My first real job was with a golf cart company, and you know with that old speed control you're drawing full power all the time when the pedal is pressed no matter how fast or slow you go. Hence the speed resistors to burn off unwanted power. The newer speed controls of course use the pulse method for speed control, and make the batteries last much longer under working (non golf course) conditions. We had "work" carts with front and rear decks/beds. One was even a single seater where the deck ran the full lenght of the cart over the passenger side. And you can push full size trucks with them as well.
@mike h Yup. At lowest speed, the power goes through all the resistors (which turns most of the power to heat), then through the motor. The contactors progressively short out more resistors, bypassing them to deliver more power to the motor.
@mike h Not just golf cart, that is how the old electronics stuff work in the old days, you burned off the excess electricity you didn't need in the form of thermal energy (heat).
They do not pull full amps at all speeds. It adds the resistance wire which does waste power but lowers the load on the battery. Amps are are reduced when the resistance increases.
Very cool! The resistor speed control is inefficient, but you have so much energy available that it doesn’t matter. That old tech will still be working long after an electronic speed controller has hit the landfill. Love the solar panels on the roof! The reversing switch reverses the polarity of the armature only, not the field.
Actually, it can be either way depending on how it is wired. I have wired motors either way and it really does not make any real difference which you would wire them for as long as you have a 4 wire system. And yes, I'd get rid of the resistors and go with a diode setup instead or a new motor controller. Reason? Because the diode setup would give you the same drop over the entire load. My guess is that it would be 1 diode rated at 250 Amp and 50 Volts needed per .8 Volts drop. As this was a 36 Volt Golf cart and has 5 solenoids, all you need to know is at what Voltage the cart starts to move with about a 500 lb load on it. Then divide the remaining voltage by 4. Set your steps by the nearest voltage that your diodes drop. But a new motor controller would be cheaper.
I just sold 419kg = 924 lb of dead lead acid batteries, and I got paid $179.55$, or $0.1943 per pound!! Guess old lead is worth a lot more in Europe? Though secondhand Li-ion is at least twice the price that of in the US. A few EV pack recyclers have sprung up and a German business makes office building UPSes by putting old packs in shipping containers, so second-hand batteries are getting harder to get your hands on in Europe.
The resistor system is not as inefficient as someone else mentions and fairly expensive to convert knowing your thriftiness. I have a 36v resistor club car that will go 22 miles or more with new lead acid batteries. The batteries should weigh about 70 lbs each at full electrolyte level. You can probably use a little higher voltage without harm but many who try 48v without changing other things burn out solenoids or resistor system. The motor probably pulls about 200 amps. It will increase speed some maybe 13 mph but if you want faster lift and put larger tires (hint 4 wheeler 12 or 14 inch tires etc are usually less than golf cart tires but need golf cart wheels). I put two the new LG cells in a 48 volt golf cart and thinking about putting in a 72V friends cart. I wish Battery hookup would get some of the 3p10S packs to sell again!
Awesome, David! I have adapted a 4 wheeled mobility scooter to accommodate 2 sets of 24 batteries & added temporary solar panel of 50 watts. Had to take off solar as I FRIED 2; CHARGE CONTROLLERS ( PWM- CHEAP ONES)! Now I charge both sets with 24 VOLT 8 amp wall charger modified with clamps for eye rings on PARALLEL circuit..
I love lithium power Because I am also making lithium ion battery packs for my house. Work is in processing. I have learned by watching your video. Thanks
Super cool!!! I would use it to run it by the store (I live in a tiny town that drives snowmobiles down the road) it would be like my super cheap electric car....
You might be interested in knowing that the setup you are showing would be known as a "DC Rheostatic Controller" in the elevator industry. Change the foot pedal accelerator and forward/reverse switch out for a "Elevator Car Switch" and you have a basic "Car Switch Controller." The biggest differences are in the contactor sizes, the larger resistors for voltage control, and the DC voltage used. And there are still elevators running today, not very many, using one version or another of this vary type of controller. In San Francisco, the DC voltage is 230 VDC from the city. Great Video.
Be careful. The paddle switch on those big breakers can break off quite easily (been there, done that ;-). I would put some sort of cover over it so no one hits it with their foot.
An aftermarket speed controller will get you the speed you want. Plus you can program the parameters. Mine does 25 mph on the flats with stock motor and 22 inch tires. I went with Altrax 300 because I only use it on the streets really. Offroad you might want 400
Lithium batteries definitely work better than old dry lead acid batteries that were topped off. Could you give us a range on full charge? That would be some valuable information.
swelling does reduce the capacity but not being used for a long time will cause the lead plates to sulfate which will give a lot less current. However this can be resolved by giving the batteries a load until it's empty then recharging it and repeating this a couple of times.
