here are the first panles that I’ve actually cut out. The process has been tedious to get all the variables right but it’s starting to turn out. Just creating the pattern took hours.

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This 48v @ 1000watt Controller & Motor kit with this battery setup.

So what would my battery capacity be?
Voltage: 12 Volts each
Style: AGM
Amp Hour: 18 Ah
Length: 7.13″
Width: 2.99″
Height: 6.57″
Weight: 13 lb. each

4 Batteries x 12volts x 18Ah = 864 W/hrs. The capacity isn’t nearly as high as my current system but maybe that doesn’t matter. It seemed like we could ride for days and a comparable scooter has a 30+ mile range. This could work.

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The problem I’m encountering now is that this rock solid 27 yr. old electric technology is a bit hard to come by today. I can find an electrical controllers from China for $79 that seem to do the same job as 50 pieces in this trike. Since the Palmer is a 12v system, it’s largely incompatible with parts from golf carts or scooters, which all seem to run on 24v, 26v, 48v, or 60v.

While disassembling, the motor busted a plate on the inside and I had to pull it open. the brushings are nearly gone and I need to find a replacement piece that I broke. So far I can’t find any info on this motor online. It seems that it’s no longer on the market.

Why are modern electric vehicle systems running on higher voltage? Time for me to investigate.
The first and most comprehensible info I’ve found is at Pedego Electric bikes.

What is VOLTAGE and which Voltage is best?
Voltage can be thought of as the pressure or strength of electric power. All things being equal (see AMPS below), the higher the voltage the better, because high voltages pass more efficiently through wires and motors. Very high voltages (100+ volts) can give you a nasty shock because they also travel through people rather well, but the sort of voltages found on electric bicycles (12 – 36 volts) are quite safe. As a rule, a 12 volt system is fine for low-powered motors, but more powerful machines work better with 36 volts.

The article goes on to discuss AMPS and Watts in a very comprehensible way. All of the info is useful for me.

With our existing 12V system, the Palmer Twosome is slow. On a slight incline with 2 people on board, it moves at a walking pace. On flat ground it might hit running speed, maybe. It’s sounding like the 12v motor is potentially part of the speed constraint. I’d think that with it’s beefy transmission and huge battery bank, it would still be able to hustle but that just doesn’t seem to be the case. This might encourage me to switch.

Batteries
The same Pedego article also talked about battery capacity. Battery capacity is rated in Amp/hours. There’s some weird factor about a 20h piece of that equation that I’m not bothering to understand right now. The important thing for me to note is that I should double the capacity theoretically needed due to system inefficiency. Once I get down to the nuts and bolts, I’ll revisit this part of the equation and really determine what I need.

The batteries that came with the Palmer are two Sea Volt Deep Cycle 215s. They’re 6 volts and have a capacity of 215 Amp/hours. To compare apples to apples, I’m gonna look at Watt/hours on all batteries and figure out how many watt/hours my system needs. After a quick refresher on my math skills,

Watt = Volts X Amps
Amps = Watts/Volts
215 X (Watts/Volts) / Hours X 6V
215 X (Watts/Volts) ÷ (Hours/1) X 6V
1290 W/hr in each battery

These batteries are over $240 a piece and after testing them at O’Reilly Autoparts, they seem to be in good condition. I’m not anxious to drop a $480 component of the system. Two 6V batteries only gives me a 12v system and I’m fairly confident these batteries aren’t gonna play well in series with any other type of battery to up my voltage.

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The first question I’m running into is whether I still need the Peerless transaxle transmission model 180B118. I think it’s a Peerless 800 Series. Here’s an exploded Transmission diagram and part list that I received from palmer. Peerless

From my limited understanding, there’s not much need for a transmission with modern motor systems. that said, it’s not necessarily a liability. It is added weight and there’s probably a little power loss running it through the transmission.

http://roms-peerless-transaxle-supply.ecrater.com/p/7186226/5-speed-peerless-820-series-037-transaxle

For the technically-minded bidder, the Forward-shift gear ratios are: 1st) 4.55:1; 2nd) 1.50:1; 3rd) 1:00:1; 4th) 0.79:1; and 5th) 0.61:1. Input pinion ratio is 2.54:1, final-drive/differential ratio is 8.02:1, and Reverse is 2.00:1. Other gear ratios are available for this transaxle — I can change ratios or convert this to a close-ratio transaxle, if you need it.

The last resource I’ve found on the Peerless transmission is a manual. Here’s the transmission manual.
Tecumseh-Peerless_Motion_Drive_System_-_Transmissions_&_Differentials(691218)

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I’m just gonna launch right into parts, pieces and what we’re doing.

