Just wanted to pop in after all this time and say I’ve been using this design over the years from my builds. I usually add an extra cell to each series though for to add extra amp draw capability when using mediocre cells. One thing I thought I should note, the extra lead wires connecting the cells are vital in the design. I got lazy and didn’t do it on one of my builds. Ran a 65a controller and the battery almost caught on fire due to current bottlenecking where the cells should have had the extra wires connecting them. Had to cut into the battery to remove the boiling cells otherwise I would have lost the whole pack in a bonfire due to a chain reaction of heat transfer. Spent about 2 hours soldering extra lead wires between cells, and wrapping heat resistant tape on all wires touching the battery. The battery absolutely BLASTS now. Anyway Micah great design!
Ordered your battery book, it arrives today. So excited! Your vids are the BEST! Thank you so much for going fairly slow and explaining everything thoroughly. I'm a newbie and you have helped me immensely. Can't say thanks enough. Thanks Bro !!!
GREAT VID i am an old guy looking for cheap transportation you are giving me ideas and hope i see an e bike in my future . may the adventure never end.
great stuff, (maybe already asked)Question: 1st: Could you give us an estimate of how much it costed you to make this one. 2de: Could you help us calculate how much AH we would need for a specific distance? The reason is that I want to make one that will take me to work and back on 1 charge.
Hi Micah, I would suggest using BINX nuts instead of the plain nuts. BINX nuts are both low profile and resistant to vibration. However they are perhaps not as easy to obtain from your typical DIY store.
At 13:47 you show soldering 2 - 12ga wires together. That's bad soldering technique. Not only is it mechanically poor, it relies mostly on the solder itself to carry the current. Solder has a much higher resistance than copper. A much better way to do this, especially with high-strand-count silicone insulated wire, is to strip 1/2" off each end, fan all the stands out on each piece, and then push the 2 pieces together so all the strands intermesh, and then give them a twist. *Then* solder them together. Put a 1" piece of heat-shrink tubing over the finished joint. That's the way to make a good joint.
If anyone is having trouble sourcing heat shrink wrap, i find black sileage tape Excellent and 100% water resistant if applied correctly, I've cycled in torrential rain and overflowing river banks with no issues, anyway just a tip :)
I highly recommend it, I’m building my 2kw Sony vtc6 Sony 37 ah battery out of it now and they have amazing customer service! Also video post coming in a day or two!
I choose this kit because I could not find a trustworthy 2kw 48 volt battery from a maker and biggest I could find was around 28 ah, not enough for me I wanna ride like a maniac lol
I’ve often used the water hose analogy for electricity. But the first minute of your video really shows it. How way you stacked 2 batteries (in series) I pictured a water hose. Then, showing 3 in parallel, I saw a fatter hose. Seeing the 3 batteries laid parallel helps illustrate it. Great work!
Well I've made my first rectangular 48v ebike battery pack. It's slightly longer take that into account. Don't be fooled into thinking these holders are easy. Problem 1. The Spring metal brackets spin inside caps when tightening nut which compromises connections. 2. Some nuts do not screw on properly 3. Not enough metal brackets to make the connections needed 4. No spare nuts if some get lost. 5. Some connectors are tight some loose. 6. Recycled batteries need to be Dremeled as ends need to be flat. If you puncture the ends while doing this you could have a battery venting problem. In summary I think the best way to solve this is to provide use new cells and different patterns of plastic connectors for different voltage batteries instead of an individual unifix cube system. Providing a press with the deal might help too. A great system though especially if you are on a world tour and have no access to soldering equipment when you really need it. You could provide various metal ladder style connectors and a ready soldered fuse bars to screw into place. Also last of all, battery covers and grooves for the zip ties and ready made charge and discharge connectors. Instruction manuals? Patterns?
Nifty! I'm going to build only the battery enclosure myself, but this certainly helps me to design placement for cells the actual manufacturer can then follow up on.
Yeaaaahhh... so much good info packed in one video!!! Loved all the tips on how to reuse the VRUZEND caps, the silicone wires with ring terminals is electrically the very best way to do (painful and not ideal if you have to solder thick wires to the tabs, here is where the VRUZEND kit clearly shows it's advantages). Also connecting the balancing wires without the need of soldering iron makes everything much easier. You could actually do the whole pack just crimping terminals, even the main charge/discharge leads. =] VRUZEND POWEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRR
Haha, thanks Bruno! Yea I started by crimping the discharge leads too but my crimping tool is cheap and I was worried that the crimp wasn't strong enough so I went back and soldered them just to be sure...
