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

[shirley_hkg]

https://www.ruten.com.tw/item/show?21505373046736

or that one for 8K

RUTEN is a eBay affiliated , but does not accept Paypal. Yet to figure out a way to shop there.

[shirley_hkg]

I use BMS for routine recharge. It is sufficient and convenient.
However, PL8 is still my best tools when it comes to assembly of new packs. That's the reason I want to keep one or 2.

Another set to share with members here.

[expresso]

Shirley - which BMS do you use - that is working for you ?

can you provide a link - can i purchase one here if i wanted to try one or only comes from there ?

for many users - even with just ADD ON - a BMS would be better for them - they want to plug and play - would be easier to get some started this way -

i am just curious - about the BMS for that situation - is it a high power BMS - if it can be charged faster than just 8A or 10A charger ?

thanks

[Burgerman]

Its not just the particular BMS its the very specific way he uses it.

[expresso]

what specific way is that - it starts with the best BMS - in terms whats best for us -

then use it during recharging daily use ?

i get it on a brand new built pack - its harder to use a BMS to get it fully charged balanced etc, - using the PL 8 or Icharger now - would be the first step

then BMS for daily use ?

is that what you mean ?

[expresso]

for example - i have a friend or so called friend

he will never do what we do - he cant - he wont pay - wont learn nothing -

i know i tried for 15 years or more - it is what it is -

now if i gave him one of my ADD ONs for free lets say - with a BMS - he can then plug and play using the cheap chargers they give us

doing that - he would love it - dosnt have to do a thing -

thats what he wants - he wants what i have - but dosnt want to do anything about it - nothing can change his way of thinking - i gave up years ago - he blames me for his mistakes - picking chairs - then not happy with it - after i warned him not to get that chair - he did the same with now with the bounder

now he dosnt like it - he figured having lithium plug and play - and speed do it for him - it dosnt - 100ah is not enough so hes not much better than before - he cant deal with the cleaning of chains or adjusting - he went with Air tires because i got them - he got a flat and went all back to solids - again blames me for his choice of chair - Knowing well in advance - it has chains - has air tires - has only 100ah - lithium -

i made a cable for his chair just like mines to connect an ADD ON to it - i would lend him one of mines to use - but has to give it back each night for me to charge - etc, too much to do that way - could only work once in a while for a long ride if he wanted - thats the best i can do for him - or add a BMS to the ADD ON and leave it with him

i am sure he will screw that up because he wont pay attention to it - you cant charge both packs at same time - he would need to charge chair alone - and ADD ON alone one at a time - and that would be too much for him - i know what your going to say - thats how he is - i cant do anything else to help him

he just dosnt ride with me because he knows he cant do the range - i said its ok when you want to ride - we do what you can for that day etc, - nothing else i can do - even doing a BMS pack for him - i know it will be a headache for me - but thats it - nothing is going to fall in his lap and make it all good -

A BMS is good with a ADD ON - for most users and continue to use Lead in the chair - plug and play - when it dies it dies the pack - if it lasts 5 years that way - i would say its great - repeat another 5 years - and live your life - or just stay in your Zip code - cant do much more with lead -

[Burgerman]

thats what he wants - he wants what i have - but dosnt want to do anything about it - nothing can change his way of thinking - i gave up years ago - he blames me for his mistakes - picking chairs - then not happy with it - after i warned him not to get that chair - he did the same with now with the bounder

That sums up most people.
In life you get out (usually more) than you put in. So if you want huge range, or nice house, or whatever it may be, (that cute blonde?) you must put in the effort - the work. If that means learning then you must do it... If you dont then you are left behind among the also rans. Leave him be. His choice.

Some have drive. Like musk. Some have lazyness and wont take a risk. Those people are 98% of the world.

[expresso]

i have to leave him alone - he makes everything way too hard -

i am no expert and make many mistakes as you know - over the years with even the simple things - i somehow dont get it all - but in this case - i can help him if he was willing to get involved a bit -

he has the chair - has speed - he only needs a ADD ON - to be able to ride as far as i do - i have the ADD ON - i made him the cable - i paid for it - didnt ask for money - if he had to pay he wounldnt do it - hes not committed enough to want to do it

i advised him years ago to get the sunrise chair 646 or 636 - he went with the R4000 Pride - big mistake - never used it - chair is SLOW - blames me for it - his choice - i demoed that chair once - i did say i liked it before i demoed it - then i said NO - dont get it - i had it for 2 weeks at that time -

