Powered by Battery Technology - Autocross

I have installed 8x88AH C&D UPS12-310 batteries in the Triumph to replace the Powersonic 35AH ones.  I will make a couple quick-change packs for the motorcycle with those powersonics.  I believe I won Slowest time of the day at the MVSCC Points Event #5 yesterday!!! :-)  I was not that farr off of the ICE cars, however - and it was a very long course.  I had the same "slow launch" problem, and broke the tranny tailshaft mount - but improved over the 3 runs i took.  Very pleased with the way the car handled... very close to 50/50 weight.  I will pull the motor and advance the timing 12 degrees on the advice of pooey1911 (youtube) before the next event next month.

Mower Design III - lost 50 lbs

Although I was getting plenty of exercise with the 130lb 35AH mower - my back was not enjoying it.  SO, I have swapped in some 22AH batteries that weigh half as much - and I'm ready to mow!

THERE!!!! I mowed the whole lawn with the Electric mower!!!

I murdered the stock batteries that came in the 8AH 48 volt Craftsman Push mower trying to mow a half acre lawn every couple weeks by charging it with a 15 Amp charger a couple times mid-mow.  I wanted it to outperform a gas mower - so It had to go the whole distance without a fillup to do that.  So,  I took a round 1/8th inch x 21inch valve cover from Mendleson's and cut a hole in the center that the motor could poke through.  I started by drilling a hole in the center and cutting pieces of pie - then the circle after scribing it by tracing a CD spindle cover.  Then, I drilled some holes for tie-downs and layed out the 4 powersonic 12v - 35AH batteries.  Made some cables from some 4GA wire at Autozone, and wired it up.  I also added the SOC meter.  It mowed the whole lawn without stopping today!  I'll make it look pretty soon. :-)

SSTV Image of the Earth that was sent to me in the front yard this morning before work!!

ARISsat-1 is a Ham Radio Satellite launched from the ISS.  For more information - AMSAT'S Website


I received it using a 20 year old handheld Kenwood 2 meter radio and a 5-element antenna I made by changing the length and position of the elements on the beam of a Radio Shack FM(88-108MHZ) antenna.  It was an audio signal - along with greetings in several languages, etc.  I played the audio signal through a patch cable out of my iPhone into a laptop - and used a piece of freeware called RX-SSTV to make the image.

ARISsat-1 Telemetry Data heard last night!!

I watched some of the deployment by NASA of ARISsat-1 yesterday - very cool!!
I set up a home made 5 element YAGI on the back porch last night and we heard the bird go over at 1:58AM this morning!!

This is what she said:

MET 675 minutes

IHU temp is + 29 degrees

Control panel temp is + 24 degrees C

battery voltage is 31.50 volts

battery current is -209 ma 

"NEW" Batteries for Project Triumph!!!

I have been driving the Triumph on errends, an autocross, and have made a couple commutes to work - but the batteries I originally chose lack the discharge rate and the AH to get the job done. Pictured are the "old" batteries on the left - and the "new" batteries on the right. They are 67 lb UPS batteries rated at 88AH / 800A Discharge (the blue ones are 25lbs and 35AH and the most I've seen from them is about 400A Discharge momentarily). The "new" batteries are actually 7-8 years old and were in service in a UPS system - since they are a "10 year" battery, I'm hoping to get some bonus life out of them in my electric car tests and racing. While unloading them, I realized that adding 870 lbs of batteries (156V) to a 1600lb car would require welding in braces for the suspension and even stiffer rear springs - so, I have decided to go with a 96V system. ALAS - my beautiful Logisystems 550AMP controller is a 120-156 Volt model. This last weekend, I acted on a hunch and removed some of the old batteries - and VIOLA!!! it works great at 96Volts!!!! These Logisystems controllers have been called "fragile" and worse - so, operating at 96V should make it happy and allow it to live longer, I figure! I am in the process of welding up battery boxes now. I plan on 5 in front, and 3 in back. This busts my 50/50 weight distribution - but is still better weight distribution than stock - and puts the car just 100 lbs or so overweight - although I still need to accurately weigh it.

Assembling the Hemnes Black-Brown 6 Drawer - From Ikea

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70121249

"The_Boy" and I recently assembled the Hemnes Chest of Drawers for my mom when we visited her. I am posting a couple observations on this Blog as it might benefit someone else.

Everything was well done, including the picto-gram instructions, and were understood by a 13 year old.

The only problem was the anchor pegs that you screw in to the sides - if you monster truck them in there - and they are bottomed out into the wood too far, then, when you insert the round disks and turn them, they don't completely cinch down and lock into place. They stay tight, however, cause they have little ridges on the ramps. Anyone not assembling this kit will not understand what I have typed :-)