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WARNING
I am no engineer or specialist. I’m just a guy who has learned how to put these components together in a way that works. There are probably safer ways to do this, and should be used. There is a real risk of electric shock while making this, and a serious risk of fire, or damage to you or your board if things go wrong. Continue with this build at your own risk!
This has only ever been field tested by me and a friend on the PintX, and PintS. Other boards need different voltages and might not work.
Newer boards (from the GT and on) will not charge with 3rd party chargers due to software that requires the charger to have some kind of chip that unlocks the charging. Pints and older XRs should work (with the correct voltage) as well as VESC'd boards. Again, these have not been tested by me.
By proceeding with this build, you acknowledge that you are undertaking this project at your own risk and responsibility. I am not liable for any damages, injuries, or losses incurred as a result of this build.
Parts List
If you want links to the parts used, click on the underlined words under the part, or click the drop down in the upper right corner and click "TrailBuddy Hardware" and it will take you to a list with links to everything here. I do not endorse any of these specific products or sellers, they are just links to get you to the right parts used in this build.
K. 4x M2x5mm screws
L. 6x M2x6 screws
M. 4x M2x8 screws
Other Parts needed:
16AWG wire and 18AWG wire
*OPTIONAL PARTS*
Low Profile "hook and loop" strap
Tools Needed:
Soldering Iron
Screwdriver
Preparing the Boost Board
This will set the board up to have a low voltage cutoff of around 18 volts, and give an initial power output of around 3 amps. This is a very basic way of getting this setup, and there are probably better ways to do it. You will need a bench power supply, a boost board, and a wired GX 12-2 connector.
1. Set your desktop adjustable power supply to output 25 volts and 5 amps.
2. Connect the power supply to the voltage "IN" of the boost board. Check that the output voltage of the board is higher than the input voltage using a multimeter. If it's not, turn the V-Adj trimmer potentiometer (next to the output terminals) clockwise to raise the voltage. Bring it up to 63 volts. If it is bouncing around on the muktimeter, no problem, just make sure that the highest number it bounces to is around 63 volts.
3. Turn the power supply down to around 18 volts. Turn the low power cutoff down by turning the low power cutoff potentiometer (next to the input terminals) counterclockwise, until the light nearby turns on and the output voltage starts dropping. Adjust higher and lower to get the cutoff voltage around 18 volts.
4. If you have the GX12-2 connector ready to go, you can get a rough amperage starting point. Turn the CC-Adj potentiometer (in the middle of the board) all the way down, counterclockwise. There will be no stop point to the adjustment screw, but listen closely and you’ll hear it click every rotation. At that point you know it’s all the way down. The output voltage might drop to be the same as input voltage. If this happens, just turn the adjustment screw clockwise until the voltage jumps back up to 63 and the power supply shows some amp usage.
5. Connect the GX12-2 exposed wires to the output terminals of the Boost Board. **Sanity check that pin 1 (marked on connector) is positive, and pin 2 is negative, and the connector is putting out around 63 volts** Connect the other end (with connector) to your partially charged Pint X. The board will light up. Turn the CC-adj potentiometer adjustment screw clockwise until the amps start to go up. Don’t go too fast, it happens quick. Adjust until the power supply is giving out about 5 amps. This should put the charge rate at around 3 amps.
*If the board flashes red when you plug in the GX12-2, it means that your amps are set too high and the board will not charge. Turn the CC-adj adjustment screw COUNTERCLOCKWISE all the way until it clicks every rotation. This brings the amps down. Then slowly increase the amps by turning the screw clockwise until you reach the desired charging speed (a good starting point is when the power supply output reads 5 amps).
ASSEMBLY
1. Solder 6S jumper pads on the back of the Battery Input Indicator, as well as the positive and negative wires to their respective pad. Mine came with wire but if not, just add some 18AWG wire, about 13cm long should be enough.
2. Take 3 pieces of 16 AWG wire. 1 long (13 cm), 1 medium(8 cm), and 1 short piece(6 cm). With the long wire, strip both sides and tin 1 side. With the medium wire, strip both sides, tin 1 side. With the short wire, strip and tin both sides.
3. Connect the short and long wires to the poles of the power switch at a 90 degree perpendicular angle Add heatshrink to cover the poles.
4. Pre-tin both sides of the XT60 E1 and remove the nuts that came embedded in the housing. Solder the medium wire into the negative side of the XT60 E1. Put heat shrink over the connection.
