ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
Tech => Parts, Mods And Hacks => Topic started by: Kill3rT0fu on September 14, 2021, 08:00:46 PM
-
I just wanted to ask here before I blew $250 on a charger I couldn't use.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CXGTR61/?coliid=IONSNGIGEJZPV&colid=1WMHVXSWUHNUC&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
I need a less than 15A charger using a nema 5-15 port. This one is nema 10-30, and explicity says "Can Be Used in a Wide Range of Voltages (100V-250V) ), The Wall End Plug is NEMA 6-20, You Must Have a NEMA 6-20 Socket( NOT NEMA5-20,please check carefully )."
Nema 5-15 is 110V. So I see no reason this wouldn't work, but they do tag on the "You Must Have a NEMA 6-20 Socket". Sooooo......I'd assume it will work unless they designed it to only work with 250V. Am I right?
-
Seemed odd at first, but if you look further down you'll see this:
"If you want to use the usual household socket (NEMA 5-15), you must buy an adapter"
Sounds like you'll be fine, just get an adapter (I've used adapters for this exact reason with my Turbocord EVSE I used to have).
-
Just realized too, this may provide you more comfort in purchasing:
Frequently purchased together:
https://www.amazon.com/Charging-Adapter-Household-Portable-Chargers/dp/B0819HSYR1/ref=pd_bxgy_1/135-0169068-0760026?pd_rd_w=G1Ksy&pf_rd_p=c64372fa-c41c-422e-990d-9e034f73989b&pf_rd_r=GFQ2B6YHMAVQJR24Q2KT&pd_rd_r=9b6d4334-c38d-4d2a-a059-9b2ca41de77e&pd_rd_wg=du5Ug&pd_rd_i=B0819HSYR1&psc=1
-
Seemed odd at first, but if you look further down you'll see this:
"If you want to use the usual household socket (NEMA 5-15), you must buy an adapter"
Sounds like you'll be fine, just get an adapter (I've used adapters for this exact reason with my Turbocord EVSE I used to have).
Thanks! I missed that. So much garbage info on Amazon pages I couldn't find what was important. Just wanted to double check here before I committed.
-
Is this needed for N. America? The most versatile combination would be the Tesla mobile charging connector kit plus a TeslaTap, though at greater initial expense.
-
Is this needed for N. America? The most versatile combination would be the Tesla mobile charging connector kit plus a TeslaTap, though at greater initial expense.
It's needed if you want to charge from home and the bike has a J1772 connector. The zero currently has the stock charge tank which works out of the box with a 110v outlet, but I'm putting in a diginow so I'll need a home J1772 charger
-
Additionally, you can get another plug adapter to allow you to charge at RV parks (I've had and done, but have sold my old EVSE in favor of a 6kW version with custom plug ends and have not needed my old setup so I sold it).
-
I should also mention, this looks like it'll only support 3kW charging, just wanted to make you aware in case you think there is any chance you'd need to be able to charge up to 6kW, you'll need to consider another EVSE. I purchased this, and it's listed for $319 and you can ask for a custom plug length to suit your needs.
https://www.tucsonev.com/NewEVSE.html (https://www.tucsonev.com/NewEVSE.html)
-
I should also mention, this looks like it'll only support 3kW charging, just wanted to make you aware in case you think there is any chance you'd need to be able to charge up to 6kW, you'll need to consider another EVSE. I purchased this, and it's listed for $319 and you can ask for a custom plug length to suit your needs.
https://www.tucsonev.com/NewEVSE.html (https://www.tucsonev.com/NewEVSE.html)
I was actually looking for something low current. I didn't want to trip any breakers. I know my house can handle it, but I may be moving into an apartment sometime and dont want to trip their breakers.
-
FYI, the charger I linked has selectable current levels, you won't "blow" breakers unless you set it wrong (not difficult and defaults to last setting, so once you set it, you can forget it). Just saying you may want to consider having more capabililty for roughly the same price (but understand, you may never use extra capability so up to you).
https://youtu.be/8eYrX14vdCk (https://youtu.be/8eYrX14vdCk)
-
The EVSE has no choice of what current to load on to the circuit it is connected; Through the signaling pin connections the EVSE equipment indicates to the connected vehicle's charging electronics how many Amps are the maximum. The EVSE equipment is not limiting anything in the sense of preventing an overload, that is the responsibility of the EV's charging equipment to listen to the EVSE signaling.
What that means? If you buy a cheap portable EVSE only rated for a smaller capability, you're at more risk of an EV's charger that ignores signaling for max current to cause an overload or fire. A more capable EVSE will pass that current load without problem and then it is up to the Over-Current Protection Device (breaker) of the upstream branch circuit, which is hopefully rated for the wiring so that trips and prevents a fire.
Famously there are some RV parks with shoddy electrical installs or worn-out OCPD's that don't trip reliably, and even just loose and high-resistance NEMA 14-50 receptacles that heat up, so it's something you are right to be concerned with; Just make sure you are not trying to sacrifice a low-quality cheap EVSE connection because it isn't worth the weight of the plastic it is housed in!
