# Charging battery when away from home



## jann71 (25 Sep 2020)

Just had my first 3 day adventure sleeping in my van with the bike. I would usually stay in a hotel so that I can charge the bike battery but this is cheaper 

Looks like few possible options but I know nothing about watts and amps.

Has anyone charged a battery with electric hookup on a campsite?

Or would something like this have enough juice to charge the battery?

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/phone...rtable-power-bank-black-red-10208368-pdt.html


View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07XDH1MXJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_3gOBFbNKHB1MP


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## Drago (25 Sep 2020)

Thst ain't going to do it.


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## sheddy (25 Sep 2020)

2 hour cafe stops ?


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## Blue Hills (26 Sep 2020)

sheddy said:


> 2 hour cafe stops ?


12 hour spoons stops?
Seems that the experts on here reckon that device you linked to jann won't work, and in any case rather reminds me of the old jokes about the pocket tv that ran off a car battery.
Not being funny, but do you have to use an electric bike for these van-based adventures @jann71
Any way you can use a bike with appropriate gearing/appropriate routes?


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## Deleted member 23692 (26 Sep 2020)

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3psnRYzYk8&ab_channel=ElectricMountainBikeNetwork


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## Pale Rider (26 Sep 2020)

jann71 said:


> Just had my first 3 day adventure sleeping in my van with the bike. I would usually stay in a hotel so that I can charge the bike battery but this is cheaper
> 
> Looks like few possible options but I know nothing about watts and amps.
> 
> ...




The Currys PC World device has a three pin AC outlet.

It has about 1.5kg of lithium batteries.

Plugging the ebike charger into the AC outlet should work, but the fully charged device might not do a lot more than half charge the ebike battery.

A campsite hook up would be much better, provided your camper has a three pin AC outlet.


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## wajc (26 Sep 2020)

jann71 said:


> Just had my first 3 day adventure sleeping in my van with the bike. I would usually stay in a hotel so that I can charge the bike battery but this is cheaper
> 
> Looks like few possible options but I know nothing about watts and amps.
> 
> ...




The same product is in Argos where it has a little more detail about battery capacity which is 155Wh

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7124013

This will explain why that is important

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/...y-were-using-watt-hours-to-compare-batteries/

with a 250Wh e-bike battery you might get to charge your bike battery from flat to 60% at best. However e-bike batteries can be a lot higher capacity than that so depending what you have on your bike it could be a lot less than 60%.


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## jann71 (26 Sep 2020)

Blue Hills said:


> 12 hour spoons stops?
> Seems that the experts on here reckon that device you linked to jann won't work, and in any case rather reminds me of the old jokes about the pocket tv that ran off a car battery.
> Not being funny, but do you have to use an electric bike for these van-based adventures @jann71
> Any way you can use a bike with appropriate gearing/appropriate routes?


eBikes are more fun


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## jann71 (26 Sep 2020)

Ffoeg said:


> View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3psnRYzYk8&ab_channel=ElectricMountainBikeNetwork



Thank you.


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## jann71 (26 Sep 2020)

Pale Rider said:


> The Currys PC World device has a three pin AC outlet.
> 
> It has about 1.5kg of lithium batteries.
> 
> ...


Thank you. I was thinking about the powerpack originally just to run a wee heater.


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## jann71 (26 Sep 2020)

wajc said:


> The same product is in Argos where it has a little more detail about battery capacity which is 155Wh
> 
> https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7124013
> 
> ...


I have a 400 and 500Wh so I was fine for first 2 days.


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## jann71 (26 Sep 2020)

Thanks for your replies. Maybe a combination of powerpack and inverter would give me enough charge for 3rd day or less miles on day 1 and 2  if I'm not on campsite with electric hookup.


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## Blue Hills (26 Sep 2020)

jann71 said:


> eBikes are more fun


 Mm
Thanks for the reply - clearly a conscious choice.
Will follow the thread with interest, the hoops you are going to be jumping through for the fun.


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## Drago (26 Sep 2020)

And buy an ebike that still rides well when the assistance is switched off. A lot of supposedly well respected bikes - Cough, Woosh, Cough - become leaden lumps when your legs have to do all the work, but others feel like perfectly decent, albeit a little heavy, regular bicycles.


