Building lithium ion batteries and bicycle adventuring are my passions. I rode my ebike around the USA, 10,000 miles in 4 months testing a modular rebuildable 18650 battery. On the trip I worked out the kinks and came up with a better design. This led to a patent pending and BatteryBlocs.
BatteryBlocs are sold here: www.batteryblocs.com
My book is here: www.amazon.com/Loop-USA-odyessy-Shawn-McCarty-ebook/dp/B017PDCM96/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1477248887&sr=1-3&keywords=loop+the+USA
what a great ideal and ive watched you on and off for yours but was your videos that shine alot more light on things us ebikes on a budget unlike all the flasher guys that obviously have plenty extra income but anyway i just get a real down to earth guy feeling but awesome ideal i can say the easiest time to find extra out lets is xmas time as there more outlets people dont realize most started with covers etc but there plastic or flimsy and break in time but make sure to ask before as some can be touchy
danke, i am in process to remove my bms...your video showed me how, so many thanks, i have looked at the icharger 206...the info i was looking for is whether this will support LiFePo4 cells...
I take a fresh batch of 26650 cells, stuff ‘em end to end in a 1” pvc pipe, twist on the threaded endcaps.Install conductive contacts…bolts , springs wire connectors, etc. for the terminal on each end. To charge, remove cell from tube by unscrewing one end cap and dumping them out, or extract them with a telescoping wand magnet that is long enough to reach the deepest cell in the tube.Next install each cell in an individual charger with a digital display. The chargers I have stop at 4.1 volts and charge at 1 amp max.They auto- detect cell types and will even go to no-cad mode and begin charging cells that fall below 1.5 volts. Reinstalling the cell after charging is like feeding coins into a vending machine. Make sure polarity is correct. Plug in the quick connect wirin connectors to the charge controller, and off you go again. ( I have installed between one and seven tubes in various ways , extended rear rack, between seat and handle bars… maybe a detachable battery trailer will come next for long highway trips)
Yeah it’s a tossup labor wise.. work another job to afford the instant satisfaction of a factory model, or diy and be in control in real time. I might add that I have wired 54.6 v chargers to the tubes to charge all cells at once, and the voltage variation after several cycles was minimal. The individual charging periodically is just added insurance, but not set in stone. Catching that one bad apple is the name of the game and breakdown of the battery pack is too if the bad apple gets caught. Attachments make the worl twirl.
Love the video and the method. Understanding I think leads to safety. I do worry about Lithium Ion fires. So using a hobby charger with no BMS, do you measure temperature or even have thermal cutout switches to kill the charging power?
Good point, and the answer is no! A cell that is being overcharged will get hot, but if the voltage goes above 4.2, the hobby charger, or any good BMS, will cut off the charge. as the battery becomes fully charged, the hobby charger tapers the current, until it shuts off the charge. But no thermal runaway shutoff! So, with a homemade battery, it's good to charge in a metal box, and to have a timer on the charger...
I don't think it is a good idea to use absolutely no BMS functionality. At least a watch dog service should run checking battery voltages. You can cut daily balancing for most applications.
After dealing with a failing battery pack due to poor management by the BMS and then a glitching BMS on my new battery pack, I'm now starting to think this is the way forward. Fortunately I bought a Chargery 1500W battery charger which has the option for a 24S balance charger add-on so I'm on my way to having a more reliable e-bike experience.
The BMS are ALWAYS the weakest part in a battery system, doesn't matter if it is a small batterypack for a remote toy car, or a 50 cells batterypack in a electric bicycle. Everytime it,s the BMS that's broken and most of the time the battery cells like the 18650 lithium Ion, that are common used are still ok even after multiple years.
I can't say for certain, but I seem to remember some BMS units that have Bluetooth and/or WiFi commo that can do what the "loggers" do, and send the real-time data to your smartphone as you ride. They also had an alarm feature in their "app" that provided both audible and visual cues from the phone to the rider. ...and here I am talking about using an "app" when I have always warned about relying on any tech that REQUIRES an "app" to work for you...the fact there is no guaranty the "app" will be around next week and could be unilaterally removed from your phone at any moment without warning (company goes out of business, stops supporting it, to continue working it requires you replace your phone with one that has a newer version of Android/iOS, etc).
Hi, do you know a better battery voltage alarm than these cheap ones? They all show like 3.7v on one cell and 4.15 on another, and the other cells in between that, on 8s packs that have all the cells at 3.8v measured with a volt meter. So I've found this so called Cell-Log 8M Cell Voltage Monitor (2S-8S) that all say it's very accurate, but it seems it was discontinued in 2018..and can't find it anywhere. Do you know other voltage alarms? Or the market is really dead at this chapter..
