Sunday, June 28, 2009

Budgeting for UoN Electric Vehicle Project

Following up on the Electric Vehicle we will be building, I collected sample quotations and the budget would look something like this. Since we have been generously granted a sufficient budget through Atelier Vrijdag we have these two otpions either for remodelling the Subaru to a 144V EV System or building a smaller 72V system from scratch!

The 144V (30hp Continuous) Subaru conversion using 12v Batteries with a full drive system and battery system. We however would like to change this to an AC Induction motor since Regenerative Braking which is an important consideration for our EV.


QUOTATION






ELECTRIC VEHICLES OF AMERICA, INC.


16 LEHNER STREET P.O. BOX 2037


WOLFEBORO, NH 03894


(603) 569-2100


FAX (603) 569-2115


EVAmerica@aol.com






144 V SYSTEM - CAR PACKAGE


USING 12V BATTERIES







UNIT TOTAL
QTY DESCRIPTION PRICE PRICE

DRIVE SYSTEM

1 FB1-4001A Advanced DC Motor with dual shaft $1,550.00 $1,550.00

( 72V - 144V ) 18HP - 30HP

1 1231C-8601 Curtis Controller $1,495.00 $1,495.00

96V - 144V 500 Amp Limit

1 Aluminum Plate/ heat sink compound/ 12V fan $50.00 $50.00
1 PB-6 Curtis Potbox $90.00 $90.00
2 Albright Contactor SW-200 (12V coil) $150.00 $300.00
1 Adapter Plate with Spacers (2) $400.00 $400.00

Manual Transmission - Clutchless

1 Motor Coupling (Aluminum) $325.00 $325.00

Manual Transmission - Clutchless






BATTERY SYSTEM

1 Quick Charge Charger Programmable QPXW-144-20/8 $880.00 $880.00

144VDC 230VAC 20Amps 115VAC 8Amps

24 Battery Terminal Protective Covers (Red & Black) $1.50 $36.00
25 ft 2/0 Cable - ( Black ) $4.00 $100.00
25 ft 2/0 Cable - ( Red ) $4.00 $100.00
40 2/0 lugs - Magna lug ( includes 6 90 degree ) $2.50 $100.00
5 ft Heat Shrink with sealant $6.00 $30.00





INSTRUMENTATION

1 80-180 Voltmeter (Westberg 2in Black) $65.00 $65.00
1 0-400 Ammeter (Westberg 2in Black) $65.00 $65.00
1 50 mV Shunt - 400A $30.00 $30.00





POWER BRAKES

1 Gast Vacuum Pump (12V) $225.00 $225.00
1 SquareD Vacuum Switch $135.00 $135.00
1 In-line Fuseholders with 20 Amp Fuse $5.00 $5.00





SAFETY

1 Littelfuse L25S-400 $55.00 $55.00
1 Littelfuse holder $25.00 $25.00
1 KLK Fuse & Holder - HV Control Wiring $20.00 $20.00
1 Pair Anderson connectors SBX-350 (Red) $64.00 $64.00
1 Fuseholder (4) - Control Board $15.00 $15.00
1 First Inertia Switch - Auto Shutoff (12V Sys) $45.00 $45.00





TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

A/R EVA calculations
N/C
1 EVA Installation Manual
N/C

Includes schematics, drawings, etc.

1 Safety First & S-10 Conversion Video DVD
N/C
A/R On-Line Assistance @ EVAmerica@aol.com
N/C

1 year Subscription to EVAmerica
NC



---------------

SUBTOTAL
$6,205.00

EVAmerica Coupons - Package
-$170.00



---------------

TOTAL ( Shipping - not included)
$6,035.00









New Hampshire has no Sales Tax!


This saves people in some states - hundreds of dollars!










OPTIONAL EV COMPONENTS


TO REPLACE OR SUPPLEMENT ABOVE






DRIVE SYSTEM

1 203-06-4001A Advanced DC Motor with dual shaft $1,350.00 $1,350.00

( 72V - 120V ) 16HP - 26HP

1 Motor Mount for FB1 motor $180.00 $180.00





BATTERY SYSTEM

1 Quick Charge Charger Programmable OP-144-8 $500.00 $500.00

144VDC 115VAC 8Amps

1 Quick Charge Charger Programmable QPX-144-20 $800.00 $800.00

144VDC 230VAC 20Amps

1 Zivan NG3 Charger On/Off Board 144VDC 220VAC 2800 Watts $1,030.00 $1,030.00
12 Trojan T-1275 12V Batteries Upon Request





INSTRUMENTATION

1 0-500 Ammeter (Westberg 2in Black) $65.00 $65.00





POWER BRAKES

1 Vacuum Gauge (Initial Set-up) $15.00 $15.00





SAFETY

1 Astrodyne SP-480 DC-DC Converter $280.00 $280.00

132-370VDC Input (pair Anderson SB-50 red and Relay)


Recommended for headlights, wipers, etc.