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## Notafettler (26 Sep 2020)

Ewerks I will put one on sales tomorrow ish


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## Blue Hills (26 Sep 2020)

Sounds sensible drago.
I certainly don't mind a heavier bike.
(Once on a joyyful tour had a twonk in a bikeshop try to tell me my bike was too heavy and i sthould buy a new one)
Out of interest, what's yours?
And i"d be interested in what the OP"s is?


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## jann71 (26 Sep 2020)

Blue Hills said:


> Sounds sensible drago.
> I certainly don't mind a heavier bike.
> (Once on a joyyful tour had a twonk in a bikeshop try to tell me my bike was too heavy and i sthould buy a new one)
> Out of interest, what's yours?
> And i"d be interested in what the OP"s is?


Bergamont ehorizon 6 - Bosch


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## Drago (26 Sep 2020)

Blue Hills said:


> Sounds sensible drago.


A phrase not heard very often in these parts! 

Ive a Carrera Subway electric. I had no say in it as it was a surprise anniversary gift from Mrs D. However, thorugh a combination of luck and reading around on her part, it is pretty reasonable to ride as a normal bike. Weighty, but it still rolls well so feels positive and fairly normal to ride without power. Indeed, rather than be sensible and shuffle through the different assistance levels as appropriate to the terrain, I'll oftenride the journey out with no assistance at all, and then ride the 10 or 15 miles home on max. Im not a sensible medium kinda guy.


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## Blue Hills (26 Sep 2020)

jann71 said:


> Bergamont ehorizon 6 - Bosch


Re drago's post, what's it like to ride without the power?


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## jann71 (26 Sep 2020)

Blue Hills said:


> Re drago's post, what's it like to ride without the power?


It's fine on the flat or downhill, it's tough going uphill with no assistance.


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## Pale Rider (27 Sep 2020)

jann71 said:


> It's fine on the flat or downhill, it's tough going uphill with no assistance.



How old is the Bergamont?

The Bosch motor with the small front ring has quite a bit of resistance unpowered.

The latest so-called Gen 4 Bosch motors have very little resistance unpowered.

Gen 4 motors have a traditional sized ring at the front and a smaller motor casing - it's almost hidden by the ring.

The difference between the two is large, so this is one of the rare occasions where it's worth having the latest thing, but only if you intend to ride unpowered.


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## jann71 (27 Sep 2020)

Pale Rider said:


> How old is the Bergamont?
> 
> The Bosch motor with the small front ring has quite a bit of resistance unpowered.
> 
> ...


2 1/2 years old, just finished paying for it


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## slowridr (1 Oct 2020)

Might be worth you getting a deep cycle leisure battery installed like camper vans do, maybe a solar panel on the roof too. Even a comparatively simple setup would be enough to charge a big ebike battery several times over.


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## CXRAndy (1 Oct 2020)

You need a 12v dc to 240v ac invertor rated at approximately 30-50W dc input power.

This will then allow you to plug in your battery charger to o/p 36/48Volts


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## jann71 (1 Oct 2020)

CXRAndy said:


> You need a 12v dc to 240v ac invertor rated at approximately 30-50W dc input power.
> 
> This will then allow you to plug in your battery charger to o/p 36/48Volts


Something like this?

View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/MASCARELLO-Inverter-Converter-Charger-Notebook/dp/B0813JN9PQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=12v+inverter&qid=1601580524&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyUU9YNjFPM0xTVlBRJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjM1MTI5MzRONlExNFZIMFRHVCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODYxNTgzMzRWWU9FRFA1MkswTSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX3Bob25lX3NlYXJjaF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl


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## CXRAndy (2 Oct 2020)

jann71 said:


> Something like this?
> 
> View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/MASCARELLO-Inverter-Converter-Charger-Notebook/dp/B0813JN9PQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=12v+inverter&qid=1601580524&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyUU9YNjFPM0xTVlBRJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjM1MTI5MzRONlExNFZIMFRHVCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODYxNTgzMzRWWU9FRFA1MkswTSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX3Bob25lX3NlYXJjaF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl


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## Pale Rider (2 Oct 2020)

jann71 said:


> Something like this?
> 
> View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/MASCARELLO-Inverter-Converter-Charger-Notebook/dp/B0813JN9PQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=12v+inverter&qid=1601580524&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyUU9YNjFPM0xTVlBRJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjM1MTI5MzRONlExNFZIMFRHVCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODYxNTgzMzRWWU9FRFA1MkswTSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX3Bob25lX3NlYXJjaF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl




I would be curious to know if this inverter would work.

