My new ping- lights on BMS not working

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badnewswade
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My new ping- lights on BMS not working

Postby badnewswade » Tue Jan 04, 2011 2:46 pm

Well, I got my Ping battery and running into trouble. Plugged everything together as advised, then when I plugged in teh charger there was a popping sound and the charger's light went on, even though it was not plugged in. Have switched on the charger at the mains and now it seems to be charging but the lights on the BMS are not coming on at all! Is the BMS broken?
34 Watt Hours per mile, or > 700 MPG. What, me, smug?

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Jeremy
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Re: My new ping- lights on BMS not working

Postby Jeremy » Tue Jan 04, 2011 3:37 pm

How long has it been on charge?

The BMS lights only come on at the end of charge, when the BMS starts actively shunting current across fully charged cell groups.

Jeremy

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badnewswade
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Re: My new ping- lights on BMS not working

Postby badnewswade » Tue Jan 04, 2011 5:10 pm

:oops: Ah yes - they've come on now :oops: - all red like me! Is that good? The manual I downloaded said to leave it on for 10 hours first time round - guess I'll do that, although I'd like to get going as soon as poss. I'd just put it on charge when I posted.

Fitting it to the bike is going to be tough - there are fragile components and wires sticking out of both ends and one side, and the bikes battery box is quite restrictive. More soon!
34 Watt Hours per mile, or > 700 MPG. What, me, smug?

jonathan jewkes
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Re: My new ping- lights on BMS not working

Postby jonathan jewkes » Wed Jan 05, 2011 8:07 pm

Did the popping sound happen when you connected the battery pack to the charger? It is normal to hear a single "pop" as you do this - there is a brief spike of current from the battery to the output capacitor of the charger, causing a spark as the connector plug pins approach the socket.
If your charger is like mine, when the battery is connected to the charger the red light on the charger will come on, even if you have not plugged the charger into the mains. The red lights on the BMS do not come on until the cells are fuly charged.
Jonathan Jewkes
Daily EV user for 10years - an enthusiast and also a realist

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Jeremy
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Re: My new ping- lights on BMS not working

Postby Jeremy » Wed Jan 05, 2011 9:08 pm

My guess is that the noise was the input capacitors in the switched mode charger charging up, as it was plugged into the mains. These little switched mode chargers have a heck of a surge current at power on.

Jeremy

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badnewswade
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Re: My new ping- lights on BMS not working

Postby badnewswade » Wed Jan 05, 2011 9:27 pm

@Jonathon - That's exactly what happened. Glad to hear it's normal.
@ Jeremy - that doesnt' increase my confidence in the technology, but as I mention in the other thread, Ping's customer service is so good that it outweighs the somewhat balky, jerry-rigged feel the battery has. It just feels so good to be treated nicely by someone in business these days!

So - when the red BMS lights are all on, is it time to unplug and let it start balancing?
34 Watt Hours per mile, or > 700 MPG. What, me, smug?

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badnewswade
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Re: My new ping- lights on BMS not working

Postby badnewswade » Wed Jan 05, 2011 9:42 pm

Way-hey!

Just took it off charge cos all the LEDs were lit and it's 44.6v. The LEDs are staying lit but this is normal, right?
34 Watt Hours per mile, or > 700 MPG. What, me, smug?

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Jeremy
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Re: My new ping- lights on BMS not working

Postby Jeremy » Thu Jan 06, 2011 9:58 am

Yes, that's normal. The LEDs will gradually turn off as the surface charge bleeds off and the cells all equalise.

Jeremy

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ChrisB
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Re: My new ping- lights on BMS not working

Postby ChrisB » Thu Jan 06, 2011 10:02 am

Yay glad your enjoying your Ping Battery 8)

The BMS lights will slowly go out one at a time as the voltage drops off, remember the BMS is always connected to the pack and thus the lights will be on as long as the voltage per cell is above their trigger point, as it subsides you will find they put on quite a little light show :lol: all flashing away merrily until they all go out one by one.

EDIT: ah Jeremy beat me to it

Yes Pings CS is very good, shame I possible should have mentioned that I am a super nervous importer and I went through all the worries and nerves that you have gone through, its a shame Ping doesnt make the manual a little more explanatory when it comes to the BMS lights and the little pop and crackly when you connect the DC side up to the charger, I dont get much of that at 24v but I can imagine it might at 36v an above.

So what ya recon then, hows the performance on the actual bike ?? noticed any difference :mrgreen:

ChrisB
I reject reality and substitute my own !!!!!!

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badnewswade
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Re: My new ping- lights on BMS not working

Postby badnewswade » Thu Jan 06, 2011 5:16 pm

It's early days, but I'm not very impressed. It's fine as long as you don't carry any additional weight (god knows how it will deal with my trench coat come the next cold snap) but as soon as you put any amount of luggage in it, it hates hills and it has to be pedalled at least as much as it did with the rubbishy SLAs. The only good thing about it right now is that it is a lot lighter, which saves my back a lot of pain.

The SLAs that came with it and the Powabyke SLAs I replaced them with were far better than this lemon. They gave you as much power as you needed, while this thing just limps along as soon as you put any pressure on it at all.

If it could be modified to give me more juice, say half as much again but ideally twice as much I'd be ecstatic, but I don't see how I can do that without seriously endangering the BMS and maybe even the battery itsself. Does anyone have any tips?

EDIT:

On the good side, I am impressed with the light weight as I said and also with how fast it charges up. Did 8 miles today and it looks ready to go all over again after only about an hour and a half on charge, if that.

Wonder what would happen if I put the BMS from one of Pings larger, say 20 or 30ah batts on it? (Of the same voltage obviuosly)
34 Watt Hours per mile, or > 700 MPG. What, me, smug?


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