Hello sir thank you so much for sharing with everyone can you send us the link to get that instrument panel please I can't find it anywhere , it will work perfect on my li-poly 96v biuld
Sure, here is a link to it. They are sold in every hobby shop... www.getfpv.com/1-8s-lipo-battery-voltage-tester-low-voltage-buzzer-alarm.html?DM+-+B+-+PMax+-+Shop+-+SM+-+ALL&campaign_id=17881616054&network=x&device=c&gc_id=17881616054&gclid=CjwKCAjwt52mBhB5EiwA05YKoxpPlEzhK1Rg1hXTqDkHq-1kjNt9PXG5kK03rOmunv-fdQckJiqJDBoCKwIQAvD_BwE
Does this still apply to today’s cells? I have two 52v 20ah in parallel with a 80a controller 3000w hub. Will it blow? So, should I bypass bms? You explained this bms thing perfectly, thanks
I removed my BMS completely and just run my ebike like it is! I've had zero problems! I don't use a hobby charger...but I charge it like I would any other battery and I run it like I would any other battery! Should I be worried about anything?
Thank you for making this video, there is a lot of conflicting information out here. I have a first generation fiido T-1 and it's replacement less battery. I put battery in replacement and immediately noticed battery discharged faster so I ordered a 48v advanced 300w Luna charger w/ 80 90 100 % settings charging to 54.6v @ 100% now 13 mo. old full is + or - 52v it varies each time. Now I understand why, unbalanced. Bike was shipped to me without user manual or the download. Took 4 months to learn full charging shortens battery life. Guido recommends full charge after EVERY ride.
It is good to let the battery sit on the charger and charge fully and slowly, every few months as it gives the BMS a chance to balance the battery. It will only begin balancing when a cell hits 4.2 volts... But not every time, or the battery will not last as long...... Sounds like you have it figured out!
Question? Didn’t you have a video up that had to do with UCC1 and why not to file it? I’ve looked everywhere for it. Plus I’m taking the BMS off an e bike battery. So this video was a big help.
ive been looking for you to say thanks! my bike has always run without a bms due to you!! i find the cheapest of chargers work the best. able to hook in anywhere and charge any number of cells . they could care less about surrounding cells and will charge and level any spot
Excellent video/explanation !! I was also getting frustrated by the poor performance of these small BMS boards and came up with a solution that uses same pieces of your approach. Still keeping the BMS, a put 2 JST connectors the the battery case where I can check once in a while the state of the battery and if needed rebalance with a balance charger. Disadvantage is that I have to dismount the battery case for that. And I still have to see if I can lower the voltage of the main charger. Did you find any real JST sockets or did you use the standard PCB versions glued into a corresponding hole, like I did?
Great approach! I did find some double ended jst-xh connectors, though I don't remember where, it was a radio control hobby shop online. If you can open the charger, there is usually an adjustable POT near the DC ouput that allows for tuning of the voltage. Steel cased chargers can be opened... cheers, Shawn
wow, thanks just bought a new battery for my electric bike because of the BMS broke.. says the battery repair center, and they arent for sale they said.. found a alixpress site for diffent BMS's but I wont put another BATTERY MURDER PACK if you cant charge and keep your Battery's in better healt your way.. (it's a shame everything costs money) i'm broke since i bought the new battery, and want to revive the old one.. dont have a hobby charger yet.. from battery style airplanes, okay thanks, you have made a very good informative Video, that could reduce the trow-away society. really thinking about some learning in electrical now. thanks you made some doors open.😄
I'm happy I ran across this. I was looking at new drill batteries, and wondered if harbor freight's battery chargers had the bms, instead of the batteries based on the amount of connections on the charger. It would make the batteries cheaper too.
Thank you Shawn, great idea, but the three dots or lines do not have an "install app" item (at least for my android device), and BTW, why should a user share location to see where charging outlets are located anywhere in the country?! too intrusive. The home page has a map that only show a few outlet locations is the semi-empty state of Maine!!! Finally, can someone from the app team contact the headquarters of companies like "Dollar General" or "Subway" or things like that, that are everywhere to ask them if ebikers can charge at there locations to provide a customer base increase (probably for a dollar a charge or making a purchase or something). They don't need to install anything new because they all have outlets outside and all they need is to spread the word and some advertisement campaign (if the desire). It is for their own good.
Thank you for this feedback. Did you try it with the website open on your phone? Let me know.... You do not have to share your location, but if you do, the app will put a bicycle on the screen in your location, which makes it easier to navigate to an outlet. No, I am not collecting data! LOL. Yes, there are currently only outlets in Maine, from trips I have taken. The dtatbase will need to be crowdsourced, preferably from people who are riding routes... I am the app developer, team and I am not a pro. As an ecyclist, who has traveled around the country on an ebike, I developed this charging approach: If the establishment is a mom-pop place, I ask permission. If it is corporate owned, I just plug in. The employees working there don't care or notice. Of course I go in and buy something. I have never had any issues. Cheers, and let me know if you want to talk further!
BTW, Thank you for coming back to posting videos after all those years. I've been wondering what happened to you since the last one. You are the one who convinced me years ago with your common sense that the "BMS" is a commercial gimmick that is not needed and since then, I only balance my battery(s) cells when charging and only once a week or so. You are a phenomenon and thank God for people like you.
I agree that circuitry can go too far here and there. It's quite common to lose the battery power thing and maybe the device with computers/phones as well. A Psion Revo (AAA size - hard to repair) was my first experience and a Thinkpad recently where the 6 - 18650 batteries are fine. There is no "replacement" for a specific IC circuit they used. It's short lived to find an original part mostly.