Bosch bikes are famously 'locked down' and use relatively complicated CAN bus electronics.

There's a possibility the Bosch charger wouldn't like the low wattage AC outlet.

If so, you would be stuffed.

Worth a try for twenty quid.


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## Ming the Merciless (2 Oct 2020)

jann71 said:


> eBikes are more fun



Not with a flat battery


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## Blue Hills (2 Oct 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> Not with a flat battery


yep this is all sounding like a terrible fag.
If I was a Freudian, I'd think the OP doesn't really want to ride their bike because of some childhood trauma.
Would rather sit at home (or in a van) and twiddle with tech.


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## Pale Rider (3 Oct 2020)

Blue Hills said:


> yep this is all sounding like a terrible fag.
> If I was a Freudian, I'd think the OP doesn't really want to ride their bike because of some childhood trauma.
> Would rather sit at home (or in a van) and twiddle with tech.



No more of a fag than the endless discussions about chains, gears, lights, tyres, and all the rest of it elsewhere on the forum.

Why should ebikers be denied some proper cycling faffage?

Not that plugging in an inverter could fairly be described as a fag or a faff.


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## Blue Hills (3 Oct 2020)

Fair comment mr rider, tho am still dubious.
Will follow with interest.
(By the by my most recent faffage will generate my own power as i ride, allowing longish periods off grid, and off the web)


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## CXRAndy (3 Oct 2020)

Pale Rider said:


> I would be curious to know if this inverter would work.
> 
> Bosch bikes are famously 'locked down' and use relatively complicated CAN bus electronics.
> 
> ...



As long as there is a clean 230V AC supply and sufficient amperage, the Bosch charger won't be able to tell if its from a car battery/ booster pack or nuclear power plant

A check on the reviews of said AC inverter will help- or buy a better quality unit


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## jann71 (3 Oct 2020)

I found something last night, Bosch did make a charger to plug into cigarette socket.


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## Pale Rider (3 Oct 2020)

CXRAndy said:


> As long as there is a clean 230V AC supply and sufficient amperage, the Bosch charger won't be able to tell if its from a car battery/ booster pack or nuclear power plant
> 
> A check on the reviews of said AC inverter will help- or buy a better quality unit



Very likely, but I've been running Bosch bikes for 10 years and I can tell you they don't always behave as you think they should.



jann71 said:


> I found something last night, Bosch did make a charger to plug into cigarette socket.



That's an odd one - it appears the 12v charger was only available for a year or so from 2015.

No reason for Bosch to drop it - if it worked perfectly.

Its short life might have had something to do with the picky CAN Bus electronics i referred to above.

Current charger range appears to be made up of three chargers, all with standard mains plugs.

https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/eBike-...pact-eBike-2A-Charger?sort=p.price&order=DESC


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## jann71 (3 Oct 2020)

Last question, I think I'm going to order an inverter and try it and see what happens. 
Do you think it would make any different between using the compact charger, standard charger or the fast charger with an inverter?


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## CXRAndy (3 Oct 2020)

jann71 said:


> Last question, I think I'm going to order an inverter and try it and see what happens.
> Do you think it would make any different between using the compact charger, standard charger or the fast charger with an inverter?





As long as the the inverter can supply enough power, then it will be fine. 

eg 500W @ 230V AC is 13 Amps @ 36V

So it doesn't matter to the inverter.

Your battery will last longer the slower you charge it. 

General rule is charge to 90% and try not let battery go below 20%. This will allow the battery to have double or triple the charge cycles compared to charging to maximum and running down to near flat


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## CXRAndy (3 Oct 2020)

According to the one you listed from Amazon. 150W that could supply 4amps continuous. So I'd buy a 2A Bosch charger to be well within capacity of the invertor and 12v cigar lighter socket. 

Car batteries are around 70-100 Ampere hours, so have plenty of capacity to charge your bike battery at least once. If you drive around for a few hours it should recharge for another day. Or get a 2nd car battery/ even a solar panel to help charge your battery when out on your bike


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