So here are the two projects Iād like to take on:
For my re-built halo board, I want to make it rideable in any wet weather. I think Iv sealed it up pretty well to prevent e-component damage (but would happily take on recommendations), however after my last few rainy commutes, my pants / shoes have been soaked. Any suggestions on wheel guards / shields? I have 90mm wheels and do not have a 3D printer (but considering if getting one).
For my first actual build - I want to build a shorter board, with a kick tail (to hopp small side walks) for commuting. I plan to ride this thing in sunshine, rain and snow. Few things on Iām debating about:
Board - From what Iv experiences thus far, concave decks seems to lock the feet in and makes it easier to carve (especially if trucks are tight - which is nice for high speed, but sucks for turning radius), but the concave deck also keeps the water from running off the deck which causes issues if the e-components are accessible from the top of the board). Then wood vs carbon fiber, wood seems more flexible but more prone to water issues, vs carbon fiber seems stiffer but handles water better. Recommendations on a short board, ideally with integrated space for battery / motor controller?
While I like the versatility of belt drive which would allow me to have softer wheels then hubs, and would allow me to switch street wheels with terrain wheels (for snow), Iām concerned about water issues and about destroying the Belt drive motors (hopping curves) whether the belt drive and installed normal or reverse. Thoughts?
I canāt seem figure out what motors I need. I have 6364 70kv (550w) dual hubs on the halo board and 140kv 5065 belt drive on the GTX (I think both batteries are 10p4s) and they both seem fine. GTX seems to get to ~25mph faster which is nice, but I just havenāt figured out how to pick motors specs. Ideally, Iād like something that accelerates on the faster side (lots of lights / stop and go), but with smother 0 to go then GTX, goes roughly 25mph, and can handle a 25 degree incline hill @ ~20mph.
ESC / VESC - I went with the hobbywing ESC in the halo board because it looked really well sealed up, was not disappointed. From what Iv gathered yāall recommend the focbox unity or VESC (for programmability), what strikes the right balance of water resistance & features? (Now that I actually understand what battery sag is, want to make sure I avoid running into that issue going forward)
Battery - not sure Iāll even receive the metro board battery I bought, so open to options at this point. Building my own seems like a lot of work (and expensive equipment) but doable. If i found the right deck (with integrated space for battery) where I needed to have the cell blocks seperated (thus couldnāt buy Pre-built), Iād probably give it a shot, but I donāt know where to buy all the necessary parts nor do I really understand how the wires that feed the BMS really work, nor do I understand how to assess how ābigā of a battery I actually need. (Commute is about 10 miles round trip with about 1 mile of hill)
trucks - caliper / Paris / etcā¦ does it make any difference? Again Iām a pretty heavy guy, so sounds like a CNC truck would be stronger (based on some thread I read) but does it actually make a difference?
truck / suspension - if the motors need to be hubs because of water resistant type considerations, would adding trucks with suspension make up in comfort (and does suspension trucks for hubs even exist?)
For who ever actually read this far - I tip my hat off to you fellow esk8er.
Itās all their QC, thatās why Alex and Ernesto can have a bunch of great working remotes. And then 10 of my guys out here disconnect them every other minute
The B- part is what Iām most confused as to what connects to that. Plus yeah I forgot the anti spark and added into the diagram last so it doesnāt make sense as it actually is Iāll do a better diagram and hopefully you can chime in again. Cheers @MysticalDork
This is a photo of the BMS the red goes to battery positive where would B connect to ? Battery negative?
B- goes to battery negative. The negative on pack 5 in your diagram, same as the vescās negative.
If you are using the BMS for discharge, then the vescās negative goes to P-, not the battery negative.
If youāre bypassing the BMS (using it for charge only), then P- doesnāt go anywhere, and vesc negative goes where you have it in the diagram.
C- does NOT go where you have it connected in that diagram. That is the charge port negative connection. It goes to your charge port, not to the loop key.
The positive wire from the charge port would go on the vesc side of the loop key.
Sorry for the confusion I messed up and forgot something please see this diagram.
I think this is correct for bypass charge only.
I foresee with this configuration that the loop key needs to be plugged in for charging to work, which isnāt a problem for me I want it that way. But is this any concern?
With your most recent diagram, the charging port will work whether the loopkey is in or not.
To make it work only if the loopkey is in (why?), then the wire for the charging port needs to be on the vesc side of the loop key, not the battery side.
Other than that, the main power connections look good. The balance leads lookā¦ ambiguous.
Each 2s pack will have three balance wires coming from it: Positive, negative, and the intermediate (between the two cells). When connecting them in series like this, you have to drop (not use) one wire from each pack except the one on the negative end - That one gets all three. But each of the other packs, you only use the intermediate, and the positive.
