It’s all coming back to me now 🙂
Seriously, it has been a while, and I have no excuses, just life and stuff all around it…
This post will be all about what I have learned from The First Ever DSC Board?
I’ve been riding this thing for several weeks now, nothing permanent, just here and there. And I do have several conclusions and mods that took place during this time.
First of all, you might notice the different color of the end units in the above picture vs. the build.
And you are right, they are different, the previous one got hit by a wall (coming at full speed towards me 🙂 ). So I printed new ones. This was really a little set back.
Next, the major things.
The frame is solid, but I had little idea about the components. I used this motor mount in the build. It is a cheapo and kind of flimsy, mostly due to the three grub screws that hold it against the truck. With applied effort, you could wiggle it a little bit, and it got in a way with the wheel.
I modded it by replacing the grub screws with nice M6 bolts that I could tighten against filed truck. This stopped the movement completely, as the bolts have bigger surface to butt against.
And, of course, the belt. And, as a result, the pulleys.
The build was done with these pulleys and belt set. It is a 10mm wide system, and it was a mistake. The slippage was awful and my first belt lost it’s teeth very quickly.
The solution was to switch to 15mm wide system that will have much better grip and prevent the tooth skipping. This set solved the problem completely. Unbelievable, but the 5mm difference is VERY noticeable.
Things I like about this board:
- The frame is solid. I really love the design and realization. It was the ultimate check of the main idea and it was a success. I think we can build on this for future variations.
- The motor/battery combo give enough power on flat surfaces and moderate climbs.
- The remote is perfect, simple and to the point.
- It is lightweight, and can be carried around.
- It is original, I get the looks of “what the hell…” as people still not used for this concept.
Things I will improve in future builds:
- There has to be better solution for the wires, it’s just hanging out there for now.
- I might experiment with bigger motors and battery, the steeper hills need to be addressed.
- Weight redistribution. Now if I pick it up, the rear part hangs down. In the future the battery and the ESC/motor might be in opposite sides of the board, to balance it better.
In general, besides some scuffs on the trucks and the frame, it is a really positive experience. I’m getting better at riding longboards, which is awesome since I never did before this adventure. Also, electric longboards are cool!
More to come!
Enjoy,
Dani