j-oze8mC8c2hgJBz1zk-CpPB_E0u-i-vj1N29Y3owwrHNOH45HsM2MMjF_L-7oYeCPzYpJZqPng9zoFhoeHQiyDAUgkBEMug-XoxTHvULhUd0s5SewivqhmaWoOyxaSRvf_s/s320/IMG_20160118_214151.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Re-attaching the BMS to the newly configured pack</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnqRa473fVClMZ_0gnyI50L3m59OAOxlLjmHpIZ4lLjRYfJWCzjZDb1YfkN4N3b7t89G57znyeNQJBohenJe2Xkpc_A_jfpfKOOimTyFZDCV7NZJYxTHHUlzPDvKVC-Omwfq4toijL18/s1600/IMG_0009%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnqRa473fVClMZ_0gnyI50L3m59OAOxlLjmHpIZ4lLjRYfJWCzjZDb1YfkN4N3b7t89G57znyeNQJBohenJe2Xkpc_A_jfpfKOOimTyFZDCV7NZJYxTHHUlzPDvKVC-Omwfq4toijL18/s320/IMG_0009%255B1%255D.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warming up the heat-shrink with a rework gun.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jenna started riding the bike around this time, and after a
short while managed to get the charging socket caught on her dress, consequently disconnecting the main power rail. This prompted me to fit the socket into
a small plastic box. This now sits on top of the controller, allowing easy (and
protected) access to the charging socket.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jenna then went about and patterned up some weatherproof bags out of some very chic cheetah print cloth. There's probably a whole blog in how she went and did this, alas I just left her to it, and only saw the end result.<br />
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At this point the bike is starting to be usable (finally). Things to be done in the immediate future are making up some custom e-brake levers, getting the chain guard to fit, maybe fitting a dress-guard, and perhaps direct wiring up some lights to the main battery pack. Phew!</div>
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<br />Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-4479433069683482282015-11-15T10:17:00.000+13:002015-11-16T11:50:01.466+13:00Battery disastersLong time between posts - mostly because I've spent the last couple of months struggling away trying to get the battery pack working properly. In classic Stu fashion, I designed the pack without properly consulting the wealth of information online, and figured my design would be totally awesome.<br />
<br />
So, once I got the bike back from T-Whites, I hooked everything up, and pulled the throttle. The wheel spun with no load (no-one sitting on the bike), but as soon as I sat on the bike, the controller would cut out and turn off. What followed were endless lunchtimes fiddling around trying to work out why my completely awesomely complicated prototype battery pack wasn't working.<br />
<br />
In short, while the battery pack design was certainly complicated, it was far from awesome. In-fact it was completely ineffectual. It was difficult to implement without making mistakes, and the pack layout, combined with in-built cell protection circuitry would cut the thing out with relatively small loads.<br />
<br />
Here's what I originally had made up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0gghjfeDtF91uwOPQ68ulf_rBoI1LSz3_hs6V9gGcHpMQseHmMREPHc5mpOc4KVmEvYlKBiDTe4qjqsCmpcvCDLN6MTcSmguZ1OMQPwAzleH-syMbDtZB_Kk8txxDlFd3ShvmH79ncI/s1600/IMG_20151105_125914209%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0gghjfeDtF91uwOPQ68ulf_rBoI1LSz3_hs6V9gGcHpMQseHmMREPHc5mpOc4KVmEvYlKBiDTe4qjqsCmpcvCDLN6MTcSmguZ1OMQPwAzleH-syMbDtZB_Kk8txxDlFd3ShvmH79ncI/s400/IMG_20151105_125914209%257E2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
There's a few things going on here conspiring to stop the pack running. First the long series strings. If one cell in those strings stops going, immediately the power available at the pack drops by a third. Secondly the in-built cell protection. If too much current or voltage over a cell is seen by the protection circuit, it cuts the cell out, hence the whole string, as per problem one. I've tried to describe it in the diagram below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaham5zEGMsv3x62x_iR_53rmHci_6eN3xiZrebt5WpKUPFF557FiJhmdHrQ3ZkIFkRVHn6FkpLU-p7ufOuWh87eneYuAuyyB6_Ihxfd9VV7yNMMfXqtKzUUOmq2lfGFGCNltG262_IJE/s1600/IMG_20151105_130144960_HDR%257E3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaham5zEGMsv3x62x_iR_53rmHci_6eN3xiZrebt5WpKUPFF557FiJhmdHrQ3ZkIFkRVHn6FkpLU-p7ufOuWh87eneYuAuyyB6_Ihxfd9VV7yNMMfXqtKzUUOmq2lfGFGCNltG262_IJE/s400/IMG_20151105_130144960_HDR%257E3.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
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I'm pretty sure my attempts at over-voltage protection (see previous posts) with zener diodes blew up pretty early in the piece, further complicating things.<br />
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So the solution:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rV_CyQncK2-Hjd6knTvsBdv653mkOgZFPKPcdJ5M5BKymksOkblICLwrVWWu_FIA2_ClM8TbTSUzqWE_v3HFgUUgspDuduvWxeCam5Sobz5uXnJskq4VdZea-sJoANwoxNNKUceNXKY/s1600/IMG_20151105_130826448%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rV_CyQncK2-Hjd6knTvsBdv653mkOgZFPKPcdJ5M5BKymksOkblICLwrVWWu_FIA2_ClM8TbTSUzqWE_v3HFgUUgspDuduvWxeCam5Sobz5uXnJskq4VdZea-sJoANwoxNNKUceNXKY/s400/IMG_20151105_130826448%257E2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Industry practice is to connect the cells in large parallel groups, and have in effect a single series string. Protection is then managed by a purpose-built BMS (Battery Management System), which monitors the entire pack for over-voltage, under-voltage, and unbalanced charging. Fortunately I didn't have to re-invent the wheel here, and ordered an <a href="http://www.aliexpress.com/item/48V-1400W-Lithium-Battery-BMS-PCB-13S-54-6V-Electric-Bicycle-Battery-BMS-30A-continuous-60A/32375285117.html">off-the-shelf unit</a>, along with a <a href="http://www.aliexpress.com/item/48V-6A-Lithium-Battery-Charger-High-Quality-Electric-Bicycle-Battery-Charger-13S-54-6V-Lithium-Charger/32350189562.html">proper lithium-ion battery charger</a> on from this <a href="http://www.aliexpress.com/store/1807188">seller</a> on Aliexpress.com.<br />
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I went ahead and stripped off the individual battery protection circuits from the cells, and soldered up the battery pack as per the diagram above.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpLYVIrCH6tQCpEHlUauvNnNJeEKtX14sBjbfVwHGK74F0aRyK6dNyXylEaraI7opDafB9x7G-ltu-2DjZmC7QfT6IGx_g9GsP1qUxCGVmhMS-9DnvqNDSRBB0HI_lHNQl7fHuffBrs8/s1600/IMG_20151024_155552418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpLYVIrCH6tQCpEHlUauvNnNJeEKtX14sBjbfVwHGK74F0aRyK6dNyXylEaraI7opDafB9x7G-ltu-2DjZmC7QfT6IGx_g9GsP1qUxCGVmhMS-9DnvqNDSRBB0HI_lHNQl7fHuffBrs8/s200/IMG_20151024_155552418.jpg" width="111" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0n43euhElV-7P5vSyBhexfF5K6Uz7b58UlKnJX6PeJSfcH5xhxd-G3q6NjwwyrYhh8ZfruvQ_qY3xTHTDFoHnJ01m8vDB1XXvLJHNnPtRvQZMQbC3NFooJnCZHLsxr3eW83vSBBtbdvc/s1600/IMG_20151024_155607451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0n43euhElV-7P5vSyBhexfF5K6Uz7b58UlKnJX6PeJSfcH5xhxd-G3q6NjwwyrYhh8ZfruvQ_qY3xTHTDFoHnJ01m8vDB1XXvLJHNnPtRvQZMQbC3NFooJnCZHLsxr3eW83vSBBtbdvc/s200/IMG_20151024_155607451.jpg" width="111" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhI9OiZ0sndsbqWIkS-j9pR4CNyLrOYlliHfRAv3A3ZTR4xJvkifE0loV2Tyh9z2-JDAeUhgdKXflXli01B5MtTJ6A88ekMVC93xzj1Nq2guIpTsWe9p3CT8hvfzxFLZOoayxPOESm1w/s1600/IMG_20151024_155655429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhI9OiZ0sndsbqWIkS-j9pR4CNyLrOYlliHfRAv3A3ZTR4xJvkifE0loV2Tyh9z2-JDAeUhgdKXflXli01B5MtTJ6A88ekMVC93xzj1Nq2guIpTsWe9p3CT8hvfzxFLZOoayxPOESm1w/s200/IMG_20151024_155655429.jpg" width="111" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Removing the protection circuits</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ts2803y9qYb7f9qPva2WtTOj42Sv5-00KLq4quRmRcsZKrV2DfB7iESYw0Xd3iTQuufsSAYIRkyl9IiptHlHLzSttoRBgAQJDwxBkABtByOYZs9Z_uvfweAGbzbnz9mGGhZ7VCEAxPw/s1600/IMG_20151105_182107453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ts2803y9qYb7f9qPva2WtTOj42Sv5-00KLq4quRmRcsZKrV2DfB7iESYw0Xd3iTQuufsSAYIRkyl9IiptHlHLzSttoRBgAQJDwxBkABtByOYZs9Z_uvfweAGbzbnz9mGGhZ7VCEAxPw/s400/IMG_20151105_182107453.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soldered up battery pack, with new BMS.</td></tr>
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The only extra thing I added was a fuse on the battery pack output, to further protect it from over-current events (i.e. shorting). It was a revelation on plugging the thing back onto the controller. The bike came alive, delivering 500W without a problem. Success!</div>
