Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[MrDude_1]

...I've been running C19/C20 since they handle more amps than C13/C14 for my inlets...

Same amps, different voltage convention 125/250 vs 250? I do not think the connectors care it would depend on the plastics and expected heat rise until they melt and fall apart what amps?

According to this -> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60320 , only put 10 amps through a C13/C14 and 16 amps through a C19/C20.

Even if you find a perfect, large wire C19/20 connector cable you cant run 15a through them non-stop... after a couple hours they start to get warm. keep going for a few hours and you will get it warm enough for the cable connector to become putty-like inside... get real unlucky and it will melt into your bikes connector.

[Richard230]

Or you can do like I did a couple of years ago. I used an old 16-gauge extension cord connected to my Zero's charging cord and the plug connection to the two cords got so hot that they melted together and had to be cut apart.  Doing that is one solution to not melting the bike's female connector. 

[Electric Cowboy]

Just a quick update :

EU :

Our inital test shipment to the UK sounds like it will finally make it through to the UK customs today. We have a few days more to discover what went wrong with the customs forms that caused the delay, and then we will send out a second test shipment. If that goes through customs smoothly we will ship all the remaining units over. This means, provided we are able to properly fix the customs forms on this next shipment, all the chargers should be in the UK by the end of this month. We had a scare on this test shipment because they told Alec they wanted 500 pounds to get it out of customs which clearly is not acceptable. However it seems that is cleared up now. A 3 day shipment turned into a 3 week shipment!

US / NZ :

BLE boards are in for control boards which are fully assembled except for the BLE module and the Calex connector housing. All the wiring is complete and pins connected. The pins need to be put into the housing then have the housing covered in protective heatshrink. The BLE modules need to be programmed and have the grove connector snipped to length and soldered in place before be asttached to the board for testing.

Once testing is complete we will insert the boards into their housing and pot them with our UL flame retardant elastomeric potting compound. That will take a day to do and cure. Then we will retest the following day and start packing them up.

First ones to go out are chuck burgess and the new zealand gang I believe. I reserve the right to be wrong on that though as Morgan is in charge of the order.

OMG!!! I GOTTA GO TERRY IS HERE!!!!

[ashnazg]

This is the part where I dance around for twenty minutes, without regard to the people at my office who are staring and carefully evacuating 

[DanielCoffey]

Most of them may be staring but you can bet one will be calling Facilities and asking for the tranquiliser darts.

[Electric Cowboy]

Update for US/NZ :

27 BLE boards were soldered up today. They will get programmed tomorrow and plugged into control boards. Hopefully we will be able to get the calex connectors inserted and secured as well tomorrow. If we do, this means 21 full v2.5 control boards will be prepped and ready for testing, and then potting after that.

 

[dennis-NL]

Great to hear some brakethrough on customs UK.
We are very anxious here in the EU for our first Diginow 2.5 bellypan!

[Electric Cowboy]

EU update :

Test Package still in customs. Awaiting number to phone local shippers in the UK. Once again will be shipping another set of chargers after we are able to contact the UK shipper (FedEX on behalf of USPS) to see what the holdup is.

US/NZ update :

Today we were able to get all the BLE boards programmed and the calex pins in place for the bike side communications. Tonight I will flash all the boards with the v2.5 code. I may also be able to put the heat shrink on the connectors tonight. I slept here (in the shop) last night, but Teruko may want me to come home  tonight. I'm definately too sore to ride a bike safely, but she can come pick me up in the car. If I go home, heat shrink will likely not happen tonight and be pushed back to tomorrow.

Tomorrow morning should be heatshrinking the calex connectors, if not done tonight, and testing the boards before potting for initial QC. Tomorrow evening potting should happen which would allow curing to happen tomorrow night / day after tomorrow morning.

[dennis-NL]

Just get enough rest, 1 day more is not an issue is it? 

[mistasam]

WOOHOO!  Thanks for all the updates, Brandon!! 

[Electric Cowboy]

EU update :

Looks like what was holding the test shipment up was related to some VAT from customs. Alec from English Electric Motor Co. and Morgan are working on figuring out what the issue was and how to resolve it. Unfortunately, the package was in customs just long enough that it is now being processed for return shipment to the US. We will inspect the package upon its return and send out a new test package to see if it makes it through without any issue.

Before sending the next test shipment we need to identify if VAT needs to be paid upon reciept by Alec, or by the customer at the time of purchase. I'm not familiar with UK business law that much, so I don't know the answer to that yet. In the US, we need to provide our reseller ID / certificate and we pass VAT on in the final product. Sometimes we still have to pay a use fee though.

Anyway, that is the morning update for EU.

[Electric Cowboy]

EU update :

It seems Alec and Morgan made some solid progress with the customs and VAT process to hopefully smooth out the next shipment. We are waiting on some more info before sending out the next test shipment.

US / NZ update :

Calex connectors are now inserted and covered. Control boards have all been flashed and will be tested tonight. This means potting will happen tomorrow night for all units that pass testing.

[Electric Cowboy]

EU update :

Its still cloudy as to what happened to the test package and why itsa being sent, but we are settling on the next way to fill out the paper work here as well as working with Alec on the other side of the pond to make sure things go smoothly over there. It will still be a few days before the next test is sent.

US / NZ update :

1) Calex Connectors all protected

2) All boards tested out of potting, two boards appear to have been skipped in the flashing process but were re-flashed during testing and passed. Also one board had a BLE module that looked like it skipped flashing as well, that will be fixed and added to the next batch of boards to pot.

3) All 2015+ boards potted and potting mostly cured last night. The work area of the shop is being kept hot to insure a full reaction for the compounds.

Next step will be to test the potted boards after fully cured.

[MVetter]

It is such a satisfying thing to pass a board through QC because there are quite a few steps that go into making each one. Having it recognize the bike, give feedback, and accept provisioning is borderline cathartic. It also gave me a chance to become intimately familiar with the iOS HM10 Serial Bluetooth Pro app and make a series of provisioning buttons for different situations like EV stations, crappy EV stations, awesome EV stations, wall charging, and world's saddest wall at 800 watts. I will likely be updating the wiki with step by step pictures so y'all can do it at home, too!

[tjax]

So excited to get these changers...the sun has finally arrived in the land of the long white cloud...thanks for the updates Brandon and Morgan....