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[gt13013]

You can also use a 110V to 220V transformer, since the Zero can be charged with 220 V.
By doubling the voltage, you will divide the current in the cable by a factor 2, and the heat dissipated in the cable by a factor 4.
Of course it is not transportable, but if you charge most of the time from an outlet in your garage, the transformer can stay in the garage.

[Specter]

It's a garage, your fuse panel should be right there probably,   just run 220 to it, don't waste the money on a transformer.  a 2 to 3 kva transformer is a few hundred bucks or more.  You'll be wasting heat in the transformer as well.

If you did run at 220, instead of using say 14 amps like the 115 is set at,  you could run like 10 amps, would keep the thing a lot cooler and give you about 50 percent more power going into the charge.



aaron

[Curt]

Your bike charges at 1300W (11A). At 240V, it would only charge at 5.5A, a significant reduction. However, the root cause of connector damage is a poor connection. Connector pins are heated by a wattage equal to the charging amps times the connector resistance. Even a fraction of an ohm is significant. The poor connection is contributed to by both the C13 and C14, but since replacing the cable doesn't help, your bike receptable is certainly burned. It has a high resistance and will need to be replaced. After that, follow the advice never to plug or unplug the bike side of the cable whenever charging is underway. Always make sure the cable is firmly seated when plugging in. Another thing, the Green Watt chargers are prone to failure. Using a 12 gauge cable may avoid a voltage drop that could be detrimental to the charger.

[Specter]

To what curt said.
The charger is going to burn probably 10 percent or more of that power in waste heat / fans etc, so throw on another amp or so total amps.

so that's 13 amps being pulled thru a cord rated at 15 max?  in perfect condition??

TBH I have seen NO CORD that holds up to 'rating' over time, even when not being plugged / unplugged.   I have solar panels in my back yard, and am running a 100 foot 10 ga cord to tie them into one of the garage inverters.  It's considered by me, to be, an emergency setup, which is why it's laying in the yard and using a cord and not better wired and mounted.  Anyways.  10 ga is rated at a good 20 amps maybe 25 amps.  at 100 feet, ok lets downgrade it to 20 amps.  Even though they are plugged in and never touched again really, the plugs,  day in and day out, pulling 15 to 18 amps.  After a few months start to distort, after about 7 to 9 months, are kind of melty / brown, you can tell they over heated numerous times and Ive lost probably 15 percent or more of my gen cap due to wire /dirt / heat losses.

The problem is, the plugs are made of brass and NOT hard connected.  It's just the force of that springy female connector squeezing on the male prong to make the connection.  Brass is pretty soft.  It's also very corrodible.  Over time, it oxidizes and corrodes, and a good possibility of galvanic corrosion going on as well.  This causes heat.  The metal expands and contracts every day / every use.  This softens it, the tightness of the female is pretty shot now after the hot and cold, expand contract.  So now it's looser, this causes more heat.  Loose also lets moisture in, the humidity in the air is plenty, this causes more corrosion / tarnishing.  More heat.  After some time, it's burned out.   

If you could run 240 volt at even 7 amps, you are still getting more power to the battery than 115 and this problem would essentially disappear as the current is no longer in a range that it will cause problems.  Plus keeping everything cooler, means more of the power is making it TO the battery and not being burned off as heat.

Aaron