Levo / Kenevo (gen1) Range Extender thread

Doomanic

🛠️Wrecker🛠️
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Jan 21, 2018
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Spesh want you buy the new Levo with the big battery.
 

Thewootts

New Member
Aug 19, 2018
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42
united kingdom
I've almost finished my 10s2p range extender. It has light sockets built into the case. Its slow going as i'm super busy at present.

When i have finished it ill post up some picks...I have two weeks off over x-mass, I aim to get a couple of working prototypes out to friends then hopefully.

I reckon can do them for about £230, if you want more capacity it will literally be the extra cost of the cells and a bit more 3D print time

A 10s2p extender would allow me a full day at most bike parks on a single charge, plus its small and light.

Main issue I can see at the moment is one pack trying to charge the other if the potential is different. just need to figure out whats going on with the spesh bms.

Spesh asking £750 for 40cells and a cheap bms is just daylight robbery.... absolutely ridiculous.
 
Last edited:

Melv

Member
Sep 11, 2018
18
6
Bucks
I brought a China pack 10s4p around the 360wh, had a few issues I tried to work around which was what you said, reserve pack charging spesh battery so motor didn't work as now in charge mode. Solution was a couple diodes on each power line, works like a dream now. Went out for a poodle last week with 51% battery rode 18 miles 25% used.
 

Thewootts

New Member
Aug 19, 2018
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42
united kingdom
Well that answers my question about the spesh bms not blocking reverse current thanks. That's interesting that the battery went into charge mode. Do you know what voltage drop you saw over the diode? How much heat does it create? Did you splice into the motor cable or did you make a custom cable? .....all these questions? knowledge is power!!!!!

The Motor-battery loom from spesh is about £80 suppose it's worth getting one so you can put bike back to standard.
 

Melv

Member
Sep 11, 2018
18
6
Bucks
I had fun and games for a few weeks, the voltage was only .1 difference and levo didn't like it, so I equalised the voltage and off we go again. A few days later going to work bike cut out light flashing on Levo ( charging Mode ) switched off China battery and off we go again. Cant tell you voltage drop or heat as I'm not into electronics, I did speak to a guy on diodes and he said get a big one so I did, biggest I could find was a blocking Schottky 15a/45v that's a mine field in its self. (Any help here would also be good) I wired them in the top cover with connectors so if I was out and it popped I could easily disconnect and remove put on spare or connect without diode and be able to get home without pushing. Run 151 Miles so far and all good, I brought a new loom and top cover expensive but kept the originals all intact.

IMG_20181121_1928354.jpg
 

Thewootts

New Member
Aug 19, 2018
58
42
united kingdom
That is all steller Information, thanks ? although I'm an auto electricion my electronics knowledge is limited. Schockly diodes I was also looking at, they leak reverse current so they will actually help keep the packs stay balanced. Doing rough ohms law I reckon diodes will scrub about 20watts off peak power. But that's fine as I never needed all the power anyway.
 

Hodge100

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Nov 25, 2018
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I am in the process of getting the small range extender fo my 2018 Levo, do you have to have it fitted all the time or can you just in plug it just use the normal battery? If gong in a longer rod plug it in and use it? Or is it wired in all th time?
 

Thewootts

New Member
Aug 19, 2018
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42
united kingdom
Hopefully below is a link for an ideal diode designed for e-bike battery packs in parallel. These are more expensive but have practically no voltage drop across them compared to a Shockley diode.

https://www.ebike-solutions.com/med... Operating Instructions Ideal Diodes V1.0.pdf

I am in the process of getting the small range extender fo my 2018 Levo, do you have to have it fitted all the time or can you just in plug it just use the normal battery? If gong in a longer rod plug it in and use it? Or is it wired in all th time?

I'm guessing you ordered the extenders that are being pushed in this thread? you can just plug it in and use it whenever you need it. i would maybe use it all the time tho as it will put less stress on your main battery.
 

pgtips

Well-known member
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Jun 3, 2018
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I am in the process of getting the small range extender fo my 2018 Levo, do you have to have it fitted all the time or can you just in plug it just use the normal battery? If gong in a longer rod plug it in and use it? Or is it wired in all th time?
Hi Paul. The wiring on mine is been made to use it all the time mate. so I have included a spare top cover with notch cut on it for the wire to go through. Looks allot neater in my opinion. If you don't wont to use the extender just turn it off the button on the side of the extender..

P.S I just posted it to you this morning.
 

Thewootts

New Member
Aug 19, 2018
58
42
united kingdom
600 euros for a 20cell pack!! For an extra 100 bucks you could get a replacement battery from spesh and have 50%more range. I'm not doubting it's going to be a well-built device that will work perfect, However as long as the batteries can be balanced charged and a good quality reverse current protection is used you cant really ask anything else from it.
 

Thewootts

New Member
Aug 19, 2018
58
42
united kingdom
The problem with carrying a spare battery is the weight, I don’t want to carry hat weight on my back so a range extender is far better option in my situation.
Yes, valid point lugging around a full battery is a going to be a right pain.

But, as far as the electronics side of things go its easy to be woo'ed with techy phrases. None of these guys have done anything new. For years touring e- bikes and commuters have been parralel linking lipo packs. These guys have just jumped on the initiative and got a neat package for people to buy.
 

Hodge100

New Member
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Nov 25, 2018
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Very true, we need them as small and neat, I have bought one that fits into the bottle holder, as pictured in this thread.
 

HKP57

Active member
Jul 7, 2018
82
98
Central Scotland
Yes, valid point lugging around a full battery is a going to be a right pain.

But, as far as the electronics side of things go its easy to be woo'ed with techy phrases. None of these guys have done anything new. For years touring e- bikes and commuters have been parralel linking lipo packs. These guys have just jumped on the initiative and got a neat package for people to buy.

you are spot on about the technology but none of the manufacturers have solved a fundamental problem.

I am still very new to MTB and e-bikes having only covered now 300 miles. So I added Dannys range extender and now the bike far out performs the distance my Ass can go on the saddle :confused::geek:

IMG_3495.jpg


IMG_3266.jpg
 

E-Biker67

New Member
Oct 31, 2018
15
7
Germany
Does this solution work at the 2019 Levo and first of all where can I get the information about the specification and so on.
 


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