he went ahead and got - i think he felt i was bullshitting him so he dosnt get a good chair- i cant read his mind or his way of coming to conclusions - so hes stuck with a chair he never used - then again with the bounder - hes not happy with it - he should have got the 646 chair instead - but he didnt

because i was getting the bounder with the speed and lithium - he got excited - he uses an Old chair thats falling apart - no features what so ever - no tilt nothing - hard as rock - he loves it - i suggested back then - if you like it so much - just get new one same model - forget the others then

like many here may not understand my way of thinking at times - i dont get his - so figure how much worse that is - hes a bit older than me so age may be something also now - before i came along and met him - we live in the same building - he never went more than 20 blocks at most around the area -

i dragged him to go more distance - here and there - once i started with the lithium - i told him then - this is what you need if you want to continue going - he could have saved a little for the costs - i would have built it - etc, done all the work - for an ADD ON - to keep it simple and cheaper - it never entered his mind to consider it -

he wants someone to knock on his door - hand him a pack install it - and plug and play and leave - its not going to happen - he holds a grudge with me because of all of this - i didnt do nothing but tried to help him see things different - he dosnt even want to talk about riding - hes jealous of me - but dont see why - he can do it also with my help - he has the chair already - bounder

i made the cable for him - all he needs is a pack with BMS - the only way he may say ok is if just give it to him made - free of charge everything - then maybe he accept that - not sure thats a good idea to do that - if your not invested in something you wont care what happens to it - and he wont invest anything

[Burgerman]

Best bet, dont get involved. He isnt prepared to do anything or blame you then just ignore him. Some cant be helped. You have seen it on here with some people.

[expresso]

yes your correct there - i have had others here tell me the same thing - who know us both - live here also

thats how it is - he always was and will be

i wish i had someone help me when i wanted to do it -i would have taken the help what ever it may have been - i just gave up and went all in with this -

i wanted so much to have a easy way out also - ready made packs etc, etc, - i couldnt understand why there wouldnt work - then needing a new charger PSU - i didnt know - i would have needed a PSU - was very strange all of this to me and way over my head for many reasons

when i found this site - i read it some and didnt bother much for many years - it was out of my reach at that point - i wasnt ready for it - it took many years later that i revisited and one step at time i had to do it - i was done with lead that year - reached its end - either i do it or i stay home like him - limited to a few miles at best - 15 miles being the best you can do on the best of lead bricks for a few times at best

so useless -

i leave it alone - i hope to get a ride out next week if weather warms up - want to use the new pack i did on the bounder

[Burgerman]

Some will never be ready to dive in and give it a go. Everything is too hard. too complicated for them. Not prepared to lern, risk, invest, or anthing tht disrupts their normal routine. So they dont get the advantages that you do. Thats up to them. Sometimes there IS no simple pain free answer.

[expresso]

i will be riding solo once again this year -

i managed one friend to do it only so far - she can do it with me -

once in a while - she takes a long ride - she did it to be free of lead and worry about being stuck etc, - shes an active user - not so much as a long range rider like me - but active always on the go here and there etc,

before this she always had the brush less invacare chair with lead - and those worked good for her - they lasted alot longer -

they stopped those chairs - she went to sunrise chair 646 - and then she realized how bad lead was - and we did the 200ah pack for her chair - actually i did it for mines but then i never got the chair- she got a new chair and so the pack went to her instead -

she cant be without it now -

[Burgerman]

Well I have old lithium packs, headway, in 3 chairs. 120Ah. No 200Ah yet as I was trapped on bet for too long. But hopefully will be ordering 2 packs soon. For my almost unused Q700 chair and my salsa chair. Those still have lead! But are mostly backups anyway.

[expresso]

i have no lead chairs that i use outdoors

my only lead chair is indoor chair only with smal 36 ah headway add on - very first pack i ever did - its fine for in the house use

last i check it think its more like a 24ah pack now - its been used by me - gave to quickie to try - for a few years - before she got new chair and got the 200ah she has now - she was hooked with the add on - with out it - chair lead sucked

my lead in that chair i think is over 5 years old - i am sure they are useless without the add on - but in the house - i charge it twice a week - while i am on my computer -

i am interested with the Icharger in case i have to use one for real -

i dont want to be caught with having to get one asap and use it - i will be asking fishingjunky for help if that happens

[fishinjunky]

i have no lead chairs that i use outdoors

my only lead chair is indoor chair only with smal 36 ah headway add on - very first pack i ever did - its fine for in the house use

last i check it think its more like a 24ah pack now - its been used by me - gave to quickie to try - for a few years - before she got new chair and got the 200ah she has now - she was hooked with the add on - with out it - chair lead sucked

my lead in that chair i think is over 5 years old - i am sure they are useless without the add on - but in the house - i charge it twice a week - while i am on my computer -

i am interested with the Icharger in case i have to use one for real -

i dont want to be caught with having to get one asap and use it - i will be asking fishingjunky for help if that happens

I'm here if ya need me

[shirley_hkg]

Two units arrived this evening. Good cosmetics, and seem to be of lightly used.
Loaded BM's preset to it and is charging now. No error encountered.

