PL 8 - Q and A section - How to Set up - Use etc,

[shirley_hkg]

I'd like to purchase another PL8 if you are still in the business of selling and shipping Shirley?

You got message .

[biscuit]

Shirley have you another PL8 to sell me please?

[shirley_hkg]

Yes, and you should have told me to bring one to London.

I've taken all 12 (New-In-Box) units from a guy.

Will get back to you when I return to HKG.

[biscuit]

I wasn't going to indulge in a PL8. I have ZXD but it is pieces since I and then it. I got a Victron IP22 and am about to send it back as in practice it is nowhere near as programmable as we are led by Messrs Victron to believe, and charges as it pleases. Or perhaps its status screen tells lies about what it is doing. Whichever, the Victron is an annoying machine whereas the PL8 suits me, especially as it's indestructible.

[Burgerman]

You killed it?

[biscuit]

The zxd? Maybe. I have dropped it and there's a million of those minute screws to put back and my hands are waggly at the moment.
The Victron? No, I'm using it, but it is not what I had hoped. I'll just have to use a PL8 and a ps to float at my chosen voltage not Victron's, as I use that chair about every 2 days. It is annoying. The Victron wants to float at 27.6 and if you correct that with a custom preset then it will charge at 29.5 or so iirc. It's super to be able to see it on the phone cooking your battery in real time I'm sure, but there's no setting the charge voltage.

[Burgerman]

Well I have the software and I am sure you can set up a modified profile and SAVE it and it will do as you say?
I dont have a victron to test but as long as you keep telling it advanced, yess I am sure, no my house wont burn down etc then it lets you. You need to look fo custom, advanced, user, etc continually and ingnore he scare popups. But they try to make it invisible and hard. Its hidden in every step in plain sight. And if you dont save it and select it etc then you will get something different.

I just had a feelingI mised something there.
And came back to edit when it hit me.
You said PHONE
Dont use a phone! Those are for calls. Its not a computer.
Use a PC. Laptop. No wonder you cant edit it and save it properly.

[Arima]

Another PL8 landed in the US. Still has the sealing tape covering all the ports on it!

Thank You Shirley! Sorry for the late reply. This arrived about a week and a half ago...excellent job on the packaging!

[Burgerman]

The zxd? Maybe. I have dropped it and there's a million of those minute screws to put back and my hands are waggly at the moment.
The Victron? No, I'm using it, but it is not what I had hoped. I'll just have to use a PL8 and a ps to float at my chosen voltage not Victron's, as I use that chair about every 2 days. It is annoying. The Victron wants to float at 27.6 and if you correct that with a custom preset then it will charge at 29.5 or so iirc. It's super to be able to see it on the phone cooking your battery in real time I'm sure, but there's no setting the charge voltage.

PL8 is charge only. Doesent do float. Instead you charge at the correct CV for LONG ENOUGH that the battery is full. This takes around 8 hours at CV. So you choose the right voltage and current (12A max if XLR) and set it to do a max 8 hours CV or to terminate at around 750th to 1000th of capacity in amps depending on battery. This needs a little fine tuning. And you NEED a PC and a FUIM3 too. You also need some very hard to get balance port connectors in the event you want to charge lithium.

The PL8 is complete overkill and over complication for lead bateries. The ZXD is better on its own.

[biscuit]

Yes. Thank you for the offer of a preset. But my battery is small and very sulphated anyway, so I am quite happy experimenting with what I have meanwhile.

I will not allow a PC into my room. I have a neurk against them because 1) years ago I spent countless hours learning to get the PC do the stuff I wanted it to do, only for it to be out of date and useless information every couple of years. 2) every time I had a task for the PC it had a series of tasks for me first, preceded as often as not by a lengthy update. 3) its software has done its damdest to destroy the software I installed to do the few tasks I can't manage do without it, and sometimes it has succeeded. 4) it loses my files, makes me work on duplicates, does not give me permission to do that which it considers me unworthy to do. 5) it is basically a lunatic.

But I will see if my mother's PC will communicate with the Victron.