I have one of those in the garage that needs to be rebuilt. I brought it for the ex-wife as she was looking for a project. Welll, before she became an ex-wife and moved back to the UK. I wanted her to add solar panels to the top as its an extended golf cart that has a bed to the aft of the vehicle. Possible to use 12V panels at around 8 from stem to stern. That would have been 48V but then we would have to drop thata to 36V though some buck converter. I even through about changing the electrics to 48V. But I would have torn what you had down, clean it up, paint it and then think about changing the batteries. You have allot of metal parts that needs to be repaired from what I saw and the body I think would some how replace it. I have the same issue on mine.
Just FYI, but Bolt EV batteries don't really need a BMS for this type of use case. I've been running 3 of them converted to 48V system, I been checking the voltages to see if a BMS is required in anyway and I have not found any significant drift such that a BMS would do anything useful. People should understand that the Bolt EV batteries that David is using are NEW and come factory balanced. I would only charge one pack at 14-18 amps for longevity.
Those orange wires are from the inside of a hybrid battery out of a gen 2/3 prius or ct200h. That's what they look like to me. They can handle the power your using lol
You should try adding another pack in series. Double the voltage. Will go extra good then. Just ensure the contactors run from half pack voltage otherwise you could cook the coils.
I suspect that this motor has a field winding. The field strength controls the motor speed. This was built before modern permanent magnet motors. The resistor controls the current in the field winding which controls the strength of the field.
I used to add accessories to retired golf carts at a fun aftermarket shop, but I never did the heavier mods. I remember seeing these older carts with their coil resistors and was wondering how they handle over volting versus a 2009 EZGO. I heard the motors can handle a lot of power on the newer ones, you're mostly limited by the controller. Either way about it, fun stuff.
Will be different under a load or climbing hill etc. My cart acts like it has a passing gear pump pedal and it may speed up more and climb better but no higher speed. Also there are wiring changes you can make to get full reverse speed and power rather than half speed.
Suuuper interested in this as I just bought a late 80s early 90s yamaha g1 36v resistor cart. Looking at doing the same. Although I'm also looking at PMAC motors in the 10kw range for it too....hmm
Put some more cells in series and up the voltage a little if you want to make it a little faster. It should be able to handle 42-48 volts without hurting anything, and the top speed might go up to like 15-18 mph. Maybe try this when you are done with the project just in case the motor can't handle the extra voltage for long and it fails on you.
That roof would be perfect for a spare solar panel laying around and a cheapo charge controller. Excited to see more on your sma sunny boys running. Great videos 👍
Hi David like your videos. I have a question hope you can help, I remember you having a problem when connecting the ground from the inverter in the box, did you bind the ground with out connecting to a ground bar or connecting the ground to a buss bar to the bar. Thank you.
That power-limiting arrangement with the resistors is a great 'agricultural' design :) I wonder which of the pedal settings results in the most inefficient use of battery power?! Ie is ie with all resistors engaged, some, or just one...
If I am not mistaken, the pedal barely depressed , i.e. hardly moving, would engage all resistors. Somewhat counterintuitively, those old resistance speed controllers were most efficient when running wide open.
I converted my cart using 48-volt Chev volt lithium batteries. My cart was a 2001 Club Car. I put in a high-speed motor and a 750-watt controller. You do not need a BMS. If you want you can buy some cheap battery meters and manual balance the batteries. I have my cart now for over a year and never balanced it even though I have the tools to do it. WARINING: Two things you do need a Lithium battery charger with an automatic shut off. I take mine to 90%. The other thing you need is an automatic low voltage Shunt shut off. This way when you leave the head lights on for a couple of days you don’t wipe out your batteries. I live in the AZ climate and it gets hot in the summer and use to take out my lead batteries out every three years and I had to babysit it adding water and keep them charged. No more of that and I don’t expect buying batteries for the next 7 to 10 years. We use the cart 5 days a week and we love it.
Hello I’m trying to do something similar for my Toyota Coms replacing the lead acid batteries with some Nissan Leaf one. A circuit breaker and a fuse is enough?
Going with a light pack ,need to up the volts .hard to do on the old club car style. Running 20s Nissan lithium 74volts nominal in a resistor cart Yamaha with a amd motor club car wheels 205 50 10 street tires .the efficiency is in the coasting off the go pedal . Pulls 40 amps average at 20 and about 50 at 30. Will kill a 80 lb pack in about 20 min of normal driving. If you have a iron can motor put a cheap 72400 controller in it
Hi David from South Africa, I have a 36 V golf cart and would like to know if I can used this with my 48 v 5KVA inverter connected to my solar system. Fantastic videos helping me a lot getting off the grid
Update on my cart and a question: With the 2p14S 6kwhr battery pack My 48 volt 2005 Club Car DS goes about 60 miles on pavement with steep hills 3 times as far as new trojan batteries. Question do you know anywhere to buy an affordable sun power meter or wifi one that reads in watts/ meter or similar? Not a handheld unit.
