I use the same dewalt batteries... BUT i have removed the original charging boards inside and replaced them with 60v ones from ebay... that way i can charge them with one plug and one power supply.. having to hassle with the imax... you are a hero lol...
I found out the hard way that the huge spark when connecting the batteries to the bikes' controller trashes the DeWalt BMS. It seems to damage the connection between cells 3 & 4, I believe. The instant charging of the capacitors is to much for the BMS. So I added a momentary switch and a 5 watt 150 ohm resistor. this way I can charge the capacitors in the controller for a few seconds before throwing my main power switch. This method solved the problem. Using the Imax charger, on the damaged batteries, allows me to charge the 2 FlexVolts as NI-MH batteries at 3a for about 70 minutes and there fully charged. You would think they wouldn't be balanced but I have checked them several time and the cells hold a very close voltage. I have since upgraded to a set 12 amp batteries. The same issues occurs when using these batteries with an inverter. In my 60 volt pure sine inverter project I used the same method adding blocking diodes, that way I can hot swap batteries. Can you direct me to the BMS boards you found on Ebay that worked for you?
My mind has been blown away! You should be proud of what you did and I’m sure you are. You have inspired to get my ass on gear and make my bike into a DeWalt EBike. I can wire an entire house but the low voltage gets me confused 🤷🏻♂️ BTW I’m not trying to do all you did, I just want pedal assist on uphills. I do trail riding and after spending 3k “on an entry bike” a few years ago I’m not looking on dropping another 4K just bc my fat ass can’t peddle no more 😝 Thank you! 🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽
Love the rear view camera excellent build m8 a solid 10 out of 10 from me , thanks for the upload, Haven’t watched it all yet so you might answer this if so sorry !!! How much did it all cost?
Nicely done. Appreciate that your work is organized and clean. I also agree that the concept of using batteries which are widely sold is a good approach - probably not as electrically efficient as a dedicated system. One word of caution is that DeWALT power tools have discharge controls in the tool. The battery is somewhat "dumb". Don't want to discharge the batteries too much or the cells can be damaged. I didn't catch if your batteries cut out at a certain voltage or if you allow them to be drained way down. Deep discharges on these batteries will lead to less capacity and less charging cycles before they fail.
Thanks for your feedback & info. I did find out the hard way about draining them down to low. I ended up cannibalizing one battery to replace the cells in the other batteries. Funny thing is it damaged the same three cells in all the batteries. I typically only drain the batterie down no lower than 53 volts that gives me a little over 30+ miles.
Update: Well it's been a year since I built my bike and it's still rolls along. Batteries; The Dewalt FlexVolts are still performing well, they are down a little in performance but I expected that after a year of use. Rear Rim; I had to replace the rear rim and had to switch to a cassette sprocket set. There was so much torque that the rear rim was twisted and would not roll straight. The teeth on the rear sprockets were visibly worn. I replaced the rear rim with a double walled rim and larger spokes, upgraded the cassette and chain. Finally, I swapped out the front headlight for a larger and brighter unit. Thanks for all your comment.
I use the same Dewalt 9Ah batteries to power my e-bikes and electric drift trikes too. Your custom balance charger is very impressive. I've been looking for a way to test the large Flexvolt packs. Can you run a discharge test on the IMAX B6AC to see how much capacity is left in a Dewalt battery pack?
@@ScottBl8ke A few months back I purchased a SkyRC Ultimate Duo 400W Balance/Discharger (D400). This way I can charge two batteries at the same time. I'm Trying the discharge test you suggested but with lower rated batteries first, just to see if it works the way I think it should. I purchased the new charger from Bang Good, saved about $100, if you don't mind waiting (China).
Well that’s an awesome and interesting video. I found it by accident. Your balance charge setup is pretty awesome, I wager it slightly lowers the life, that DeWalt is keeping them below 80% for warranty reason probably. Still I love that there is a way to top them of the extra power was needed, like if you were building a project where you would not have access to power for recharging. I’m surprised that someone isn’t making a commercial version of that balance module you setup. I just wish the USB adapters were not so insanely expensive. I can’t figure out why they cost so much.
Actually the Dewalt chargers charge to 20.70 volts, I only take mine to 20.40 volts or less. Since the first video I have upgraded to a dual charger. You can find the knock off USB adapters for DeWalt batteries on Ebay. There about $16 but they don't like two loads on them. I buy them just for the pin blocks. If you haven't already watched view my part two video, the link is in the comments of the part 1. Enjoy and thanks for your interest.
I don't think Dewalt is keeping the batteries charge at 80%. I have taken the batteries off the deWalt charge & put them on The SkyRC and they should 20.50v which is 100% charge.
Respect. I love it. If you could somehow get an alternator in there to generate some power back and go from 30 to 50 mile range. If I had the resources I'd do that project ASAP. Good job.
Hi mike, great job mike, I enter here because I´m planning to make something like it, but solar assisted charging, I´d like to know exactly where do you get power out of this bateries , pins c2 and C3?, I ve seen in other YT video (a battery turn apart) the big wires come out of here, and second,, does the internal controller take care of the discharge limit of those batteries? Thank you
Roberto, Thanks for your interest. I am putting the final touches on my part 2 video. If you look on top of the battery you will see the B+ & B- of the battery. That will give you 20volts. If your going to run them at 60volts re-watch my video starting around 8:25. The internal controller or battery management system does not do anything for discharge limits. If you take these batteries to low, you will damage cells.
