GoldenMotor.com Forum
General Category => Magic Pie & Smart Pie Discussions => Topic started by: Andrew on February 21, 2011, 03:27:00 PM
-
Does anyone know the amp rating of the battery cable?
if I needed to extend my cable with mains house wire, what amp two core wire would be best? For instance can you go too big? and what happens if you go too small?
Andrew
-
Hey man
Maybe someone else will jump in with a big Ohm's law on this one, but probably good you brought it up.
I'm yet to calculate the possible voltage drop from the GM cables vs. the dual drive powering all around the bike with the cables and length I'm using.
Anyways I've taken some pics along the way of my build, and I made a couple more tonight to show the wire difference. In the pics you can see GM originally used 10AWG and possibly still do, but the newer battery I have is 12AWG (very nice silicon coated wire btw)
What are you using it for? Is it for your dual drive wiring? If so, it should be fine the way it is - but would be good to take a look.
I've just replaced all of the wiring upto the MP power connector to 10AWG I had a heap of. I wanted to buy some nice 10 or 12AWG silicon coated wire but alot of places were out of stock :( I think I'm better off with my cheaper option, and I know it's an improvement of what I had been running earlier!
Pulling apart the original dual drive build, I noticed I had 10AWG running to the front wheel, and 14AWG running to the rear (not the 10AWG I thought) that were from the GM cables I had. (It might even be 16AWG inside those GM magicPie cables can anyone confirm??) -- my front wheel was always way more powerful so I will see if the wire change to the rear makes a difference. Maybe my front wheel was stealing power lol
If it's for your power wire, use some nice 12AWG going from the battery and solder it close as possible to the MP power connector. I probably went a bit overkill with 10AWG but I had it already.
>>>This is a good explanation here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEgWqA7wacA&feature=relmfu)
Got some new ideas after your little visit huh?
-
what happens if you go too small?
Umm this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJqasvE3Sj0)
Not likely though :) just don't use telephone wire
-
I don't want to make a light bulb ;D
I'm in the process of building a new bike and also trying out two batteries on my dual drive courtesy of Ginge. I just need to make up some Anderson connectors and cable......
(http://www.arhservices.co.uk/apaclark/dualbatteries.jpg)
Domestic mains cable 240v 23amp, will this do do the job? As I can buy it for 50 pence a metre?
-
Here's a useful link for this theme:
http://www.accesscomms.com.au/reference/awg.htm
-
Well my thoughts are on electricals, always better to go too much capacity than too little
A wire that is too small will overheat and create voltage drop.....but the best wire to use ?
I have used single stranded cooker wire before 2.5mm solid copper 2 core, good quality ( not likely to split)
Hard to reference amps ac to amps dc .....
-
ok, get your drift, AC to DC.
I'm probably over thinking things,, as always. Anyways Ginge, i'm still looking into the frame bag solution for the triangle pack. seems like you got the measurement perfect. :)
-
and what's with all this American wire shizzle? is this really the standard measurement for wire thickness?
AWG..... OMG!
-
If your guys are curious enough about losses, get this small program I wrote a while ago...
http://mwlmf.net/prog/cablecalc_v1_1us.rar (http://mwlmf.net/prog/cablecalc_v1_1us.rar)
It's capable of calculating cable size based on accepted voltage loss @ certain amp/length, and calculate cable loss based on amp/length.
Now, before you US guys start yelling; everything are metric. Get used to it! ;D (at least i've taken the time to rewrite it with a dot as decimal separator... ;) )
Just unpack and run the exe... :)
-
Many thanks cornelius, but my machine wont open, wont do the redirect to the net....( mind you my machine is set up strange, but redirect to the net, is this normal for how the program is written ? )
-
No, it does not redirect to the net; it runs locally, and doesn't leave (except for an .ini file) or change anything on the pc. :)
Does it comes with an error message?
-
Cornelius, I think he may be having problems trying to unpack it, as Windows normally uses WinZip by default instead of WinRAR.