Hey David, is the motor in that series wound or permanent magnet? (4 wire or 2 wire?) I would've expected series wound but since the top speed is the same maybe it's permanent magnet. Permanent magnet motors can get you easier regenerative braking; a single diode placed backwards across the contactors will give you automatic regen anytime you exceed max speed going downhill. Either way I suggest you check the condition of your motor brushes if you have not already done so, fully worn out brushes will total your motor.
I have been waiting for the second installment of this series. What are you going to use for a BMS? I've got my 36 volt pack built to go in my golf cart and I think I'm going to use a daly 100 amp with a contactor because I haven't been able to find a BMS that is reasonable for that kind of amperage.
I've got two BMS's I'm trying to decide which one to use. One is a 10s Daly. and one is called "ANT BMS" and has a little screen. Just need to pick one to try. I like trying different BMS's out
I went to the web site but couldn't seem to find the battery pack you used. I'm want to convert a 36 Volt EZGO Golf Cart from lead acid same as you did. Great video. How are you charging your battery by the way ? Thanks
Just found this video and I love it. I actually also have a 36vdc EZGO Marathon 1987 3 wheel golf cart, and have considered switching over. It doesn’t have the contractors like your cart, the speed control board simply has 4 contractors wired straight to the resistor pack. But otherwise I think would need the exact parts you have for yours. Battery pack, circuit breaker and fuse. What about how to charge? What kind of budget so I need to do the change? Thanks so much for a great video!
Charging can be done with a CC/CV charger. Or a Solar MPPT Charger. In my case, fully charged is 42 volts, but that will depend on your exact battery. Try connecting with me on Facebook @davidpozenergy if you want to discuss more
Hey Dave, just so ya know, wheelies on golf carts will spill your clubs out of your bag and get you kicked off the course! I know, for some strange reason???
Hey Dave do you have an update with the golf cart as far as using a BMS and how your going to be charging it. I have a 36v limo cart that I'm only getting a 6 miles out of it and I think lithium batteries will help. Thanks in advance and keep up the good videos.
I don't have a follow up yet. It's going to be awhile as I bounce around to my different projects. Sorry about that. But, yes. You can get more range because you can fit more lithium battery into the same compartment compared to lead acid
I'm excited to see what you do with the gold cart! Maybe see about putting a solar panel on the top. Also, for a DC electric motor to spin faster you need more voltage. Motors have whats called a KV value which means the number of turns it'll do per volt. I'd be willing to bet that motor could take a 48 volt battery, especially if you got a modern pwm speed controller. Or if you'd rather put bigger tires on it for a more comfortable ride that would also improve top speed by "gearing up". PS: Isn't the orange cable from your volkswagen bug project?
Yes, I will be adding some solar panels. I mentioned that right at the very end of the video. Good to know about the motor, thank you. The orange cable is from an EV, but not the VW. Thanks for the guess.
off topic question. what equipment do i need if i want 3 solar panels to charge a 5kwh off grid battery module. while the solar is charging the battery. i can also use the battery at the same time, a 110volt 20 amp outlet
Heh heh, what a cool conversion! I had an old EZ-Go cart with a little bit different setup, and the motor was longitudinal and bolted directly to the front of the differential. It would have been a prime candidate for a conversion like this if I had access to similar technology at the time. With the increasing efficiency of solar panels, 4 x 80 watt 12v. panels should do a nice job of keeping your batteries up with occasional use. Looking forward to the next update.😉
I built a 2p14s module from these cells that I use anderson connectors to swap in and out of solar storage to use in a 2005 Club Car DS 48 volt cart. The pack works great! What I would like to do is use the golf cart charger with a 115 volt honda 2,000 generator to provide at least 24kwhr per 24 hours to my batteries in case of grid outage. (Also use grid to charge cart directly ). The main reason is that generator is much quieter and more fuel efficient than my 240v generator and can run on lp gas and the inverter will only accept a 240 volt generator to replace the grid power. I finally found the specs for power drive charger that comes with club car but it doesn't have where float charge begins etc. It does however charge up to 60 volts which is too much for 14 s and not sure if constant voltage charge and I know its not constant amperage near the end of charge cycle and it is cut off by onboard computer. My choices are 1. Use BMS to limit charge to about 56 volts or little less and hope its not equalizing at that voltage . 2. Add one or two more cells to get the pack voltage higher so charger cannot overcharge and shouldn't start equalizing since battery pack will still be accepting full charge (my solar inverter can charge up to 64 volts). 3. Keep charging with solar inverter and swapping back and forth. 4. Buy a golf cart charger meant for lithium battery algorithms and programmable for $300 minimum to over $700. 5. Any other suggestions or thoughts ? Of course if I use the same pack as solar storage at least when grid out I would need to make the other modules the same number of cells say15 or16 as the 48 volt golf cart pack but that is not a problem since I can charge to 64v. This could also apply similarly to my36 volt resistor Club Car cart.