@@mikeladuca289 thanks mike, your video is very explanatory, happend that I think I saw heavy wires coming out of seems C2 and C3.. I just got 2 batteries with a brush less circular saw( id like to control speed of it butt seems difficult) well I see now the wide pins af course to get power out of B+ and B- ( obvious) so I guess Y could get power out of the battery now I suppose without any wire out of th--Id C1 2 3 and so on... just taking care of not dropping too low as you pertfectly describe on your video. am I right? Thank again
I do, I have two dual chargers. I have added a sixth battery and switched to the DeWalt 12amp batteries. I charge them at 3.5 amps and it takes about 2 +/- hours to charge.
Another RUclipsr made a similar cap for standard 5amp DeWalt batteries. When the FlexVolt batteries came out I figured out how they work and how they switched voltages. Using the cap ideal I modified it further to be able to switch the battery to 60volts. Now you can buy the adapters on eBay or Amazon both as a 20 volt or a 60 volt only. Hope this helps.
There is a part 2 video, the link is on the part 1 site. I did not do a charge video but I did comment on charging. If you go to the video time 8:40 that's were I start talking about how I connected the batteries to the bike.
BRILLIANT Interested in the gutted usb adapter I'm waiting on a few of these for several projects. I wanted to ask why there are two sets of balance leads coming out, what is the second set for?
Before you make your own battery adapters look on ebay. There's someone selling them. I don't know anything about them but they could save you a lot of time. ruclips.net/user/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2F1x-battery-adapter-for-DeWALT-Flexvolt-60V-max-dock-power-connector-12-gauge-54%2F142917514402%3Fhash%3Ditem21468c34a2%3Ag%3AZk8AAOSwy09bgxGE%3Ark%3A33%3Apf%3A0&stzid=UgzWXOF7uIwO1_qCMIx4AaABAg&redir_token=X3SUsW3n7aFq3RDNotXx83DD-318MTU0NDAzMjk4OUAxNTQzOTQ2NTg5&event=comments
@@mikeladuca289 Time is not an issue and I can get the others cheaper. Im working with 20v batteries and I need to break out the power and balance pins to charge on a hobby charger. Plus for a couple dollars more I can get them with a built in 12V outlet and the usb is an added bonus. But I'm still curious as to the two balance leads.
@@lmorrison17 There are a total of 8 connects on a dewalt 20v battery. B+, B- for your positive & negative, TH for battery temp, ID I'm guessing here but I think to communicate battery voltage to the charger. Then you have C1, C2, C3, C4, (C stands for cell, in this case cell pack) these are the pins you would use to balance charge you battery. You can find several youtube videos on how to connect a battery for balance charging.
@@mikeladuca289 Thanks Mike. I understand all of of that I have built my own, recovered and re-purposed tool batteries and converted ni-cad to lithium before. I'm refering to YOUR adapter that appears at 10:48 it has two sets of balance leads and the second looks to me to only have for terminals connected. Thank you again for sharing your project and time.
Ok now I understand your question, If you look closely you can see a balance voltage monitor on top of the USB adapter. I added the second balance leads to plug into that voltage display so I can see a quick view of battery cell voltages without the charger. Note: I found It interferes with balance charging if I have both connected at the same time.
Very nice build Mike looks very clean. Is the battery box steel or aluminium and what gauge or thickness is the metal? Also, how much did the tin shop charge to build the battery box? Liked and Subscribed. Thanks Rob
Aluminum, sorry don't remember the gauge. When I first walked in to the tin shop and told the guy what I wanted he said $1,000. When I said I have the plans with all the measurements, we agreed on $100. Thanks for your support.
No, All the negative leads are soldered together and each positive lead is soldered to a blocking diode. The other side of the diode has a 1/4 inch threaded stud which I screwed into a grounding bus bar from a electrical panel. The positive out is also screwed into the bus bar. You can find this bar at Lowes or Home Depot in the electrical dept. The diodes(80amp)(I know these are over kill but I never have to worry about them blowing) I get from Ebay.
Nice job man! Btw how did you extend the pins out what did you use? Also, how many wires are coming out the back of the cap? And how did you wire all 5 batteries in parallel, I'm trying to make the same setup, if you could help me I'd really appreciate it...
Thanks I appreciate that. To Extend out the plastic pins I used 1/8" thick aluminum, cut it to 5/16" to extend the plastic pins. The aluminum is about 1/2" high. If you go to time 10:38 on the video you can see how I hollowed out the underside of the battery cap. Under the aluminum blocks I also hollowed a small area. I used JB Weld to secure the aluminum to the plastic. The pin block take a bit of work to cut down, test fitting as you go. The goal is to get it to fit tight so you don't have to glue it in place. Wiring; in the final version mine only has 3 wires coming out of the cap. Red=Positive, Black=Negative and a future use Yellow from the "ID" pin of the battery, but you won't need that one. You should use at least a 14ga wire to handle the load. To connect pins C1 & C3 together, to get the 60volts, I used a piece of battery strip. You need something heavy duty here to carry the load. At peek I has seen my system draw 40amps. To connect the batteries together in parallel I just wire-nutted them together. I wanted an easy way to take things apart for repairs but things have been working just fine. A final note; when you soldier the wires to the pin block, use something like an alligator clip to dissipate the heat or the heat will loosen the pins in the plastic block. Good luck! Also check out "vuaeco"s video on his description of the workings of the flex volt battery. I was going to do a similar video but he beat me to it.