That miserable PC of mine stays in the garage. Once I have gone there and created a preset for the hobby charger, (and my PC has not wiped the FMA software, but give it time) it can always do that algo without the pc. That's how I manage my indoor grannychair.

I love the idea of the ZXD. I could use it in the garage, but indoors it's far too noisy. I'm not sure I can fix mine because my hands got really clumsy.

[LROBBINS]

Shirley says the next version of the ZXD is quiet, but at the moment the screen is only in Chinese. English coming in 2024.

[Burgerman]

will not allow a PC into my room. I have a neurk against them because 1) years ago I spent countless hours learning to get the PC do the stuff I wanted it to do, only for it to be out of date and useless information every couple of years. 2) every time I had a task for the PC it had a series of tasks for me first, preceded as often as not by a lengthy update. 3) its software has done its damdest to destroy the software I installed to do the few tasks I can't manage do without it, and sometimes it has succeeded. 4) it loses my files, makes me work on duplicates, does not give me permission to do that which it considers me unworthy to do. 5) it is basically a lunatic.

Because you are using a user version of windows that hasnt been properly configured.

You need the LTSC windows 10 intended for air traffic control, banks, cash machines etc.
I get ZERO interuptions, no messages poping up, no safety nazi stuff warning me of this or that, and it simply boots fast and sts there awaiting my commands. Always. The only updates it ever does are when I allow it, and no feature or other modern metro app or store stuff. Only security updates if required every couple of months. It just does what its told. And it allows me to do anything without rapping my knuckles as I turned all that nonsense off.

It still needs configuring and opting out of a bunch of things initially. Other than that it just great, quiet and totally behaved. It only does what I tell it. Also a decade of IN DATE and garanteed security updates. Because its intended for the sort of uses where this is essential. You dont want your air traffic control having to do a reboot or installing something or pop up boxes etc while controlling 100 jet liners...

[biscuit]

get ZERO interuptions, no messages poping up, no safety nazi stuff warning me of this or that, and it simply boots fast and sts there awaiting my commands. Always. The only updates it ever does are when I allow it

sounds like my phone. In addition, my phone only weighs about as much as a phone, always puts what I am busy with at the top of its list not hiding behind any decoys (though admittedly it sidelines the Victron app), goes with me everywhere and can do calls and texts, and any time I would like an eavesdropper in on my conversations it is right there offering to sell me what it heard mentioned.

If I get a burst of energy or in the new year I will consider LTSC on a laptop. I think you have some threads on here about it.

Well I have the software and I am sure you can set up a modified profile and SAVE it and it will do as you say

yes. you have a good thread about the Victron.

[shirley_hkg]

I received several enquiries on the availability of JST balance leads. They are running out of stock.

I may be able to get someone to make a lot as small as 50.
I'm planning to order them 1 metre long (with 20awg wires thickest it can get.)

Estimated at @$5.


By the way, please let me know if you are interested to have one or two for spare, and whether you want the XH /XE connector at the other end too.

[Burgerman]

get ZERO interuptions, no messages poping up, no safety nazi stuff warning me of this or that, and it simply boots fast and sts there awaiting my commands. Always. The only updates it ever does are when I allow it

sounds like my phone. In addition, my phone only weighs about as much as a phone, always puts what I am busy with at the top of its list not hiding behind any decoys (though admittedly it sidelines the Victron app), goes with me everywhere and can do calls and texts, and any time I would like an eavesdropper in on my conversations it is right there offering to sell me what it heard mentioned.

If I get a burst of energy or in the new year I will consider LTSC on a laptop. I think you have some threads on here about it.

Well I have the software and I am sure you can set up a modified profile and SAVE it and it will do as you say

yes. you have a good thread about the Victron.

No. A phone exists to sell you stuff, to market stuff at you, and to track you all the time. It sends crap loads of stuff to the marketing company that gave you its free (android) or rediculously expensive (apple) operating system. It exists not for your benefit but to data mine and track you.