I have solar panels that are rated for $1,240 Watts and I use a single victron charge controller to charge my golf cart with lead acid 48 volt pack the max charge voltage is around 58 volts but it settles down to 52 volts when it's all said and done that's where it shows that it's floating I really like the victron because it is a smart controller with Bluetooth connectivity to my phone so I can look at everything and see how it's doing
Hey Dav, in future when you'll be working back on your inverter's, batteries and so on, is it possible you can talk alittle about grounding everything?
Thank you for the suggestion. I'll add it to my video list. I followed this diagram from Midnite Solar: www.altestore.com/static/datafiles/Others/dc-gfp50-300_wiring_diagram.pdf
I have a 36v ez go with trojan batterys I bought brand new and they're 9 years old. Still going just as strong as ever. Just have to always check water and charge evrytime you finish driving it. Never go below like 70% charge...or just get a lithium replacement and you can get 100% doc
hi David I just last week received my $1200.00 dollars of batteries I ordered from battery hook up using your discount code,thanks. and now I see you converting a golf cart to lithium looks to me that you are having a lot of fun. but you didn't mention how many volts or amps the battery is ? it looks to me like the lg cells 14s but this one looks like it was put together at the factory can you please tell me what is the model and specifications for the battery ? I clicked in your battery hook up link but I didn't find it on the site? thank you very much for your help, and keep those videos coming, l am building 2 7s2p 24 volts and later a 14 s but if I can get some of those it would save me a lot of work thanks again for your time
I didn't go into too many details on the battery in this video because I went into specs in a previous video. It's a 3p10s, 180ah, Li-NMC, about 6kwh. nominal 36v. th-cam.com/video/7gBc99Z3Diw/w-d-xo.html
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My first real job was with a golf cart company, and you know with that old speed control you're drawing full power all the time when the pedal is pressed no matter how fast or slow you go. Hence the speed resistors to burn off unwanted power. The newer speed controls of course use the pulse method for speed control, and make the batteries last much longer under working (non golf course) conditions. We had "work" carts with front and rear decks/beds. One was even a single seater where the deck ran the full lenght of the cart over the passenger side. And you can push full size trucks with them as well.
I have a controller I want to give him newer style think it is worth around 300 bucks but worthless to me I have gas cart now
@@ambersmith6517 If you want to give it a way... I know an old crippled man who needs one, but cant afford to buy it. He uses the cart to get around.
@mike h Yup. At lowest speed, the power goes through all the resistors (which turns most of the power to heat), then through the motor. The contactors progressively short out more resistors, bypassing them to deliver more power to the motor.
@mike h
Not just golf cart, that is how the old electronics stuff work in the old days, you burned off the excess electricity you didn't need in the form of thermal energy (heat).
They do not pull full amps at all speeds. It adds the resistance wire which does waste power but lowers the load on the battery. Amps are are reduced when the resistance increases.
I had a flooded 6v EZ Go.as a kid in the early 80s. I wish I could've done this
Very cool! The resistor speed control is inefficient, but you have so much energy available that it doesn’t matter. That old tech will still be working long after an electronic speed controller has hit the landfill. Love the solar panels on the roof! The reversing switch reverses the polarity of the armature only, not the field.
Thank you.
Actually, it can be either way depending on how it is wired. I have wired motors either way and it really does not make any real difference which you would wire them for as long as you have a 4 wire system. And yes, I'd get rid of the resistors and go with a diode setup instead or a new motor controller. Reason? Because the diode setup would give you the same drop over the entire load. My guess is that it would be 1 diode rated at 250 Amp and 50 Volts needed per .8 Volts drop. As this was a 36 Volt Golf cart and has 5 solenoids, all you need to know is at what Voltage the cart starts to move with about a 500 lb load on it. Then divide the remaining voltage by 4. Set your steps by the nearest voltage that your diodes drop. But a new motor controller would be cheaper.
