What's the latest upgrade advice for the regulator/rectifier? Have been reading some old threads where peeps have installed various makes of MOSFET reg/rec and also read on the Electrex site about NOT using them with Lithium Ion batteries. I love losing 4Kg by having LiIon batteries and don't really wanna go back to a lead brick so what choices are there? Any input appreciated TIA
I have a Lithium, loses 3 kg, but I can't feel any difference. My standard rec/rec works fin with it as it only sees volts coming out of a wire.
This is interesting reading, I've been looking into it as the standard reg/recs outputs tend to wander upwards and I've just pulled a fkd lithium battery out so it's time for something that regulates better. https://shoraipower.com/Overview-of-Voltage-Regulator-Types
I got a diavel or panigale reg used off eBay for about £40. About £7 or £8 for the triumph link cable and sorted.
It is very easy to fit a voltmeter. If you don't want to go that far then just connect a multimeter to the battery and play around at different revs and loads to give you confidence in the charging voltages that your system puts out.
Thanks guys all useful stuff! Yes the Panigale is supplied with a lithium battery so I'd imagine its regulator is up to the job, cheers!
Yes thank you, the problem is when it starts wandering high, I just don't want the hassle and would prefer a better-clamped output device to start with... probably won't end up saving anything when it goes but there's always hope!
Have a look at Series Regulator/Rectifiers. Rather than shunting to earth these switch off. Electrex do these but you have to modify the connectors to fit as there is no specific kit for DUCATI.
If you think that the 1299 pani reg/rec for the lithium is different, then a check of the parts lists should show that. I doubt that it is. All reg/recs output DC volts, and all manufacturers want those volts to be reasonably stable whatever kind of battery is being charged. I usually fit voltmeters to my bikes and have never had any of them putting out a voltage that was too high for comfort.
OK thanks guys, I tried a couple of standard regs yesterday and both were moving to over 15V from time to time, have a few more I can try out today otherwise it's probably going to be one of the Electrex or Shendingen MOSFET jobs by the looks of things...
Any pointers on suitable units on the Electrex site please? Am reading on their site but struggling to see which ones auto shut off...
Search 'series' in the regulator rectifiers. http://www.electrexworld.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?WD=series&PN=RR110.html#SID=216?aRR110
If the reg/rec is working fine then any of modern ones will do the job just fine. LiFePO4 batteries are not all equal. The cheap ones won't last long mainly because the cells are of dubious quality, go out of balance, and die quickly. So, it's not necessarily the regulators fault. If you see the voltage rise to high, it means the regulator is trying hard but because the battery is knackered, it can't do it's job. I make my own using genuine A123 cells from a reputable source and hand-match them carefully. They usually last about 2-3 years.
Had a Shorai in a 1098 and it lasted about 3 years, balance charging and leaving them on store charge when not being used for an extended period helps prolong the life. I replaced mine when the charger was having difficulty putting it onto a full charge from storage, although it would still start the bike from store I worried that a bank was on the way out and I'd read about some of these batteries just exhibiting sudden failure, one minute fine, next nothing, not wanting to be stranded, I junked it. I only know enough about voltage regulation to be dangerous. Series regs can have drawbacks too, they can introduce voltage spikes on the alternator, so I've been told by people who know more than me. Shorting the output is not as bad as it sounds, if the output is shorted then high current means low volts, so its not so bad. I have a Shindengen shunt reg/rec waiting to go on come the winter. My rule now is only to install a LiFe into a bike if space is so limited that it dictates installing something with the highest charge density available, I have one in a Guzzi special for just that reason. Personally I find battery life & cost implications just too high over the weight loss to justify it That said I had no issues whatsoever with the Shorai when it was in the bike.
Please try an reread the old threads. We've had Ducati fires caused by incorrect battery type fitment. The technical issues are deep and not suitable for electro-hobbiests. The very short answer is over heating of the type of regulator that is expecting a LEAD ACID battery load.... totally different to a Lipo or other Lithium technologies.
Well I have Skyrich and JMT lithium batteries, both over 3 years old, and a box full of standard Ducati-fit regulators. It is not that the battery is 'old/cheap and therefore requiring more charge current' at all, the problem is that the regulators are not clamping their output voltages sufficiently and therefore their outputs are rising to dangerous-for-the-battery voltage levels, hence looking into more modern, more suitable, regulators. I've just ordered a Shendingen or whatever it's called however I'm happy to use something more suitable/better-controlled.
Yes I read on the Electrex site that the regs I was looking at should not be used with lithium batteries.
@AirCon Pray tell us then is there any difference between installing a series or shunt regulator when installing a) A LiFe or the like? b) Normal Lead acid or AGM battery? I've already read a lot of the threads on the issue, but not all, I understand there are risks and your abhorrence of Lithium technology when applied to automotive charging systems for sound technical reasons All I stated was I had a LiFe in the 1098 for 3 years, no issue, not one.............apart form the fekin cost of them. If anything was inferring don't install one, but more for cost issues than anything else. The Electro-Hobbiest
