Erratic voltage

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Time Warp said:
I went to buy one @ AU$181.50, imagine my surprise when I saw the same TriSpark unit for AU$131.32 at Rexs-speedshop in the UK (and it had to be posted from AU to the UK)
Pays to shop around it seems.
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Tri-Spark doesn't compete with it's dealers.

I sell their products for quite a bit less than you can get them direct, but it only makes sense for people in the US to buy from me.

Besides dealer pricing, shipping 10 units doesn't cost anywhere near 10 times the cost of shipping 1. The same would be true of your dealer in the UK - they probably buy 10-20 units at a time and the shipping is 2-3 times what you would pay for in shipping for one driect.
 
Danno said:
I know they make at least two different Pods, because I made the mistake of ordering the wrong one and it wasn't long for this world. A Mk III charging system will fry a Pod made for older Lucas setups. Perhaps the 3-phase, combined with the small Li-battery fried the Pod? Is there a 3rd level Podtronics regulator?
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Not sure today. They used to have POD-1P (120watt) POD-3P (three-phase) POD-1P-HP (180? watt). They also had one with a built-in capacitor so a battery was not needed.
 
Dave, if you have to import a Trispark Mosfet I believe Aust. to NZ. couriers are not to bad, I have even had a shipment from Andover [header pipes etc] ordered Jan 22 delivered Feb 01. Is your problem bike a Mk3 or earlier as I have been doing a bit of research into what battery I can fit into my Mk3 as I don't know enough about the new lithium types I am angling towards a YTX20CHBS but I am not sure that it will fit [ I am hoping to get a dead one from one of my M/C shop contacts to check fitment].
 
marshg246 said:
Tri-Spark doesn't compete with it's dealers.

I sell their products for quite a bit less than you can get them direct, but it only makes sense for people in the US to buy from me.

Besides dealer pricing, shipping 10 units doesn't cost anywhere near 10 times the cost of shipping 1. The same would be true of your dealer in the UK - they probably buy 10-20 units at a time and the shipping is 2-3 times what you would pay for in shipping for one driect.
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I am not in the UK but now know why the unit is much cheaper there (around US$101) , I will get a Shindengen SH775 instead most likely from the USA or Eastern Beaver if they have them.

If I made it QD plug and play it could be used on multiple bikes.
 
marshg246 said:
Tri-Spark doesn't compete with it's dealers.

I sell their products for quite a bit less than you can get them direct, but it only makes sense for people in the US to buy from me.

Besides dealer pricing, shipping 10 units doesn't cost anywhere near 10 times the cost of shipping 1. The same would be true of your dealer in the UK - they probably buy 10-20 units at a time and the shipping is 2-3 times what you would pay for in shipping for one driect.
Click to expand...

I see no mention of lithium ion or lithium iron battery support using this MOSFET regulator rectifier on the TriSpark page.

Are you saying that it works without issues with the charging requirements for lithium ion/iron motorcycle batteries?

I saw the comment about old bikes and fire. You mean like this? Gotta tell ya, it really stinks up a garage when this happens.

Erratic voltage
 
Schwany said:
I see no mention of lithium ion or lithium iron battery support using this MOSFET regulator rectifier on the TriSpark page.

Are you saying that it works without issues with the charging requirements for lithium ion/iron motorcycle batteries?

I saw the comment about old bikes and fire. You mean like this? Gotta tell ya, it really stinks up a garage when this happens.

Erratic voltage
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IMHO Lithium Ion is extremely dangerous - I want no fires between my legs that are wrapped around a gas tank.

Lithium Iron is well known to be safer but the charging systems on old bikes are not designed for them. Fortunately, the voltage is below what Lithium Iron wants so it's probably OK. I've asked Tri-Spark if the MOSFET Regulator is OK for Lithium Iron and I was told yes, but I'm still a little concerned.

I do know people who have run Lithium Iron batteries without problem and they are amazing at how much power they provide and how small and light they are. I also know that the Tri-Spark MOSFER regulator provides much smoother power (less ripple/spikes) and that is a good thing for Lithium batteries.

I am NOT a battery expert - I've simply studied it, read the horror stories, and have some personal experience. Personally, I use AGM batteries exclusively and when I work on bikes that have Lithium Ion batteries, I take them out and store them in a box outside until I'm done with the bike.
 
I was using an small AGM. It worked more or less. I replaced it with a higher amp hour thinner Antigravity lithium battery thinking it might work better. Gonna start it as soon as I get out of this message box. Only reason I'm doing it is I need the battery for the Boyer, and I have very little space for a battery on my version of Norton. The OEM battery box was cut out of the frame when I got the bike. I'm not even sure it ever had a battery box. It was a big magneto setup.

Anyway, if it starts melting the regulator or battery after I get it running, I'll know the whole experiment was a mistake. I might be in touch regarding the tri-spark MOSFET regulator.
 