I just sold 419kg = 924 lb of dead lead acid batteries, and I got paid $179.55$, or $0.1943 per pound!! Guess old lead is worth a lot more in Europe? Though secondhand Li-ion is at least twice the price that of in the US. A few EV pack recyclers have sprung up and a German business makes office building UPSes by putting old packs in shipping containers, so second-hand batteries are getting harder to get your hands on in Europe.
The resistor system is not as inefficient as someone else mentions and fairly expensive to convert knowing your thriftiness. I have a 36v resistor club car that will go 22 miles or more with new lead acid batteries. The batteries should weigh about 70 lbs each at full electrolyte level. You can probably use a little higher voltage without harm but many who try 48v without changing other things burn out solenoids or resistor system. The motor probably pulls about 200 amps. It will increase speed some maybe 13 mph but if you want faster lift and put larger tires (hint 4 wheeler 12 or 14 inch tires etc are usually less than golf cart tires but need golf cart wheels).
I put two the new LG cells in a 48 volt golf cart and thinking about putting in a 72V friends cart. I wish Battery hookup would get some of the 3p10S packs to sell again!
I'm subscribing with the expectation that you trick this thing out. Please don't disappoint. 5 stars thus far!!!
Awesome, David! I have adapted a 4 wheeled mobility scooter to accommodate 2 sets of 24 batteries & added temporary solar panel of 50 watts. Had to take off solar as I FRIED 2; CHARGE CONTROLLERS ( PWM- CHEAP ONES)! Now I charge both sets with 24 VOLT 8 amp wall charger modified with clamps for eye rings on PARALLEL circuit..
I love lithium power
Because I am also making lithium ion battery packs for my house.
Work is in processing. I have learned by watching your video.
Thanks
The trailer looks great!
Thanks.
Super cool!!!
I would use it to run it by the store (I live in a tiny town that drives snowmobiles down the road) it would be like my super cheap electric car....
You might be interested in knowing that the setup you are showing would be known as a "DC Rheostatic Controller" in the elevator industry. Change the foot pedal accelerator and forward/reverse switch out for a "Elevator Car Switch" and you have a basic "Car Switch Controller." The biggest differences are in the contactor sizes, the larger resistors for voltage control, and the DC voltage used. And there are still elevators running today, not very many, using one version or another of this vary type of controller. In San Francisco, the DC voltage is 230 VDC from the city. Great Video.
Your an amazing man/father!
Be careful. The paddle switch on those big breakers can break off quite easily (been there, done that ;-). I would put some sort of cover over it so no one hits it with their foot.
Good idea, thank you.
An aftermarket speed controller will get you the speed you want. Plus you can program the parameters. Mine does 25 mph on the flats with stock motor and 22 inch tires. I went with Altrax 300 because I only use it on the streets really. Offroad you might want 400
Keep your clap meter on there when you go up the hill :)
So much better for our environment too 👏🏽
I like the big bulge on the lead battery sides. Maybe they need a c-clamp to bring them into size tolerance ??? Lead is definitely old tech.
Lithium batteries definitely work better than old dry lead acid batteries that were topped off. Could you give us a range on full charge? That would be some valuable information.
excellent experience of change of battery new with old one.very good keep it up for good news for us.
Noor Alvi
Great work! I would have loved to see what the voltage sag was when those lead acids tried to climb the hill. Lithium doesn't mess around!
Always fun times on golf carts!
Thanks Average Joe
Your goofy grin driving up the hill made it all worth it hehehehe. cheers
You should check surge current again with the cart under load. ie Wheels on the ground with someone in the cart on takeoff.
It's about time David! I'm prepping my 14x packs to replace my single leaf pack....slow going...
The lead acid would have done the same if they were new. The swelling reduced the capacity. But of coarse LI ion will last a heck of a lot longer.
And weigh a heck of a lot less
swelling does reduce the capacity but not being used for a long time will cause the lead plates to sulfate which will give a lot less current. However this can be resolved by giving the batteries a load until it's empty then recharging it and repeating this a couple of times.
I have one of those in the garage that needs to be rebuilt. I brought it for the ex-wife as she was looking for a project. Welll, before she became an ex-wife and moved back to the UK. I wanted her to add solar panels to the top as its an extended golf cart that has a bed to the aft of the vehicle. Possible to use 12V panels at around 8 from stem to stern. That would have been 48V but then we would have to drop thata to 36V though some buck converter. I even through about changing the electrics to 48V. But I would have torn what you had down, clean it up, paint it and then think about changing the batteries. You have allot of metal parts that needs to be repaired from what I saw and the body I think would some how replace it. I have the same issue on mine.
I used one 2kwh chevy volt pack at 48v the cart now pulls wheelies! I used 2 24v solar panels on mine.