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Jenna and I both ran a few test rides, and managed to get around central Auckland without any electrical problems (running out of charge, smoking electronics).</div>
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The next missions are coming up with some kind of battery enclosure, and upgrading the bike's brakes.</div>
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<br />Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-86646228175965631082015-09-09T10:05:00.002+12:002015-09-09T10:07:50.421+12:00Component sourcingBeen a bit of a long time between blogs, as I've been held back waiting for my next batch of components to arrive.<br />
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I've had on order from <a href="http://www.mxusebikekit.com/">MXUS</a>, my supplier in China:<br />
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- A motor<br />
- Controller<br />
- Accessories (throttles, e-brakes, displays, etc.)<br />
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And from <a href="http://www.twhitesbikes.co.nz/">T-Whites Bikes</a> in Auckland:<br />
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- Wheel rims<br />
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The first problem I ran into was actually with <a href="http://www.youshop.co.nz/">YouShop </a>in China. They were claiming that my package had never arrived in their warehouse. After a bit of back and forth with customer support (and sending them an electronic copy of their own acceptance signature), they "found" my parcel. Immediately afterwards I was made to pay ($17) for a magnetic goods inspection report, a requirement for electric motors leaving Chinese ports.<br />
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After that was all sorted, it didn't take for the parcel to turn up in NZ.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgaa2nZy7FWfd7V7tEjcsI6xV_f6HeyjuHEXZbPeBlZ0SArJBsREqmmHJVz8lGhyR0qN6Mv0IiOzxd6zrKIYaxiQQ4qBiMCR0MerP3kViXJ2BAiaTV-NBgQptsZqy39tk-PcoqnGi3t6k/s1600/IMG_20150707_150153%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgaa2nZy7FWfd7V7tEjcsI6xV_f6HeyjuHEXZbPeBlZ0SArJBsREqmmHJVz8lGhyR0qN6Mv0IiOzxd6zrKIYaxiQQ4qBiMCR0MerP3kViXJ2BAiaTV-NBgQptsZqy39tk-PcoqnGi3t6k/s400/IMG_20150707_150153%257E2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Immediately I plugged the system in, and checked the motor spinned.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2puD0ZHqgyPtpq9jcB6WQFEcjzfSlH7EgKUsF50f1_q3-FcKpnLbuSI1N0ECA5du8D_iIQBi1iUBHIufx6z7zrfIlYHTcXniFARJbdtvYRuptrBGFzX5jJWkzMyHSkjPz1ayoFTVLDG0/s0/VID_20150708_131932714.mp4" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6192264612420044786?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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The observant will notice that the speedometer doesn't change when the motor is going (hopefully this video starts working).<br />
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I ended up had a bit of drama getting the right controller from MXUS. First the sent me a system which didn't have "regen braking" (allows charging of the battery while braking), then they sent me a system which was the wrong voltage (36, rather than 48). Fortunately they sent me the extra bits free of charge, and via FedEx, which was great.<br />
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T-White's distributor/importer ended up bringing in the wrong (i.e. more expensive) rims, but thankfully they agreed to sell me the fancy ones for the price we originally agreed. Here they are, sitting in the shop, about to be threaded up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3hEBUGEyRD5oXob5eS4HB7nEKHsGI0WQH6dFzf3NfOa9ieM0WUMk5QVB2wtUeB3CNRgy3STfs2p7MvU_4pae_-csOHZkzsAGtCi15zkXnJcrHmCwpsWcqXUykx8noJUrkeUrWSKYTrI/s1600/IMG_20150908_163938010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3hEBUGEyRD5oXob5eS4HB7nEKHsGI0WQH6dFzf3NfOa9ieM0WUMk5QVB2wtUeB3CNRgy3STfs2p7MvU_4pae_-csOHZkzsAGtCi15zkXnJcrHmCwpsWcqXUykx8noJUrkeUrWSKYTrI/s400/IMG_20150908_163938010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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All things going well, the next post will be of a moving e-bike!</div>
<br />Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-50808080108603825032015-07-13T13:41:00.002+12:002015-07-13T13:42:21.165+12:00Battery charging circuitry part 2 - Relay driver & protection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
To get the relays to automagically energise on connection with the battery charger, a small switching circuit needed to be drafted up. </div>
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Below is the switching schematic, jiggled around a bit for simulation.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyjw2YUSTySK3tqx5IEkVImnql9SM61Qv7QzKQys4Eq50Uw3AEV9BzTw5hH8qG4ysUP9ywN4u1AbVYh7AbRbNfYThk5NTQklXq7VQSRGpsMkWUUDOXuS5altTvuoVj6NMwBniVhyk-uk/s1600/E-bike+relay+v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyjw2YUSTySK3tqx5IEkVImnql9SM61Qv7QzKQys4Eq50Uw3AEV9BzTw5hH8qG4ysUP9ywN4u1AbVYh7AbRbNfYThk5NTQklXq7VQSRGpsMkWUUDOXuS5altTvuoVj6NMwBniVhyk-uk/s400/E-bike+relay+v2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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There's probably no point getting too carried away explaining how the thing works in detail. However basically if no power is connected (V1), the FET is off, nothing can energise the relays, and the battery holds in the normal "serial" state. Once power is connected, there's a small delay/debounce, and the relays flick the battery pack into "parallel charging mode".</div>
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I soldered the thing up from bits and bobs lying around the lab. It's pretty bloody rough.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFyeJKrz-XaasQVDeQbygwVFNP_QxsPmJbASv7gdNIqNFGNc4jkURrvu7NAdx1UbL206OtJtuvy2KS9vvDAHeIwQiwE5tO8RD2Yvw0nKAGdv3mrBp5DpmB1adGxmhXlCGvR9M9Z1BD5I/s1600/IMG_20150709_122637657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFyeJKrz-XaasQVDeQbygwVFNP_QxsPmJbASv7gdNIqNFGNc4jkURrvu7NAdx1UbL206OtJtuvy2KS9vvDAHeIwQiwE5tO8RD2Yvw0nKAGdv3mrBp5DpmB1adGxmhXlCGvR9M9Z1BD5I/s400/IMG_20150709_122637657.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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While this set-up tested fine on the bench-top supply, I ran into trouble with actual batteries. It turns out that the order in which the relays are connected (SW1 and SW2) is critical. If connected the wrong way around, the bottom battery pack shorts, the internal battery pack protection kicks in, and the SW1 relay doesn't have enough energy to break. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The scribbling above is an attempt to explain what happens when SW2 turns off first. </span></span></td></tr>
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Protection is as crucial for safe circuit operation as is it is for safe sex with a stranger. Without it, all sorts of bad things can happen (usually fires) - especially when <a href="https://youtu.be/SMy2_qNO2Y0">lithium battery</a> packs are involved. There's a few types of protection schemes which are common in low-medium voltage electronics: Over-current, over-voltage, reverse polarity, and ESD.</div>
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Over-current protection on the battery pack is provided by fuses. These are really simple devices that simply burn out, and cut the circuit if the current through them exceeds their rating. On the battery pack there is a fuse on the charging input, and one of the motor output. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlS6U0MGBGRqaPDB9oSAOWKWwTWYqt10SYsT7KlmTh8XjPFWZYDp0ShwUdug2IfvrXd4RIxELBL_T8z1KxqFWcnp3U5sRG8Vbp2HJG8cmqjtKa8mTAnukHbGoHQmIBMaEbV7-RZiFpvg/s1600/IMG_20150710_142141883%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlS6U0MGBGRqaPDB9oSAOWKWwTWYqt10SYsT7KlmTh8XjPFWZYDp0ShwUdug2IfvrXd4RIxELBL_T8z1KxqFWcnp3U5sRG8Vbp2HJG8cmqjtKa8mTAnukHbGoHQmIBMaEbV7-RZiFpvg/s400/IMG_20150710_142141883%257E2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The charge and motor side fuse ratings are rough guesses at the moment. The motor side fuse protection is in addition to the internal over-current protection provided by the individuals cells. It's like the electronic equivalent of "double bagging".</div>