Danno said:
I know they make at least two different Pods, because I made the mistake of ordering the wrong one and it wasn't long for this world. A Mk III charging system will fry a Pod made for older Lucas setups. Perhaps the 3-phase, combined with the small Li-battery fried the Pod? Is there a 3rd level Podtronics regulator?
Click to expand...
I bought the HO kit from TS - a bundled 3-phase POD with stator.
 
possm said:
Dave, if you have to import a Trispark Mosfet I believe Aust. to NZ. couriers are not to bad, I have even had a shipment from Andover [header pipes etc] ordered Jan 22 delivered Feb 01. Is your problem bike a Mk3 or earlier as I have been doing a bit of research into what battery I can fit into my Mk3 as I don't know enough about the new lithium types I am angling towards a YTX20CHBS but I am not sure that it will fit [ I am hoping to get a dead one from one of my M/C shop contacts to check fitment].
Click to expand...
I sent Steve an email asking if any stockists here have them. I know Tim doesnt. I also asked him about shipping times.

I wouldnt get a Lithium again. I got this one six years ago, and I think we understand better that they dont work that well with our bikes. I had thought at the time that I would be getting a estart upgrade when I did my resto-mod, but I put that on hold, and before there were so many LED options for lighting - which is why I got the uprated charging system.

I am going with a Motobatt AGM.

You should just use some cardboard and packing tape to mock up a box of the size of the battery.
 
Yes been there done that but it's the height that is touch and go that's why I want to try before I buy.
 
Schwany said:
I was using an small AGM. It worked more or less. I replaced it with a higher amp hour thinner Antigravity lithium battery thinking it might work better. Gonna start it as soon as I get out of this message box. Only reason I'm doing it is I need the battery for the Boyer, and I have very little space for a battery on my version of Norton. The OEM battery box was cut out of the frame when I got the bike. I'm not even sure it ever had a battery box. It was a big magneto setup.

Anyway, if it starts melting the regulator or battery after I get it running, I'll know the whole experiment was a mistake. I might be in touch regarding the tri-spark MOSFET regulator.
Click to expand...
What types of issues did you have with your AGM?

I'd be very hesitant to use the lithium ion battery without knowing the rest of the charging system was fully compatible.
 
The MotoBatt's are good but did not like the terminal connection (Not Norton)
All I did was machine brass blocks that attach (attach and leave alone) with M6 cap screws, any cable or wire attaches to those, three on each block (+ & - )
The thread in the battery looks to be alloy so did not want to cycle them.

Erratic voltage
 
swooshdave said:
What types of issues did you have with your AGM?

I'd be very hesitant to use the lithium ion battery without knowing the rest of the charging system was fully compatible.
Click to expand...
Quite possibly nothing was wrong with the AGM. I found what in my not an electrical engineer speak was a leak to ground in my headlight. Not a direct short, but the high beam was connected to ground. It was never on a switch, but once removed from ground, my system ohm'd out properly. My headlight is a Bates 5.75" unit, and I wired it dumbass a long time ago. Kind of surprising it worked at all. None of the electronics on my bike is Norton OEM other than the rotor and stator. And there are no Norton switches on the bike.

I started the bike up and ran it for about 18 minutes with the exhaust end pointing outside the garage. Nothing got hot except the spark plugs, cylinders and exhaust, and running with the lights off I was getting a little over 12V at the battery. I didn't test the output with the lights on, but it is probably under 12V. I'll do that tomorrow. Essentially I'm barely keeping the battery charged, but making enough juice to make the Boyer happy. An LED headlight is planned.

I'm not that worried about the lithium battery with my weak single phase 2 wire alternator. I don't worry about a lot of things I should probably worry about.

By the way, I wired up the PODtronics so that I can toggle it out of the electrical path for remote charging with a lithium battery charger. Shorts are my only real concern. I need a couple more inline fuses, and I should be fine.

Old single phase alternator, PODtronics unit is a 1P-MAX, Boyer is MkIV, coils are dual output expoxy filled coil, plugs are Autolite 3924, battery is a Antigravity 401. I let the battery sit for 20 minutes after running and checked it. Voltage was 13.28. I hooked up the charger. I'll leave it on there for an hour.
 
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I wasnt worried about the Shorai either, but seems prudent to replace it now that it is 6 yrs old and my Pod is kapodt.
 
If I could fit a bigger battery in the thing I use as a battery box, I'd put one of those Yellow Motobatt batteries in there. I had that Motobatt in my amazon wish list for a couple of weeks before deciding on the Antigravity wallet size battery. I tried using a battery almost the size of the Motobatt and it was too tight of a fit.

The larger budget priced TPE battery I bought and tried was a Lithium Iron battery that came with docs claiming it could be used with a standard charger and in a motorcycle with a standard charging system. Cheap connections, but I would have used it if it fit. Unfortunately, the Antigravity battery I am using appears to be spec'd as Lithium Ion. Maybe I'll need a small fire extinguisher in my tool backpack. The regulator seems to be doing it's job though, and overcharge with the old single phase 2 wire alternator is highly unlikely.

I went out this morning and checked the battery voltage after resting overnight in 32 degree weather and it is at 13.9V. I won't know much about the real world performance or fire hazard until spring when I can ride again. Supposed to snow today.

Good luck with the battery regulator rectifier fun.
 
I just did a search and found that Shorai is a Lithium IRON battery. Please correct if this is wrong. Tnx,
Jaydee
 
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