sobayimage
Well-known member
If you are interested in building your own portable EVSE (charging station) here are some instructions and pictures of how to do it. This unit is partially assembled when you get it and you need some basic soldering skills and a couple of hours along with some hand tools. The box, the relay, the circuit board, a small power supply and colored wire needed come in the kit for $150 (Electric Motor Werks http://www.emotorwerks.com/products/online-store/product/show/44-emw-juicebox-an-open-source-level-2-15kw-ev-charging-station). The output cable and J1772, that plugs in the your electric car, is $190 and 240 volt input cable and plug attached is $25 at Home Depot or use the cable and plug of your liking. You can buy it fully assembled if you like for $407 but, what’s the fun in that? This is not an ad for the company that makes the kit and I have no relationship or interest in EMW, I just enjoyed putting the EVSE together. The following are my instructions of how I assembled my EVSE.
Download and print the 2 photos for reference :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45428304@N05/11074309225/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45428304@N05/11261270554/
1. Make 5 lengths of blue wire 1 1/2 inches long, strip both ends.
2. Solder one end of each of these wires to the five holes starting at the top left side on the circuit board, four on the J3 & one on the J2 position (bottom end of the circuit board, for these instructions, has “JuiceBox” print on it).
3. Make 2 lengths of red wire, one 5 inches, the other 8 inches, strip both ends. Attach a ring style wire end blade connector to one end of each.
4. Attach the other ends of each of the red wires to the, lower, first two screw positions of the power supply, then twist the two red wires together for the first 3 inches.
5. Connect the free ends of each the blue wires to the top 5 screw positions of the power supply, one position is left empty.
6. Carefully move the circuit board, now connected to the power supply, into the box.
7. Screw the circuit board to the box with the white spacers between and tighten to where washer flattens slightly on the outside of the box.
8. Position the power supply and similarly screw it to the box.
9. Make 2 lengths of yellow wire, one 1 1/2 inches, the other 6 inches, strip both ends. Attach a ring style wire end blade connector to one end of each.
10. Insert the yellow wires into the two upper holes of the J1 connector by gently pushing down to open each of the positions, then inserting the wire and releasing. Twist the two yellow wires together for the first one inch.
11. Make 2 lengths of black wire, one 2 inches, the other 6 inches, strip both ends. Attach a ring style wire end blade connector to one end of each.
12. Insert the black wires into the two lower holes of the J1 connector by gently pushing down to open each of the positions, then inserting the wire and releasing.
13. Make two wires, one blue and the other yellow, about 3 inches long, strip both ends. Attach a ring style wire end blade connector to one end of yellow wire.
14. Solder the blue wire to the pilot hole in the circuit board, bottom left side, marked “pilot”.
15. Solder the yellow wire to the ground hole on the circuit board just to the right of the pilot hole.
16. Unscrew the clear cover on the relay and discard the cover.
17. The two relay contact points will be closest to the power supply. Screw the relay in the box with the relay contact points closest to the power supply. Input side is on the lower end and output side on the upper end of the relay. Tighten the 4 nuts to where washer flattens slightly on the outside of the box.
18. Strip 4 inches of the outer jacket of the input cable making sure not to cut into the insulation of the inner wires. Cut off all the white filament material and cut the white wire off about and inch from where you removed the outer jacket. Tape over the end of the white neutral wire, it is not used here.
19. Shorten the green wire making it one inch shorter than the black and red wires. Strip a 1/2 inch of insulation from the ends of all three input wires. Cut one inch pieces of heat shrink insulation for each of the wires and slide it on and tape them in place so it won’t fall off while you are crimping the lugs on. If you don’t have a crimping tool use a metal bench vice to tightly secure the three connector lugs or a very strong set of pliers. Make sure the connectors are all in a similar plain so the wires don’t need to be twisted the connect to the relay. Slide the heat shrink insulation over the connection points and heat shrink them in place.
20 Tighten the nuts on the large input and output glands against one another at the bottom end of the box (not the outer sealing nuts) .
21. Put a 1 inch long bolt through the ground hole (just below the relay ) and tighten the nut to where washer flattens slightly on the outside of the box.
22. Push the input cable through the left input gland at the bottom end the box and connect the black input wire to one side and the red input wire to the other side of the input on the relay. Place one of the red wires from the power supply on top of each input wire connectors before tightly securing the screws to the relay contacts
23. Place the green input wire connector on to the ground post along with the yellow ground wire from the circuit board and secure them loosely (the yellow/green wire of the J1772 cable will also connect to this post).
24. Make sure you have 8 inches of the outer jacket removed from the J1772 cable making sure not to cut into the insulation of the inner wires. Cut 2 inches off the red wire and strip a 1/2 inch of insulation from end of all wires of this cable. Push the group of wires through the output cable gland.
25. Push the black and red wires through the GFCI coil, keeping then parallel to one another (later use silicone sealant to keep the wires in position). Slide a 1 inch piece of heat shrink insulation on each of the wires and crimp on the connector lugs. Cover the shrink insulation over the connection point of the two wires and heat shrink. Connect the large red output wire to the inside relay connection, placing one of the yellow wires from the J1 position of the circuit board on top and securing both tightly to the relay. Do the same for the large black output wire on the other side of the relay along with the other yellow wire (on top also) from the J1 position, securing both tightly to the relay. Bend the lug 90 degree up to allow the black to meet the relay connection.
26. Slip on a piece of shrink insulation on yellow/green wire and crimp on the connector lug and shrink insulate it and then connect it to the ground post tightly. (post will have the green input, the yellow circuit board ground and yellow/green output wires on it).