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Over-voltage protection is also provided by the individual cells in the pack. Additionally I have also fitted 27V zener diodes on both halves of the pack. These things basically start conducting (and limiting the voltage) once the voltage across them goes over their rated threshold. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5W9vhtXCSHLpVWj2AU1zM4xEXGQJ5ELGeGt7O_b8AR51W8NXoW0vQuVpt9MKa-iu_bUwwIRWsru29HzJSG8ADZ3jBfQU90CugZuZtcXfl-UCWh4unPXIb6ow2fT257FYwMcqe81bDAM/s1600/IMG_20150629_130612122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5W9vhtXCSHLpVWj2AU1zM4xEXGQJ5ELGeGt7O_b8AR51W8NXoW0vQuVpt9MKa-iu_bUwwIRWsru29HzJSG8ADZ3jBfQU90CugZuZtcXfl-UCWh4unPXIb6ow2fT257FYwMcqe81bDAM/s400/IMG_20150629_130612122.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The zener diode can be seen hanging out on top of the taped bit of veroboard.</td></tr>
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If the individual cells didn't have their own over-voltage protection, I'd use something more robust such as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowbar_(circuit)">crowbar circuit</a>. The other (and probably more important) function these diodes serve is to suppress the voltage spikes which occur the the relays are released, and are otherwise known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flyback_diode">flyback </a>diodes. I mentioned this problem in the previous post, but in short:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQWj881nJcdcjrXA7VvTzzxsbMldq2V1sDS1YxLfLTN9nRbExV1_xqJ2dhYCrNc-e43M2kkCXDYc5WfCRqjpYSYz7k8rrk_YbLtnRH4h_cjQRVZNvLumWaLJwArWhTj7zjTBdy64uZBQ/s1600/IMG_20150618_130504047_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQWj881nJcdcjrXA7VvTzzxsbMldq2V1sDS1YxLfLTN9nRbExV1_xqJ2dhYCrNc-e43M2kkCXDYc5WfCRqjpYSYz7k8rrk_YbLtnRH4h_cjQRVZNvLumWaLJwArWhTj7zjTBdy64uZBQ/s320/IMG_20150618_130504047_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before flyback diode added</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHk2IcUHkqiqh1uK3QUyqblTJTa5Pfg3_1D3copDo-9l7xPPWXkZ8RvceBb51AyKWBJh8S06b8-pQcFqX5hHMUSKqUZ8H46jruTfisDovHKgGLTzZdTHH3msdKqyVqBjpwivzeruPAmg/s1600/IMG_20150710_132528978_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHk2IcUHkqiqh1uK3QUyqblTJTa5Pfg3_1D3copDo-9l7xPPWXkZ8RvceBb51AyKWBJh8S06b8-pQcFqX5hHMUSKqUZ8H46jruTfisDovHKgGLTzZdTHH3msdKqyVqBjpwivzeruPAmg/s320/IMG_20150710_132528978_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After flyback diode added</td></tr>
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As can be seen there's no nasty spike on the top of the waveform.</div>
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While I'm still unsure of the final pack configuration, I rigged up some preliminary battery looms out of veroboard and terminal headers. This allows me to fiddle around the the pack configuration without getting out the soldering iron as much. Once that's nailed down I'll get rid of the veroboard and direct solder the packs up.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SirjYKoDbC-n1J5jCr-lZQx45yPdPB1W0twBxeblyXdNYEZIrHERoLyyJMrA5o8rVPrqgcbNMZ9WXPcMpJfUXzuAPblOSrtn-D8aAdZ0Y6hbM-aK_WoCJXr4pamKL7Roxum_hG2sNgs/s1600/IMG_20150709_122951602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SirjYKoDbC-n1J5jCr-lZQx45yPdPB1W0twBxeblyXdNYEZIrHERoLyyJMrA5o8rVPrqgcbNMZ9WXPcMpJfUXzuAPblOSrtn-D8aAdZ0Y6hbM-aK_WoCJXr4pamKL7Roxum_hG2sNgs/s400/IMG_20150709_122951602.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZK-mqfQvr4fNRQHduInPrmOiEnvGsbJ9qwFb9lhfpBB20obwQoiX2Blqas2luGZowlK35acYN15-jqA9L6MUYlu8eHXNb4GRkjeZszwoaRq7CyJWZk9bke7JCGOv7EUAe-4k-4kxnX4/s1600/IMG_20150709_123003815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZK-mqfQvr4fNRQHduInPrmOiEnvGsbJ9qwFb9lhfpBB20obwQoiX2Blqas2luGZowlK35acYN15-jqA9L6MUYlu8eHXNb4GRkjeZszwoaRq7CyJWZk9bke7JCGOv7EUAe-4k-4kxnX4/s400/IMG_20150709_123003815.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The finished (for now) prototype power pack</span></td></tr>
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So that's it for now. My motor and controller have recently arrived, so I'll publish a post on part sourcing once everything is sorted. </div>
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Till next time!</div>
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<br />Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-29663124669727515622015-06-30T20:52:00.000+12:002015-06-30T20:59:17.110+12:00Battery charging circuitry part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Because the battery voltages in the e-bike are going to be around the 44-50V range, buying a charger/power supply to charge this thing is likely to be expensive.* So after consulting my semi-partner in crime Jared at work, we came up with an idea to upon connection, automagically "break" the battery pack in half for charging. This is explained below...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrg9AfaR2MrpVmsp3-4s5rh7mX7j3Vf2FRPfdV8Ropmz7aEzfoPrwNLQ23NePSrda1_Yv-pOZfcxIhni5dM0hf6vu-ISrrvB6YUEvDtcEu6j6KhelgpCk8LvBvGth45PMRHdVTKinYHcc/s1600/IMG_20150630_093456913%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrg9AfaR2MrpVmsp3-4s5rh7mX7j3Vf2FRPfdV8Ropmz7aEzfoPrwNLQ23NePSrda1_Yv-pOZfcxIhni5dM0hf6vu-ISrrvB6YUEvDtcEu6j6KhelgpCk8LvBvGth45PMRHdVTKinYHcc/s400/IMG_20150630_093456913%257E2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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On the left hand side is the normal configuration of the battery pack when riding the bike. Each one of the battery symbols represents a "pack" of 18 batteries, in 6S3P configuration (a series string of 6 packs, in parallel 3 times). These two packs are connected in series, combining for a total voltage of ~50V. The right hand side shows the charging configuration. Pack one and pack two are now in parallel, effectively halving the required charge voltage to ~25V.<br />
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So how to achieve this?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCgJIgp5H7ffFCTC-olteeof5TfLhb-REGiGtB02EXFH05nlmKOnRp5A5O8fuFbWivgzTv-GcjiLQH8rTQSQDQ9vCdrvZCRkyAYRZHGq1bQZB0VQM3o372syqes-Y9Jw0Lw1N8FPZ5Z4/s1600/IMG_20150630_093709612%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCgJIgp5H7ffFCTC-olteeof5TfLhb-REGiGtB02EXFH05nlmKOnRp5A5O8fuFbWivgzTv-GcjiLQH8rTQSQDQ9vCdrvZCRkyAYRZHGq1bQZB0VQM3o372syqes-Y9Jw0Lw1N8FPZ5Z4/s320/IMG_20150630_093709612%257E2.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>
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Shown above is my switching scheme, using two single pole, double throw relays (SW1 and SW2). The diagram shows the relays in their "normal" mode, connecting the two packs in series. When energised, the relays will swing to their alternate position, connecting the packs in parallel.</div>
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I went ahead and bought a couple of relays from element14.com. I chose Durakool automotive relays (DG85B-8011-76-1012-DR), because can handle the currents and voltages I expect to pump into the motor. After they arrived, I connected them up to a power supply and a scope, and tested the design.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiamkIsrnsqNZEkV69EZeQdFEWELI-gMA5vK0tNU5TuOpzjKUXeIcdMu0vmxBNLU-lpkrJ1hxVT9srwirhiJ9_P16Qem218i2lmeFA1nsRpA3qi2QrTDIuTsyUJX_92z0bDbl0lyVd2rUI/s1600/IMG_20150624_125855237_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiamkIsrnsqNZEkV69EZeQdFEWELI-gMA5vK0tNU5TuOpzjKUXeIcdMu0vmxBNLU-lpkrJ1hxVT9srwirhiJ9_P16Qem218i2lmeFA1nsRpA3qi2QrTDIuTsyUJX_92z0bDbl0lyVd2rUI/s400/IMG_20150624_125855237_HDR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I simulated two battery packs using a dual-channel benchtop power supply at work. This way I could set the current limits really low, just in case I stuffed something up. As can be seen below, this likely happened multiple times.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgursc7RIo35MhVrKqnn9xNpvLo8lxy_4l7qmyECkxhvtzHWzZMn0bbsdQxrEHH3_gecWU7DWyK6eA4NMzdtKIKOgit8YzCwAb1ySblhXtvGnPWccgRXSMJXeo85UV3zfHp7f4-gVyzvSc/s1600/IMG_20150618_130518858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgursc7RIo35MhVrKqnn9xNpvLo8lxy_4l7qmyECkxhvtzHWzZMn0bbsdQxrEHH3_gecWU7DWyK6eA4NMzdtKIKOgit8YzCwAb1ySblhXtvGnPWccgRXSMJXeo85UV3zfHp7f4-gVyzvSc/s400/IMG_20150618_130518858.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The relays connected up with alligator clips.</td></tr>