1 Zivan DC-DC Converter 144 VDC Input 14 VDC Output $530.00 $530.00

Recommended for headlights, wipers, etc.

1 Littelfuse L25S-400 $55.00 $55.00
1 Pair Anderson connectors SBX-350 (Red) $64.00 $64.00
1 Pair Anderson connectors SB-50 (Red) $20.00 $20.00
1 Electric Heater Components $180.00 $180.00

(Heater, mount, contactor, Anderson SB-50 connector, fuse)

14 Ft - 1 1/2 inch clear vinyl hose for 2/0 cable protection $1.50 $21.00
10 Insulated Metal Clamps for Vinyl Hose $1.00 $10.00


The 72V (2-12hp) 'Vortex-like' NEV construction also using six 12v Batteries with full drive system and battery system. Have a look at the XP-HUMM-E to have an idea of what I have in mind.


QUOTATION






ELECTRIC VEHICLES OF AMERICA, INC.


16 LEHNER STREET P.O. BOX 2037


WOLFEBORO, NH 03894


(603) 569-2100


FAX (603) 569-2115


EVAmerica@aol.com






72V SYSTEM







UNIT TOTAL
QTY DESCRIPTION PRICE PRICE

DRIVE SYSTEM

1 A00-4009 Advanced DC Motor $575.00 $575.00

24-72V 2-12Hp

1 ALLTrax AXE-7245 Controller 24-72V 450 Amp Limit $640.00 $640.00
1 PB-6 Curtis Potbox $90.00 $90.00
1 Albright Contactor SW-180B (12V coil) $90.00 $90.00





BATTERY SYSTEM

1 Quick Charge Charger Programmable OP-72-20 $500.00 $500.00

72VDC 115VAC 20Amps

12 Battery Terminal Protective Covers (Red & Black) $1.50 $18.00
10 ft 2/0 Cable - ( Black ) $4.00 $40.00
10 ft 2/0 Cable - ( Red ) $4.00 $40.00
32 2/0 lugs - Magna lug ( includes 6 90 degree ) $2.50 $80.00
4 ft Heat Shrink with sealant $6.00 $24.00





INSTRUMENTATION

1 0-100 Voltmeter (Westberg 2in Black) $65.00 $65.00
1 0-400 Ammeter (Westberg 2in Black) $65.00 $65.00
1 50 mV Shunt - 400A $30.00 $30.00





SAFETY

1 ANN-400 Fuse and Fuseholder $67.00 $67.00
1 Fuseholder (4) - Control Board $15.00 $15.00





TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

1 EVA Installation Manual
N/C

includes drawings, manufacturers data, etc

1 EVA "Safety First" Video
N/C



------------

SUBTOTAL
$2,339.00

EVAmerica Package Discount
-$74.00



------------

TOTAL ( Shipping - not included)
$2,265.00









Notes:


1. Shipping extra.


2. Battery Prices may vary slightly with location.










OPTIONAL EV COMPONENTS


TO REPLACE OR SUPPLEMENT ABOVE






DRIVE SYSTEM

1 203-06-4001A Advanced DC Motor with dual shaft $1,350.00 $1,350.00

( 72V - 120V ) 16HP - 26HP

1 1209B-6402 Curtis Controller $780.00 $780.00

48V - 72V 400 Amp Limit

1 Magura Twist Grip 0-5 K pot $55.00 $55.00





INSTRUMENTATION

1 Curtis Fuel Gauge 72VDC - 900R $150.00 $150.00
1 0-500 Ammeter (Westberg 2in Black) $65.00 $65.00





BATTERY SYSTEM

1 Zivan NG1 Charger On/Off Board 72VDC 115VAC 900 Watts $530.00 $530.00


I have a tough task ahead to source for the parts locally since the shipping may cost us half our budget. If you are in Kenya I would appreciate any information on the best deals in town. I will keep you posted...

Friday, June 26, 2009

Imagine Cup East and Southern Africa Winners

Team Eureka from Ethiopia!

Team Members Full Names:
Gezahegn Fikadu, Salessawi Ferede, Tewodros Kidane

Mentor: SINTAYEHU CHALLA

Title of Project:
Dolphin: The Portable Heart Monitor

Project Overview:
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), heart attacks (myocardial infractions) are the leading cause of death all over the world. A heart attack could occur suddenly and it requires immediate medical attention. If it is untreated for a sufficient period it can cause damage to the heart muscles and eventually leads to death. Our system tries to solve the problem by creating an infrastructure that enables heart patients to get emergency medical care right when they need it. In a nutshell what our system does is, monitors a person’s electrocardiograph (ECG) and detects a heart attack at its earliest stage. After detection occurs it automatically reads the patient’s location from the GPS receiver and transmits it to an emergency center via the telephone network, where emergency personnel can view the location and name of the patient on a map. All the patient has to do is put on three ‘stickers’ (sensor electrodes) on her chest which plug into a Windows Mobile device via a custom designed hardware which we built. On the Windows mobile device the signal processing software we designed will be running. Our system is composed of a data acquisition hardware, a software that runs on a mobile phone, and a client server system that runs at an emergency call center.