Mike LaDuca oh I see, would you mind showing me where you bought the battery strip and how your back wire setup look like? Where the positive wife connect too, and where the negative wire connect? Here's my email.... trophix1@yahoo. A picture would really help as well if you could.
I originally used a piece of wire and realized I wasn't getting my full current flow. When I switched to the battery strip, it was a big improvement. A large gauge wire should work, maybe 10guage.
About half that. I had the bike from 2001, The kit, which included the motor, controller, crank, sprocket was $350. The first set of batteries I got for about $550. Mics parts like throttle, brake cut outs & battery monitor was about $200.The battery box was $100 to have fabricated. The other items I added weren't required. I am going to do an update, one year later video soon. Thanks for your interest.
It could be done that way, I would probably add blocking diodes at each battery. I decide not to go the route, I wanted to monitor each battery after use.
My daughter had her ebike stolen so now I am building her a e trike. where did you find the electric parking brakes or is this something you designed, if so do you have a parts lift. Great designed bike., I enjoyed this video.
Thanks for your comments. I fabricated the electric brakes myself and if you notice the front and rear are two different types. The motors with gear box and screw drive I found on ebay. Not sure what the are originally out of. I first made these brakes for security reasons but have another use. While riding down long downgrades I apply some of the electric brakes so I don't have to hold my main brakes. At the bottom of the hill I just release the pressure and on my way.
@@mikeladuca289 Thank you for the information. I like all your features on your bike and wish you had more videos on it construction. I look forward to seeing more of your videos. I enjoy your narration and production of your video. If this was your first. excellent job.
@@mikeladuca289 wow goes to show how well you built and designed it. BTW I have some motors coming to play with for the brakes. Threaded log shafts and some others.
Since the build I have added; Garmin Radar, strobes front & rear, ability to record video front & rear, upgraded to Dewalt 12 amp batteries, USB jacks on the handle bars for acc and carbon fiber vinyl over my battery box. Now I have all the Bells & Whistles, Whistles. I'm trying to get around to doing an updated video, stay tuned.
Jacob, I'm not sure what you mean.The pin blocks I used, As I said in the video, are from the USB charger. At the time I build this setup I found china knock-offs on eBay.
@@jacobtebrake6734 Oh, now understand what you mean. So first time I just used a piece of wire. I wasn't getting the power I thought I should be getting so I changed out the wire for a larger stripe of brass and bent it into shape. It was a noticeable increase. The wires inside the battery that allow the 60v switch are 10ga. So your jumper should be at least the size.
@@mikeladuca289 okay I still don’t think we’re talking about the same thing. On your red battery safety connector that they come factory with, there are two legs that engage the black safety switch on the battery converting from 20v to 60v. I know you had to modify and length those with those silver looking blocks. They almost look aluminum. What are the size dimensions (length, width, height) of those blocks. I need those to ministry my red connector also to make it run in 60v.
@@jacobtebrake6734 OK, your adding about 9mm to the length of the red tab. Your total should be about 15.5mm. The width & height should match the red tab. I used JB weld to attach the aluminum blocks to the red tab. I hope this is finally what your looking for. Good luck.
No external BMS only the ones inside the Dewalt batteries, I believe they only come into play for charging. I use the "Battman" to monitor my Battery usage & do not let the system voltage go below 52volts.
I have a trek 830 mountain track that I have installed the buffet bsshd kit as well as three of the Milwaukee M18 12.0 amp hour power tool batteries and have gotten great results. About how many miles do you get per full charge?
With my setup, 60volts at 20amps, the most I have ever gotten was close to 50 miles. but that was with me peddling on near flat surface and cruising at about 12-15 mph, typically I get about 3-035 miles. What type of setup are you running?
that’s the coolest default ebike their cud B. I wonder about 1 thing, those particular fanC shmNC top of the line /50-300$ Dewalt batteries are 12 amp hrs(4 at 60 volts) times 5 = 20 a amp hr bike.. you say you get 37 miles top speed & 30m range.. my ebike, which I don’t lIk cause sellers a scam, has a 14.5 amp hr battery & gets 35-45 miles.. shud not you be getting like 50 miles?(& also have a top speed of like 50mph)? DOnt get me rong, anything over 30mph is absurd, & anything over 30 miles not that urgent. just curious👋😐
I am currently running 5 12amp FlexVolt batteries at 60 volts. Which at 60 volts, each flexVolt puts out 4amps, for a total of 20amps at 60volts. Top speed is about 37 with fresh batteries. Distance varys a lot, I'm a 200lbs rider and the bike weights about 50lbs. On a total flat coarse I have gotten about 50 miles if I keep the speed down. Also I live in a very hilly area with some steep hills. While I have the torque to climb it puts a huge drain on the batteries.