+ElectricBike and +EbikeSchool.com check out Colorado Universities Circuit Construction Kit (CCK) which is an amazing tool, showing flows, shorts, ohms, ... everything!! phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/circuit-construction-kit-dc
FYI: Crimping is ALWAYS better for connections subject to vibration. Yep boats and airplanes use crimped connections where it counts and soldering can cause a break due to its inflexibility. Soldering is okay if you can stabilize the leads by mechanical means anywhere they might be subject to stress or vibration. See" "Strain relief connectors." PS: I bought your book and started reading it; it's excellent. I just retired after 35 years in the govt. as Asst. Director of Engineering. Good job!
Buy a cheap ratcheting crimper for small leads. You can also buy a crimper you hit with a hammer for larger lugs like you'd use on 2/0 wire. See: www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=ratchet+crimper Hammer Type: www.amazon.com/TEMCo-Hammer-Crimper-Tool-Warranty/dp/B00E1UUVT0/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1517195136&sr=8-5&keywords=2%2F0+crimper
OK! Just subscribed and am going to research the batteries and caps and can't wait to get started! Excellent tutorial! I need your DIY Battery Book in my tech library. I'm so jazzed about finding your channel! Thanks!
Hi Micah. I wonder about security / theft. Obviously leaving a triangle bag on a locked bike is loosing an expensive battery pack. Is there a locking hard case that will accommodate a rectangular 52v x 4p or 5p built with the Vruzend end caps? If none exists, are you considering selling similar?
Math works here. An 18650 cell is 18mm in diameter and 65mm long. 18 65 0. Count the cells in height, count the cells in length, multiply the number of cells of height and length by 18mm. Then find a Pythagoras theorem calculator to figure out the 3rd side of the triangle. Now you have the length of all 3 sides of the triangle in millimeters. Just about any bag that is 10% to 20% longer and taller than the battery and can hold a volume 10% greater than the calculated battery size will fit.
I think an answer on what batteries you can use with certain controllers, motors, ect. would make a great video response. Also choosing the right connections. I haven’t found any videos on the topic.
Hi, grate videos but I just wandering because is winter and my bikes are not in use.... so what is the best voltage for storage e bike li-on battery? I have two bikes one is with 24v battery second bike with 36v battery. Cheers
Micah: I ordered your books from Amazon today. I'm planning to build a Montague Paratrooper + Bafang BBSHD eBike. Your AliExpress sources for the Bafang BBSHD ($627) pencils out to be slightly less than a U.S.-based middleman (Luna; $709). It seems reasonable to pay the extra $80 for the included access to technical support, and Luna's components inventory includes some things that I'm not finding it easy to source elsewhere (like the battery charger that allows you to program partial charges -- saw your video on saving battery life). But it does look like there's reasonable money to be saved in building a battery!
Thank-you buddy for all the educations you impart 1) Why not use a copper plate on top and bottom and 2) where do i get to read about the thickness of the wires to use ?
Hi thanks for ur all info and efforts,, I have got 72v 20ah 3000w battry and 1500w ehub if I change my motor to 3000w witch it has same winding to my 1500w do I still reach the same speed and torque by the way I use the same controller? How to calculate the ebike wattage?
At the start of your video you said no soldering, but you soldered stuff at the end, is this necessary?...I am building this type of battery in a few weeks, I am buying the Luna cyclone, 3000 watt motor
Micah, I have completed the construction of my 52 volt battery according to your instructions. Now I am ready for the last step, heat shrinking the waterproof cover for it. But I am unable to find the large diameter heat shrink I need for the bottom to top cover. Can you tell me the source you have for this?
I would like to ask if it would be a bad idea to use the thermal insulation for the batteries to prevent damage due to frosts in winter or high temperatures ???
hey Micha any chance you have a downloadable diagram of all the the wiring and contections that you made for this build. I am trying to do screen shots of all the shots however I am unable to see what exact connections you made for the balance wires. I also just got your book about lithium building and its great. Any suggestions would be great inorder to complete my vruzend build.
I'm wanting to make a one off battery for my frankenstien kona, but I'm not sure it's worth it for me as it'll be a one off? Or is it once you start making your own battery packs you never go back to buying another one again?
Hi. I have a question. I do not understand about the combination of battery pack with motor. For example, a car with 50kw motor has battery pack of just 18kw. Isn't it should be equal or greater than the "kw" of the powertrain??
With triangles and weird shapes, its best to just have many sizes so you can play around with it. But if you need to calculate, then measure the perimeter of the battery and double that number. You want something about half way between those two numbers (since the heat shrink will shrink to half its size).
Great video! I'm still having problems wrapping my head around the math in these batteries. Question if you had 250, 18650 batteries and wanted a 48-volt battery how many amp hours would it be, I'm looking for range not speed. Collecting the parts for a 3 wheeler all drive using 20-inch fat tires. thinking 1 battery per wheel, I'm handicapped and cant hardly walk, but want to get to the beach and fish!
In theory you could build a 13S19P battery with 247 cells. Assuming a capacity of 3000 mAh per 18650, you end with a 57 Ah 48V pack. But it would be enormous...
