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[Richard230]

I thought you might be interested to see four photos of the Zero S/DS/DR/DS charger boxes model numbers during four years of develpment that I have replaced during the past year. The 2014 S charger died a slow death and when replaced would stop charging at 80% SOC. The 2017 charger died without warning apparently due to a short in the works. The picture below is an original 2014 S. That bike was built in December 2013. Note that it doesn't have a black box on the power cord.  Also attached is the charger that I just replaced on my 2018 S. My 2018 S was built in November 2013. That charger installed on that bike had two boxes on the power cord.

[Richard230]

Attached is the replacement charger that I bought last year to replace the failing charger on the 2014 S. And below that is a photo of the new charger that received this week.

[TheRan]

One curious change is the cable inlet to the casing. Mind taking a photo of the top charger so we can see how it's sealed? You going to cut open the boxes to see what goodies are inside? I think someone said in another thread they may be ferrite chokes.

[Richard230]

One curious change is the cable inlet to the casing. Mind taking a photo of the top charger so we can see how it's sealed? You going to cut open the boxes to see what goodies are inside? I think someone said in another thread they may be ferrite chokes.

I don't have access to the original 2014 charger. That is in storage at my daughter's home. If you want I can take a photo of the end of the 2017 charger that I removed yesterday. I assume that is the view you are looking for. 

I don't have any plans to cut apart the charger, but I am sure that my son-in-law might want to do it if I brought the charger over to his home and asked him to chop it up. But cutting apart the potting material might prove difficult. At least that would solve a recycling problem for me. 

[TheRan]

Yes, the end where the cables go in. The lower one has grommets (probably the wrong term) where you twist the collar and it clamps down on the cable, often seen in exterior junction boxes and the like so presumably fairly water tight. I'm curious what method the upper charger uses. As for cutting it open I was just talking about the black boxes on the cable, from Brian's posts tearing the actual charger apart doesn't sound like much fun with all the potting gunk that's in there.

I've also just noticed that the chargers have different model numbers, the upper being 1200 and the lower 1325 (it would seem that there's also a 1300 available). Did you notice any difference in the wattage of the chargers?

[Richard230]

Yes, the end where the cables go in. The lower one has grommets (probably the wrong term) where you twist the collar and it clamps down on the cable, often seen in exterior junction boxes and the like so presumably fairly water tight. I'm curious what method the upper charger uses. As for cutting it open I was just talking about the black boxes on the cable, from Brian's posts tearing the actual charger apart doesn't sound like much fun with all the potting gunk that's in there.

I've also just noticed that the chargers have different model numbers, the upper being 1200 and the lower 1325 (it would seem that there's also a 1300 available). Did you notice any difference in the wattage of the chargers?

Here are two photos of the end of the 2017 charger that I removed from my 2018 S.  I was mostly interested in the different model numbers as the years progressed. I'll try cutting up one of the black boxes tomorrow and take a picture of whatever I find in there.

[NervEasy]

Inside these black boxes you will just find some ferrite. Nothing special.

[Richard230]

Inside these black boxes you will just find some ferrite. Nothing special.

So two boxes of ferrite are better than none and one box of ferrite is better than two?  Very confusing.  I saw a bunch of small Phillips screws on the charger box last night. I think I will see if I can remove those little screws without stripping them. If I do that maybe the steel box will come apart and I can check out what might have happened inside the charger. It would be great to see some fire and brimstone inside the box. 

[NervEasy]

Position of the ferrite is important

[Richard230]

I took apart the two black boxes attached to the power cord of my Zero's dead charger. They are apparently called ferrite chokes and I have idea how they work. They consist of two solid metal halves that are clamped around the power cord. There was one clamped around each end of the 2017 charger's power cord. The new replacement charger only has one box located near the cord's power port end. They are not magnetic, but are attracted to magnets somewhat, so they are definitely made of some sort of iron compound.  Two photos are attached. I really wonder what they do and how they do it. 

[Crissa]

They create a drag to low power signals.  It's an inductance trap.

Signals in power are like little loops leaking out of the cable, as they create magnetic fields.  The ferrite absorbs this and makes a destructive echo as the magnetic fields interact.

AC power is filled with signal leaks like this every time it pulses or the wires or traces change direction.  It's some big nasty math I never mastered   But it can cause unforeseen problems as off signals can form current over gaps through induction.

-Crissa

[Richard230]

They create a drag to low power signals.  It's an inductance trap.

Signals in power are like little loops leaking out of the cable, as they create magnetic fields.  The ferrite absorbs this and makes a destructive echo as the magnetic fields interact.

AC power is filled with signal leaks like this every time it pulses or the wires or traces change direction.  It's some big nasty math I never mastered   But it can cause unforeseen problems as off signals can form current over gaps through induction.

-Crissa

I have a friend who works for several Bay Area radio stations maintaining their transmitting equipment. Here is how he described the "choke". I think your explanation might be more applicable to how it is used on the Zero chargers.

That “black Box” contained a ferrite torrid called a choke.  What it does is filter R.F. nose off the AC line by creating a high impedance at higher frequencies (R.F.) while not affecting lower frequencies at 60 Hz (AC line frequencies) reducing radio frequency interference.  Evidently your charger is a “switching type” that left unchecked would raise havoc on radio reception, especially AM radio.  Higher frequencies are “trapped” and continue round and round the torrid and the energy is dissipated as heat.  Lower AC frequencies are not absorbed.

[Crissa]

Yeah, for computer electronics you're usually worried about cables acting as antenna (see Don Tom's explanation) and the signals getting in, rather than out.

Once inside they can jump to other nearby wires - especially at sharp angles - and interfere with operation but they can also form destructive current and heat wear where you don't want it.

It's amazing how much science has progressed from 'we know it does this, but we can't model or look at it directly' in the last forty years to 'we can model this exactly and get this down to many magnitudes more accuracy'.

But when it comes to designing circuits, how you assemble it still matters and all that math is mostly irrelevant, so why do it, it would cost money!  Bleah.

-Crissa