Busy EV Day!

Had a couple trips to work and back on this last charge on the car already today, and I came home from work, dropped off my Lunch Bag, picked up Bank materials, and went to the bank to do my deposit, came back home and took wife to a business appointment down Dufferin Street (Beside Red Lobster - but we did not have time to go for lunch there, oh well - maybe next time!).

After that - we came back up Dufferin to Wilson and over to Keele to do some Grocery shopping, then back home. I dropped of the groceries and the wife, and ran back to work to get some documents dealt with at Benefits, and had to make a quick run back home to get some original documents for photocopying for their file, then drove it back to work to deliver them. On the way home from the parking lot - I saw a fellow work I knew and caught up to him in the car, then beeped the horn to get his attention. He said he did not hear my car - so there is another example of the quiet EV power!

I popped the hood and gave him a quick look see and a couple minutes explanation of the facts on the car, and then he wanted to hear me drive away (if he could!), so I drove home.

At that point we had put about 18 Kms on the car since last charge, so I thought - well, I might as well set it up for a topping up charge of the batteries!

When I set up the car - this time I first took a notepad and wrote down the batteries (by number) plus the Accessory battery, then measured the volts at no load - with the Multimeter, and recorded that besides each battery respectively. Then I plugged in the chargers, and read their voltmeter initial value and percentage and recorded that. Interesting - most of the batteries were at about 80% full, but one was only at 60% and one was at 45%! This is more evidence I need to get the Battery Balancing products selected, and purchased and installed!!

So then I set the chargers up for charging (deep cycle battery mode for all the the AGM accessory battery), and set 8 or 12 amps setting for the batteries (12 Amps for the more Drained ones!), and recorded that per each battery.

Larger Format PakTrakr Add-on Displays

I have had somebody ask me about this and just today I found some good links on it!

It connects to the serial interface - either the simple one or the data-logging one, (ES1 or ES1R) and gives a larger screen, with multiple, simultaneous readouts, both graphic and numerical of up to 8 battery packs.

Here is a youtube video of the prototype on test data, and - you wanted to know - were to buy it? Woodward Aftermarket Components is one place.

I have my paktrakr and extra remote - picked it up just after my last post, and now I think I should get the amp sensor and the ES1R along with this new display!

A good plan when using the paktrakr - control the data noise! Using Noise Supressors for a couple bucks cleans things up greatly!

PakTrakr On it's way! (Part 1)

The PakTrakr that I order from Battery Powered Systems is On it's way!

It was shipped out on the 9th of June, and should be here today!

The Tacking information say's it left the Warehouse in Concord at 07:53 today, If I read it right! (And at 10:32 they got the corrected payment info for the UPS Border Fees to the system/driver!)

Unfortunatly - the Border Crossing Costs (UPS: $64.07) added up to almost as much as the PakTrakr extra Remote!

After I get this installed, and mounted - I will be able to see which of my 8 batteries is going low on volts first, and second, etc., so that I can avoid draining the weak battery beyond limits, and so I can plan my charges better! Also - when I get some history on the batteries with the paktrakr - I will be able to compare the changes when I install the Battery Equalizers!

It might help for me to get the Data Logging Interface also, and then maybe at the same time - the Current Sensor while I am at it, for better traking of the performance.

Wall Mart Shopping Trip

Sunday, June 8, 2008 - I drove the 'electricfly' to the Mall at Keele & Lawrence to do some shopping, and while there spoke with one of the managers about who best to discuss the idea of Wall Mart & a Charging Network at the stores. Got a tip as to where to begin that pathway!

Also - finished the trip with powere to spare, but - since it is easier to charge on Sunday Nights with my parking issues - I put the car on a charge, left it overnight, and that night I walked to work (which I can do easy enough!)

The charge put in, worked out to about 285 Wh / Km on that cycle of about 12.4 Kms, so obviously I was a bit heavy on the throttle in that drive, as many times I have gotten aobut 200 Wh / Km!

Also on Sunday - June 8, I finally ordered my PakTrakr Battery Gauges! This is a pic of the Order page:
I needed the extra remote because I have 8 Batteries, and the basic set with 1 remote only covers 6!


I have driven the car to work a couple times already this week, since I was a bit late leaving the house!