Yeah big and heavy, but I would have a space of about 28"x40"x12" and that not including the space between the wheels and the back of the seat above the axial line.Thanks for responding!that should cover the range issue, I live in the panhandle of Florida no hills and only a few bridges, almost 100% sidewalk. thanks again!
Hi. Great video thanks. I am going to make this. Do you have more detailed instructions or perhaps pictures of final product? Just need some more clarification of bsm and final connections. Little confusing towards the end of video
Awesome! Im trying to learn but having trouble, how would i calculate all I need to know for a battery with these specs? how many amps? also, does the charger have to be exactly 58.8v?
54.6 v charger is for a 48v battery. 58.8v charger is for a 52 v battery. you can use a 48v charger on a 52v battery ,you just won't be charging it fully @ 93%. He stated in the video that his battery is 20ah
Why the 52V version and why the difficult triangle geometry pack? I believe you should try to maximize space with flat, rectangular packs that can be stacked or used as sliders into a base flat frame 'drawer". Appreciate comments!
Is there a 15 cell configuration for a all wheel bike. 1-250w + 1-350w front & back wheel power or center + front wheel configuration? for the hills in San Francisco .
The Vruzend 18650 battery pack assembly kit has made it easier once assemble to troubleshoot the pack an fine any bad or dead cell without a BMS but the charging leads are still needed to balance charge the pack is there any feedback if a BMS is still a requirement for battery pack protection ,
Please could you tell me the size of the heat shrink rap that you used for this battery. I am building the same battery as yourself and want get all the peices for the project first. Thank you From David in Yorkshire in England
yyyaaaa LG MJ1. monster cells. love them. so happy with them. 48v 21ah 7 month of eating the road with 45kmh.. samsung E35 is a good cells also. but no one confirm how good they are in a long term.. cheers maiky
I got a bike from someone. Its 52v and i think 750 watt bafang motor. I max it out at 45km the whole time and i only go maybe 20 kms distance. How far does yours go because i feel like my battery sucks
I got your book and I am about to begin building a 13s8p battery pack using one of these kits. I ordered all the parts from Vrusend except the heat shrink. Where can I find heat shrink large enough for it. The ones on Vrusend will only fit a 13s6p battery pack.
How do you charge it a number of different size batteries. Do you have a nominated variable charger that is going to cut out at the safe battery content level? If I get a bike with a certain power voltage but want to extent the AMP hours to get more life out of it by building my own battery the standard charger that comes with it is no longer any good to measure that the battery has been charged to the right level or that it will cutoff safely when it does reach the right amount of power? Nothing feeds back the the charger that tells it the right information because chargers are usually rated???
My questions? are what is they weight I my bike should? and how heavy will my ebike be after I build it and do you have the links to where you buy all the cool stuff you have?
Looks like a very nice product. I am looking for a nice battery box to use with this system and found most box's are to narrow to fit the battery length and end caps (3.66") plus room for the BSM. Have you found any boxes that would work for a 36v 60 cell battery
great points on dispersing the amps equally between series connections...which leads to the next question....with the mechanical caps, friction fit with only a spring to conduct the current, as soon as the spring heats up, it loses its spring strength....increasing resistance, more heat and cascading amperage across the rest of the springs....how many constant amps have you run thru this particular pack, for how long of a time? I have not tried these diy spring loaded battery caps before on any of my battery builds....have you had any failures with the springs on the caps heating and losing contact? A good spot welding job seems to me a superior build for a high amperage pack, less resistance equals more amps....cooler operation, and less likely to have bad connections after dropping the bike, or jarring bumps....anyone having issues with these spring loaded battery connections?
The springs are leaf springs, not spiral wire springs, so they are much thicker metal than you're probably imagining. But as you correctly said, that will be bottleneck for current. That's why these caps are rated for 3.5A max continuous and 5A max peak. We are working on a V2 kit that will have different spring contacts for higher current.
I'm considering using your tools and methods to build a pack with a much greater voltage, and with a lot more cells in parallel. Do you see any problems with that? I'm concerned about the higher resistance in mechanical connections versus spot welding. What is the maximum voltage and amperage that you would recommend using this method?
Theoretically there isn't a voltage limit. The caps are rated at 3.5A continuous each or 5A peak max. So the more you add in parallel, the higher current you can pull from the completed pack.
I have been searching for 18650 cells, but I found some in large quantities (18650) 3000 mHa. As I read the specks of them, the specks say they are for flashlight. Will they still work for battery pack for my ebike...
