Where do you set your charger while charging? Do you use a timer?

[67-LS1]

I store my e-bike next to my workbench and I just set the battery charger on the wood top. The battery charger gets pretty warm while charging so I’m wondering about leaving it on wood while it charges.
Does this concern anyone else? Would airflow below the charger help? Maybe set it on a couple of spacers?
Or should it be on the concrete floor?

And does anyone use a timer for charging? I’m using a countdown timer in the outlet that I can set for 1, 2, 4 or 6 hours. I’ve been trying to run my battery down to 25-30% before charging and if I do a 4 hour charge gets it to 85-90%. I just hate to leave it on all the time and I don’t want to have to temper to go back and unplug it.

 

[m@Robertson]

Wood burns. Set it atop a half-thick red brick. They are what... $1 at Home Depot? I do that with my battery dischargers and the resistor that the battery dumps the energy into gets up to around 500 degrees fahrenheit. Scorches the pavement set directly on it, but no issues with the brick in between.

You absolutely don't want to leave a battery on a charger. Too many ways for the charger to fail - in particular I have seen them not stop when they are supposed to and keep on charging.

I wrote up two different articles on using a countdown timer. This is the basic unit that is in wide use by ebikers. A mechanical cutoff timer is simpler and superior to an electronic one. In addition to cutting off for safety, you can use the timer and a little brain power to figure out how many volts per hour your charger adds to your pack and set the timer so you do a roughly 80% charge.

https://talesontwowheels.com/2023/09/01/ebike-battery-charge-safety-use-a-cutoff-timer/
And after others took apart the timer I describe above, and noted its fine for purpose but not up to taking a hit from say an electrical surge, I went to a residential grade timer. I have been using one now for about a year-and-a-half daily, attached to my wire shelving rack in my garage.

https://talesontwowheels.com/2023/10/01/ebike-battery-charge-safety-heavy-duty-cutoff-timer/
And since you are talking about figuring out ways to do a battery discharger, here's how I did that. Same residential grade timer with a lesser duration, plus a resistor designed specifically to drain an ebike battery. Pulls about 7a from a 52v battery which will bring it into line pretty quick. Not something you want to be doing every day because discharging counts towards the total lifespan of your pack.

You could do something much gentler - and slower - with a row of light bulbs with ceramic sockets you wire onto a 2x4.

https://talesontwowheels.com/2024/02/19/create-a-battery-discharger/

 

[Chuy]

I use a 24-hour mechanical timer and charge the battery in the family room in the evening hours when I am home and can see the charging red light from my chair while watching TV. I estimate how long it will take to charge the battery and add an hour to the timer. I usually catch the green light before the timer ends. I charge to 100% but only when I plan to ride the next day.

 

[Unicorn]

And does anyone use a timer for charging? ...

The best way to go is to buy a Grin Thecnology Cycle Satiator (58V/72V) and charge it to whatever predetermined voltage you want, up to 8 amps with the Standard Model. I have mine set to charge to either 56.8V or 58.8V at 8A. The Satiator also trickle charges the last volt or so, working with the BMS to top all cells off evenly. The vast majority of ebike battery fires are caused by cheap Chinese chargers, not the battery. Using a timer is problematic at best. - https://photos.app.goo.gl/iv9QdwK2nGezYJeU6

Stay safe.

 

[Mysery]

I use the charger that came with the bike, sitting on the concrete garage floor without a timer.

Peace

 

[Unicorn]

I use the charger that came with the bike, sitting on the concrete garage floor without a timer.

Peace

As long as the battery and charger aren't low-end Chinese junk, you are probably ok, with the understanding that fully charging the battery every time cuts at least 1/2 of the battery's potential life.

 

[Mysery]

As long as the battery and charger aren't low-end Chinese junk, you are probably ok, with the understanding that fully charging the battery every time cuts at least 1/2 of the battery's potential life.

I don't know if my charger is Chlnese junk but I've been using it for 3 years without issue. It usually plugged into my solar generator when charging my battery. I can monitor the DC amperage of the solar generator when my bike charger is connected and it draws 10 amps at the start and tapers off at the end charging cycle, green led is on, to less than an amp which is the standby draw of the inverter of my solar generator. The bike charger has a rated output 2 amps and takes 6 to 7 hours to charge my 14ah battery. I also don't adhere to the 20 / 80 rule like some people choose to do, to each his own. If the bike battery is going to be sitting for awhile I do keep at around 50% state of charge if possible.

