Recommend Lou's original idea
I had my Staton gearbox converted to tri-hybrid for ~$40, including shipping. Dave drilled the hole for me and I just had to wrench it together. My intermediate shaft turns at 1100-1600 r/m, perfect for motor/gen PTO.
Just to update, my motor/gen was apparently bad. Four volts are useless, no matter the current. The new one (~$30 delivered) puts out the good volts. And the controller also worked. It blinks like it should when hooked up to the battery, while being charged from my motor/gen. The weather got cold so I could not test the whole system (motor/gen, controller, battery, and Nuvinci auto shifter as electric load) while riding, but I'm guessing it's ok. I'm also guessing there's enough extra power for a 12v light in front. I'll hang the bike off and check it out with the hyperterminal from my wife's netbook and my Radioshack voltmeter first.
We need to fully appreciate the practicality of Lou's thinking. This is a system that is affordable, balanced, and available to anyone using a Staton gearbox. I could have Mickey Moused around for months otherwise. There are lots of builds that could easily be retrofitted. I did it, so believe me, you could too!
Best to all;
Bob D.
I had my Staton gearbox converted to tri-hybrid for ~$40, including shipping. Dave drilled the hole for me and I just had to wrench it together. My intermediate shaft turns at 1100-1600 r/m, perfect for motor/gen PTO.
Just to update, my motor/gen was apparently bad. Four volts are useless, no matter the current. The new one (~$30 delivered) puts out the good volts. And the controller also worked. It blinks like it should when hooked up to the battery, while being charged from my motor/gen. The weather got cold so I could not test the whole system (motor/gen, controller, battery, and Nuvinci auto shifter as electric load) while riding, but I'm guessing it's ok. I'm also guessing there's enough extra power for a 12v light in front. I'll hang the bike off and check it out with the hyperterminal from my wife's netbook and my Radioshack voltmeter first.
We need to fully appreciate the practicality of Lou's thinking. This is a system that is affordable, balanced, and available to anyone using a Staton gearbox. I could have Mickey Moused around for months otherwise. There are lots of builds that could easily be retrofitted. I did it, so believe me, you could too!
Best to all;
Bob D.