I have a question how much money can you save by building your own battery? I wanna build a powerfull one maybe 72v 30 amp i have seen prices vary from 500 all the way up to 1400 bucks why such a big difference if the specs are the same? By the way whether i build or not i wiil be purchasing your book it is very interesting how battery works and i did not know that
I am doing a build on my new fat tire trike, decent speed and power are important... however..... where I am most confussed is... and what is more important than the speed and power is longevity, and that is where get confussed in building a battery that lasts as long as possible, because I want to track across the country.... also having a spare to trade out being charged with solar while I travel during the day..... does your books cover these concerns? Because I don't want to purchase something that doesn't cover these issues. I have watched your vids and you are awesome with sharing your knowledge, KuDo's to you... but I am still confused, please help.
I dont know about the solar charging but range has mostly to do with Ah so i guess you need a bigAh battery and his book explains how to make that very easy
Alright then, getting all the books is a really great deal as a package, and I am a book "wh@re" as some of my friends call me.... so why the heck not. Thank you ever so kindly for the reply, and I must say I really, really enjoy the channel, and may the good Lord bless you and yours. Ciao.
Hi bud I'm currently working on a new project I have currently a fat e bike 3000w 74v battery. Just got me a Stealth bomber e bike frame and thinking of making a triangle 74 to 96 v battery do you have any schematics for bigger battery. Ty keep up the good work.
New subscriber so congratulations on that 🎉 You have very straightforward and no-nonsense channel format. I'm new to battery building so your tutorials are my brain food after scouring YT for the right teacher. I've bought the CelCapz by Vruzend because they look the bollox and because you use them (apologies if you are affiliated but I will look for your codes/links in future) and therefore a reliable design. I just wanted to suggest a hack for those not confident with a spot welder or solder iron. One you may frown upon but here goes. For joining wires from a bms or jumpers I have used JB Weld putty mixed with graphite powder I harvested from pencils to make connections on lead acid batteries. It's really easy to manipulate, adhears with remarkable strength and has high heat capabilities. Would there be any reason not to use this method on lithium ion?
Just bought a turbowheels lightning+ 60V 21AH .. can you please help me to build a range extender battery?.. any suggestions or direction will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I do a lot with 18650 but I'm finding it hard to find quality cells. Can you do a video on what you should be looking for in price and quality. I get most of my batterys from old laptops. Also where do you get your BMS's. I'm making a battery with 300 cells and can't find anything supporting that.
The most helpful guy on the web right now ... cheers man !!
Just wanted to pop in after all this time and say I’ve been using this design over the years from my builds. I usually add an extra cell to each series though for to add extra amp draw capability when using mediocre cells.
One thing I thought I should note, the extra lead wires connecting the cells are vital in the design. I got lazy and didn’t do it on one of my builds. Ran a 65a controller and the battery almost caught on fire due to current bottlenecking where the cells should have had the extra wires connecting them. Had to cut into the battery to remove the boiling cells otherwise I would have lost the whole pack in a bonfire due to a chain reaction of heat transfer.
Spent about 2 hours soldering extra lead wires between cells, and wrapping heat resistant tape on all wires touching the battery. The battery absolutely BLASTS now. Anyway Micah great design!
Bruh its micah. Its ok tho.
@@waylmaster7487 fixed
@@tjacksondolph4026 Epic
Ordered your battery book, it arrives today. So excited! Your vids are the BEST! Thank you so much for going fairly slow and explaining everything thoroughly. I'm a newbie and you have helped me immensely. Can't say thanks enough. Thanks Bro !!!
16,000 subscribers! Wasn't long ago you hit 10,000. Glad to see your channel growing. Thanks for the triangle battery build!
Your books are a must have for anyone that wants to build their own e-bike. Thank you!
GREAT VID i am an old guy looking for cheap transportation you are giving me ideas and hope i see an e bike in my future . may the adventure never end.
Alot of lights turned on while watching this video. Thanks for answering many questions that I had.
Thanks for the videos and source links. My friend and I are both building bikes and the batteries are the final piece of the puzzle.
great stuff,
(maybe already asked)Question:
1st:
Could you give us an estimate of how much it costed you to make this one.
2de:
Could you help us calculate how much AH we would need for a specific distance?
The reason is that I want to make one that will take me to work and back on 1 charge.
Hi Micah, I would suggest using BINX nuts instead of the plain nuts. BINX nuts are both low profile and resistant to vibration.
However they are perhaps not as easy to obtain from your typical DIY store.
nylock nut would work well too
At 13:47 you show soldering 2 - 12ga wires together. That's bad soldering technique. Not only is it mechanically poor, it relies mostly on the solder itself to carry the current. Solder has a much higher resistance than copper. A much better way to do this, especially with high-strand-count silicone insulated wire, is to strip 1/2" off each end, fan all the stands out on each piece, and then push the 2 pieces together so all the strands intermesh, and then give them a twist. *Then* solder them together. Put a 1" piece of heat-shrink tubing over the finished joint. That's the way to make a good joint.
I believe that joint is also being crimped into a wire clamps, that he says comes with the kit, as you need that area exposed as a jumper...