Peace

 

[Unicorn]

I don't know if my charger is Chlnese junk but ...

I charge at 120V/240V @ 8A or with solar and an MPPT controller charging to 56.8V. I also have an adapter for EV charging stations that allows me to plug in the Satiator. Using big 40Ah batteries allows me to charge at 8A and not stress the battery at all. Charging for 3 or 4 hours at 8A, I can lay my hand on the Satiator without worry.

Stay safe.

 

[tic]

Those plastic box green light chargers can get very hot.. Best practice is to run a fan over it while it's charging. Heat kills electronics

 

[Unicorn]

Those plastic box green light chargers can get very hot.. Best practice is to run a fan over it while it's charging. Heat kills electronics

You're worried about a $9 charger? Priorities, dude.

 

[tic]

Well, when your charger is proprietary and cost 70 dollars and no cheap chinese charger on amazon will work with your battery because of a unique signal wire, yeah, I take care of the charger. The charge plug itself is proprietary as well, not that one couldn't be made but "priorities dude" Rather try and keep it from getting too hot in hopes it'll last

 

[Unicorn]

Well, when your charger is proprietary and cost 70 dollars and no cheap chinese charger on amazon will work....

Look at a Grin Satiator with whatever connector you need. When it's charging at 8A for a couple of hours, I can easily hold it. My first one lasted 8 years before it started acting up. I immediately ordered another and sent the old one to Grin Technology in Canada. They tried to repair mine, but it was so old that they no longer had the screen. He found a newer model with a minor defect on the face decal and gave that to me. Being able to charge to 85% voltage dramatically extends the pack's life.

If you buy a fan, maybe buy an extingisher too.

Stay safe.

 

[tic]

The grin satiator will not charge my battery. They do have a connector which I believe they call "another small three pin connector" that will fit but the signal pin does not send the correct information to allow the charger to start. When connected, voltage always reads 12.5 volts This was verified with another owner of the same battery that I have. I have numerous hobby chargers that you can set cut off voltage, charge rate etc. but none will charge anything above a 12s configuration. My battery is 52 volts. Whatever BMS they used or how they wired it makes it darn near impossible to charge with anything BUT their proprietary charger. I use some basic math and a timer to stop charging at approx 80% except for the occasional full balance charge. I do use a fan and try not to be too far away from the charger when it's in use. Fire extinguishers are there as well. The battery is CE rated but I still don't trust it 100% It does NOT have a UL rating

 

[Unicorn]

The grin satiator will not charge my battery. They do have a connector which I believe they call "other small three pin connector" that will fit but the signal pin does not send the correct information to allow the charger to start.

You can "force start" a Satiator to charge to any preset voltage. Can I recommend a new bike?

Stay safe.

 

[tic]

LOL... I'd love to buy a high end ebike. I'm not 100% sure the forced start will work. I'm going to email grin and make sure it will work. The guy who couldn't get it to work may not have tried the forced start, I don't know

 

[tic]

FWIW, this is what the plug looks like from my charger. Nothing on grins site shows a connector that will match it, but I'm told they make one

 

[Unicorn]

FWIW, this is what the plug looks like from my charger. Nothing on grins site shows a connector that will match it, but I'm told they make one

That looks like the connector wired to the Satiator. Then, you plug in an adapter with whatever connector you use to connect to the battery; for me, it's an Anderson connector. It's a three-prong male, like the one you show in the picture. Call them, dude.



Stay safe.

 

[tic]

The satiators stock plug is an XLR.. My plug is NOT an XLR, the only similarity is the three pins. The size and spacing is different and there's no notch on the inside of the plug.. I have emailed them

 

[Unicorn]

The satiators stock plug is an XLR.. My plug is NOT an XLR, the only similarity is the three pins. The size and spacing is different and there's no notch on the inside of the plug.. I have emailed them

Good idea.

Stay safe.

 

[Bikeguy]

If I ride and the battery is at let's say 30%, should I leave it until just before my next ride and then charge it only to 80% if my ride will not be too long? I've typically been charging it to 100% after most rides. It's about to be bike season here up north so I'd like to get this battery thing right. Plus I just got my wife an ebike and want to have good battery habits with her bike as well. I'm new to this last year and willing to learn. Sometimes I need to hear something a few times to get through my thick skull. Thanks.