5. Put the switch into the case top cover with the wires sticking out the bottom, facing to the left.
6. Put the Battery Input Indicator into the case top cover, and secure using 2 M2x5 screws.
7. Put the ammeter into the case top cover, leaving it unplugged.
8. Connect the red wire from the 2 wire harness that came with the ammeter to the negative wire from the GX12-2 connector (pin 2). Secure them together using heatshrink and solder or a solder seal wire connector.
9. Connect the black wire from ammeter 2 wire harness to the output negative terminal on the boost board.
10. Connect the GX12-2 positive wire to the yellow wire from the ammeter 3 wire harness. Put them in the output positive terminal on the boost board.
11. Cut 2 lengths of 18 AWG wires approximately 12cm long. Trim both sides of both wires, and tin 1 side of each wire. Solder the wires to the UsbC PD buck converter. Make sure to keep the wires on the top of the board, you want the bottom of the board as flat as possible.
12. Connect the positive wire from the ammeter 3 wire harness to the positive wire from the Battery Input Indicator and the positive wire from the UsbC PD buck converter. (It might be easier to add a drop of solder to keep these 3 wires together) Place the 3 positive wires into 1 of the “VIN +” (input positive) terminals of the Boost Board.
13. Connect the negative wire from the ammeter 3 wire harness to the negative wire from the Battery Input Indicator and the negative wire from the UsbC PD buck converter. (It might be easier to add a drop of solder to keep these 3 wires together) Place the 3 negative wires into 1 of the “VIN -” (input negative) terminals of the Boost Board.
14. Put the Boost Board into the Case Body and secure with the 4 M2x8 screws in the corners. Use washers if needed. If having trouble getting all 4 in and secure, put them all in so that they’re loosely grabbing the posts, and then tighten them.
15. Screw the UsbC PD buck converter into the side wall of the case body using the last 2 m2x5 screws. There are 2 small holes to indicate where on the body the UsbC PD goes. If you want, add a dab of glue to the backside of the UsbC charger,
16. Connect the long wire from the switch into the other “VIN +” terminal on the Boost Board.
17. Place the case top cover partially on the case body, make sure the short wire from the switch is poking through the XT60 hole.
18. Put heat shrink tubing onto the short wire from the switch, then solder the short wire from the switch to the positive pin of the XT60 connector. Cover the connection with the heat shrink.
19. Push the XT60 wires into the case body, so that the X T60 E 1 sits flush with the body. Connect the negative wire from the XT60 to the “VIN -” terminal of the Boost Board.
20. Put the XT60 Plug on the M3x12 screw, and screw it in through the XT60 and through the case body. Secure the screw of the inside with a nut. Do the same on the other side with the other M3x12 screw and nut. Use washers if needed.
21. Connect the ammeter 2 wire harness and 3 wire harness into the back of the ammeter.
22. Plug in a battery and turn on to check voltage. It is recommended to use a multimeter to verify the output voltage shown on the ammeter is correct, as they can sometimes show voltages slightly above or below true voltage.
23. Plug the GX12-2 connector into your board, and it should start charging. Check the charging rate on the ammeter (numbers next to “A”). To change amperage, or charging rate, look for the blue rectangle with a screw on it, there are 3 on the board. Look for the one in the middle area of the board Labeled “CC” or “CC-Adj.” This adjusts the amperage flow rate. Turn the adjustment screw on this potentiometer CLOCKWISE to INCREASE amps (faster charge rate) and COUNTERCLOCKWISE to DECREASE amps (slower charge rate). Please note that you will be drawing higher amps from your input battery than you are putting out, please make sure the input battery can handle the amp draw.
24. Close the case top cover onto the case body. Use the 6 M2x6 screws to screw the lid shut. The screws all go in from the sides, 2 on the input side, 2 on the output side, and 1 on each body side. Make sure the GX12-2 wire goes though the notch on the output side, and that no wires are pinched. For extra durability, you can tie the GX12-2 wire in a knot inside the case, so that any accidental pulls or tugs shouldn’t pull the wires out of the Boost Board output terminals.
25. Thread some low profile hook and loop through the slots on the sides. They can accommodate straps up to 1.5mm tall, and 15mm wide. The GX12-2 cord can be wrapped through the heat sink fins when cool for transport. The hook and loop helps hold the cord in place. The hook and loop can also be “flipped” and secured to a battery under the charger, to keep a small charging package together. The charger is now complete and ready to use.
If you are having any build issues, or if you would rather have me make you one, you can contact me on Reddit or send me an email at aiye400info@gmail.com
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