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Sure enough, the relay circuit appeared to work in principle. The packs were reconfiguring from series to parallel on energising the relays, and reverting back again upon disconnecting the power.</div>
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Jared warned me about current spikes across the batteries when disconnecting the relays. These come as a result of the coils in the relays wanting to discharge upon the rapid change in current during disconnection. These spikes could potentially damage the battery packs, so I needed to quantify the effect, in order to determine the scale of protection necessary for mitigation.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCU033RKv9u2dLaJuBVs2Ey5312oX7MtaJ2c8IehBEtRo-Ekwa38wn5cUWB1c_b2DZvCn4bxzjZKHNbX8-K8C03GRO7FNv8LRHpcEgdOGCi4gsU1-CCf81MK7xuLuUQH8CDAwS-WQ9Kso/s1600/IMG_20150618_130504047_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCU033RKv9u2dLaJuBVs2Ey5312oX7MtaJ2c8IehBEtRo-Ekwa38wn5cUWB1c_b2DZvCn4bxzjZKHNbX8-K8C03GRO7FNv8LRHpcEgdOGCi4gsU1-CCf81MK7xuLuUQH8CDAwS-WQ9Kso/s400/IMG_20150618_130504047_HDR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I connected a scope across the battery packs, and activated and deactivated the relays. As can be seen, a spike of ~4V is present during the switching, though not for long. This will most likely be dealt with by fitting 25V zener diodes across the packs. More on that, along with the rest of the switching circuit, later.</div>
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*This statement is not based on any research/facts. Look, I just wanna play around with relays alright?</div>
<br />Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-24108723594656768972015-06-14T14:25:00.001+12:002015-06-14T14:25:41.138+12:00Bike frame<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOXhGqTYQO-nslteFKHKTAvZRKYpRFNqoQj29oCCM1oamQEykoluNoKA8bw26bUMXdieAlI9W7xjcn-1VmVxHS5zRIUgTyMk1pHJ9U5Fd78QtTa9eiSvcaOPgqCfiKtA-6MXLL5kUyGQ/s1600/IMG_20150614_125600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOXhGqTYQO-nslteFKHKTAvZRKYpRFNqoQj29oCCM1oamQEykoluNoKA8bw26bUMXdieAlI9W7xjcn-1VmVxHS5zRIUgTyMk1pHJ9U5Fd78QtTa9eiSvcaOPgqCfiKtA-6MXLL5kUyGQ/s640/IMG_20150614_125600.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Behold, the Leichtsport "Senori". This will provide the skeleton for the build. One of the main requirements for the bike build was not having to need to change clothes to ride the thing. Hence, I made sure the bike had a step-through frame, and a chain guard allowing Jenna to be able to ride in a dress. It also doesn't look too dorky (unless I ride it), which was another requirement.<br />
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One thing I'm a little concerned about with the bike is the tyre size. Printed on the tyres is:<br />
28x1-3/8x1-5/8. According to http://biketiresize.com/ this is the same as 700 x 35C - but I'm not going to believe it till some new tyres are fitted.<br />
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The frame is a bit rustier than what it looks like in the picture (and the picture I saw on Trademe) - so I may end up completely stripping the frame and re-painting it. However all this stuff will happen after I've installed the motor and gotten things running.Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-23050326126286860052015-06-09T13:14:00.004+12:002015-06-09T13:16:29.202+12:00Battery testing<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_J2sLdDi8QkhkvN9yPByQnrlXvUesNVd0k79WT72hd2gN9yKz0WZ_g27d6a60RrzFXQkTOSBVBFvoRY1N6LK_tcLsRaaIun2DYF9uWIsyXQ7wm-uNZLpDChVnN31kBToOiq7yCd3PRw/s1600/IMG_20150605_133100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_J2sLdDi8QkhkvN9yPByQnrlXvUesNVd0k79WT72hd2gN9yKz0WZ_g27d6a60RrzFXQkTOSBVBFvoRY1N6LK_tcLsRaaIun2DYF9uWIsyXQ7wm-uNZLpDChVnN31kBToOiq7yCd3PRw/s400/IMG_20150605_133100.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Here are the 42 battery cells I'm re-homing from the scrap pile at work. They're 4,400 mAh, 3.7V, Li-Ion batteries, with a protection circuit built in. They're not the fanciest battery in the world, but at the price I got them at (free), they're pretty unbeatable!<br />
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The first thing to do was to find out the maximum current they could put out. The protection circuit in these units effectively limits the amount of current the battery can discharge. The reason being, if these things let out too much current, they will heat up, and become quite dangerous. The downside is the current limiting circuit chokes the maximum power limit of the bike.<br />
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According to the battery datasheet, the maximum discharge current is 2.4~4.5A. I decided I better test this out, and see how much juice I could pull out of these suckers. I bought some high current load resistors from Trademe for a few bucks, connected them to a few batteries, and started measuring the current with a multi-meter, and an oscilloscope.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsHU1WS2GhtPhQ2q6QIX9hqPQ8No_T9JhyCsZr2006SKIoOzBbBdGZcnmwZH1wiKDxlE8qzfKU7hskHF6AfoSLd3GX6yy4uENH9Z5nnzAaZVaKVmlDhg7nEgBRbfWQQvUXqtzshOI6zE/s1600/IMG_20150608_171253597.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsHU1WS2GhtPhQ2q6QIX9hqPQ8No_T9JhyCsZr2006SKIoOzBbBdGZcnmwZH1wiKDxlE8qzfKU7hskHF6AfoSLd3GX6yy4uENH9Z5nnzAaZVaKVmlDhg7nEgBRbfWQQvUXqtzshOI6zE/s400/IMG_20150608_171253597.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High current resistors (3 and 5 ohm)</td></tr>
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Turns out the current limit kicks in at 3.6A. Now I understand the current limit of these things, I can go ahead and tailor the battery pack for the power output I want. I could potentially disassemble the battery pack, and remove the protection circuit, but as the pack will be sitting quite close to my girlfriend's butt, I figure I'll leave it connected for now, until I understand the system better.<br />
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Battery specs:</div>
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Manufacturer: Golden Cel Battery Co. Ltd.</div>
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Model: CELALB18650-PCM</div>
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Max discharge current output: 3.6A</div>
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Nominal voltage: 3.7V</div>
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Capacity: 4400mAh</div>
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Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-64608239727574686022015-06-06T17:25:00.000+12:002015-06-06T17:26:37.746+12:00Jenna's bikeIt's been awhile since I've posted anything on here. Been too darn busy releasing records with my pals in <a href="https://protonbeast.bandcamp.com/releases">Proton Beast</a> and <a href="http://anthonietonnon.com/">Anthonie Tonnon and the Successors</a>. Somewhere in there I also built a <a href="http://www.e-licktronic.com/en/content/25-yocto-tr808-clone-tr-808">TR-808 drum machine</a>, but since it was just from a kit I didn't think it was blog-worthy.<br />
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Anyways in other news, I've decided my next project is putting together an E-bike for my girlfriend Jenna. It's worthwhile me doing it, as I can get some of the more expensive bits (i.e. the battery) for free from work, and liberally plunder the senior dudes for advice.<br />
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In terms of requirements, the bike has to:<br />
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<li>be really easy to ride;</li>
<li>not look dorky;</li>
<li>not require a change of clothes;</li>
<li>be breakdown-proof;</li>
<li>be able to carry a reasonable amount of cargo;</li>
<li>be powerful enough to deal with Auckland hills; and</li>
<li>have a range long enough for a return trip to work plus some.</li>
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Anyways, I'll try to post my progress up here, as the project moves along.</div>
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Peace!</div>
Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-87236250061618697112014-10-12T17:45:00.001+13:002014-10-12T17:45:36.041+13:00Juno 106 repairSo a while ago I found myself in the possession of a faulty Roland Juno-106 synthesizer. For those not in the know, they're a somewhat iconic 80's synth. It's been sitting around my place for awhile now, and I decided it was time to fix it.