Technology/Software Used:
Visual Studio 2008, .NET Framework, .NET Compact Framework, ASP.NET Web Service, Windows Mobile SDK (including Microsoft FakeGPS helper), Windows Live SDK (Virtual Earth), and SQL Server Express

I will be sure to keep you posted on their progress at the World-Wide Finals in Egypt!
For more info: www.imaginecup.com

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Join us for MobileTech for Social Change Camp in Nairobi!

Saturday, June 27, 2009 from 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM (GMT+0300)





My No.1 tech-girl, Jessie, has invited you and me to a day-long camp on mobile technology for social change at Strathmore University in Nairobi. We will explore mobile tech to advance social development and social change goals. As always it will be participatory and interactive.

More on Mobile Tech 4 Social Change camps all around the world on the M4Change wiki.

Participants
YOU - register today here!

Cost:
$15 USD (pay here) or 1,000 KSh at the door and 500 KSh for Students with ID. The cost will be used to defray costs for food throughout the day.

Planners

Jessica Colaco
Juliana Rotich
Katrin Verclas
Sponsors
Strathmore University
MobileActive.org
If you want to be an angel and sponsor this entirely community-supported event, we would love you and promote you and happily take your money. Contact katrin@mobileactive.org

NB: This event is open to anyone with passion and interest in the topic. Will include a fun afterparty with "Just a Band"

PS: For those of you who will not make it I will be blogging Live from the event so you can Watch This Space!



Thursday, June 4, 2009

Imagine Cup East and Southern Africa Semi-Finals

The Semi-Finals round for East and Southern Africa for Imagine Cup is being held right here in Kenya at the United states International University tomorrow. There will be teams participating from Kenya(17), Uganda(2), Tanzania(1), Ethiopia(1) and Rwanda(1).

The participants have projects in many different categories like Software Design , Embedded Development, Photography and Multi-point Education. For more details on the competition, find out here.



Finally some good news for the participants. We have an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) interested in hiring a good number of the best students who present their projects at the finals! This is your chance to secure employment at one of the major ISVs in the region. In order to be eligible for this, you will have to go to http://www.s2bprogram.com/WECA and register there, then complete your profile. The hiring company will use the information you enter here and your performance at the finals to select candidates for employment. This is an exciting opportunity for all of you!

Date: June 5th, 2009 (this Friday)
Venue: Kenya at the United States International University (USIU) – See the map on their site for directions: here
Time: From 9.00 am

PS: Dr. Bitange Ndemo, PS, Information and Communications Ministry + 250 Students will be in attendance. Dont miss out!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Some favourite Kenyan Tech Mailing Lists

I have been asked severally by pals to forward them to some of the insightful Tech-Mailing lists but haven't come around to each one so this one should do atleast for now. (Mnajijua...)

Kenya Internet Users Forum (General Users and Techies)
ke-internetusers mailing list
Send to: ke-internetusers@bdix.net
Register at: http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers

Kenya ICT Action Network (Policy and Governance)

kictanet mailing list
Send to: kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke
Register at: http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet

Skunk-Works KE (Techie Mailing List)
Skunkworks mailing list
Send to: Skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke
Register at: http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks
Other services @ http://my.co.ke
Other lists
-------------
Skunkworks announce: http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks-announce
Science - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/science
kazi - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/admin/kazi/general

Ubuntu Kenyan LocoTeam (Ubuntu users Mailing List)
Ubuntu-ke Mailing List
Send to: ubuntu-ke@lists.ubuntu.com.
Register at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/Ubuntu-ke


Hey people feel free to add in the comments if I've left some out...

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Nominees for the Kalasha Awards

As I had mentioned earlier, we shall soon be celebrating the stars of Kenyan Film and Television. Hyped to be the Oscar's of Kenya, the Kalasha Awards are scheduled to be held on Saturday June the 29th, at the Canivore.

