DIY Longboard Electrification

If you’ve been considering making an electric longboard, but don’t know where to start, be sure to check out Electronoobs’ latest project. In it, the YouTuber goes over how to power and control one of these devices, using a handheld transmitter to send signals to a radio receiver mounted underneath the board. This receiver then pushes PWM signals to an Arduino Nano, which serves as a go-between from it to the ESC that powers the motor directly. This allows for modification of start/stop parameters, so that acceleration and braking doesn’t get out of control.

For power, he’s using a 6S battery, enabling for “some serious torque,” and a “nice top speed.” The battery and control components are housed in separate 3D-printed enclosures, with sponge material used to keep things from rattling around. Controls are mounted toward the back (closer to the motor), while the battery is attached in the front, leaving the middle of the board open so that it can flex.

Be sure to see out the entire build process in the video below. You can also check out the second clip to see his early experimentation — or “what not to do” — when creating one of these devices.