Just FYI, but Bolt EV batteries don't really need a BMS for this type of use case. I've been running 3 of them converted to 48V system, I been checking the voltages to see if a BMS is required in anyway and I have not found any significant drift such that a BMS would do anything useful. People should understand that the Bolt EV batteries that David is using are NEW and come factory balanced. I would only charge one pack at 14-18 amps for longevity.
Those orange wires are from the inside of a hybrid battery out of a gen 2/3 prius or ct200h. That's what they look like to me. They can handle the power your using lol
You should try adding another pack in series. Double the voltage. Will go extra good then.
Just ensure the contactors run from half pack voltage otherwise you could cook the coils.
I suspect that this motor has a field winding. The field strength controls the motor speed. This was built before modern permanent magnet motors. The resistor controls the current in the field winding which controls the strength of the field.
I used to add accessories to retired golf carts at a fun aftermarket shop, but I never did the heavier mods. I remember seeing these older carts with their coil resistors and was wondering how they handle over volting versus a 2009 EZGO. I heard the motors can handle a lot of power on the newer ones, you're mostly limited by the controller. Either way about it, fun stuff.
I've been waiting for this conversion! Thank you. Also Thank you Frank Z.
Will be different under a load or climbing hill etc. My cart acts like it has a passing gear pump pedal and it may speed up more and climb better but no higher speed. Also there are wiring changes you can make to get full reverse speed and power rather than half speed.
You definitely want some kind of BMS on that, easy way to kill that pack is to overdischarge it w/ a load that takes whatever it can get
Hello David... You're killing me with cuteness... 👍
Looks like fun!
Suuuper interested in this as I just bought a late 80s early 90s yamaha g1 36v resistor cart. Looking at doing the same. Although I'm also looking at PMAC motors in the 10kw range for it too....hmm
Nice,fun project.
You can use a 48 volt battery pack in that 36 volt golf cart to power the motor.
Looking forward to seeing the BMS you decide to use
Tools David... Awesome tools......Like baby cute....
Put some more cells in series and up the voltage a little if you want to make it a little faster. It should be able to handle 42-48 volts without hurting anything, and the top speed might go up to like 15-18 mph. Maybe try this when you are done with the project just in case the motor can't handle the extra voltage for long and it fails on you.
That roof would be perfect for a spare solar panel laying around and a cheapo charge controller. Excited to see more on your sma sunny boys running. Great videos 👍
Hi David like your videos. I have a question hope you can help, I remember you having a problem when connecting the ground from the inverter in the box, did you bind the ground with out connecting to a ground bar or connecting the ground to a buss bar to the bar. Thank you.
Four!!😎🤓 Nice David!
That power-limiting arrangement with the resistors is a great 'agricultural' design :) I wonder which of the pedal settings results in the most inefficient use of battery power?! Ie is ie with all resistors engaged, some, or just one...
If I am not mistaken, the pedal barely depressed , i.e. hardly moving, would engage all resistors. Somewhat counterintuitively, those old resistance speed controllers were most efficient when running wide open.
I converted my cart using 48-volt Chev volt lithium batteries. My cart was a 2001 Club Car. I put in a high-speed motor and a 750-watt controller.
You do not need a BMS. If you want you can buy some cheap battery meters and manual balance the batteries. I have my cart now for over a year and never balanced it even though I have the tools to do it.
WARINING:
Two things you do need a Lithium battery charger with an automatic shut off. I take mine to 90%. The other thing you need is an automatic low voltage Shunt shut off.
This way when you leave the head lights on for a couple of days you don’t wipe out your batteries.
I live in the AZ climate and it gets hot in the summer and use to take out my lead batteries out every three years and I had to babysit it adding water and keep them charged.
No more of that and I don’t expect buying batteries for the next 7 to 10 years.
We use the cart 5 days a week and we love it.
Hello I’m trying to do something similar for my Toyota Coms replacing the lead acid batteries with some Nissan Leaf one. A circuit breaker and a fuse is enough?
Chevy Volt EV battery cable. You mentioned it in a later video that I just saw on "Better Battery Modding".
I love these batteries, I would love to find some for my 24V solar system
Going with a light pack ,need to up the volts .hard to do on the old club car style. Running 20s Nissan lithium 74volts nominal in a resistor cart Yamaha with a amd motor club car wheels 205 50 10 street tires .the efficiency is in the coasting off the go pedal . Pulls 40 amps average at 20 and about 50 at 30. Will kill a 80 lb pack in about 20 min of normal driving. If you have a iron can motor put a cheap 72400 controller in it
David my man please remember that your inrush current is way higher when the cart is on the ground. Nice video though!
This has been on my mind with 2002 Club Car DS. Glad I found this video.