With a PROPERLY configured and slightly hacked PC and software. You will never see an add, anything want registering, no need to sign in to anything at all, ESP GOOGLE, APPLE or MS, no software updates or windows updates unless you tell it. And no nags or free cut down software versions trying to get you to upgrade, and only LTSC security (not "feature") updates when you allow it to install once per month.

And a "smart" phone cant do anything very well. Theres better solutions for all its smart features. Its even worse at being a phone than my cheap unbreakable 1 month battery life flip phone is.


Send me your laptop. I will return it with a corect copy of windows, properly configured, with all the worlds best software also properly configured, and no popups or other anoyances to be seen. And no data tracking or mining even when online. And not even an anti virus running - never mind all the interconnected services and automated tracking and logging that rns all the time. Because you dont want that and dont need it. Clean mean and all the backups of updates, and downloaded programs etc stored away in windows. Gone!

It will fire up, surf the web, and work and do ONLY AS ITS TOLD and only when its told... And its all free.

[shirley_hkg]

I received several enquiries on the availability of JST balance leads. They are running out of stock.

I finally get someone to make a lot as small as 25.(too expensive to keep many stock.)

It is 1 metre long (20awg wires thickest it can get.) , with 0.5m㎡ silver coated audio grade telfon wires.
This will be the highest quality PL8 balance leads ever.

Estimated at @$5.


By the way, please let me know if you are interested to have one or two for spare, while stock last.

[shirley_hkg]

Here they are :
the heavyweight PL8 balance leads.

[Burgerman]

Already mentioned, I will have 4 thanks.

[steves1977uk]

Drat! One of my FUIM3's has died, the led stays on permanently and PC doesn't detect it. Is there a similar replacement I can buy in the UK?

Thanks,

Steve

[Burgerman]

Check cable...

[steves1977uk]

USB cable is fine as it works with my other FUIM3 I have BM, so it's definitely a bad one. Think the microcontroller chip has failed.

Steve

[Burgerman]

Well they appear on ebay periodically. And maybe you can order an alternative from shhirley. Or fit a BT module which you would not want to be without once you had it! Just ordered 3 more boards from woody. Already here.

[shirley_hkg]

Only 3 left.

[ex-Gooserider]

Roughly how much in US$ w/ shipping?

ex-Gooserider

[shirley_hkg]

https://www.wheelchairdriver.com/board/ ... =1&t=12088

[shirley_hkg]

Can I have a preset (regen discharge) to measure the capacity a pair or Gel in series?
Do I need the balance leads connected ?

[Burgerman]

No balance. All 12 cells in a 24v lead battery are "self balancing". Because the stock charge voltage is higher than the standard fully charged voltage. So all cells end up getting pulled up higher than the full voltage is. The only time they get out of balance is if stored for a long ime. And the next few charges rebalances them.

In order to measure Ah you need to do it over an approx time. Such as the 74Ah lead gel MKs. And the closr to the 20 hour rate you are then the more accurate capacity measurement is.

So you need to set the discharge rate to 1/20th of the capacity in Ah. So 74Ah, div by 20 = 3.70A discharge.

That runs close to the limit of the 100W discharge limit. So I normally do one at a time. (3.7A x 26V is 96 watts. So you can just do it. You want to test IN the chair via XLR?

If so I will do you a profile.
The only issue is that it will end about 1Ah too soon. Why? Because the long cable in the loom will show the charger that the battery has reached a pre set voltage sooner than it actually has. But not by much. Maybe 2%.

Is this the case?

If so I will upload a profile. If not what battery is it?

[Burgerman]

I will presume its 74Ah and MK gel? Will upload in an hour when people go away and I can concentrate!

[Burgerman]

This will not allow more than 12A charge to be set (XLR safe) and will charge at 10A. It is set to discharge at 3.75A and so at the 20H rate. It will stop when it reaches 10.8V per battery which is around 98% discharged. Make sure its at around 20C to get accurate measurement. Warmer gives a little more. Colder can give much less.

Sorry its late I forgot!

[shirley_hkg]