Fortunately for me, the process for diagnosing and repairing one of these guys is pretty well described on the internet. My key resource was the <a href="http://www.analoguerenaissance.com/news/">Analogue Renaissance</a> website.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyipC2TeOOLCyUGNKYX6D9M9r4DSXuSHOBKNTkQsYwEilkH82OO4GWEATkgiXCkWgWGnYJ7qWXGToNk5B57GL0ahgsjuMHWUrnM1vKLAchPcz36NbcO2q83EiipYHNHbUKfSYwiJJsdWY/s1600/IMG_20141010_180126091_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyipC2TeOOLCyUGNKYX6D9M9r4DSXuSHOBKNTkQsYwEilkH82OO4GWEATkgiXCkWgWGnYJ7qWXGToNk5B57GL0ahgsjuMHWUrnM1vKLAchPcz36NbcO2q83EiipYHNHbUKfSYwiJJsdWY/s1600/IMG_20141010_180126091_HDR.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
To work out what was wrong with the keyboard, I had to put it in a "test mode", and follow the test procedure. Turned out 2 of the VCA ICs (integrated circuit) were stuffed, which is apparently a fairly common problem with these keyboards. Initially I tried to purchase replacements from the Analogue Renaissance guy, but he didn't reply to my emails. However I managed source some from the <a href="http://www.ebay.com.au/usr/rhythm_active">Rhythm Active</a> eBay store.
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The repair itself was probably the fastest I've ever done, largely due to the fact these things are built so well, and have such a great service manual (see Analogue Renaissance). To open it up, you just have to unscrew 2 screws on either side of the keyboard, and voila.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQZK3PGsWfhYsP9atMS3cG8q8OCJWEINaHSo1_VrxQ_6HZ-EP8FzK8r5X0ho1qO7SZ4G2ivwcaDN493ukOieeKMiMeMcSvKACHaJLW1kc4ae0I90DCQn6aYzXGjnsG_UWkBfm6HzYPsI/s1600/IMG_20141007_171228848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQZK3PGsWfhYsP9atMS3cG8q8OCJWEINaHSo1_VrxQ_6HZ-EP8FzK8r5X0ho1qO7SZ4G2ivwcaDN493ukOieeKMiMeMcSvKACHaJLW1kc4ae0I90DCQn6aYzXGjnsG_UWkBfm6HzYPsI/s1600/IMG_20141007_171228848.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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Next I disconnected the cable harnesses on the "module board", unscrewed it from the keyboard chassis, and de-soldered the offending VCA ICs.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDI6ZF8W02v07Ud1hVmRfysWl2du3nj1l2VLrnScvq9j3FYKJddoQ-xIVX8yqZlP-sD00m_k_iz3iE3meTs6hAkBz06WBQuE3S_M3Zcj_4BLkhn5IshLmEQXrN1JvVA1rxfH-zPBU_nVs/s1600/IMG_20141007_172123003_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDI6ZF8W02v07Ud1hVmRfysWl2du3nj1l2VLrnScvq9j3FYKJddoQ-xIVX8yqZlP-sD00m_k_iz3iE3meTs6hAkBz06WBQuE3S_M3Zcj_4BLkhn5IshLmEQXrN1JvVA1rxfH-zPBU_nVs/s1600/IMG_20141007_172123003_HDR.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the VCA chips</td></tr>
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There's a few ways you can desolder a "thru-hole" IC like this one. Normally I'd just snip off the body of the IC from the pins, and remove the pins from the board one-by-one, but in this case there were too many other components in the way for my side-cutters. Another way is to heat the whole section of the board up with a heat gun, and then just pulling the whole IC out in one go. I was feeling lazy and just opted for the solder wick option.<br />
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For this to work well you need a good, hot, solder iron, and fresh solder wick. It literally just wicks the solder right out. Sometimes you can't get the last little bit out, so what you do is apply more solder back to the joint, then try the wick again. It's a cheap, effective way to rework. I've seen other people poo-pooing this technique on the internet, but don't listen to them. It works fine for these older board with really big holes, and small pins.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6RjZEfMz48oFoS5K6vd1dAUuiRYnQFrVmkAwDNjrzEZ4CJ-ye6nlNX2PbVveQhtzBizxZvlcqyfPsOrw97hy2yoWtbvbsPkJ7kvuTS8c6ubsZtMc6c1NnIbAOmoDFEDGJ6GzEPEn8jk/s1600/IMG_20141007_174232555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6RjZEfMz48oFoS5K6vd1dAUuiRYnQFrVmkAwDNjrzEZ4CJ-ye6nlNX2PbVveQhtzBizxZvlcqyfPsOrw97hy2yoWtbvbsPkJ7kvuTS8c6ubsZtMc6c1NnIbAOmoDFEDGJ6GzEPEn8jk/s1600/IMG_20141007_174232555.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then I wacked the new ICs in, soldered them up, and trimmed the legs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24CHqIxEJCRl3ZhiRAYY8oMCbhVoAeLUQCx4UF-2en1mOCS64wQJ-Ax0E5yu85q6IIkM0XoeYV30Lh6I8h3fQLbHLsxfYHDkU340OHaYM4cB0O8LcbW8IHVfJR1NOIQdN0ax7xxJjSkg/s1600/IMG_20141007_175345394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24CHqIxEJCRl3ZhiRAYY8oMCbhVoAeLUQCx4UF-2en1mOCS64wQJ-Ax0E5yu85q6IIkM0XoeYV30Lh6I8h3fQLbHLsxfYHDkU340OHaYM4cB0O8LcbW8IHVfJR1NOIQdN0ax7xxJjSkg/s1600/IMG_20141007_175345394.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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Got rid of the flux residue with a special cleaning agent and bam!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2BO-vfyMDxEHM0QK0QBo4Lp7E5irdXZtu3syP9f1tQUf10HSwkoV55zKi6QTl596hElIQV5uCkT9Ebru4czvB0ugdIFVVuz6KWCBkZXklPuv8ccCL0wkmgeBaHxKT-wyok7pmuChmo0/s1600/IMG_20141007_175457185_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2BO-vfyMDxEHM0QK0QBo4Lp7E5irdXZtu3syP9f1tQUf10HSwkoV55zKi6QTl596hElIQV5uCkT9Ebru4czvB0ugdIFVVuz6KWCBkZXklPuv8ccCL0wkmgeBaHxKT-wyok7pmuChmo0/s1600/IMG_20141007_175457185_HDR.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then I powered up the keyboard, ran the test sequence, and confirmed the chips were all working properly. After this I performed the calibration procedure described in the Roland service manual. You're meant to do this when you install new chips, as it's an analogue system, and the parts can have a bit of variance in their performance. Basically the procedure "tunes" the keyboard voices, so they all sound similar, and stay in pitch. To do this you need an oscilloscope, a multi-meter, and a frequency counter. I cheated and just used the frequency counter on the oscilloscope, but I don't think it really matters.<br />
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Most importantly, I now have a fully working Juno 106. It sounds like the future! If any of you out there have a stuffed Juno - go ahead and fix it. It's really easy, and they sound awesome! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0h6GL9lRHterN3u_7WfL9o9TrIhDadyo2f_p7riyfN__7o9L60XEit4_0sTvUCd7Ye1SdcCdJgsNlSqfPDflSQaS1ECtiiU8zi3_2iNp5KOdiVnOGWnhAtJUPMqo9pPz0-KjTN8xuvWY/s1600/IMG_20141010_172827400.jpg" height="179" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adjusting the potentiometers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVaqFkJzlfzlzyb06oCz87e9XrloBSt_3deMpe9j7OKFo-ozx8Fswu2jOcFRHlF2-hTUSA4V50JKXORleE-7H8RSI-X61muIIrMOgkAVzT3MWGvgXzEnbCkREhPdyP7ogFqhYEUT92bs/s1600/IMG_20141010_172443197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVaqFkJzlfzlzyb06oCz87e9XrloBSt_3deMpe9j7OKFo-ozx8Fswu2jOcFRHlF2-hTUSA4V50JKXORleE-7H8RSI-X61muIIrMOgkAVzT3MWGvgXzEnbCkREhPdyP7ogFqhYEUT92bs/s1600/IMG_20141010_172443197.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Measuring the waveforms</td></tr>
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<br />Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-40338870533943877402014-04-26T18:02:00.001+12:002014-04-26T18:05:20.436+12:00The Moon is Red | INTERIORSLong time no blog - mostly due to being freakin' busy getting this Proton Beast album on the way. In the meantime I mastered my buddy Stu Gardham's new band's EP. Check it out.<br />