It's dissapointing though that there is no category for animation. Kenya Film commission, what happened to this? (comment by Alex Gakuru at 1.40pm)
NOMINEE LIST :
  1. FILM AWARDS:

    a) Best Leading Actor

    I. Peter King [Formula X]
    II. Mburu Kimani [The Race]
    III. Godfrey Odhiambo [Malooned]
    IV. Ken Ambani [From a Whisper]

    b) Best supporting Actor

    I. Abubakar Mwenda [From a Whisper]
    II. Peter Kinuthia [Unseen Unsung Unforgotten]
    III. Melvin Alusa [Formula X]
    IV. Paul Njoka [By Any Means Necessary]

    c) Best Leading Actress

    I. Nice Githinji [All Girls Together]
    II. Karen Lucas [Dance For Wives]
    III. Janet Kirina [Benta]
    IV. Corine Onyango [From a Whisper]

    d) Best Supporting Actress

    I. Mumbi Maina [Unseen Unsung Unforgotten]
    II. Wambui Murima [Backlash]
    III. Lydia Gitachu [Unseen Unsung Unforgotten]
    IV. Mama Njeri [Village Cassanova]

    e) Best Cinematography

    I. Unseen Unsung Unforgotten
    II. Formula X
    III. From a Whisper
    IV. Killer Necklace

    f) Best Editing

    I. From a Whisper
    II. Uncovering the Media
    III. Unseen Unsung Unforgotten
    IV. Formula X

    g) Best Scriptwriter in Original Screenplay

    I. Cajetan Boy [Backlash]
    II. Wanuri Kahiu [From a Whisper]
    III. Steve Ominde [Formula X]
    IV. Mona Ombogo [Unseen Unsung Unforgotten]

    h) Best Film Overall

    I. From a Whisper
    II. Benta
    III. Backlash
    IV. Unseen Unsung Unforgotten.

    i) Best Director

    I. Wanuri Kahiu [From a Whisper]
    II. Judy Kibinge [Killer Necklace]
    III. Robby Bresson [Help]
    IV. Mona Ombogo/ Njoki Mbuthia [Unseen Unsung Unforgotten]

    j) Best Documentary Feature

    I. Mo & Me
    II. Uncovering the Media
    III. A Voice in the Dark
    IV. Unquiet

    k) Best Short film

    I. The Killer Necklace
    II. Dance For Wives
    III. Wale Watu
    IV. Zeinabu Rudi Nyumbani

    l) Best River wood film

    I. The Race
    II. Machangi
    III. Family Betrayal
    IV. Village Cassanova

  2. TELEVISION AWARDS:

    a) Best Actor in a Television Series

    I. Rabron Osanyo (Jack) [Mother-in-Law]
    II. Joseph Kinuthia (Omosh) [Tahidi High]
    III. Tony Njuguna [Makutano Junction]
    IV. Charles Bukeko (Papa) [Papa Shirandula]

    b) Best Actress in a Television Series

    I. Linet Atieno (Hilda) [Wash and Set]
    II. Jackline Nyaminde (Wilbroda) [Papa Shirandula]
    III. Elizabeth Wanjiru (Charity-Shosh) [Mother-in-Law]
    IV. Lucy Wangui (Judge) [Vioja Mahakamani]

    c) Best Performance in a Comedy

    I. Charles Bukeko (Papa)-[Papa Sirandula]
    II. Daniel Ndambuki (Churchhill)-[Churchill]
    III. Benson Wanjau (Ojwang)-[Vitimbi]
    IV. Davis Mwambili (Inspekta Mwala)- [Inspekta Mwala]

    d) Best TV Drama

    I. Makutano Junction
    II. Heartbeat FM
    III. Tahidi High
    IV. Better Days

    e) Best Comedy Program

    I. Churchill live
    II. Papa Shirandula
    III. Vioja Mahakamani
    IV. Vitimbi

    f) Best Talk Show

    I. The Woman’s Show
    II. Time Yetu
    III. Agenda Kenya
    IV. Hatua

    g) Best TV Program Overall

    I. Makutano Junction
    II. The Woman’s Show
    III. Destination Kenya
    IV. Churchill Live

    h) Best TV Script

    I. Joseph Wachira [Tahidi High]
    II. Mwenda Njoka [J.M.Karuiki-Kenya’s Secret History Series]
    III. Natasha Likimani/Wanjiru Kairu [Tabasamu]
    IV. Jennifer Gatero [Better Days]

    i) Best TV Producer

    I. Catherine Wamuyu Nguku [Mother-in-Law]
    II. Tony Mwite [Wash and Set]
    III. Irene Mukonyoro [Makutano Junction]
    IV. Anthony Lukhwile [Churchill Live]

    j) Best TV Director

    I. Victor Gatonye [Makutano Junction]
    II. Edwin Nyongesa [Wakilisha]
    III. Mudegu Kibwana Onguso [Papa Shirandula]
    IV. Matthew Robinson [Heartbeat FM]

    k) Best TV Documentary

    I. Making of a Nation
    II. J.M. Karuiki-Kenya’s Secret History Series
    III. Nobel Pokot Girl
    IV. Rite of Passage
For more information check out the Kalasha Awards website here.