@@mikeladuca289 O😯.. that mAx sNs thN.. btw thOs batREs R 250-300$ Ech, bt 2 5hr 20v’rs R 50(1/5 the prIc).. think if I dU that I’ll C if I cN lIn up 12 5rs in to a rectNgL, rather than 5 12’rs. 12 5rz in pRLL, in a remUvabl, vNtL8d water prUf rectNgL, that cN plug into 4 triple chRgrs- no lcd, no controller box just 1 stinkN electric throtL, w/a 1000w rear wheel hub motor.. wanna kEp this hypothetical kit down 2 $500.. on a 500$ used dual susp. mountN bIk.. tOlL$ 1 grNd wud Bgrand👋
In parallel, each battery is outputting 60volts. I have upgraded to the 12 amp batteries, so 60 volts at 20 amps. You should also add blocking diodes & some method for pre-charging the capacitor in your controller. The sudden connection without it will damage the BMS in the DeWalt batteries. If you would like a wiring diagram add your email.
$325 for a 12 amp hour 1000w battery and $150 for a 1000w ebike kit. Why anybody would want to spend so much time and effort on something someone else has already made easy for you I will never understand. New tech is cool but this is not even close to new easier better tech. But I do have respect for the amount of ingenuity.
Ricky, The world is full of people who buy affordable thing and those who buy the exotic. It is all about what a person wants and has the ability to accomplish. Regarding my Ebike, you can not buy a already built Ebike like mine not to mention with a 3000watt motor. Any Ebike you buy is limited to 20mph, the top speed of mine is 36mph. While that's not practical, the torque it provides is. My 15 amp hour battery gives me a descent range, as long as I don't abuse the batteries. Thanks for your respect.
@@mikeladuca289 Very true it really is about what one desires. I will post a video soon with my ebikes setup I think you'll like it. I get about 42mph off a 1500w 72v LIPO battery system.
Ricky Bobby Your Higher voltage system helps you get that 42mph, I'm only using a 60v system. Also I bet your total package is lighter than mine. Please send me your link when yours is up, I would like to check it out.
For those of you planning to build your own battery adapter check this out first www.ebay.com/itm/1x-battery-adapter-for-DeWALT-Flexvolt-60V-max-dock-power-connector-12-gauge-54/142917514402?hash=item21468c34a2:g:Zk8AAOSwy09bgxGE:rk:33:pf:0 I just found this today (11/4/18)
this is why i will never buy electric car... i cant replace individual cells if one fails im screwed... ebikes is another story... i build my own batteries. Its fun and not hard at all...
I agree the current retail price for rechargeable batteries has gone up just like everything else. But years ago when I decided to build my bike I made it a point to find the best deals I could. The average price I tried to stick too for the 9amp batteries was $100. The least I paid was $90 and the most I paid was $120. I applied the same logic when upgrading to the 12amp, just with a higher price point. Thanks for you comment.
The electric work is fantastic but dude did he had to mount everything onto a garbage bike, the road asks for suspension when bike is fast plus disc breaks, preferably hidraulic disc break and where is he riding without signals????!!l 😆 🤣 😂 He love ebikes but like most of them don't know this roads are the real killers.
When I started the project I wasn't sure it would even work out. Over the 5 years I have built on the bike, experimenting with different aspects, from the drive type, converting to Disk brake in the front, heavy duty rims & cassette (the torque destroys the stock parts) electric brakes front & rear, to the battery systems, Battery monitoring system (new not in either video) This simple bike as provided me a great test bed. So you might say why not put all this tech in a better bike, I guess I have become attached to it after watching evolve. If you haven't already watch part 2, I think it will be worth your time. Thanks for you comment.
I use the same dewalt batteries... BUT i have removed the original charging boards inside and replaced them with 60v ones from ebay... that way i can charge them with one plug and one power supply.. having to hassle with the imax... you are a hero lol...
I found out the hard way that the huge spark when connecting the batteries to the bikes' controller trashes the DeWalt BMS. It seems to damage the connection between cells 3 & 4, I believe. The instant charging of the capacitors is to much for the BMS. So I added a momentary switch and a 5 watt 150 ohm resistor. this way I can charge the capacitors in the controller for a few seconds before throwing my main power switch. This method solved the problem. Using the Imax charger, on the damaged batteries, allows me to charge the 2 FlexVolts as NI-MH batteries at 3a for about 70 minutes and there fully charged. You would think they wouldn't be balanced but I have checked them several time and the cells hold a very close voltage. I have since upgraded to a set 12 amp batteries. The same issues occurs when using these batteries with an inverter. In my 60 volt pure sine inverter project I used the same method adding blocking diodes, that way I can hot swap batteries. Can you direct me to the BMS boards you found on Ebay that worked for you?
That battery box looks awesome! Love the conversion.
thanks
My mind has been blown away! You should be proud of what you did and I’m sure you are. You have inspired to get my ass on gear and make my bike into a DeWalt EBike.
I can wire an entire house but the low voltage gets me confused 🤷🏻♂️
BTW I’m not trying to do all you did, I just want pedal assist on uphills.