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<iframe seamless="" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=4001536864/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/track=2192483593/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 470px; width: 350px;"><a href="http://themoonisred.bandcamp.com/album/interiors">INTERIORS by INTERIORS</a></iframe><br />
Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-85792149320266818782013-08-24T12:37:00.000+12:002013-08-24T12:38:59.460+12:00Paquin 'II'So Paquin are releasing our 2nd EP, 'II'. Tom spent the most amount of time on it producing that I've ever seen anyone spend on music. Though that probably says more about my low standards and laziness than Tom's' fastidiousness.<br />
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Listen for yourself at <a href="http://paquin.bandcamp.com/">paquin.bandcamp.com</a><br />
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I hope you guys like it, we're off on tour as of today, it would be wicked to see y'all. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMfQhop_BF_VBmBtUJmHTsZE0a_RD9a_y_o36o16kERqVkgv7v2CnKKdizUr0emJ_EWj26vB_WBvx-smfqCRMiIjmDi51RE1EN7ph0JdYj5unYA90bkmJRWfivNd7TyEZwK1vf9Evu4Q/s1600/II_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMfQhop_BF_VBmBtUJmHTsZE0a_RD9a_y_o36o16kERqVkgv7v2CnKKdizUr0emJ_EWj26vB_WBvx-smfqCRMiIjmDi51RE1EN7ph0JdYj5unYA90bkmJRWfivNd7TyEZwK1vf9Evu4Q/s320/II_web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Jenna did the cover art, it's all shiny!</i></div>
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<a href="http://baronwin.tumblr.com/">Ian Craig Young Brown</a> also did a video for us, paid for by you, the taxpayer. He patiently listened to us, didn't get pissed off when we warped his ideas, and went off and made the thing. He managed to deliver it on time too, which is particularly important for someone like me.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5EpgzAgZ34A" width="560"></iframe>
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<i>"Quiet Heart"</i></div>
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Here's the tour poster which Lucinda McConnon did for us. The photo was taken by Jenna "The Jizzler" Todd at the theatre I work at.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREKW_-8rdzGg5-x6Ij2PE47R8anKq4KyNltM3ZopPxYC_zWThA9DHRgKuEfR0MoEfTskje1nfSoPe54a3LAWj5T-TgnzZrUlAC_YkDEJQ5Mbwbfk_5sbWWNVq0bUOVE2DhgwuPB293Fw/s1600/PAQUIN-R1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREKW_-8rdzGg5-x6Ij2PE47R8anKq4KyNltM3ZopPxYC_zWThA9DHRgKuEfR0MoEfTskje1nfSoPe54a3LAWj5T-TgnzZrUlAC_YkDEJQ5Mbwbfk_5sbWWNVq0bUOVE2DhgwuPB293Fw/s640/PAQUIN-R1.jpg" width="451" /></a></div>
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<i>Lucinda's tour poster</i></div>
Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-45122330878867815172013-05-10T18:21:00.000+12:002013-05-10T18:21:18.192+12:00Bass drum hoops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The last thing to get together for the drum kit are the bass drum hoops. These were supplied unpainted. I wanted them black, with a silver sparkle inlay. The <a href="http://www.precisiondrum.com/">Precision Drum Company</a> sold me the inlay, and I got paint from a local model shop. I have to admit I felt extremely nostalgic hanging out in the shop, amongst the funny middle aged dudes checking out WWII models and fancy balsa wood planes. See before I discovered punk music and skateboarding, I was a total <a href="http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/landing.jsp?catId=cat440002a&rootCatGameStyle=wh">wargames</a> and <a href="http://www.wizards.com/dnd/">D&D</a> nerd. I may have even been guilty of enjoying <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-r-V0uK4u0">these guys</a> back then.<br />
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After a quick bit of research I decided that "semi-gloss" <a href="http://www.tamiyausa.com/articles/feature.php?article-id=72">Tamiya</a> black spray paint was the one to go for. Sand, spray primer, sand, paint, sand, paint, boom! Bob's your uncle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GT9JdmifEU5sIJZB2lXJg4QW8nlLgct7VCkNqJvwsry5W7dk69B_52_RkLnI9hf7efy_hSsZ-J6fRgNz5ItvJ_0xmQwFaoRJ0tk8sqMFXAIeMYB-Ktblbdj7oiptBvFt9aFYEyCtp7M/s1600/IMG_2206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GT9JdmifEU5sIJZB2lXJg4QW8nlLgct7VCkNqJvwsry5W7dk69B_52_RkLnI9hf7efy_hSsZ-J6fRgNz5ItvJ_0xmQwFaoRJ0tk8sqMFXAIeMYB-Ktblbdj7oiptBvFt9aFYEyCtp7M/s400/IMG_2206.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<i>Charlotte (BFA) was invaluable during this phase of drum construction.</i> </div>
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After that I applied what seemed like a million coats of polyurethane. Granted I first tried a "matt" varnish, but I felt this dulled the hoops too much. Hey look - it's my kit, and I can be as fussy as I want! </div>
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<i>Varnish.</i></div>
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After that I applied contact cement to hoops and sparkle wrap, laid the two together and boom, bobs you're uncle, bass drum hoops. Here they are on the kit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzJcKWQZuXQHRUxkwgOrUD6zDuaPK6g9dUgsYoDYFc8MyfnCLkZoXSNdB9x5VPXBFQeXowlSNZnlWyaJxvkgEljz4uXzY02YfIOg-FyP7exB3IJKld0tbP2ik44aWBoM51TjN92MSASk/s1600/kit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzJcKWQZuXQHRUxkwgOrUD6zDuaPK6g9dUgsYoDYFc8MyfnCLkZoXSNdB9x5VPXBFQeXowlSNZnlWyaJxvkgEljz4uXzY02YfIOg-FyP7exB3IJKld0tbP2ik44aWBoM51TjN92MSASk/s400/kit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>The finished kit, pretty cool aye?</i></div>
<br />One thing I wish I'd done earlier was order the recommended contact cement from Precision Drum. You can't actually get it in New Zealand (3M 30-NF Fast Bond Contact Cement), and the stuff I used isn't really holding the wrap to the wood that well. The problem is it's got to be a water-based glue instead of a solvent one to prevent the wrap melting.<br />
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So yeah, anyway I've finished the kit, it's going on it's first official outing tonight, and it'll be interesting to see if I attract any pretty ladies with it.Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-42319030807235609232013-04-14T11:56:00.001+12:002013-04-14T12:00:43.975+12:00Measure & drill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With the arrival of my fittings and hardware from the <a href="http://www.precisiondrum.com/">Precision Drum Company</a>, it was time to measure and drill my drum shells. </div>
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To make things way easier, I downloaded a drum layout mat from <a href="http://www.drummaker.net/1-800-NEW-DRUM/www.drummaker.com/FMPro?-token=3758741816&-db=DM_Products.fp5&-lay=CGI&-format=LayoutMats.htm&-error=browseNoResults.htm&-max=16&-sortfield=name&-sortorder=ascending&-view">Drummaker.com</a>, and got it printed at a local print shop. These things rule, you just put you drum on the mat, and it's got all the markings for the tube lugs marked out. No goofing around with protractors! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0sPcdnYAddKsDzVVZKDCTU0imve_GJgJSLUdTHXkaU4vgMZq5-bKU0v6DzSJf2_9Vh2R2cGNruwb0CTtOKOiReiKmnpD81F7t3D2GH0Fnm9mNkzUcAP0nTEdsWidcNgd3qndXWwQRwNg/s1600/IMG_7344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0sPcdnYAddKsDzVVZKDCTU0imve_GJgJSLUdTHXkaU4vgMZq5-bKU0v6DzSJf2_9Vh2R2cGNruwb0CTtOKOiReiKmnpD81F7t3D2GH0Fnm9mNkzUcAP0nTEdsWidcNgd3qndXWwQRwNg/s400/IMG_7344.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<i>The drum mats</i> </div>