I've got a joint you two nerds need.
Have you compared joint heating under load with both types of joint?
If anyone is having trouble sourcing heat shrink wrap, i find black sileage tape Excellent and 100% water resistant if applied correctly, I've cycled in torrential rain and overflowing river banks with no issues, anyway just a tip :)
I highly recommend it, I’m building my 2kw Sony vtc6 Sony 37 ah battery out of it now and they have amazing customer service! Also video post coming in a day or two!
I choose this kit because I could not find a trustworthy 2kw 48 volt battery from a maker and biggest I could find was around 28 ah, not enough for me I wanna ride like a maniac lol
I love the kit. WAY easier than soldering or welding. I'll be making my new battery from your kit.
Very helpful info thank you! 2 questions : 1- what is the total cost of the battery ? 2- how do you charge it and connect it to your ebike ?
It could. I would begin learning about controllers and how a BMS works.
I’ve often used the water hose analogy for electricity. But the first minute of your video really shows it.
How way you stacked 2 batteries (in series) I pictured a water hose. Then, showing 3 in parallel, I saw a fatter hose.
Seeing the 3 batteries laid parallel helps illustrate it.
Great work!
pretty cool man you are officially a battery master.
I am an electrician myself and I just got his book. There is an incredible amount on knowledge in it and its cheap! :O)
Well I've made my first rectangular 48v ebike battery pack. It's slightly longer take that into account. Don't be fooled into thinking these holders are easy. Problem 1. The Spring metal brackets spin inside caps when tightening nut which compromises connections. 2. Some nuts do not screw on properly 3. Not enough metal brackets to make the connections needed 4. No spare nuts if some get lost. 5. Some connectors are tight some loose. 6. Recycled batteries need to be Dremeled as ends need to be flat. If you puncture the ends while doing this you could have a battery venting problem. In summary I think the best way to solve this is to provide use new cells and different patterns of plastic connectors for different voltage batteries instead of an individual unifix cube system. Providing a press with the deal might help too. A great system though especially if you are on a world tour and have no access to soldering equipment when you really need it. You could provide various metal ladder style connectors and a ready soldered fuse bars to screw into place. Also last of all, battery covers and grooves for the zip ties and ready made charge and discharge connectors. Instruction manuals? Patterns?
Watching the shrinking tube shrink is pretty satisfying.
Yes! Thank you for the jumper idea! I now can complete my battery primarily using H-pattern nickel strip
Nifty!
I'm going to build only the battery enclosure myself, but this certainly helps me to design placement for cells the actual manufacturer can then follow up on.
how much does it cost total
Please give us the source/site where to purchase the snap-togrther kit components, and pricing as well.
Thanks, really love the education!
vruzend.com/
Yeaaaahhh... so much good info packed in one video!!!
Loved all the tips on how to reuse the VRUZEND caps, the silicone wires with ring terminals is electrically the very best way to do (painful and not ideal if you have to solder thick wires to the tabs, here is where the VRUZEND kit clearly shows it's advantages).
Also connecting the balancing wires without the need of soldering iron makes everything much easier.
You could actually do the whole pack just crimping terminals, even the main charge/discharge leads. =]
VRUZEND POWEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRR
Haha, thanks Bruno! Yea I started by crimping the discharge leads too but my crimping tool is cheap and I was worried that the crimp wasn't strong enough so I went back and soldered them just to be sure...
+ElectricBike and +EbikeSchool.com check out Colorado Universities Circuit Construction Kit (CCK) which is an amazing tool, showing flows, shorts, ohms, ... everything!! phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/circuit-construction-kit-dc
FYI: Crimping is ALWAYS better for connections subject to vibration. Yep boats and airplanes use crimped connections where it counts and soldering can cause a break due to its inflexibility.
Soldering is okay if you can stabilize the leads by mechanical means anywhere they might be subject to stress or vibration. See" "Strain relief connectors."
PS: I bought your book and started reading it; it's excellent. I just retired after 35 years in the govt. as Asst. Director of Engineering. Good job!
Buy a cheap ratcheting crimper for small leads. You can also buy a crimper you hit with a hammer for larger lugs like you'd use on 2/0 wire.
See: www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=ratchet+crimper
Hammer Type: www.amazon.com/TEMCo-Hammer-Crimper-Tool-Warranty/dp/B00E1UUVT0/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1517195136&sr=8-5&keywords=2%2F0+crimper
Crimping is also used by NASA because high temperatures can melt solder but can't melt a mechanical connection
Awesome video. I’m a newbie to diy battery packs. I’m learning a lot from your videos.
Nice. Can i know what is the recommended battery chargers for that?. Before i make it. Thanks
OK! Just subscribed and am going to research the batteries and caps and can't wait to get started! Excellent tutorial! I need your DIY Battery Book in my tech library. I'm so jazzed about finding your channel! Thanks!