I do trail riding and after spending 3k “on an entry bike” a few years ago I’m not looking on dropping another 4K just bc my fat ass can’t peddle no more 😝
Thank you! 🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽
thats how every bike should be,visible to every eye,day and night .well done
Cool build!! thanks for sharing, I love how you repurposed the dewalt batteries, thanks for posting
Love the rear view camera excellent build m8 a solid 10 out of 10 from me , thanks for the upload,
Haven’t watched it all yet so you might answer this if so sorry !!! How much did it all cost?
I honestly never kept a running total. I hope you enjoy the rest of the video as well as part 2.
Nicely done. Appreciate that your work is organized and clean. I also agree that the concept of using batteries which are widely sold is a good approach - probably not as electrically efficient as a dedicated system. One word of caution is that DeWALT power tools have discharge controls in the tool. The battery is somewhat "dumb". Don't want to discharge the batteries too much or the cells can be damaged. I didn't catch if your batteries cut out at a certain voltage or if you allow them to be drained way down. Deep discharges on these batteries will lead to less capacity and less charging cycles before they fail.
Thanks for your feedback & info. I did find out the hard way about draining them down to low. I ended up cannibalizing one battery to replace the cells in the other batteries. Funny thing is it damaged the same three cells in all the batteries. I typically only drain the batterie down no lower than 53 volts that gives me a little over 30+ miles.
Update: Well it's been a year since I built my bike and it's still rolls along. Batteries; The Dewalt FlexVolts are still performing well, they are down a little in performance but I expected that after a year of use. Rear Rim; I had to replace the rear rim and had to switch to a cassette sprocket set. There was so much torque that the rear rim was twisted and would not roll straight. The teeth on the rear sprockets were visibly worn. I replaced the rear rim with a double walled rim and larger spokes, upgraded the cassette and chain. Finally, I swapped out the front headlight for a larger and brighter unit.
Thanks for all your comment.
I use the same Dewalt 9Ah batteries to power my e-bikes and electric drift trikes too. Your custom balance charger is very impressive. I've been looking for a way to test the large Flexvolt packs. Can you run a discharge test on the IMAX B6AC to see how much capacity is left in a Dewalt battery pack?
@@ScottBl8ke A few months back I purchased a SkyRC Ultimate Duo 400W Balance/Discharger (D400). This way I can charge two batteries at the same time. I'm Trying the discharge test you suggested but with lower rated batteries first, just to see if it works the way I think it should. I purchased the new charger from Bang Good, saved about $100, if you don't mind waiting (China).
Can you send me a wiring diagram on how you wired the 5 dewalt batteries please.
@@bpoman1234 I'm not sure how to send a photo in a RUclips reply, send me your email.
@@ScottBl8ke It will discharge However I have not done this so I don't know what will be displayed.
Great job on you battery adapter!
Very impressive! Quality engineering and outstanding workmanship.
The dewalt batteries are super reliable. I wouldn't worry about them
This truly is a 'Batt-bike' don't think Bruce Wayne could have done a better job or Tony Stark for that matter! Awesome.
Well that’s an awesome and interesting video. I found it by accident. Your balance charge setup is pretty awesome, I wager it slightly lowers the life, that DeWalt is keeping them below 80% for warranty reason probably. Still I love that there is a way to top them of the extra power was needed, like if you were building a project where you would not have access to power for recharging.
I’m surprised that someone isn’t making a commercial version of that balance module you setup.
I just wish the USB adapters were not so insanely expensive. I can’t figure out why they cost so much.
Actually the Dewalt chargers charge to 20.70 volts, I only take mine to 20.40 volts or less. Since the first video I have upgraded to a dual charger. You can find the knock off USB adapters for DeWalt batteries on Ebay. There about $16 but they don't like two loads on them. I buy them just for the pin blocks. If you haven't already watched view my part two video, the link is in the comments of the part 1. Enjoy and thanks for your interest.
I don't think Dewalt is keeping the batteries charge at 80%. I have taken the batteries off the deWalt charge & put them on The SkyRC and they should 20.50v which is 100% charge.
I've begun saving any 18v lithium I find for my 36 v. Free many times. THATS ROCK ROLL
Man I love this build great job
Respect. I love it. If you could somehow get an alternator in there to generate some power back and go from 30 to 50 mile range. If I had the resources I'd do that project ASAP. Good job.
Brilliant suggestion.
Hi mike, great job mike, I enter here because I´m planning to make something like it, but solar assisted charging, I´d like to know exactly where do you get power out of this bateries , pins c2 and C3?, I ve seen in other YT video (a battery turn apart) the big wires come out of here, and second,, does the internal controller take care of the discharge limit of those batteries? Thank you
Roberto, Thanks for your interest. I am putting the final touches on my part 2 video. If you look on top of the battery you will see the B+ & B- of the battery. That will give you 20volts. If your going to run them at 60volts re-watch my video starting around 8:25. The internal controller or battery management system does not do anything for discharge limits. If you take these batteries to low, you will damage cells.
@@mikeladuca289 thanks mike, your video is very explanatory, happend that I think I saw heavy wires coming out of seems C2 and C3.. I just got 2 batteries with a brush less circular saw( id like to control speed of it butt seems difficult) well I see now the wide pins af course to get power out of B+ and B- ( obvious) so I guess Y could get power out of the battery now I suppose without any wire out of th--Id C1 2 3 and so on... just taking care of not dropping too low as you pertfectly describe on your video. am I right? Thank again
NICE WORK! You Have outdone Pee-wee Herman!