Hi David from South Africa, I have a 36 V golf cart and would like to know if I can used this with my 48 v 5KVA inverter connected to my solar system. Fantastic videos helping me a lot getting off the grid
Did you have like snails living in the battery compartment?
put a solar panel upon roof and u have free charging plus u can use as a backup power when electricity goes
Update on my cart and a question: With the 2p14S 6kwhr battery pack My 48 volt 2005 Club Car DS goes about 60 miles on pavement with steep hills 3 times as far as new trojan batteries. Question do you know anywhere to buy an affordable sun power meter or wifi one that reads in watts/ meter or similar? Not a handheld unit.
Hey David, is the motor in that series wound or permanent magnet? (4 wire or 2 wire?) I would've expected series wound but since the top speed is the same maybe it's permanent magnet. Permanent magnet motors can get you easier regenerative braking; a single diode placed backwards across the contactors will give you automatic regen anytime you exceed max speed going downhill. Either way I suggest you check the condition of your motor brushes if you have not already done so, fully worn out brushes will total your motor.
I have been waiting for the second installment of this series. What are you going to use for a BMS? I've got my 36 volt pack built to go in my golf cart and I think I'm going to use a daly 100 amp with a contactor because I haven't been able to find a BMS that is reasonable for that kind of amperage.
I've got two BMS's I'm trying to decide which one to use. One is a 10s Daly. and one is called "ANT BMS" and has a little screen. Just need to pick one to try. I like trying different BMS's out
@@DavidPozEnergy Looking forward if you get the AMT-BMS to work. So far not for me.
I went to the web site but couldn't seem to find the battery pack you used. I'm want to convert a 36 Volt EZGO Golf Cart from lead acid same as you did. Great video. How are you charging your battery by the way ? Thanks
Just found this video and I love it. I actually also have a 36vdc EZGO Marathon 1987 3 wheel golf cart, and have considered switching over. It doesn’t have the contractors like your cart, the speed control board simply has 4 contractors wired straight to the resistor pack. But otherwise I think would need the exact parts you have for yours. Battery pack, circuit breaker and fuse. What about how to charge?
What kind of budget so I need to do the change?
Thanks so much for a great video!
Charging can be done with a CC/CV charger. Or a Solar MPPT Charger. In my case, fully charged is 42 volts, but that will depend on your exact battery. Try connecting with me on Facebook @davidpozenergy if you want to discuss more
Hi David please change that relays "speed controller"! It's highly inefficient!
Hey Dave, just so ya know, wheelies on golf carts will spill your clubs out of your bag and get you kicked off the course! I know, for some strange reason???
Hey Dave do you have an update with the golf cart as far as using a BMS and how your going to be charging it. I have a 36v limo cart that I'm only getting a 6 miles out of it and I think lithium batteries will help. Thanks in advance and keep up the good videos.
I don't have a follow up yet. It's going to be awhile as I bounce around to my different projects. Sorry about that. But, yes. You can get more range because you can fit more lithium battery into the same compartment compared to lead acid
heya that is a very nice bilt again greetings from Holland
Wow
..GENIUS!!!
It would be great to replace contactots with resistor to huge MOSFETs. It will increase efficiency so much.
I laughed out loud when you referred to that field as "lawn."
Bro you so clever I love you video you gave me the motivation and good idea thank you
Put a big solar panel at top and a mppt charge controller
man I want those battries they have more power than the others you have shown they need more of them.
Did you end up installing a BMS? Can you share the type you used or plan to use?
I got to ask where you bought the 36V lithium batteries and the cost for each?
I'm excited to see what you do with the gold cart! Maybe see about putting a solar panel on the top. Also, for a DC electric motor to spin faster you need more voltage. Motors have whats called a KV value which means the number of turns it'll do per volt. I'd be willing to bet that motor could take a 48 volt battery, especially if you got a modern pwm speed controller. Or if you'd rather put bigger tires on it for a more comfortable ride that would also improve top speed by "gearing up".
PS: Isn't the orange cable from your volkswagen bug project?
Yes, I will be adding some solar panels. I mentioned that right at the very end of the video. Good to know about the motor, thank you. The orange cable is from an EV, but not the VW. Thanks for the guess.
Are you sure all the contactors are engaging? Maybe try 48v.
@DavidPoz Hi, when is your next video update on this project?
Greetings,
Pure excellence 😍.
V/R = I.
Thanks admin.
Thanks all
Very cool!
Lithium is the way to go.
Great video! How's the capacity effected?
In college we added a solar charger in 2001.
What do you use to charge the battery? What size fuse and circuit breaker are required?
Those spring type resistors are so old and a little bit damage i think remove it before anything goes wrong 🤷♂️
Looks good. Thanks for the shout out
I like your new video today you did a good jop
why a fuse and a circuit breaker? the circuit breaker makes the fuse redundant.
