Cheap M1 Cell charger
 

Anyone thought about modifying one of these to charge their M1 packs?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Dewalt-DC9000-He...QQcmdZViewItem

I'm sure it can be done. After all this was designed to charge those cells. Especially if you are running 2 5s packs in parallel. Couldn't you plug them up in series and then recharge them like the were a 10s pack? If you charge them together in series and discharge tehm together in parrallel they should stay pretty balanced. No?

If it works, it would be a cheap charger that would charge them just right.

I'm not sure about this, but I think this charger may not work without the built-in circuitry in the battery. Just a guess... but I assume that the dewalt packs have some balance features that the charger would expect to "see".

If this is not the case, then You are probably right... you could charge two 5s packs in series.

Hmmm.... Didn't think about built in balace circutry in the pack.

Can someone that has torn one apart enlighten as to what ''extra'' electronics were inside the packs?

Look around on the "Batteries and Chargers Forum" over at RC groups ( http://www.rcgroups.com ). Some of the guys have been able to modify the charger and the internal protection circuit (balancer/LVC) to be able to charge their packs. One nice feature about have one of the Dewalt chargers is that if a pack is bad before you open it up (Dewalt 36v pack from Ebay) you will know that it is bad, and can exchange it at a Dewalt service center for a new one (that does work).

If you are interested, I have 2 of the electronic devices that come with the Dewalt 36v pack, so I could send them to you if you like.

I don't need them. But thanks for the offer. I am just thinking out loud here. Looking for a way to test these cells ''on the cheap''.

If I do decide to test them, I will see whats inside on my own when I tear a pack down.



Another thought that I had... Is there any way to rewire one of these dewalt packs to make it 5s2p inside the plastic housing and then use it like a quick change pack housing. Would probably need to figure out away to get a dewalt drill housing to use as the dock and modify that also.

Not saying it would be easy, but there isnt a good quick change battery system out there right now, and since dewalt already went through all the trouble of putting the cells in a nice quick change housing for us...

Just thinking out loud again.

How aobut jsut run a high-voltage setup.... and fix up the truck to use the stock dewalt packs, no mods?

super simple and cheap power.

:)

You would be talking an approximate 9s lipo ststem. I guess thats doable. The only speed controlls that would run it ar ethe 3695 or the 36120. At that voltage the 95 would probably be enough and a 1950/11 or 12 would probably do the trick.



And cheap chargers:005:

9s lipo system. That sounds good to me. don't need many amps to get the truck going then.