You have to charge each battery individually? How long does it take to charge all 5?
I do, I have two dual chargers. I have added a sixth battery and switched to the DeWalt 12amp batteries. I charge them at 3.5 amps and it takes about 2 +/- hours to charge.
Oh when taking Long Sunday Rides 😆. Tis Better to have FRESH Mini batteries than One Big Ebike battery
Hey what video did you watch to help you with the battery cap connection?
Another RUclipsr made a similar cap for standard 5amp DeWalt batteries. When the FlexVolt batteries came out I figured out how they work and how they switched voltages. Using the cap ideal I modified it further to be able to switch the battery to 60volts.
Now you can buy the adapters on eBay or Amazon both as a 20 volt or a 60 volt only.
Hope this helps.
You said you had another video. To show how you charge them. But I cant find it. How do you connect the battery to the ebike ?
There is a part 2 video, the link is on the part 1 site. I did not do a charge video but I did comment on charging. If you go to the video time 8:40 that's were I start talking about how I connected the batteries to the bike.
I will keep in touch, I am going to build one soon. amazing job.
AMAZING!!! I want one of these bikes! How much $$ would you charge?
BRILLIANT Interested in the gutted usb adapter I'm waiting on a few of these for several projects. I wanted to ask why there are two sets of balance leads coming out, what is the second set for?
Before you make your own battery adapters look on ebay. There's someone selling them. I don't know anything about them but they could save you a lot of time.
ruclips.net/user/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2F1x-battery-adapter-for-DeWALT-Flexvolt-60V-max-dock-power-connector-12-gauge-54%2F142917514402%3Fhash%3Ditem21468c34a2%3Ag%3AZk8AAOSwy09bgxGE%3Ark%3A33%3Apf%3A0&stzid=UgzWXOF7uIwO1_qCMIx4AaABAg&redir_token=X3SUsW3n7aFq3RDNotXx83DD-318MTU0NDAzMjk4OUAxNTQzOTQ2NTg5&event=comments
@@mikeladuca289 Time is not an issue and I can get the others cheaper. Im working with 20v batteries and I need to break out the power and balance pins to charge on a hobby charger. Plus for a couple dollars more I can get them with a built in 12V outlet and the usb is an added bonus. But I'm still curious as to the two balance leads.
@@lmorrison17 There are a total of 8 connects on a dewalt 20v battery. B+, B- for your positive & negative, TH for battery temp, ID I'm guessing here but I think to communicate battery voltage to the charger. Then you have C1, C2, C3, C4, (C stands for cell, in this case cell pack) these are the pins you would use to balance charge you battery. You can find several youtube videos on how to connect a battery for balance charging.
@@mikeladuca289 Thanks Mike. I understand all of of that I have built my own, recovered and re-purposed tool batteries and converted ni-cad to lithium before. I'm refering to YOUR adapter that appears at 10:48 it has two sets of balance leads and the second looks to me to only have for terminals connected. Thank you again for sharing your project and time.
Ok now I understand your question, If you look closely you can see a balance voltage monitor on top of the USB adapter. I added the second balance leads to plug into that voltage display so I can see a quick view of battery cell voltages without the charger. Note: I found It interferes with balance charging if I have both connected at the same time.
great idea thanks for sharing 👍
Very nice build Mike looks very clean. Is the battery box steel or aluminium and what gauge or thickness is the metal? Also, how much did the tin shop charge to build the battery box? Liked and Subscribed.
Thanks
Rob
Aluminum, sorry don't remember the gauge. When I first walked in to the tin shop and told the guy what I wanted he said $1,000. When I said I have the plans with all the measurements, we agreed on $100. Thanks for your support.
How did you connect the batteries in parallel? Just with Y connectors?
No, All the negative leads are soldered together and each positive lead is soldered to a blocking diode. The other side of the diode has a 1/4 inch threaded stud which I screwed into a grounding bus bar from a electrical panel. The positive out is also screwed into the bus bar. You can find this bar at Lowes or Home Depot in the electrical dept. The diodes(80amp)(I know these are over kill but I never have to worry about them blowing) I get from Ebay.
Nice job man! Btw how did you extend the pins out what did you use? Also, how many wires are coming out the back of the cap? And how did you wire all 5 batteries in parallel, I'm trying to make the same setup, if you could help me I'd really appreciate it...
Thanks I appreciate that. To Extend out the plastic pins I used 1/8" thick aluminum, cut it to 5/16" to extend the plastic pins. The aluminum is about 1/2" high. If you go to time 10:38 on the video you can see how I hollowed out the underside of the battery cap. Under the aluminum blocks I also hollowed a small area. I used JB Weld to secure the aluminum to the plastic. The pin block take a bit of work to cut down, test fitting as you go. The goal is to get it to fit tight so you don't have to glue it in place. Wiring; in the final version mine only has 3 wires coming out of the cap. Red=Positive, Black=Negative and a future use Yellow from the "ID" pin of the battery, but you won't need that one. You should use at least a 14ga wire to handle the load. To connect pins C1 & C3 together, to get the 60volts, I used a piece of battery strip. You need something heavy duty here to carry the load. At peek I has seen my system draw 40amps. To connect the batteries together in parallel I just wire-nutted them together. I wanted an easy way to take things apart for repairs but things have been working just fine. A final note; when you soldier the wires to the pin block, use something like an alligator clip to dissipate the heat or the heat will loosen the pins in the plastic block. Good luck!
