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Author Topic: Charge Cord Enhancement  (Read 742 times)

ESokoloff

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Re: Charge Cord Enhancement
« Reply #15 on: December 10, 2019, 04:43:04 AM »




It is baffling how there could be inadequate engagement. There are standard dimensions for these things, after all. There's no guarantee that your random China-sourced components meet all the standards, but that's a pretty basic lack of compliance.

If you checked out the link I posted earlier regarding IEC vs NEMA, you would see that IEC has little leeway in design so tighter manufacturing tollerences MUST be maintained & likely to drift out of tolerance sooner then a comparable NEMA design. 

Aparintly this receptacal/plug (socket) interface is not an issue with every user but I know there have been several experiences of it being an issue.

This modification to the receptacal is my solution & thought I would share.

Use this advice at your own peril.
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Eric
2016 Zero DSR

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Re: Charge Cord Enhancement
« Reply #16 on: December 10, 2019, 04:44:26 AM »

This thread needs photos.

If someone sends me a message with an email address & can/will post images, I will provide before/after images.

I have done this.
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Current: 2020 DSR, 2012 Suzuki V-Strom
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ESokoloff

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Re: Charge Cord Enhancement
« Reply #17 on: December 10, 2019, 04:45:31 AM »

I bought my cable from monoprice, and it outlasted my onboard charger (and now my bike, unrelatedly):
https://www.monoprice.com/category/cables/power-cords/hospital-power-cords

I tend to recommend 12AWG and bought 14AWG at the time for the onboard charger. I think it's just harder to find 12AWG in hospital grade hardware. I'm using 12AWG in my garage currently, but that's because I'd be drawing 15A from my 220V dryer outlet.


If your using 220v, then your current draw is half what mine is at 110v.
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Eric
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Re: Charge Cord Enhancement
« Reply #18 on: December 10, 2019, 05:23:40 AM »

I bought my cable from monoprice, and it outlasted my onboard charger (and now my bike, unrelatedly):
https://www.monoprice.com/category/cables/power-cords/hospital-power-cords

I tend to recommend 12AWG and bought 14AWG at the time for the onboard charger. I think it's just harder to find 12AWG in hospital grade hardware. I'm using 12AWG in my garage currently, but that's because I'd be drawing 15A from my 220V dryer outlet.


If your using 220v, then your current draw is half what mine is at 110v.

I was using a single DigiNow charger, not the onboard charger. My onboard charger died in spring of 2018, following the DC-DC converter failure which probably all stemmed from my mostly-downpour trip between San Francisco and Seattle the preceding October.
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Re: Charge Cord Enhancement
« Reply #19 on: December 10, 2019, 05:28:27 AM »

Here's the OP's original damaged plug.
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Current: 2020 DSR, 2012 Suzuki V-Strom
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Re: Charge Cord Enhancement
« Reply #20 on: December 10, 2019, 05:28:59 AM »

Here's the OP's modified plug for comparison.
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Current: 2020 DSR, 2012 Suzuki V-Strom
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Re: Charge Cord Enhancement
« Reply #21 on: December 10, 2019, 05:29:27 AM »

Here's the OP's modified plug, from the side.
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BrianTRice@gmail.com

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Re: Charge Cord Enhancement
« Reply #22 on: December 10, 2019, 05:31:05 AM »

I cropped the files to fit the forum size limit, but didn't limit the resolution, so you can see the fabrication in all its detail, I guess. They are really large photos, and maybe I should have downsampled them as well, but it works.
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TheRan

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Re: Charge Cord Enhancement
« Reply #23 on: December 10, 2019, 05:45:11 AM »

Checked my cable, which I assume is the one that came from Zero (still had the tie on it when I bought the bike, I guess the dealer used a different cable to charge their demo bikes), and while it does have around 6mm of the black rubber and white plastic before the copper the hole for the earth pin is still only 18mm deep so removing the rubber wouldn't allow the plug to insert any further into the bike. Also as the earth pin goes completely into the slot it will be fully engaged with the contact, the only way to benefit from modifying the plug would be if the pins on the bike were too short.
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ESokoloff

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Re: Charge Cord Enhancement
« Reply #24 on: December 10, 2019, 06:17:59 AM »

......and while it does have around 6mm of the black rubber and white plastic before the copper the hole for the earth pin is still only 18mm deep so removing the rubber wouldn't allow the plug to insert any further into the bike. Also as the earth pin goes completely into the slot it will be fully engaged with the contact, the only way to benefit from modifying the plug would be if the pins on the bike were too short.


Removing the +-4mm of the black rubber along with converting the last 4mm of rectangular to polygon (shape) of the C13 slows it to be inserted an additional 4mm thus increasing the contact point by the same amount (+-4 mm).
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Eric
2016 Zero DSR
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