Nicely done. I know the science, but you're helping me with techniques and hands-on knowledge. 😊
Awesome! Exactly what I have been searching for. I will be building a 36v 14.7a battery for my ebike so, I can finally she'd the weight of my SLA's!
Hi Micah.
I wonder about security / theft. Obviously leaving a triangle bag on a locked bike is loosing an expensive battery pack.
Is there a locking hard case that will accommodate a rectangular 52v x 4p or 5p built with the Vruzend end caps?
If none exists, are you considering selling similar?
So how would I do this same method but for 60v would I just add some more batteries in series??
Thanks. Enjoyed seeing a practical example of the battery ends and wiring up the battery pack.
Hi Micah. Thanks to share your knowledge. It's very clear your explanation and you didn't lose my time in details. Good luck!
Would it be worth checking the battery once build before sticking all the heat shrink on it ? maybe a complete drain and charge cycle....
Please add the dimensions of triangle bag to place the cells in. Keep up the awesome videos as I've been reading your eBook purchase on Amazon.
Yeah i tried the one from Luna Cycle it's not big enough
anyone knows the dimensions?
Math works here. An 18650 cell is 18mm in diameter and 65mm long. 18 65 0. Count the cells in height, count the cells in length, multiply the number of cells of height and length by 18mm. Then find a Pythagoras theorem calculator to figure out the 3rd side of the triangle. Now you have the length of all 3 sides of the triangle in millimeters. Just about any bag that is 10% to 20% longer and taller than the battery and can hold a volume 10% greater than the calculated battery size will fit.
Man, is the book available on Amazon?
Cuz I suck at Electronics as of 2018
I think an answer on what batteries you can use with certain controllers, motors, ect. would make a great video response. Also choosing the right connections. I haven’t found any videos on the topic.
Thank you that was very informative and now I have an idea of how the batteries are made
Glad to see this video, Just got your two books on building a Ebike and batteries. Thanks for your help.
I am curious why these kits are no longer available? They seem like a good idea.
Can a mid drive work with a single speed hub,or would one of the engines burn each other out?
Wow , so glad I came upon this channel ! Great videos for building e-bike batteries ! Thank You
The caps seem like a headache. I like welding it's therapeutic. I appreciate the info on the triangle battery. Thankyou
Hi, grate videos but I just wandering because is winter and my bikes are not in use.... so what is the best voltage for storage e bike li-on battery? I have two bikes one is with 24v battery second bike with 36v battery. Cheers
Micah: I ordered your books from Amazon today. I'm planning to build a Montague Paratrooper + Bafang BBSHD eBike. Your AliExpress sources for the Bafang BBSHD ($627) pencils out to be slightly less than a U.S.-based middleman (Luna; $709). It seems reasonable to pay the extra $80 for the included access to technical support, and Luna's components inventory includes some things that I'm not finding it easy to source elsewhere (like the battery charger that allows you to program partial charges -- saw your video on saving battery life). But it does look like there's reasonable money to be saved in building a battery!
Thank-you buddy for all the educations you impart 1) Why not use a copper plate on top and bottom and 2) where do i get to read about the thickness of the wires to use ?
Hi thanks for ur all info and efforts,,
I have got 72v 20ah 3000w battry and 1500w ehub if I change my motor to 3000w witch it has same winding to my 1500w do I still reach the same speed and torque by the way I use the same controller?
How to calculate the ebike wattage?
At the start of your video you said no soldering, but you soldered stuff at the end, is this necessary?...I am building this type of battery in a few weeks, I am buying the Luna cyclone, 3000 watt motor
So I want to make a 48 volt 20ah triangle battery ....how many cells would I need ?
Are you going to do a video on 48 volt triangle battery version ?
Looks like a brilliant book micah!
Very helpful video.
Sir you are extreme talented person sir I have a question your 72v 45ah battery how much range will give to a ebike 72v 3000w hub motor
Thanks for the video. The kit you use make it easy and looks great, too.
Doing the Lord's work. Great content!
Micah, I have completed the construction of my 52 volt battery according to your instructions. Now I am ready for the last step, heat shrinking the waterproof cover for it. But I am unable to find the large diameter heat shrink I need for the bottom to top cover. Can you tell me the source you have for this?
I have completed this part of building the battery I need help now with finding a case for it and how to fit the case
I would like to ask if it would be a bad idea to use the thermal insulation for the batteries to prevent damage due to frosts in winter or high temperatures ???
On the bottom picture (of the side of the battery) - shouldn't the second blue cell from the top right be connected to the middle cell of the top red?
Oh I see they are connected but the ways overlap, got it.
hey Micha any chance you have a downloadable diagram of all the the wiring and contections that you made for this build. I am trying to do screen shots of all the shots however I am unable to see what exact connections you made for the balance wires. I also just got your book about lithium building and its great. Any suggestions would be great inorder to complete my vruzend build.