Also check out "vuaeco"s video on his description of the workings of the flex volt battery. I was going to do a similar video but he beat me to it.
Mike LaDuca oh I see, would you mind showing me where you bought the battery strip and how your back wire setup look like? Where the positive wife connect too, and where the negative wire connect? Here's my email.... trophix1@yahoo. A picture would really help as well if you could.
I jus peeled the battery strip off an old battery pack. I will send you photos shortly.
Mike LaDuca oh I see and would it be possible to just use a paper clip instead of the strip?
I originally used a piece of wire and realized I wasn't getting my full current flow. When I switched to the battery strip, it was a big improvement. A large gauge wire should work, maybe 10guage.
Wow great build, I’d have to guess around $2500 USD for this build
About half that. I had the bike from 2001, The kit, which included the motor, controller, crank, sprocket was $350. The first set of batteries I got for about $550. Mics parts like throttle, brake cut outs & battery monitor was about $200.The battery box was $100 to have fabricated. The other items I added weren't required.
I am going to do an update, one year later video soon. Thanks for your interest.
can you set it up to charge the batteries without removing them from the bike?
It could be done that way, I would probably add blocking diodes at each battery. I decide not to go the route, I wanted to monitor each battery after use.
thanks Mike Green. Super helpful!
I believe we should all build a box for the triangle frame Not steel Aluminum
My daughter had her ebike stolen so now I am building her a e trike. where did you find the electric parking brakes or is this something you designed, if so do you have a parts lift. Great designed bike., I enjoyed this video.
Thanks for your comments. I fabricated the electric brakes myself and if you notice the front and rear are two different types. The motors with gear box and screw drive I found on ebay. Not sure what the are originally out of.
I first made these brakes for security reasons but have another use. While riding down long downgrades I apply some of the electric brakes so I don't have to hold my main brakes. At the bottom of the hill I just release the pressure and on my way.
@@mikeladuca289 Thank you for the information. I like all your features on your bike and wish you had more videos on it construction. I look forward to seeing more of your videos. I enjoy your narration and production of your video. If this was your first. excellent job.
@@backwoods222 I am in the process of doing a part 2 or update video on my bike. It's almost been 2 years & 3 thousand miles.
@@mikeladuca289 wow goes to show how well you built and designed it. BTW I have some motors coming to play with for the brakes. Threaded log shafts and some others.
Wow! You've got all the bells and whistles. BTW, where's the bells and whistles.
Since the build I have added; Garmin Radar, strobes front & rear, ability to record video front & rear, upgraded to Dewalt 12 amp batteries, USB jacks on the handle bars for acc and carbon fiber vinyl over my battery box. Now I have all the Bells & Whistles, Whistles. I'm trying to get around to doing an updated video, stay tuned.
What are the dimensions on your pin block extension? I’d like to replicate your build
Jacob, I'm not sure what you mean.The pin blocks I used, As I said in the video, are from the USB charger. At the time I build this setup I found china knock-offs on eBay.
@@mikeladuca289 you put little metal blocks on it to make the battery flip into 60v mode. What are the dimensions on those little metal blocks?
@@jacobtebrake6734 Oh, now understand what you mean. So first time I just used a piece of wire. I wasn't getting the power I thought I should be getting so I changed out the wire for a larger stripe of brass and bent it into shape. It was a noticeable increase. The wires inside the battery that allow the 60v switch are 10ga. So your jumper should be at least the size.
@@mikeladuca289 okay I still don’t think we’re talking about the same thing. On your red battery safety connector that they come factory with, there are two legs that engage the black safety switch on the battery converting from 20v to 60v. I know you had to modify and length those with those silver looking blocks. They almost look aluminum. What are the size dimensions (length, width, height) of those blocks. I need those to ministry my red connector also to make it run in 60v.
@@jacobtebrake6734 OK, your adding about 9mm to the length of the red tab. Your total should be about 15.5mm. The width & height should match the red tab. I used JB weld to attach the aluminum blocks to the red tab. I hope this is finally what your looking for.
Good luck.
Nice work can you do a video riding the bike?
Did you use a battery management system?
No external BMS only the ones inside the Dewalt batteries, I believe they only come into play for charging. I use the "Battman" to monitor my Battery usage & do not let the system voltage go below 52volts.
I have a trek 830 mountain track that I have installed the buffet bsshd kit as well as three of the Milwaukee M18 12.0 amp hour power tool batteries and have gotten great results. About how many miles do you get per full charge?
With my setup, 60volts at 20amps, the most I have ever gotten was close to 50 miles. but that was with me peddling on near flat surface and cruising at about 12-15 mph, typically I get about 3-035 miles.
What type of setup are you running?
Very nice!
On weekends Now I go Looking 😮
Brilliant!
very cool
Thanks, did watch part2?