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I used a set square to mark out how deep the holes were going to be drilled. Let there be no misunderstanding, I was extremely paranoid of making a mistake, and probably re-measured the shells about 4 times before I was happy. The last thing I wanted to do was end up with extra random holes all over my lovely new kit. I'm glad I did too, because I discovered some pretty silly errors along the way.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0z_Hz21FBfK_u-o7oI6YRJpRCbiaSm0IfesbN4yOEwOzGGWvnH3HTM9LVBU1SLjTFTv8r6jMNNbgziqKKSS9z_tQv5wwiK9l_M2Ykwhb9w_ZYZ18bgsigu4RcWRxmyaImEQw3Om-FHWA/s1600/IMG_8140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0z_Hz21FBfK_u-o7oI6YRJpRCbiaSm0IfesbN4yOEwOzGGWvnH3HTM9LVBU1SLjTFTv8r6jMNNbgziqKKSS9z_tQv5wwiK9l_M2Ykwhb9w_ZYZ18bgsigu4RcWRxmyaImEQw3Om-FHWA/s400/IMG_8140.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Marking out the shells.</i> </div>
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Once it was all measured out I went down to my old work where they very kindly let me use their drill press. The mechanical engineers looked at what I wanted to do, shook their heads, and told me it was going to be a really nasty job. Acrylic is a very brittle material, and is prone to chips and cracks. Plus I didn't really have a proper jig to back the shells, let alone a vice hold them steady. Of course being the idiot I am, I thought nothing of it and started going for it.</div>
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Yeeeeesh! They weren't joking! I quickly realised that I was going to have to step up the drill bit size really gradually otherwise I was going ruin the shells. After three hours drilling the bass drum, I tried using my <a href="http://www.irwin.com/tools/drill-bits/unibit-cobalt-step-drill">unibit</a> which I used for drilling some of my home-brewing vessels. Voila! It went through the shells like a hot knife through butter, with no cracking whatsoever. I think I managed to drill the remaining three drums in less than the time it took to do the bass drum with traditional high speed drill bits.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYq2tTc12dCZdXauGg9kDTLdWlikpFUOpTs_3gMrkqab43GYHM63paqa3wEFB1YrDP7da5XHvCg3MbEK83_RmFN47C0AcQ0MOm55oPVQAhKLutNRtJUPOKc70QSX5OL1ZUSK1NFuGMxY/s1600/IMG_8146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYq2tTc12dCZdXauGg9kDTLdWlikpFUOpTs_3gMrkqab43GYHM63paqa3wEFB1YrDP7da5XHvCg3MbEK83_RmFN47C0AcQ0MOm55oPVQAhKLutNRtJUPOKc70QSX5OL1ZUSK1NFuGMxY/s400/IMG_8146.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i> Drilling the floor tom, note the unibit.</i></div>
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Of course in classic Stu style I still managed to make mistakes. Because I had laid out the lugs "offset" I ended up placing one of the bass drum spurs too close. After a bunch of swearing and self-flagelation I took a deep breath, and picked up the Dremel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_NUG27C_GVKMWynr1x70uPU8oyP2gna8KNUJgSGqNAeobzoIrk1-3QbDKZUOfVIEBp59fS5cdD-d8fcMV8pBUyYapgnsgohF-20V2aVhL0UgwvEopc-OKbhmuEA2EpWwku2vTeLRmoY/s1600/IMG_8143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_NUG27C_GVKMWynr1x70uPU8oyP2gna8KNUJgSGqNAeobzoIrk1-3QbDKZUOfVIEBp59fS5cdD-d8fcMV8pBUyYapgnsgohF-20V2aVhL0UgwvEopc-OKbhmuEA2EpWwku2vTeLRmoY/s400/IMG_8143.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<i>Classic Stu mistake: Spurs too close to the tube lug.</i></div>
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For those of you that didn't get the memo, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dremel">Dremel</a> is the coolest multi-tool you can buy. It can do a heap of different things, but I mostly use it for cutting and grinding. I ground back the offending edge of the spur in 2 minutes flat, and my blood pressure returned to normal.<br />
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<i>About to get my grind on.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbB4kv5wcj8f6DY6FqTEq7G6st2dAZTVPzsePdqIrrM6aQ5d8kUH8NTMKOXt9Pbd2HV2-CnI-84MdRUf3Cn3nvjDjgbb2WRRRby2Rfs10roBPdDaFB4QnZxN9XYLVblo00RLJPs-X3nQQ/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbB4kv5wcj8f6DY6FqTEq7G6st2dAZTVPzsePdqIrrM6aQ5d8kUH8NTMKOXt9Pbd2HV2-CnI-84MdRUf3Cn3nvjDjgbb2WRRRby2Rfs10roBPdDaFB4QnZxN9XYLVblo00RLJPs-X3nQQ/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Fixed! You can hardly tell right?</i></div>
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So with that all done I could assemble the snare and floor tom. I'm still working on the bass drum hoops, that'll be another post. I gave the snare a test run last night with Anthonie Tonnon and it was sounding bangin'. Check it out!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKahPXVo6IVY6JjsxfDvnBXLfRHtHRHTd2JhSWz205-nby6CBoyiemBURloLXX8wc-sYBdpZKTBXmzf1Ei8Uazl7fv9pEzsGQXpQkz3M0LD2EOL3R4YLILW_jhJmFKMj6Sfbis5kILmAo/s1600/snare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKahPXVo6IVY6JjsxfDvnBXLfRHtHRHTd2JhSWz205-nby6CBoyiemBURloLXX8wc-sYBdpZKTBXmzf1Ei8Uazl7fv9pEzsGQXpQkz3M0LD2EOL3R4YLILW_jhJmFKMj6Sfbis5kILmAo/s400/snare.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Pretty blingin' huh?</i></div>
Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-63368148347788280172013-03-04T10:23:00.001+13:002013-03-04T10:23:34.448+13:00Simmon refurb part 2 Quick update on the Simmons refurbishment. I was struggling to find a replacement potentiometer with the correct footprint, so I decided to put a random one that was lying around as a temporary fix, and to see how many issues it resolved.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFQTy88fuZUI4Z7kujyolREe8tlhDTHpvXUk8D8aOqHvBFSPlevqVXxvruXeyMMozhcvLKEUSXHiqnnk8oFWhJNj6htv8axlteH2GXYznIHG6kKQUA-ISjRCnn5hQ0c-vHQoNqprqSoI/s1600/5+feb+update.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFQTy88fuZUI4Z7kujyolREe8tlhDTHpvXUk8D8aOqHvBFSPlevqVXxvruXeyMMozhcvLKEUSXHiqnnk8oFWhJNj6htv8axlteH2GXYznIHG6kKQUA-ISjRCnn5hQ0c-vHQoNqprqSoI/s640/5+feb+update.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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This involved a small amount of ninja soldering work. The legs of the pot were not the "through hole" type, so I had to add extra small wires to bridge the connection. I then put the unit back together (thankfully I had taken heaps of photos of taking it apart), and turned it on. Huzza, I now have a clean, working mix output!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62Sofl-MJhVwFk-toNd5GAjX3IhwNiNeRnzsuKsB-0kiuCYFHFtvOBXUqCdOU4Rq-RQOvp3c9aiOIiJIPPPK1Eow84JfpvP3Z_HbpMcgvXJkDoitULZNzr-_CtqeNGib3TOBHfjAh8C4/s1600/5+feb+update2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62Sofl-MJhVwFk-toNd5GAjX3IhwNiNeRnzsuKsB-0kiuCYFHFtvOBXUqCdOU4Rq-RQOvp3c9aiOIiJIPPPK1Eow84JfpvP3Z_HbpMcgvXJkDoitULZNzr-_CtqeNGib3TOBHfjAh8C4/s640/5+feb+update2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Check out the sweet big knob I found at work.</i></div>