Wow! I need to watch that a couple times to get my head round it.Good Stuff!
I'm wanting to make a one off battery for my frankenstien kona, but I'm not sure it's worth it for me as it'll be a one off? Or is it once you start making your own battery packs you never go back to buying another one again?
Have you a PDF version of your book?
Hi. I have a question. I do not understand about the combination of battery pack with motor. For example, a car with 50kw motor has battery pack of just 18kw. Isn't it should be equal or greater than the "kw" of the powertrain??
Learned a lot thanks. How do you determine what size heat shrink to use for a particular size battery pack?
With triangles and weird shapes, its best to just have many sizes so you can play around with it. But if you need to calculate, then measure the perimeter of the battery and double that number. You want something about half way between those two numbers (since the heat shrink will shrink to half its size).
Great video! I'm still having problems wrapping my head around the math in these batteries. Question if you had 250, 18650 batteries and wanted a 48-volt battery how many amp hours would it be, I'm looking for range not speed. Collecting the parts for a 3 wheeler all drive using 20-inch fat tires. thinking 1 battery per wheel, I'm handicapped and cant hardly walk, but want to get to the beach and fish!
In theory you could build a 13S19P battery with 247 cells. Assuming a capacity of 3000 mAh per 18650, you end with a 57 Ah 48V pack. But it would be enormous...
Yeah big and heavy, but I would have a space of about 28"x40"x12" and that not including the space between the wheels and the back of the seat above the axial line.Thanks for responding!that should cover the range issue, I live in the panhandle of Florida no hills and only a few bridges, almost 100% sidewalk. thanks again!
Hi. Great video thanks. I am going to make this. Do you have more detailed instructions or perhaps pictures of final product? Just need some more clarification of bsm and final connections. Little confusing towards the end of video
Awesome! Im trying to learn but having trouble, how would i calculate all I need to know for a battery with these specs? how many amps? also, does the charger have to be exactly 58.8v?
Im seeing 54.6v but no 58.8.....?
54.6 v charger is for a 48v battery. 58.8v charger is for a 52 v battery. you can use a 48v charger on a 52v battery ,you just won't be charging it fully @ 93%.
He stated in the video that his battery is 20ah
Why the 52V version and why the difficult triangle geometry pack? I believe you should try to maximize space with flat, rectangular packs that can be stacked or used as sliders into a base flat frame 'drawer". Appreciate comments!
Do you have link to purchase your book please.?
Is there a 15 cell configuration for a all wheel bike. 1-250w + 1-350w front & back wheel power or center + front wheel configuration? for the hills in San Francisco .
Thx for taking the time to teach us!
The Vruzend 18650 battery pack assembly kit has made it easier once assemble to troubleshoot the pack an fine any bad or dead cell without a BMS but the charging leads are still needed to balance charge the pack is there any feedback if a BMS is still a requirement for battery pack protection ,
Thumbs up from Finland👐
Please make a video building a 52v 27ah battery using the Queen Battery QB26800 Version. I'm very interested.
Would you please give the overall measurements of the triangle battery pack? So one can see if it will fit in a certain space.
I don't have the pack anymore, but just multiply 22mm by the number of caps in each direction and that's your size.
Where do you source your batteries. I need a reliable source that is good value. Thanks for your time.
Please could you tell me the size of the heat shrink rap that you used for this battery.
I am building the same battery as yourself and want get all the peices for the project first.
Thank you
From David in Yorkshire in England
yyyaaaa LG MJ1. monster cells. love them. so happy with them. 48v 21ah 7 month of eating the road with 45kmh..
samsung E35 is a good cells also. but no one confirm how good they are in a long term..
cheers maiky
I got a bike from someone. Its 52v and i think 750 watt bafang motor. I max it out at 45km the whole time and i only go maybe 20 kms distance. How far does yours go because i feel like my battery sucks
I got your book and I am about to begin building a 13s8p battery pack using one of these kits. I ordered all the parts from Vrusend except the heat shrink. Where can I find heat shrink large enough for it. The ones on Vrusend will only fit a 13s6p battery pack.
I think LunaCycle carries some larger heat shrink, that'd be a good source.
Thank you! I will check them out!
How do you charge it a number of different size batteries. Do you have a nominated variable charger that is going to cut out at the safe battery content level? If I get a bike with a certain power voltage but want to extent the AMP hours to get more life out of it by building my own battery the standard charger that comes with it is no longer any good to measure that the battery has been charged to the right level or that it will cutoff safely when it does reach the right amount of power? Nothing feeds back the the charger that tells it the right information because chargers are usually rated???
My questions? are what is they weight I my bike should? and how heavy will my ebike be after I build it and do you have the links to where you buy all the cool stuff you have?
Hey, I have made a folding bike and want to make it electric so your diy battery book will be really helpful. Thanks.