This is why I recommend drawing out your individual cells, not just the packs. Itās too easy to get turned around and short something.
Iām not quite sure how to draw out the individual cells and balance cables might need to do some research and come back to that. Not in a rush to incorporate the BMS as itās the highest fire risk so want to get it 100% before attempting. Charging with the balance charger goes ok for now.
I think the colours are incorrect on the diagram ie; it needs to be yellow and red not black and red but yeah I am only just starting to understand those things so I do want a definitive diagram that a few people have given the all clear on before I wire it up for good.
The reason it will only charge when the loop key is plugged in is currently I connect all the batteries in series with 4mm bullet connectors and because of where I am connecting the charge wires (on the bullet connector that is connected to the anti spark (rather then the battery) which then plugs into to battery positive it will only be on when the circuit is completed (as far as I am aware)
I just modified the diagram after looking at the BMS and I think this could be correct as per what you said with the 3 being used on the negative. Being the B- on the BMS before 1,2,3,4,5 etc.
And then the rest I need to check with a multi meter to confirm which is the correct one (I believe itās yellow and red or white and red) that will be used and not black for the remainder.
Iām not clear on exactly what you mean. Iām just going off the diagram youāve got there, and assuming everything is in its assembled state - bullet connectors plugged in. If youāve got the bullet connectors plugged in like the diagram shows, the battery will charge whether the loopkey is in or not, because the charge positive wire goes straight from the port, to the battery. For the loopkey to interrupt the charge wire, it has to be on the other side.
Well I am glad you are reviewing my work! That is spot on which is actually great because I was only trying to avoid touching the battery cables and somehow thought that was affecting charging without it being on! Wow I feel dumb haha
I would have probably plugged the loop key in to charge for some time before realizing I didnāt need to.
While this is still good advice to follow, a lot of BMS have this wire internally and you donāt actually need to run it.
But unless you know that your specific BMS has it, then just hook it up anyway.
Also if the balance wire is smaller than 22AWG then sending all the charge current through it may be a bad idea anyway, though this usually isnāt the case as they are typically 22AWG or larger and charge currents are typically 4A or under
Mine isnāt specifically the Bestech its a cheap ebay one so Iād say if it doesnāt hurt anything to hook it up either way then itās definitely better for me to hook it up.
Thank you for this, itās kind of fried my brain in terms of what I need to do for the BMS but I understand the way the pack and cells are set-up better now for sure.
Iām not sure if Iām interpreting it correctly.
This is the latest diagram which I think is correct (not including the black wires on all of the cells except the first (B-)
Haya and neoone decks have a removable lid with integrated storage and are pretty short.
No issues with belts in the rain really. You can get mounts that allow you to raise or lower your motor cans. If youāre hopping curbs, mount them in the rear.
Generally speaking: the higher the kv, the more suited it is for speed rather than torque. Use the calculator at the top to play around with the effects. Iād read the terminology thread and the intro to diy thread to get a better understanding.
Unity was super easy for me to setup and you can easily conformal coat it extra for added protection. Same with vesc. Unity is better priced but has less active development currently. Either one will be fine for you, the vesc comes with a warranty. Enertion (maker of unity) is going through some shit right now and refunds have beenā¦ Difficult.
Donāt build your own battery. Not trying to be rude at all but based off of the questions asked, I donāt think itās a good idea at this time for you . Play with the calculator again to see range and top speed estimates. 10s will most likely be fine for you unless you love going fast (12s). Depends on what you can fit in your enclosure as well.
If you are a heavier rider, avoid cast trucks and go for a solid cnc truck. Iād rather see you riding some cnc trucks here that are made for specific mounts than struggle with mounts slipping on the round axle profiles of many standard skate trucks. It makes very much a difference, then hit up @RipTideSports for a bushing combination to match your trucks and riding style. It will fine tune your ride more than youād think.
Motors donāt need to be hubs at all. Motors come sealed and unsealed. Unsealed have air holes to run cooler. Sealed have less holes to be more waterproof and run hotter. I run unsealed in the rain and havenāt had issues with the conformal coating that came on my motors (most motors have this already). If youāre planning on riding in the pouring rain, go sealed motors or check out @b264ās build thread about waterproofing his motors.
Iāll take that tipped hat and give you a hug. Welcome my dude.
Iāll do a better diagram and hopefully you can chime in again. Cheers 
. Play with the calculator again to see range and top speed estimates. 10s will most likely be fine for you unless you love going fast (12s). Depends on what you can fit in your enclosure as well.