Oh whats the name of the tool you used to cut the hole for battery breaker? I need one for the exact same task!
off topic question. what equipment do i need if i want 3 solar panels to charge a 5kwh off grid battery module. while the solar is charging the battery. i can also use the battery at the same time, a 110volt 20 amp outlet
im excited to see this project! i can never seem to find your batteries you describe.
Often by the time his videos air, BatteryHookup has sold out. Gotta follow his FB page to get the scoop sometimes.
Have you tried to power it with deill batteries?
Heh heh, what a cool conversion! I had an old EZ-Go cart with a little bit different setup, and the motor was longitudinal and bolted directly to the front of the differential. It would have been a prime candidate for a conversion like this if I had access to similar technology at the time.
With the increasing efficiency of solar panels, 4 x 80 watt 12v. panels should do a nice job of keeping your batteries up with occasional use. Looking forward to the next update.😉
Golf car before lithium battery installation;- 😓😓😓 these batterys are too heavy
Golf car after lithium battery installation;- 😁😁😁😁😀😀😀 this is so cool
I built a 2p14s module from these cells that I use anderson connectors to swap in and out of solar storage to use in a 2005 Club Car DS 48 volt cart. The pack works great!
What I would like to do is use the golf cart charger with a 115 volt honda 2,000 generator to provide at least 24kwhr per 24 hours to my batteries in case of grid outage. (Also use grid to charge cart directly ). The main reason is that generator is much quieter and more fuel efficient than my 240v generator and can run on lp gas and the inverter will only accept a 240 volt generator to replace the grid power.
I finally found the specs for power drive charger that comes with club car but it doesn't have where float charge begins etc. It does however charge up to 60 volts which is too much for 14 s and not sure if constant voltage charge and I know its not constant amperage near the end of charge cycle and it is cut off by onboard computer. My choices are 1. Use BMS to limit charge to about 56 volts or little less and hope its not equalizing at that voltage . 2. Add one or two more cells to get the pack voltage higher so charger cannot overcharge and shouldn't start equalizing since battery pack will still be accepting full charge (my solar inverter can charge up to 64 volts). 3. Keep charging with solar inverter and swapping back and forth. 4. Buy a golf cart charger meant for lithium battery algorithms and programmable for $300 minimum to over $700. 5. Any other suggestions or thoughts ? Of course if I use the same pack as solar storage at least when grid out I would need to make the other modules the same number of cells say15 or16 as the 48 volt golf cart pack but that is not a problem since I can charge to 64v.
This could also apply similarly to my36 volt resistor Club Car cart.
I have solar panels that are rated for $1,240 Watts and I use a single victron charge controller to charge my golf cart with lead acid 48 volt pack the max charge voltage is around 58 volts but it settles down to 52 volts when it's all said and done that's where it shows that it's floating I really like the victron because it is a smart controller with Bluetooth connectivity to my phone so I can look at everything and see how it's doing
why a fuse AND a circuit breaker? Ok, for a quick disconnect....got it
Hey Dav, in future when you'll be working back on your inverter's, batteries and so on, is it possible you can talk alittle about grounding everything?
Thank you for the suggestion. I'll add it to my video list. I followed this diagram from Midnite Solar: www.altestore.com/static/datafiles/Others/dc-gfp50-300_wiring_diagram.pdf
Overvolt it to get some more top end speed!
it is important that the battery packs must be waterproof and anti-rust
I believe your led acid batteries were just bad, I find that after a few years power is lost as well as time used.
I have a 36v ez go with trojan batterys I bought brand new and they're 9 years old. Still going just as strong as ever. Just have to always check water and charge evrytime you finish driving it. Never go below like 70% charge...or just get a lithium replacement and you can get 100% doc
hi David I just last week received my $1200.00 dollars of batteries I ordered from battery hook up using your discount code,thanks. and now I see you converting a golf cart to lithium looks to me that you are having a lot of fun. but you didn't mention how many volts or amps the battery is ? it looks to me like the lg cells 14s but this one looks like it was put together at the factory can you please tell me what is the model and specifications for the battery ? I clicked in your battery hook up link but I didn't find it on the site? thank you very much for your help, and keep those videos coming, l am building 2 7s2p 24 volts and later a 14 s but if I can get some of those it would save me a lot of work thanks again for your time
I didn't go into too many details on the battery in this video because I went into specs in a previous video. It's a 3p10s, 180ah, Li-NMC, about 6kwh. nominal 36v. th-cam.com/video/7gBc99Z3Diw/w-d-xo.html
Next video? Where i find part 3?