A123 Dewalt Pack's Cheapish & looking for help

[Arct1k]

Amazon are doing new packs for $105 with free shipping...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...X0DER&v=glance

Only issue is I can't solder (more than a deans/fan lead) and only have an EOS5i AC/DC charger with LBA10...

Would this charger work and is anyone offering a battery building service?

Cheers

[t-maxxracer32]

i was thinking about getting some and trying it out.

where did you get all the parts needed for the build?

ie balancer taps.. (if needed? idk) and everything else.

[ClodMaxx]

wow, that's a pretty good price!

if you're building 2s or 3s packs, you can get the balance taps from a123. horizon hobby is an authorized a123 dealer, but surprisingly they don't have the taps.

if you want 4s or higher, i would imagine you could use any other balance tap that would match the charger/balancer you use (i have a123's balancer/charger, which will only balance up to 3s).

MetalMan has a great thread on how to build a123 packs from dewalt packs.

[Arct1k]

I'm not the man in the know - hoping to get some answers and ideally someone that could solder that would build them for me...

Last time I tried to solder a nimh battery pack I killed it! :(

[JERRY2KONE]

We all struggle a little bit when learning something new. Find someone in your area who knows how to do this and get them to teach you. Maybe a battery shop or a good electrician of sorts. From then on you can build them yourself and then you will have the know how to make packs for others. Have faith in yourself and go for it. Knowledge is power.

[t-maxxracer32]

definetly true ^^ but you dont want to spend the money and then ruin something...

try using some old crappy nimh. just practice with them and once you feel confortable maybe next time you can build your own.

taking them to someoen who knows what there doing in your hometown would be nice. they can teach you and everything but you do not want to screw these batteries up.

they are like 10 bucks a cell and ruining one will suck.

[offroader]

Found this on another fourm nice write up on how to take apart and make your own packs with A123 cells.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=599316

[t-maxxracer32]

wow. that is a perfect write up!!

that link shoudl be stickied here lol

[johnrobholmes]

Lucien is a good guy. I followed those steps and built packs with no issue. Balancing taps for lipo packs can be used, but honestly a123 don't need balancing unless the pack is really large. A trickle charge will bring them back to balance.

[t-maxxracer32]

im going to be getting some dewalt packs soon.

arct1k im not sure how fast you want them, but i will be ordering mine soon.

and once i order them i will see how easy/hard it is to make them and let you know.

[Arct1k]

Thanks Let me know how it goes...

FWIW - the Amazon deal - there are handling charges applied (unless you're a member of their club) and totals $111.18 at checkout.

Not complaining, still a great deal - ebay looks like there are too many watching for these pacs and with about $15 most are advertising for shipping, Amazon is very competitive.

I love to tinker and this looks like one heck of an adventure. Plan on 2 - 5S1p packs out of this. I ordered the harbor frieght stuff too for getting the cells out. I suspect this will not be my only dewalt purchase!

[t-maxxracer32]

fwiw?

and thats only 5 bucks more so its not a huge deal.

luckily my moms a member -)

fwiw - for what its worth.....

Can't wait to get the pac and the harbor frieght tools to take it apart! I was watching ebay yesterday and some packs were going for mid $90's and with S&H thats the same deal. Then later last night I watch some more auctions and they were winding up at less than $80 so with S&H that almost $20 less than the amazon deal. My 2nd pac will prob come from ebay.

Still, 2 5S1p pacs for $111, thats a good deal if you ask me.

Now I need to get busy on a way to charge these, lol!

[MetalMan]

Got my pack from Amazon on Friday when I ordered on Tuesday, even with the Free Shipping option. $105 for a brand new non-Ebay pack is an AWESOME deal. Now I just need to figure out what exactly I'm going to do with it .