I did
Also, maybe Milwaukee 12.0ah
that’s the coolest default ebike their cud B. I wonder about 1 thing, those particular fanC shmNC top of the line /50-300$ Dewalt batteries are 12 amp hrs(4 at 60 volts) times 5 = 20 a amp hr bike.. you say you get 37 miles top speed & 30m range.. my ebike, which I don’t lIk cause sellers a scam, has a 14.5 amp hr battery & gets 35-45 miles.. shud not you be getting like 50 miles?(& also have a top speed of like 50mph)? DOnt get me rong, anything over 30mph is absurd, & anything over 30 miles not that urgent. just curious👋😐
I am currently running 5 12amp FlexVolt batteries at 60 volts. Which at 60 volts, each flexVolt puts out 4amps, for a total of 20amps at 60volts. Top speed is about 37 with fresh batteries. Distance varys a lot, I'm a 200lbs rider and the bike weights about 50lbs. On a total flat coarse I have gotten about 50 miles if I keep the speed down. Also I live in a very hilly area with some steep hills. While I have the torque to climb it puts a huge drain on the batteries.
@@mikeladuca289
O😯.. that mAx sNs thN.. btw thOs batREs R 250-300$ Ech, bt 2 5hr 20v’rs R 50(1/5 the prIc).. think if I dU that I’ll C if I cN lIn up 12 5rs in to a rectNgL, rather than 5 12’rs. 12 5rz in pRLL, in a remUvabl, vNtL8d water prUf rectNgL, that cN plug into 4 triple chRgrs- no lcd, no controller box just 1 stinkN electric throtL, w/a 1000w rear wheel hub motor.. wanna kEp this hypothetical kit down 2 $500.. on a 500$ used dual susp. mountN bIk.. tOlL$ 1 grNd wud Bgrand👋
I'm running my son's 250watt scooter off my old dewalt 20volts x2
Genius, puts Tesla so shame!
If you dont mind me asking how did you wire the batteries in parallel? Or series?
In parallel, each battery is outputting 60volts. I have upgraded to the 12 amp batteries, so 60 volts at 20 amps. You should also add blocking diodes & some method for pre-charging the capacitor in your controller. The sudden connection without it will damage the BMS in the DeWalt batteries. If you would like a wiring diagram add your email.
Frankenstein would ride this bike.
The Wolfman enjoyed his ride.
$325 for a 12 amp hour 1000w battery and $150 for a 1000w ebike kit. Why anybody would want to spend so much time and effort on something someone else has already made easy for you I will never understand. New tech is cool but this is not even close to new easier better tech. But I do have respect for the amount of ingenuity.
Ricky, The world is full of people who buy affordable thing and those who buy the exotic. It is all about what a person wants and has the ability to accomplish. Regarding my Ebike, you can not buy a already built Ebike like mine not to mention with a 3000watt motor. Any Ebike you buy is limited to 20mph, the top speed of mine is 36mph. While that's not practical, the torque it provides is. My 15 amp hour battery gives me a descent range, as long as I don't abuse the batteries. Thanks for your respect.
@@mikeladuca289 Very true it really is about what one desires. I will post a video soon with my ebikes setup I think you'll like it. I get about 42mph off a 1500w 72v LIPO battery system.
Ricky Bobby Your Higher voltage system helps you get that 42mph, I'm only using a 60v system. Also I bet your total package is lighter than mine. Please send me your link when yours is up, I would like to check it out.
It's not his 12 extra volts making it fast. It's the fact they likely have twice the amperage of your home depot setup
hey thats cool uh looks good uh electric is the uh way to uh go uh good uh job!
where is the video that shows which pins to jump to run 60v?
ruclips.net/video/VAmghq7XadQ/видео.html
For those of you planning to build your own battery adapter check this out first www.ebay.com/itm/1x-battery-adapter-for-DeWALT-Flexvolt-60V-max-dock-power-connector-12-gauge-54/142917514402?hash=item21468c34a2:g:Zk8AAOSwy09bgxGE:rk:33:pf:0
I just found this today (11/4/18)
As a result I have 8 36v packs wit Couple bucks invested No more
this is why i will never buy electric car... i cant replace individual cells if one fails im screwed... ebikes is another story... i build my own batteries. Its fun and not hard at all...
60v 15a ain't shit.. Usual ebike battery setup is 30a to 80a
The price for those dewalts are insane. Not worth it.
I agree the current retail price for rechargeable batteries has gone up just like everything else. But years ago when I decided to build my bike I made it a point to find the best deals I could. The average price I tried to stick too for the 9amp batteries was $100. The least I paid was $90 and the most I paid was $120. I applied the same logic when upgrading to the 12amp, just with a higher price point. Thanks for you comment.
The electric work is fantastic but dude did he had to mount everything onto a garbage bike, the road asks for suspension when bike is fast plus disc breaks, preferably hidraulic disc break and where is he riding without signals????!!l 😆 🤣 😂 He love ebikes but like most of them don't know this roads are the real killers.
When I started the project I wasn't sure it would even work out. Over the 5 years I have built on the bike, experimenting with different aspects, from the drive type, converting to Disk brake in the front, heavy duty rims & cassette (the torque destroys the stock parts) electric brakes front & rear, to the battery systems, Battery monitoring system (new not in either video) This simple bike as provided me a great test bed. So you might say why not put all this tech in a better bike, I guess I have become attached to it after watching evolve. If you haven't already watch part 2, I think it will be worth your time. Thanks for you comment.