Winter upgrade to 48V

[JohnnieB]

Either the205AH USB 8VHATB XC2 or the 2045AH Trojan Ranger 160 batteries will give you the max range (run-time) you can get with a 6x8V battery pack.

Attached is a comparison of various 48V pack using a variety of 8V batteries. The list was made prior to the USB 8VHATB XC2 being introduced, but it would be at the top of the list with a bit over 20% more run-time than a standard 225AH 36V pack. However, your 36V pack is only 208AH, which has a run-time roughly 8% less than the standard 36V pack, so with either of them you'll have something on the order of 28% greater range than you had with your existing 36V pack when it was new.

Be sure to get the new cable for 8V batteries because the ones that connect the batteries in series have to be longer since the terminals on 8V batteries are both on same side.

[dundeebarnbuggy]

Thanks AGAIN JohnnieB for the great info!

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by JohnnieB

Either the205AH USB 8VHATB XC2 or the 2045AH Trojan Ranger 160 batteries will give you the max range (run-time) you can get with a 6x8V battery pack.

I fumble-fingered that first sentience.

Should read: Either the 205AH USB 8VHATB XC2 or the 204AH Trojan Ranger 160 batteries will give you the max range (run-time) you can get with a 6x8V battery pack.

[shaferz]

Originally Posted by JohnnieB

Either the205AH USB 8VHATB XC2 or the 2045AH Trojan Ranger 160 batteries will give you the max range (run-time) you can get with a 6x8V battery pack.

Attached is a comparison of various 48V pack using a variety of 8V batteries. The list was made prior to the USB 8VHATB XC2 being introduced, but it would be at the top of the list with a bit over 20% more run-time than a standard 225AH 36V pack. However, your 36V pack is only 208AH, which has a run-time roughly 8% less than the standard 36V pack, so with either of them you'll have something on the order of 28% greater range than you had with your existing 36V pack when it was new.

Be sure to get the new cable for 8V batteries because the ones that connect the batteries in series have to be longer since the terminals on 8V batteries are both on same side.

Excellent stuff JohnnieB! Thank you!!

[shaferz]

For anyone following:

I reached out to several 'local' distributors for US Batteries, and only 1 of the 4 have the 8VHATB XC2 batteries. 1 distributor did not reply to my inquiry. 2 said they do not stock and could not order them. Only 1 said they had them.

I have been quoted a price of $167.43 each (assuming I am turning old batteries in.) Will be a few weeks before I can pick them up, but will update once I do so. :) Guess I better get in contact with Scotty B to get a DPI Charger coming! :)

[JohnnieB]

Originally Posted by shaferz

For anyone following:

I reached out to several 'local' distributors for US Batteries, and only 1 of the 4 have the 8VHATB XC2 batteries. 1 distributor did not reply to my inquiry. 2 said they do not stock and could not order them. Only 1 said they had them.

I have been quoted a price of $167.43 each (assuming I am turning old batteries in.) Will be a few weeks before I can pick them up, but will update once I do so. :) Guess I better get in contact with Scotty B to get a DPI Charger coming! :)

Be sure to set the DPI to mode-1 (US Battery) and give your new batteries a full charge before taking cart out for spin.
And be sure to break them in properly.

[perkdiggler]

I know a good battery house in Illinois, depending on your location. Illinois is a big state![/QUOTE]

GORNOMAN,

Where is this battery house you speak of? I am in need of new batteries as well and I am in the Chicago Suburbs.

[gornoman]

Originally Posted by perkdiggler

GORNOMAN,

Where is this battery house you speak of? I am in need of new batteries as well and I am in the Chicago Suburbs.

I'm using The Battery Guy in Gilberts, IL.

http://www.thebatteryguy.info

[shaferz]

Originally Posted by JohnnieB

Be sure to set the DPI to mode-1 (US Battery) and give your new batteries a full charge before taking cart out for spin.
And be sure to break them in properly.

Thanks. DPI came in a week or so ago. Oddly enough, even though I ordered the correct 'D' shaped connector, I cant get it to 'plug in' to the receptacle on the cart. Looks like it should fit, but no matter what I have done, I havent been able to get it to fully insert. Weird stuff. Going to have to take a closer look this weekend I guess.

[shaferz]

Quick update - substantially finished the project two weekends ago. Ended up doing more than planned (isn't that how it usually works? :) ) Recap of the work done (as well as work still to do) ...

- Found that battery tray that was in horrible shape. Did not want to remove the body, so I opted to build my own. Used a Hobart Handler 140 that my brother bought new a few months back and rarely uses. I only had to buy a few sticks of angle and got to measuring and building.
- Installed 6 new US Batteries 8VHATB XC2
- Removed my 4-gauge wire setup and installed 2-gauge set (bought from ScottyB)
- Made new 8 gauge wires for the low amperage wires (F1 and F2)
- Installed HD 400A solenoid (bought from ScottyB)
- Installed new LED Battery Meter (bought from ScottyB)
- Installed new Keyswitch - the old one was pretty nasty.
- Acquired a new DPI Charger (set to mode 1 for the US Batteries) (bought from ScottyB)
- General wiring cleanup and organization

Yet to do:
- Build new wires from charging port to batteries. The old wire is extremely stiff and appears to have gotten VERY hot to the point where the insulation was in poor shape. Pretty sure this happened a few years ago when my 4 year old figured out that the old charging port was missing the safety piece inside the port that prevents the two terminals from shorting out to each other. (Placing a quarter between the two ports makes some really neat vaporized metal along with burns. :-/ The charge port was replaced immediately after that happened, but I never checked the wiring downstream until this current project.) I've already got the wire with the ends crimped and soldered - just need time to get them switched out.
- Remove and seal/paint the subwoofer box.

Finally took it for a drive on Sunday and holy cow what a difference! Acceleration is much better, and run time is going to be pretty insane. Our normal 'drive around town' route is JUST over 5 miles total distance with stops almost every city block. With our old tired 36v pack, we were to the point where the cart was physically slowing down at the end and we were thinking at times, we would be stuck pushing the thing the rest of the way home. With the new 48V pack, we did the entire route, got home and put it on the charger, and the charger was only on for an 60-90 minutes. It only seemed to 'bulk charge' for around 20 minutes, and the rest of the time was on the 'final charge' side of charging (where the charge amperage is reduced.) Ran out of time for further testing, but this thing seems like it will run for a very long time... especially compared to what we were used to.

Will snap some pictures this weekend, but to anyone who was considering a move to a 48V setup, you've got two thumbs up from us!