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After further experimentation, and uh, *cough* reading of the manual I've worked out that the unit is pretty much working 100% properly. I initially thought there was something wrong with the "Sequencer In" input, but it turns out it is not MIDI, but some weird proprietary system Simmons used in 1980-something. No wonder the unit goes berserk when I connect MIDI devices to that socket.</div>
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In the end I bought a proper replacement potentiometer from <a href="http://www.smallbearelec.com/">Small Bear Electronics</a>... It's apparently in the post. <br />
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In other news I've ordered a bunch of drum hardware for my <a href="http://www.borderline.co.nz/2012/10/acrylic-drumkit-project.html">novelty clear drumkit</a>... Updates coming soon.Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-20108645445810128012013-01-29T14:27:00.001+13:002013-01-29T14:34:03.364+13:00Simmons SDS 9 refurbishment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So instead of saving up my pennies for the fittings for my novelty clear arcrylic drum kit, I've gone and bought an electric drum kit that was produced the same year Jenna was born (1985). Introducing the Simmons SDS9.<br />
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<i>I've really got to get rid of those stickers.</i> </div>
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This kit came in pretty unloved condition, and much of the hardware was poked. Still, the brain works fine, though the "mix" knob was broken off, and the headphone and mix output sound like arse. I figured it was time to put my electronic engineering training, and ready access to tools at my work to use, and refurbish this beast during my lunch breaks.<br />
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<i>A very dirty, dinged up SDS 9 brain.</i></div>
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First up, I had to take it apart. I took lots of photos while I did this to make sure I could remember how to put it back together.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3KIDFLjSHprWD6MXPOgTGvQoJcSHondXH-WAR67el_ZS0o5vgoMQM42ya8pTRvf8vOEypI6mNvyQBlpzEmzdxmiX4qQQ0RGxChOpn6Y0UrPPkDRrMgeV2N4-xb-IlxlC3xF-d1M4NR1Q/s1600/DSC08056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3KIDFLjSHprWD6MXPOgTGvQoJcSHondXH-WAR67el_ZS0o5vgoMQM42ya8pTRvf8vOEypI6mNvyQBlpzEmzdxmiX4qQQ0RGxChOpn6Y0UrPPkDRrMgeV2N4-xb-IlxlC3xF-d1M4NR1Q/s400/DSC08056.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I then vacuumed out as much dust as I could.<br />
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Below left is the broken mix output knob. Notice how it doesn't have a "shaft" like the one on the right.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5aA7PIJjq8krxzPFMKeZTtGmAj8hNy857MhF2B6glYX3AwiJFY_P8jLLs1250Hb5JwnnUk-7zUPvRR9MH7n669lSa6wJMh6kBB_Y1Akby6rF6DZQrznpv06X-OeGdNsfJPUuySpoHMs/s1600/IMG_2063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5aA7PIJjq8krxzPFMKeZTtGmAj8hNy857MhF2B6glYX3AwiJFY_P8jLLs1250Hb5JwnnUk-7zUPvRR9MH7n669lSa6wJMh6kBB_Y1Akby6rF6DZQrznpv06X-OeGdNsfJPUuySpoHMs/s400/IMG_2063.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I took it off by snipping the legs with wire cutters, and then de-soldering the legs from the board one by one. I identified it as a 100K linear potentiometer. Then it was off to www.digikey.com to find a replacement. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCQPw_boarjx-HN8QGQ4JMWXAijl_55GtSkyGAxlY_NVwREvEhWwsb0Esn7PMX5TXfqn-aGa6C44KK2xjRpfebTqaMNjPD0ZWIW7ihPzmBgpKGFtcKhDerEjKRvLkTZmsjHcPY-PsOGw/s1600/IMG_2064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCQPw_boarjx-HN8QGQ4JMWXAijl_55GtSkyGAxlY_NVwREvEhWwsb0Esn7PMX5TXfqn-aGa6C44KK2xjRpfebTqaMNjPD0ZWIW7ihPzmBgpKGFtcKhDerEjKRvLkTZmsjHcPY-PsOGw/s400/IMG_2064.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This was about all the time left in my lunch hour, though still had enough time to carefully give the faceplate a scrub with some good ol' detergent and water. Next up, soldering in a replacement potentiometer and testing.<br />
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<br />Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-37238619025852268202012-12-18T12:45:00.000+13:002012-12-18T12:45:27.197+13:00Back on tourWell, let's call it a "mini tour". I'm off with the Paquin boys tomorrow playing Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. We've just released the first single "GUNN" off our new EP, which I guess we'll put out in the autumn next year.<br />
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<i> Check out the amazing poster Lucinda did for us!</i></div>
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Here's the new tune. Hope to catch up with y'all soon!<br />
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F70555726" width="100%"></iframe>
<br />Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-41660245213285858112012-11-11T11:11:00.000+13:002012-11-13T09:13:59.872+13:00Proton Beast "Tetris"A couple of weeks ago Proton Beast recorded a new single, Tetris. For me this tune showcases a shift in interest tonally for the band: Digital drum sounds (my new (ancient) <a href="http://www.simmons.synth.net/mtx9/">Simmons MTX 9)</a>, guitar arpeggiators, and vocoders.<br />
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It was recorded, mixed and produced by Edward Castelow in his space at <a href="http://www.labstudio.co.nz/">The Lab</a> in Mount Eden. I thought he did a pretty awesome job. Have a listen.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F66715647&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false&color=00d3ff" width="100%"></iframe>
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In other news, we're going on tour this week. Here's the tour poster for the South Island. Come down for a brew!<br />
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<br />Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4462253062575523096.post-66990055513158544922012-10-31T19:02:00.000+13:002012-10-31T19:04:20.196+13:00Snare BedNo, I haven't done a Tom Healy and started sleeping with my instrument. I had a snare bed cut into my new drum shell by old-school drum kit guru Bruce King out in Waterview, Auckland.<br />
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<i>Bruce King in his amazing workshop.</i></div>
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The snare bed is a groove on the "snare side" drum rim, which allows the wires to be pressed up against the drum. The concept is explained best at this post on <a href="http://www.drummagazine.com/gear/post/snare-bed-what-they-are-and-what-they-do/">drummagazine.com</a>. I don't really have any experience with this kind of thing, so I decided to have it cut out by a professional.<br />
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Bruce King is this really awesome, friendly, knowledgeable dude who's been a drum maker for years. Everyone I ask in Auckland about this project says "ask Bruce". He was genuinely interested in my ideas, and had some great advice. He asked about my playing style and how I wanted the drum to sound, and had the bed cut accordlingly. Awesome!<br />
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<i>The finished snare bed. Can you see it?</i></div>
<br />Stuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07210146342215181592noreply@blogger.com3