Are these kits available in UK?
Looks like a very nice product. I am looking for a nice battery box to use with this system and found most box's are to narrow to fit the battery length and end caps (3.66") plus room for the BSM. Have you found any boxes that would work for a 36v 60 cell battery
I would like to build a. 48 volt battery, could you tell me or lead me to source on how to safely charge the pack?
Thanks for the last video with the inside 11.11 sales info!
great points on dispersing the amps equally between series connections...which leads to the next question....with the mechanical caps, friction fit with only a spring to conduct the current, as soon as the spring heats up, it loses its spring strength....increasing resistance, more heat and cascading amperage across the rest of the springs....how many constant amps have you run thru this particular pack, for how long of a time? I have not tried these diy spring loaded battery caps before on any of my battery builds....have you had any failures with the springs on the caps heating and losing contact? A good spot welding job seems to me a superior build for a high amperage pack, less resistance equals more amps....cooler operation, and less likely to have bad connections after dropping the bike, or jarring bumps....anyone having issues with these spring loaded battery connections?
The springs are leaf springs, not spiral wire springs, so they are much thicker metal than you're probably imagining. But as you correctly said, that will be bottleneck for current. That's why these caps are rated for 3.5A max continuous and 5A max peak. We are working on a V2 kit that will have different spring contacts for higher current.
I'm considering using your tools and methods to build a pack with a much greater voltage, and with a lot more cells in parallel. Do you see any problems with that? I'm concerned about the higher resistance in mechanical connections versus spot welding. What is the maximum voltage and amperage that you would recommend using this method?
Theoretically there isn't a voltage limit. The caps are rated at 3.5A continuous each or 5A peak max. So the more you add in parallel, the higher current you can pull from the completed pack.
Very good video and a great teacher ,I would like the lithium battery book
Cool project dude! What does it cost in materials?
I have been searching for 18650 cells, but I found some in large quantities (18650) 3000 mHa. As I read the specks of them, the specks say they are for flashlight. Will they still work for battery pack for my ebike...
I have a question how much money can you save by building your own battery? I wanna build a powerfull one maybe 72v 30 amp i have seen prices vary from 500 all the way up to 1400 bucks why such a big difference if the specs are the same? By the way whether i build or not i wiil be purchasing your book it is very interesting how battery works and i did not know that
Man I need that huge battery!!! Definitely saving this video as a reference for when I can build my own. Good stuff as always, Thanks Micah!!
I'm probably just going to buy the book, it looks amazing.
I am doing a build on my new fat tire trike, decent speed and power are important... however..... where I am most confussed is... and what is more important than the speed and power is longevity, and that is where get confussed in building a battery that lasts as long as possible, because I want to track across the country.... also having a spare to trade out being charged with solar while I travel during the day..... does your books cover these concerns? Because I don't want to purchase something that doesn't cover these issues. I have watched your vids and you are awesome with sharing your knowledge, KuDo's to you... but I am still confused, please help.
I dont know about the solar charging but range has mostly to do with Ah so i guess you need a bigAh battery and his book explains how to make that very easy
Alright then, getting all the books is a really great deal as a package, and I am a book "wh@re" as some of my friends call me.... so why the heck not. Thank you ever so kindly for the reply, and I must say I really, really enjoy the channel, and may the good Lord bless you and yours. Ciao.
Same for you brother
Hi bud I'm currently working on a new project I have currently a fat e bike 3000w 74v battery. Just got me a Stealth bomber e bike frame and thinking of making a triangle 74 to 96 v battery do you have any schematics for bigger battery. Ty keep up the good work.
Is it worth getting the Kindle version of your book? One of the reviews states that it is missing diagrams.
New subscriber so congratulations on that 🎉
You have very straightforward and no-nonsense channel format. I'm new to battery building so your tutorials are my brain food after scouring YT for the right teacher.
I've bought the CelCapz by Vruzend because they look the bollox and because you use them (apologies if you are affiliated but I will look for your codes/links in future) and therefore a reliable design.
I just wanted to suggest a hack for those not confident with a spot welder or solder iron. One you may frown upon but here goes. For joining wires from a bms or jumpers I have used JB Weld putty mixed with graphite powder I harvested from pencils to make connections on lead acid batteries. It's really easy to manipulate, adhears with remarkable strength and has high heat capabilities. Would there be any reason not to use this method on lithium ion?
Just bought a turbowheels lightning+ 60V 21AH .. can you please help me to build a range extender battery?.. any suggestions or direction will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I have one question pleased does your spacer made by 3D printer or molding press
I do a lot with 18650 but I'm finding it hard to find quality cells. Can you do a video on what you should be looking for in price and quality. I get most of my batterys from old laptops. Also where do you get your BMS's. I'm making a battery with 300 cells and can't find anything supporting that.