-
Other than $100, what's the difference between the TusconEV one and this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LMX4TJR/?coliid=I2A4P8C05E4BQ&colid=1WMHVXSWUHNUC&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1
-
Other than $100, what's the difference between the TusconEV one and this one.
The Tuscon unit can accept input voltages from 110-230V and output up to 40A (~ 9kW). Your bike can not take advantage of a charge rate that high, nor can you supply it with the needed current for that rate. If you can adjust the bikes charge rate I would go with a higher current EVSE and just turn it down when needed.
The Megear evse you linked specifies an input voltage range of 100-120V, if that is true it will not work with 240V. However I suspect that is a typo, most 120v EVSE also work with 240V.
Alternatively this unit should do everything you need https://www.amazon.com/Megear-100-240V-Portable-Electric-Charging/dp/B075GJK2S9/ (https://www.amazon.com/Megear-100-240V-Portable-Electric-Charging/dp/B075GJK2S9/) and it comes with the adapter to plug in with a 5-15 outlet. The max charge rate when plugged into a 240v source is 3.86kWh that equates to ~16 amps of load on the circuit. You can always pick up adapters if you need to plug the unit into a outlet that is not 6-20.
-
So I went ahead and bought the "adjustable" charger on Amazon. I figured 8amp would be enough for overnight charging from a 110v outlet.
So I have the charger and the diginow pan (only 2 of the 3 chargers, 6.6 kw) rigged to charge. Only now the charger trips at 14a. Even though I have it set to 8amp. Tried 3 outlets, checked my breaker panel, all fuses are 20amp. So now I'm contacting support to troubleshoot or return.
Are there any chargers that are truly just 8amp? If I move into a building that doesn't have decent wiring (apartment buildings), I don't want breakers tripping.
-
...Are there any chargers that are truly just 8amp? If I move into a building that doesn't have decent wiring (apartment buildings), I don't want breakers tripping.
The CAN Bus module for Diginow system can instruct the charger modules to draw less current. You could always rip out that CAN Bus module and substitute your own to do whatever you like.
If you want something plug-and-play then have a read through the Elcon TC HK-H 1800W Charger (on Zero Motorcycles 2013+) (https://www.electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=8298.0) (EMF) thread; the HK-H 1800W programmed as described there has half the current draw at 120Vac than at 240Vac (so, it would be less current draw than the stock S/DS on-board charger on 120Vac and slightly more current draw on 240Vac). Personal rant: I'm glad that topic what I started has got a lot of mileage. Any charging is always better than no charging ;D
-
...Are there any chargers that are truly just 8amp? If I move into a building that doesn't have decent wiring (apartment buildings), I don't want breakers tripping.
The CAN Bus module for Diginow system can instruct the charger modules to draw less current. You could always rip out that CAN Bus module and substitute your own to do whatever you like.
If you want something plug-and-play then have a read through the Elcon TC HK-H 1800W Charger (on Zero Motorcycles 2013+) (https://www.electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=8298.0) (EMF) thread; the HK-H 1800W programmed as described there has half the current draw at 120Vac than at 240Vac (so, it would be less current draw than the stock S/DS on-board charger on 120Vac and slightly more current draw on 240Vac). Personal rant: I'm glad that topic what I started has got a lot of mileage. Any charging is always better than no charging ;D
Even if I have 1 diginow charger hooked up, should it really be drawing 15+ amps ? I guess my thinking was the level 1 charger was going to be the one throttling charge speeds.
Also, can't the diginow chargers be programmed via bluetooth and a terminal interface?
https://zeromanual.com/wiki/Chargers#DigiNow_Super_Charger_V2.5
Should I try these to program the charger(s)? Or continue troubleshooting the level 1 charger that keeps faulting?
-edit-
well, I tried. Installed a bluetooth serial app (not HM-10 as the wiki suggests, but LightBlue LE), but I couldn't even see the diginows to pair with the phone.
-edit 2-
https://www.electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=10445.msg95557#msg95557
This forum is like a puzzle.
Apparently I have the v3, which doesn't have bluetooth. So there's no way to adjust the charge level.
*sigh* I should've just bought a charge tank. So what options are on the table now? NewZeroland recommended on his video to use just 1 diginow charger, which is what I thought I've been doing (only 1 of the 2 that are daisy chained together is plugged in at the andersen connector) Would I have to use the third independent diginow that connects directly to the battery?
-
One DigiNow charger will draw 16A when connected to 120V, and 32A when connected to 240V.
The DigiNow Charger isn't an EVSE compatible charger, an EVSE it's just an electrical outlet that can tell to a charger what is the maximum power that can take from it without tripping the breaker, the EVSE compatible charger is the one that it's adjusting to the power available from the EVSE, the DigiNow Chargers are not communicating with the EVSE, relaying on the operator to only plug it in the appropriate ( power wise ) outlet, this is making the system more simple, and you can connect it to a variety of outlets, without having to buy an EVSE box/cord.