Lipo mount for electric skateboard by yinnonhaviv

Last crawled date: 3 years ago

Note!!!
this part broke after a few weeks of use - https://goo.gl/photos/5fpRg7m1fgBkHXUp9
I designed a much more rigid alternative - http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2163117
This is part of a project in which I converted my longboard into an electric longboard for my kid. I mount 4S 5200mAh lipo on it for the kid, but it can hold 2 or even 3 packs stacked if you don't mind the hight. There is room for velcro straps on the sides, but those are not needed when mounting a single pack.
There are pros and cons for using LIPO over lithium-ion cells which are more often used, and there are pros and cons for mounting it on top of the board (instead of beneath it) . Keep those in mind when making a decision.
Pros:
Lipos are easier to source (when counting the spot-welding involved in li-ions, at least where I live), there are some bargains in stores like Hobbyking.
For those with RC background, charging, balancing and monitoring lipos is easy.
Since you can carry spares in your backpack, it is easy to create a lite and adaptive setup (both for different range and for different speeds)
Mounting on top means that you see the battery (if something happens to it).
Mounting on top makes cheap and simple monitoring easier (just hook a battery monitor).
Cons:
Lipos are much less safe than li-ion. (please understand this risk)
Lipos wear out much quicker
Mounting on top means you can trip on the battery
Mounting on top means you can step on the battery (You can design a top cover to avoid it)