27 Place an inch piece of small shrink insulation on the green pilot wire in the J1172 cable and solder it to the blue pilot wire from the circuit board and heat shrink insulation over the connection.
28. Tighten both input and output gland nuts on the box so there is no movement of the power cables and the openings are sealed tight.
29. After you check all your connections your EVSE is complete and is ready for testing.
Download and print the 2 photos for reference :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45428304@N05/11074309225/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45428304@N05/11261270554/
1. Make 5 lengths of blue wire 1 1/2 inches long, strip both ends.
2. Solder one end of each of these wires to the five holes starting at the top left side on the circuit board, four on the J3 & one on the J2 position (bottom end of the circuit board, for these instructions, has “JuiceBox” print on it).
3. Make 2 lengths of red wire, one 5 inches, the other 8 inches, strip both ends. Attach a ring style wire end blade connector to one end of each.
4. Attach the other ends of each of the red wires to the, lower, first two screw positions of the power supply, then twist the two red wires together for the first 3 inches.
5. Connect the free ends of each the blue wires to the top 5 screw positions of the power supply, one position is left empty.
6. Carefully move the circuit board, now connected to the power supply, into the box.
7. Screw the circuit board to the box with the white spacers between and tighten to where washer flattens slightly on the outside of the box.
8. Position the power supply and similarly screw it to the box.
9. Make 2 lengths of yellow wire, one 1 1/2 inches, the other 6 inches, strip both ends. Attach a ring style wire end blade connector to one end of each.
10. Insert the yellow wires into the two upper holes of the J1 connector by gently pushing down to open each of the positions, then inserting the wire and releasing. Twist the two yellow wires together for the first one inch.
11. Make 2 lengths of black wire, one 2 inches, the other 6 inches, strip both ends. Attach a ring style wire end blade connector to one end of each.
12. Insert the black wires into the two lower holes of the J1 connector by gently pushing down to open each of the positions, then inserting the wire and releasing.
13. Make two wires, one blue and the other yellow, about 3 inches long, strip both ends. Attach a ring style wire end blade connector to one end of yellow wire.
14. Solder the blue wire to the pilot hole in the circuit board, bottom left side, marked “pilot”.
15. Solder the yellow wire to the ground hole on the circuit board just to the right of the pilot hole.
16. Unscrew the clear cover on the relay and discard the cover.
17. The two relay contact points will be closest to the power supply. Screw the relay in the box with the relay contact points closest to the power supply. Input side is on the lower end and output side on the upper end of the relay. Tighten the 4 nuts to where washer flattens slightly on the outside of the box.
18. Strip 4 inches of the outer jacket of the input cable making sure not to cut into the insulation of the inner wires. Cut off all the white filament material and cut the white wire off about and inch from where you removed the outer jacket. Tape over the end of the white neutral wire, it is not used here.
19. Shorten the green wire making it one inch shorter than the black and red wires. Strip a 1/2 inch of insulation from the ends of all three input wires. Cut one inch pieces of heat shrink insulation for each of the wires and slide it on and tape them in place so it won’t fall off while you are crimping the lugs on. If you don’t have a crimping tool use a metal bench vice to tightly secure the three connector lugs or a very strong set of pliers. Make sure the connectors are all in a similar plain so the wires don’t need to be twisted the connect to the relay. Slide the heat shrink insulation over the connection points and heat shrink them in place.
20 Tighten the nuts on the large input and output glands against one another at the bottom end of the box (not the outer sealing nuts) .
21. Put a 1 inch long bolt through the ground hole (just below the relay ) and tighten the nut to where washer flattens slightly on the outside of the box.
22. Push the input cable through the left input gland at the bottom end the box and connect the black input wire to one side and the red input wire to the other side of the input on the relay. Place one of the red wires from the power supply on top of each input wire connectors before tightly securing the screws to the relay contacts
23. Place the green input wire connector on to the ground post along with the yellow ground wire from the circuit board and secure them loosely (the yellow/green wire of the J1772 cable will also connect to this post).
24. Make sure you have 8 inches of the outer jacket removed from the J1772 cable making sure not to cut into the insulation of the inner wires. Cut 2 inches off the red wire and strip a 1/2 inch of insulation from end of all wires of this cable. Push the group of wires through the output cable gland.
25. Push the black and red wires through the GFCI coil, keeping then parallel to one another (later use silicone sealant to keep the wires in position). Slide a 1 inch piece of heat shrink insulation on each of the wires and crimp on the connector lugs. Cover the shrink insulation over the connection point of the two wires and heat shrink. Connect the large red output wire to the inside relay connection, placing one of the yellow wires from the J1 position of the circuit board on top and securing both tightly to the relay. Do the same for the large black output wire on the other side of the relay along with the other yellow wire (on top also) from the J1 position, securing both tightly to the relay. Bend the lug 90 degree up to allow the black to meet the relay connection.
26. Slip on a piece of shrink insulation on yellow/green wire and crimp on the connector lug and shrink insulate it and then connect it to the ground post tightly. (post will have the green input, the yellow circuit board ground and yellow/green output wires on it).
27 Place an inch piece of small shrink insulation on the green pilot wire in the J1172 cable and solder it to the blue pilot wire from the circuit board and heat shrink insulation over the connection.
28. Tighten both input and output gland nuts on the box so there is no movement of the power cables and the openings are sealed tight.
29. After you check all your connections your EVSE is complete and is ready for testing.