I have emailed a "Zipped" version to him direct, which will hopefully work.
(http://www.arhservices.co.uk/GoldenMotor/emoticons/fingerscrossed.GIF)
I just remembered this post (http://goldenmotor.com/SMF/index.php?topic=1836.msg9257#msg9257) which was about wire sizes.
Alan
-
Cornelius, I think he may be having problems trying to unpack it, as Windows normally uses WinZip by default instead of WinRAR.
Ah, of course ::) That would 'send him to the net' to find the right program... :P
Thanks Alan! ;)
-
No, sorry I have both winzip and winrar, but use rar by default, unpacking rar's is a regular job for me ( films etc)
Ill look into why its doing it later.....( when not drunk)
-
Ah, that explains it! It has an builtin alcohol detector, since mixing alcohol and electricity are not safe! ;D
-
Alan, thanks for emailing the zipped program from Cornelius, but as usual I ask questions but don't understand the answers :-[ I don't quite understand what to punch into the calculator
-
Depends on what you want to find out. :)
On the first tab, you'll punch in how many amp that would go through your cable; how long the cable are, one way ( the program calculates for 2 wires.), and how many volts you will accept as loss in the cable.
(Do not try 0 volts loss, because that's an impossibility. ;) For example, a short run of 1 metres, try 0.2V; then try 0.1V and see the difference of minimum cable area...)
The result will be the minimum size of recommended cable size, and how much loss in Watts in the cable at given Amps.
On the second tab you can calculate cable loss for your existing cables. Enter current Voltage, size of the cable, length of the cable (one way; the program calculates for a 2wire cable), and how much Amps that's running through the cable.
The result are given in Volts lost, Volts at target; Watts through the cable, and loss in the cable in Watts.
That should be it. :)
Edit:
You don't have to enter numbers on both tabs; only on the tab you're interested in the result. :)
-
so let me get this right.....
you guys don't drink a litre of wine before modding your bike, and 1.5 litres before riding it ???
Now whilst this clearly makes sense on the handling issues ive been having, im still not sure I see the point. I mean, the streetlights in my mind have a startrek theme tune....is it time to talk to the nice doctor ?
you know I jest...dont you ??? lol
-
No offence gingey but wine is a womens drink here in the land of OZ
BEER!!! 100%
-
No offence gingey but wine is a womens drink here in the land of OZ
BEER!!! 100%
If you can say the sentence above without slurring after 2 pints of his home made Honey wine, then you truely have a bigger problem than me :D. I would happily pay a hansom sum of money for what he cooks up in his laboratory. If only you could harness it in a battery...... :o
-
Plenty of energy in beer and wine... ;) Distill it and put the alcohol in a fuelcell... ;D
-
True that honey wine sounds a treat, and well, if you make it yourself bonus !!
I think I would only be good at making rat poison haha
-
No offence gingey but wine is a womens drink here in the land of OZ
BEER!!! 100%
lol, now now, settle down!! I have to aggree though. It is very european to drink wine. In Canada the woman drink the wine. I think we are going to have to start a booze section in the forum. It seems like its taking over. Beer and Bikes? Booze and Bikes? lol
Gary
-
i do homebrew beer and lager too :)
heres one for you euro regs guys :)
http://www.stormthecastle.com/mead/fast-cheap-mead-making.htm
benefit of homebrew is you can select your alcohol level......
-
...... and the taste; which usually are better than standard commercial beer... ;)
I too brew at home, mosty from kits; both beer and wine. :)
-
...... and the taste; which usually are better than standard commercial beer... ;)
I too brew at home, mosty from kits; both beer and wine. :)
I'm getting thirsty. I must make me some Mead!
-
Here's a useful link for this theme:
http://www.accesscomms.com.au/reference/awg.htm
The cable i've decided to use to extend my pie power cable comes out about 14 AWG, so about the same as my GM power cable. Thanks for all the info