My new ping- lights on BMS not working

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Jeremy
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Re: My new ping- lights on BMS not working

Postby Jeremy » Thu Jan 06, 2011 7:33 pm

That's odd. Have you replaced like with like in terms of usable capacity, current delivery capability and voltage?

As I recall your bike was running on 48V SLAs of 28Ah, plus an additional pack of 48V 20Ah, giving you a total of 48V, 48Ah. I believe that you've now decided to replace this massive battery pack with a tiny 36V, 15Ah LiFePO4 pack. Did you REALLY expect that a pack that was around 20% lower in voltage, about 50% lower in effective capacity and maybe around 50% lower in maximum current output to perform the same?

Ping is meticulous with giving a recommended motor power for each battery type he sells; your 36V 15Ah pack is OK for a motor of up to 600W (this is clearly stated in his advert) and will not take kindly to being asked to deliver more than about 1.5 to 2 times the Ah capacity as a maximum for short periods, so 22 to 30A is as much as the pack will be happy delivering during peaks.

As I recall your bike has an 800W motor, so is 30% over the recommended power for the battery pack you've just bought. I take it you knew this when you decided to buy it, especially as you've had advice from us on this very subject. Back on 22nd June last year I gave you very specific advice regarding the 48V, 20A Ping pack you then were looking at then. I warned you very, very clearly that these battery packs didn't like operating at more than 1C continuous (which is 15A for your pack, or 585 watts at 39V).

You've had honest and forthright advice from a few of us on here about battery choices over a period of several months. We've been patient with your constant requests for advice, have put up with your abusive rants against all and sundry suppliers and rarely have we had any thanks from you for spending a considerable amount of our time trying to offer you help and advice.

I very much doubt that the Ping pack is a lemon, if it is I shall be very surprised given the excellent reputation these packs have. I very strongly suspect that you may have bought a pack that's too small for your needs, probably because you're a constantly moaning cheapskate with aspirations that exceed your available budget, and are now blaming the seller for its performance not meeting your inflated expectations.

Jeremy

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badnewswade
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Re: My new ping- lights on BMS not working

Postby badnewswade » Thu Jan 06, 2011 7:48 pm

Woah! Chill dude! I have two bikes. The one I'm talking about is this:

http://www.evalbum.com/1370

It's the Sakura s200, which uses 36v 15ah batteries to power a 200w motor, and I have indeed replaced like for like.

Just got a reply from Ping - it might be a bad connection between the battery / BMS and the controller - as the output wires are too thick to just wire it into a standard IEC connector I had to get a bit creative and do soemthing like this:

So I'll have another go at that...
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34 Watt Hours per mile, or > 700 MPG. What, me, smug?

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ChrisB
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Re: My new ping- lights on BMS not working

Postby ChrisB » Fri Jan 07, 2011 11:14 am

Does seem a bit odd, the 15ah LiFePO's should romp over the SLA's

Are you sure you've not got other issues :? it is only a 200watt motor after all ??, brushes maybe :?:
If I put a big baggy coat on and the wind blows against me then my bike pretty much stops :oops:

What you need to do is take some current and voltage readings, I cant see a 15ah LifePO pack not out performing some old SLA's :?

OK so my pack was nearly twice the capacity of my SLA's but then I've ended up with stooopid range on my bike. But it doesnt make the fact its only a weedy 200watt motor still pushing me along :wink:

ChrisB
I reject reality and substitute my own !!!!!!

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Jeremy
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Re: My new ping- lights on BMS not working

Postby Jeremy » Fri Jan 07, 2011 5:32 pm

badnewswade wrote:Woah! Chill dude! I have two bikes. The one I'm talking about is this:

http://www.evalbum.com/1370

It's the Sakura s200, which uses 36v 15ah batteries to power a 200w motor, and I have indeed replaced like for like.

Just got a reply from Ping - it might be a bad connection between the battery / BMS and the controller - as the output wires are too thick to just wire it into a standard IEC connector I had to get a bit creative and do soemthing like this:

So I'll have another go at that...


OK, my bad, I assumed the scooter was the same one you'd mentioned several times before.

I still think making a world-wide published statement that the battery is a lemon when it seems likely that the problem is an installation one is a bit unfair though.

Jeremy

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badnewswade
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Apologies are indeed in order. Sorry Mr. Ping!

Postby badnewswade » Fri Jan 07, 2011 7:34 pm

Phew! Turns out my poor wiring was indeed at fault - a schoolboy mistake but not as bad as putting a 36v battery in a 48v system would be! :lol:
I've replaced the rubbish wires with good solid ones from the power lead to a fan heater, as they're notorious for quaffing down the kilowatts.

I've just got back from an 11-mile run, this is on top of a one mile ride last night to make sure I'd done the wiring properly. I filled it up with groceries and bottles of water and made sure to wear my extra-warm trench coat, and yep, it really works very well indeed. Top marks! The only thing that worries me now is what happens if those jumbo-side discharge wires ever come loose and cross, I'm probably just being neurotic though.

All in all I am very, very pleased and would like an extra-large slice of humble pie to go with my earlier words, which I am about to eat fresh from the oven at Gas Mark Shame. :oops:

Many apologies. Sorry Mr. Ping!
34 Watt Hours per mile, or > 700 MPG. What, me, smug?

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ChrisB
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Re: My new ping- lights on BMS not working

Postby ChrisB » Fri Jan 07, 2011 7:46 pm

8)

See...... I thought it was unlikely to be the pack, less haste more speed .....or should that be the other way round :lol:

Yes making sure all the output cables are big enough, well connected , and not likely to flap about and become disconnected off the BMS board is pretty important :wink:

If they ever did short then in theory the BMS "should" just shut the output down, but I have heard it can end up trashing the output stage of the BMS as the same time, so worth making sure theres no chance of this happening.

You could also put a in line fuse in it all as close as you think you can to the BMS board ?

I havent on mine, and I've even "splashed" the output wires by mistake once, no harm appeared to be done but it did make one hell of a crack :shock:

Next thing you may want to invest in is a Wattsup meter to measure the in's and the out's as your regular battery gauge now means naff all due to the discharge curve being so straight, I have this problem, I have no idea how much charge I have in mine and have to go on the fact in 24miles I still havent flattened the pack so know I can do atleast this much :wink:

ChrisB
I reject reality and substitute my own !!!!!!


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