That’s awesome! I have access to a 3D printer and would love to make the same thing for my switch.
1 Like
I added the files to the post and updated the pictures so you can see how the wires route and where the spring goes. I ended up using 18 awg stranded wire and soldered the ends before feeding it through the holes where the contact is made. The files are designed for 0.2mm layer height and some of the holes are partially closed to make a bridge rather than an overhang so it doesn’t try to print in mid air.
1 Like
Great job and thank you for sharing.
Cheers, Patrick
1 Like
How to have fun in the snow (what little there is). Here is Braedin on my OpenPPG with skis.
13 Likes
This looks amazing! Great video.
2 Likes
Great job! Always loved Ski-PPG - The throttle was in my mouth - large clothespin
2 Likes
We have more snow now so this time I tried it with skis too:
If you hear beeping in the video it’s because I was testing some low voltage alarms. I set them at a high voltage to force them to beep. I couldn’t hear the beeps with the motors running but I could with the motors off. I just ordered a different brand that will trigger when the voltage droops during load but will stop beeping when the cells recover after letting up on the throttle. The ones I tested keep beeping once triggered.
1 Like
@GliderPilot - where did you get these electrical junctions from? are they soldered or crimped (or both) ? what type/size are they? and the screw and nut?
I’d like to use your 3D printed covers, but that obviously only makes sense if what I’ll be using is not going to be any larger than your’s!
@etienne I got the connectors from Autozone. You can get them from almost any auto parts or hardware store. They are 10 gauge 1/4” (the 1/4” is the size of the hole in the ring). The bolt is just a 1/4-20 x 1/2” bolt. Note: I’m not relying on the bolt for electrical flow but rather to hold the rings together tight so make sure to keep the rings clean and the bolt tight.
I soldered the connectors to 10 AWG wires and did not crimp first. I also removed the yellow sleeve and pryed them open to insert 8 AWG wire and then closed the connector around the wire, soldered them, then covered with heat shrink. I used a really good hot iron to make sure the solder totally saturated the joints. I am happy with my joints and haven’t had any issues.
Awesome - that will help me a lot to find the correct ones in Germany.
By the way - for those who don’t have their own 3D Printer. I am going to order the parts from 3dhubs.com - this is sort of an Airbnb for 3D printing. 3dhubs is just the platform that connects you to someone nearby who does have a 3D printer.
@GliderPilot I am going to order all your mods (pre-charge knob, connector cover and hinge stop) in red and black ABS with 200micron layer height from 3dhubs.com
2 Likes
I just got done making the pre-charge switch, printing the wire intersection covers and rewiring my PPG to have a split / 2 switch system like @GliderPilot (thanks to Paul for answering all my questions). Paul’s print files worked really well. I found that my original switch was melting and ready to fail, so I am glad I have two new switches installed. It works great. All my main connections are crimped and soldered. Here is a picture of how it turned out.
5 Likes
@GliderPilot I am getting ready to order the parts from 3dhubs.com … the website tells me that the diameter of the knob is 34.0 mm, can you confirm, that the scaling is correct ?
Yes, that is the correct scale. I hope it goes well for you.
yes, I hoped so, too 
the quality isn’t very good. the precharge knob will probably do the job, but the connector cover is more or less unusable - I have asked them to suggest a solution.
I’d rather take a refund and would then prefer to re-order from a different supplier with a different printing technique and different material.
I have had good experience with the laser sintering printing technique and the nylon material from shapeways.com. It’s a bit more of a flexible material, but of superior printing quality (and thus better strength than a sloppy ABS FDM print)
the four connector covers plus one precharge knob cost me 18 euros including shipping from 3dhubs
the shapeways solution is probably double the price, though.
will report back how it goes
Sorry to hear that. I printed mine in PLA with my Prusa MK3. 0.45 mm nozzle and 0.2 mm layer height. To design them as thin and light weight as possible I made the dimensions of the part around the above values.
The covers are just quicker and easier to work with than electrical tape but you could always just use that.
PM me some pictures of the bad print. I’m curious what went wrong.
@GliderPilot, definitely not your fault!
Here’s a picture:
notice the hole in the part on the far left in the picture,
and notice the spaghetti on the inside of the connector covers.
the guy who printed this is now re-printing everything. will see how it turns out this time.
Wow! That’s pretty bad! I wouldn’t feel comfortable giving prints like that away for free let alone selling them!
Today we (mostly my son) downloaded the latest batch 2 throttle controller code and made a few changes to the display.
I didn’t want the display to scroll between three different pages… battery percentage, voltage, and timer. So we arranged it to fit all three:
It no longer says armed or disarmed but that’s ok because the button flashes red and the motors beep when it’s disarmed and the button is solid red when armed.
The timer was a new addition that I really like but it started counting when armed. We changed it to not start till you hit 50 percent throttle. That means the timer starts right when I launch. I always tap the throttle a little just to check that everything is working before I run to take off but that won’t trigger the timer.
Edit: A link to the code has been added below.
6 Likes
I purchased this amp meter:
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F182803751190
I installed it here:
Then I designed this mount to hold the display on the gooseneck bar:
Here are the files if anyone is interested:
Amp Meter Mount - Mount.stl (1.2 MB)
Amp Meter Mount - Button.stl (56.9 KB)
Amp Meter Mount - Triangle Plug.stl (29.0 KB)
The mount is designed to be printed with the front face down. The triangle plug is to be inserted into the goose neck bar for the screws to bite into. Line up the mount and pre-drill holes into the plug. Make sure the button is in place and the wires are plugged into the display before pressing it into place because it’s hard to get back out.
3 Likes
Just awesome! Thx you so much.
Cheers, Patrick
1 Like