Wiring and the Solar

The last (almost) of the ebike wiring has been completed.  I fitted the right angle usb plug and the splitter cable before running the usb phone cable from the phone mount on the handlebars to the centre hub.

I have some black heat shrink ordered which I will use to protect and secure the usb cable connections (red arrows).  The only outstanding task is the usb cable up to the red tail light (which I haven’t ordered).

Last time I was in the hardware store I check on their stock of right angle aluminium extrusion.  It looked horribly expensive which resulted in me doing some research and identifying an alternative local supplier.  They are actually wholesalers but allowed me to place an order for one 6.5 metre length of right angle extrusion.  It’s 50x50mm and 5mm thick.

I wasn’t prepared to pay for deliver and decided to collect it from their premises.  Realising 6.5 metres wasn’t going to fit in the 4WD I took my trusty hacksaw and a tape measure intending to cut the aluminium into three lengths

I have had this hacksaw since I was 16 after finding it in a creek.  It’s quite old fashioned, but reliable.  After measuring the aluminium I started cutting…. and cutting…. and cutting!  I wasn’t making much progress down on my knees in the gravel on a hot day.  Examining the blade I realised 75% of it had no teeth.  They had worn away!  I was left with a small section of teeth at either end of the blade.  There’s two lessons here.   Check the tool before leaving home.  It would have been much easier if I had taken my battery jigsaw with a steel blade! There’s no fool like an old fool…..

Back home I screwed the first two metre length to the bottom line of the shed roofing sheets.

 

The base of the solar panels will butt against the aluminium.  Two of the gutter facia securing brackets were in the way of the aluminium.  They were remove, cut to length, bent and refitted.  I used Sikaflex to secure them to the aluminium.

 

By now it was too hot to stay outside.  I also risked burning myself on the steel and aluminium.  Next step will be to get the two solar water heater panels onto the shed roof.