We disassembled everything, sandblasted every part, and have been powder coating everything, piece-by-piece. I just tried pulling the power cables off the motor and the rusted nut broke something on the inside. Now I’ve pulled the motor apart and discovered a broken piece on the inside. There is a small square washer that snapped into pieces. It ripped the wires loose too.

The big question now is whether I try and fix this motor or replace it. Our Palmer scooter is 27 years old. Part of me would like to restore it to original, just fixed up, like an old car. Unfortunately the electronics are antiquated now. I would have a much easier time replacing the electronics with a modern controller, batteries, and throttle. That’s a heavy investment though. The batteries are the most expensive part of the puzzle. This is getting expensive. The old motor and electronics are much more complicated than a modern controller system. The pieces are expensive and the result is a slow scooter. For a $500 upgrade, our scooter could probably double in speed.

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Beautifully done. The hooping is pristine and the video is gorgeous. I couldn’t ask for a whole lot more in a hooping video.

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Some of the first round submission for Hooping Idol 2 look top notch and some look sub par. I feel like I’m going to wind up being the production quality critic throughout the competition so I’d like to express some expectations. Putting a video in this competition suggests that you want people to watch your video. If you want someone to watch your video, it’s appreciated when it seems like you put some effort into making it look good! More people will watch and more people will enjoy it!

We’re all so used to watching HD video nowadays that poor resolution video stands out like a sore thumb. Even the cheapest cameras you can buy today will shoot at 720p. For a video submission competition, that’s pretty much the minimum acceptable quality. Anything less than that will leave your video looking inferior. That said, much higher than that doesn’t add much. Also, if possible shoot at 30 fps. That’s ideal for the internet.

Youtube is now in wide format, as are most video cameras. If your video isn’t in 16:9 format, we’re all watching black bars on the side of the screen. And please please please… don’t shoot your video in portrait. A vertical image leaves me looking at two thirds blank screen. Boring.

Tripod! Shaky video is hard to watch and unsettling. A tripod is easy! If you need the camera to move, try using a tripod with only one leg extended. You can then pivot the camera off that point, allowing the camera to move, and the tripod helps greatly at stabilizing the shot. Another trick I’ll often use is to attach a tripod even though I’m not using it. The extra mass helps keep the camera from shaking.

Last, listen to your video once throughout. How is the mix? Is your music louder than your voice during a portion where words are important? Here’s a personal pet peave: Blank audio. There should be some sort of audio throughout the video, even if it’s just white noise. Here’s an invaluable tool I found making Hoop technique: if you have voiceover or a speaking portion, try running the audio through Levelator. It’s free, takes only seconds and really helps the audio quality.

Failing these simple things make a video hard to compare to the videos that succeed at these simple steps.

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Help build the SpinCycle by purchasing The Official Dudes of Hooping Calendar.

Two ways to contribute:

1. Donate.
2. Buy a calendar!

Thank you to all the contributors helping make the first DOH calendar happen! All procedes go to funding the SpinCycle.

Resellers

We would love for you to resell the calendar. Purchase a dozen or more and get a $10/calendar discount. For resale purchases go here.

About the fundraiser

Every year Spin Cycle builds the one of the largest shaded spaces on the playa and dedicates that space to hooping and music. It’s a massive undertaking for the hooping community and we spend about $10,000 to make it happen. That’s been funded primarily through camp dues and by camp organizers. In addition to the expenses we incur each year, we bring nearly $30,000 of equipment to the playa, most is volunteered personal property of our team. For the first time we’re asking the community for support in order to provide a more sustainable energy supply for the music that fuels this hooping space.

Our greatest need is power; we’ve exceded our generator capacity. Sound systems draw a lot of energy and the amount or power used fluctuates quickly, presenting a unique challenge for a generator. Large sound camps run multi kilowatt diesel trailers to power them. Day and night we play music for the hoopers and running a generator is loud, expensive, and creates pollution. Rather than increase our investment in gasoline powered electricity, we’re shifting to a solar power system.

Solar systems are expensive. We’re currently working with a solar expert to design a mobile solar system that is modular. Our hope is to purchase part of the system this year to supplement our existing generator, and complete the system next year. The total system cost is looking to run somewhere between $8000 & $10,0000 and about $6000 of that needs purchased this year. (We’ll have detailed specifications being completed right now and will have that info soon.)

We’re planning on raising this in two ways: soliciting donations and “The Official Dudes of Hooping Calendar.”

More Info on the Calendar coming Soon!
We’ve already signed up an amazing line up of male hoopers to get this thing rolling! More info coming soon!

When not on the playa, we’re expecting this solar system to be powering other festivals throughout California. Any procedes generated will be reinvested in the Spin Cycle and our events for hoopers at Burning Man.

Donate to Spin Cycle Solar

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