[expresso]

nice - your lucky to have found some and in good shape -

once your used to something like the PL 8 - hard to change - but for any new user that starts this now - iCharger is the best way to go -

PL8 is a gamble now - no support or repairs for them - use them as long as they last - hopefully for many more years

[expresso]

would $200 be worth it now to get another PL 8 - New ?

i may have found one - waiting to hear back -

[shirley_hkg]

I have 4 more coming on their way, and another one, with FUMI3, I want to buy.

iCharger is said to be 70A capable, but can it do hours of such magnitude ? Hobbist's pack are small , so need only minutes to finish, whereas our packs are 2xx Ah and will take hours to get fully done.

IMO, it would be as useful as my BMS , if it cannot plot a graph. My BMS uses contactor , so the charging current could be at will, 20A, 40A, 70A, 100A …

[fishinjunky]

I have 4 more coming on their way, and another one, with FUMI3, I want to buy.

iCharger is said to be 70A capable, but can it do hours of such magnitude ? Hobbist's pack are small , so need only minutes to finish, whereas our packs are 2xx Ah and will take hours to get fully done.

IMO, it would be as useful as my BMS , if it cannot plot a graph. My BMS uses contactor , so the charging current could be at will, 20A, 40A, 70A, 100A …

To be cautious I don't go over 40amps to 50amps with my icharger-4010duo. I would only ever use the full 70amps if I needed a really quick top off. But not for long periods.

I'm playing around with the software and trying to make sense of the graphs. But I doubt it will ever be as nice as the pl8 was. We shall see how it does over time as I'm just speculating.

[fishinjunky]

would $200 be worth it now to get another PL 8 - New ?

i may have found one - waiting to hear back -

I don't have experience with the pl8 but 200$ seems like a reasonable price I would buy it. I bet the price for used pl8 is only going to go up the less available the used ones become

[expresso]

thats excellent to find 4 more - may i ask how much did you get them for ?

are they new or used some ?

the graph may not be as clean or clear to view with the icharger - but you can pick just volts on the software so it will display just the volts

since i dont have one - i cant say - but when fish gets around to using the software - we see - again dont expect it as the PL8 - i am curious to see the graph also -

how much would be too much in your opinion on any PL 8 today ? $200 a good deal - ?

problem is if its not as stated or breaks in a few weeks etc, then your shit out of luck - but if half as good as a new one or brand new as i was told

should last years

i am waiting on response - nothing yet

[shirley_hkg]

$200 a good deal - ?

I'd say YES.


problem is if its not as stated or breaks in a few weeks etc, then your shit out of luck - but if half as good as a new one or brand new as i was told
should last years

That's the point. We trust PL8, function wise and robustness wise. People said you can buy a used trouble free Toyota blindfolded .

[Scooterman]

Hi, would anyone have a copy of the CCS Firmware that works with PL8 software version 3.36?

For some reason I'm getting CRC error when connecting PL8?

I've tried reinstalling the firmware and several USB leads but no dice.

[LROBBINS]

My recollection is that the firmware update is done by using an installer file rather than the CCS file. The installer is too large to attach here, so here's a Drive link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16lzZ60ugKRz_AATH8U29RSdkzGEWAQwy/view?usp=sharing

[Burgerman]

This full ccs has it built in. Run this install, update firmware.

[LROBBINS]

John,

That's the same installer I sent via link to Drive, but HOW did you attach such a large file here?

[Burgerman]

I am the owner of the forum, the admin. Limits on file size must not apply to me?

I just attached it...

If everyone did that the forum size would end up a crazy size. Its already 13.9GB compressed. And hosting has limits! So I may delete the 13MB file in a few days.

[Scooterman]

FAO: Leonard and BM.

Thanks guys I new you'd come through for me.

Much appreciated

[Scooterman]

Its already 13.9GB compressed. And hosting has limits! So I may delete the 13MB file in a few days.

I guess that's why you have to keep attachments to 356kb max (I think?) Otherwise the website would be ginormous!