161: Variations on a theme

It's 12:38 AM, I'm not really tired, and I have a headache.

Things are going well.

I did have a pretty good day today though, I got up at like noon (because I was gonna get up at 10 but why would I do that when I can just sleep in?), showered, worked on my esk8 some more, ate lunch with my good friend Jake, hung out with one of my other good friends, Chip, and then have just been at home rotting and playing video games since like 8.

The board went back together pretty easily, the batteries seem to have sealed up great. I put on the 3D-printed pulleys and gave the board a rip around campus to make sure they would hold up, and they certainly seem to be fully functional! I did have to readjust the motors, and under high loads they do hit the truck, because on the larger pulleys I have to move them inwards, but once I get home I'll sand that down with a dremel, and actually remove the problem permanently (I ain't hand-sanding steel, that'd be stupid).

The board only tops out at 30MPH now, instead of 35, but I only go ~25 max anyway, so that isn't a big deal. I have gotten a lot more comfortable at those high speeds, which is great for me, as a means of transportation, but 35 is just too fast. The larger pulleys do noticeably improve my low-end torque though, which is great for the hills around campus, and riding at walking speed when I'm with friends.

I also think that the repairs I made to the batteries made it more powerful, because when I was stress-testing it this afternoon, that thing ripped. In ideal conditions (very smooth roads and not windy), electric longboard might be my favorite mode of transportation.