Inverters, bike charging and other power questions.

[SandraL]

is there anyway to step up from 12v to 36v (for a bosch ebike charger (without going via 230v inverter)?

<Broken link removed>

This will boost your 12v hab battery to the 42v? you probably need to charge a 36v battery. You can also set the max current it supplies.

Edit, I also use it to power an old 18v battery drill as its knackered battery has been removed.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Not sure if this company is any use to you.

Einfach unterwegs E-Bikes aufladen

Powerbutler ist das mobile E-Bike 12V-Ladegerät für Auto, Wohnmobil, Caravan und Boot

powerbutler.de

Blimey, cheaper to buy some Victron inverters.

 

[royw]

A sledgehammer to crack a nut

Many nuts actually - get it right

 

[goneoff]

is there anyway to step up from 12v to 36v (for a bosch ebike charger (without going via 230v inverter)?

Whilst I started this thread asking about inverters etc, I have always been nervous about adding a relatively large inverter to a wet battery system. Anyway I took the advice given in this thread, contacted Powatechnic and purchased two small 12v DC chargers from them, one for my Kalkhoff and one for my wife’s AS electric bike. The total for both chargers was £105.60 including delivery. Certainly for me a better solution rather than taking the inverter route.

 

[Clive Mott]

These leccy bike chargers are designed for a wide range of mains input voltage. Hence until they have settled the input amps can be a tad high assuming initially they have the lowest input voltage. So some margin is required to cover this startup. Always use Pure Sine Wave, this is what the chargers are designed for. Some may work on msw but some may make smoke. I normally recommend a 600w psw inverter that has a short time peak rating of 1200 Watts. Many charge two bikes together using two 2A output chargers. Details in back copies of MMM. An inverter to run a microwave oven starts at 1800 Watts psw and a battery current drain of about 130A. A different ball game. All inverters take a small quiescent current with zero output load. Bigger inverters have a bigger quiescent current.

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[JoeP Harrison]

I have two 130ah AGM batteries and 350w of solar on the roof. I understand inverters are not the best for 12v wet batteries however we have just purchased a couple of e-bikes that will need charging when we are away both their ratings are attached.

Questions are:-View attachment 478172View attachment 478174

1. What’s the smallest inverter I would have to buy to charge both bikes up simultaneously?
2. Would a PSW inverter be more efficient than a MSW inverter?
3. If I decided to purchase an inverter to power our small 800w microwave say a 1500w PSW would that be a heavier draw on my batteries than the small inverter when purely charging the bikes?

I know a lot of questions but the main issue is changing the bikes although if I can buy an inverter that can run the microwave on rare occasions without compromising the batteries I will buy a larger inverter. Hope that makes some sense. Thank you

We have similar bikes. A word of warning, we were driving & using our invertor off the cigar lighter to charge the battery, switched off the ignition & a drop in charge occurred. Ever since the battery shows max charge at 2 red dots as opposed to 5! So, when eating in a restaurant, we ask for permission to charge batteries, if we don't have electricity hook up! Those batteries are expensive to replace.

 

[Thorntreemick]

I’ve read all of the above and am utterly confused by all the technical jargon. Can I have a simple yes or no , if I am hooked up to a site power supply can I plug into a 13 amp socket to charge my e bike babattery. My vehicle is a 2019 Bailey Autograph.

 

[goneoff]

I’ve read all of the above and am utterly confused by all the technical jargon. Can I have a simple yes or no , if I am hooked up to a site power supply can I plug into a 13 amp socket to charge my e bike babattery. My vehicle is a 2019 Bailey Autograph.

Yes

 

[stevewagner]

Whilst I started this thread asking about inverters etc, I have always been nervous about adding a relatively large inverter to a wet battery system. Anyway I took the advice given in this thread, contacted Powatechnic and purchased two small 12v DC chargers from them, one for my Kalkhoff and one for my wife’s AS electric bike. The total for both chargers was £105.60 including delivery. Certainly for me a better solution rather than taking the inverter route.

Hi goneoff

I haver a Kalkhoff electric bike with the Bosch mid motor. Did the 12 volt charger you bought have the correct plug on for the Bosch battery?

Thanks.

 

[Norman Jones]

My brain 'urts! I think I'll have to stick to pedalling !

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[goneoff]

Hi goneoff

I haver a Kalkhoff electric bike with the Bosch mid motor. Did the 12 volt charger you bought have the correct plug on for the Bosch battery?

Thanks.

Hi Steve
Yes it certainly did. I sent pictures on WhatsApp to them of what I wanted and they sent exactly my requirement. My Kalkhoff battery may differ from yours but I’m sure the will have the socket type you need. Attached is what I sent for my Kalkhoff, I will send the receipt from Powertech as a PM. Hope it helps.

 

[orridge]

Hi Steve
Yes it certainly did. I sent pictures on WhatsApp to them of what I wanted and they sent exactly my requirement. My Kalkhoff battery may differ from yours but I’m sure the will have the socket type you need. Attached is what I sent for my Kalkhoff, I will send the receipt from Powertech as a PM. Hope it helps.

Thats the same adapter we have for our Khalkoff which is a Panasonic motor/battery the Bosch adapters are very different and I understand have an intelligent charging system built-in which is why the original 12v chargers from Bosch were eye-wateringly expensive.

 

[goneoff]

Thats the same adapter we have for our Khalkoff which is a Panasonic motor/battery the Bosch adapters are very different and I understand have an intelligent charging system built-in which is why the original 12v chargers from Bosch were eye-wateringly expensive.

What does an intelligent charging system actually do? It’s a serious question as I thought a battery charger charged at a specific rate until the battery was full, isn’t that what mains chargers do for simple batteries that are on cycles? Or was it Bosch just rubbing their hands?

 

[NoName]

As Iv'e said in a previous post my knowledge about technical stuff could be written on a pin head and still leave room for ther Lords prayer.

My question would be : would a Poweroak 500w lithium battery charge up the e bike?
I understand that it has a self contained inverter that is a pure sine wave. it also has 3 pin plug connectors AC outlet 230/240 300w, as well as a car connector that is DC?

 

[two]

Poweroak would do it - but then you'd need to replenish the Poweroak!

The thing to look at is the capacity of the battery you intend to charge. Mine is 540Wh (others are less) and that's a lot compared to the that of your habitation battery bank. (PSW) Inverters will charge an e-bike battery through its official charger but do so whilst travelling so that the alternator can assist the process.

You could charge batteries with non-OEM equipment but I wouldn't. There are four or more connections with an e-bike battery, to allow the process to be properly controlled. If you choose to ignore that process, you might face premature battery failure.

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[NoName]

Thank you.
Just waiting for my Rad Road Runner e bike to be delivered from Holland. 4-6 weeks delivery but no extra import charges.

 

[Norman Jones]

So, to sum up, how big does your inverter need to be...to charge a bike?

 

[two]

Look at the Watts of your charger and add a margin (say 20%). Get PSW.
Not all chargers are the same. 'Faster' ones will require more power.
At a guess, 500W should be OK.