DeWalt 36 V batteries

[Vicster]

Hi-I need a little help. I have two DeWalt 36 volt battery packs. I removed the plastic housing and now I need to know how to confiqure
the cells to make a 10s pack(s) for my new Raptor 550. Can anyone help
me with a picture or explanation on how to do this?
I noticed the cells are wired to an epoxy "brick" that appears to have balancing plugs and a heat sensor attached. Do I use this "brick"?
Also, how do I charge them and do I need to balance the cells?
Any help will be very much appreciated.
Thank you in advance!
Vic

[LITHIUMSTATIC]

Contact Gary Goodrum at www.tppacks.com He is a master at this sort of thing!

[Vicster]

Thank you Lithuimstatic- :noteworthy I found all that I needed on the web-site.
They even have a conversion kit for the DeWalt batteries!! They are "Out-of-stock"
but I think I can do it from the printed instructions they offer. I just need to find some TP balancing connectors.
Thanks again,
Vic

[Wheelhaus]

www.cheapbatterypacks.com sells balancing taps, although with the A123's quite a few of us believe they're not needed, they don't fal out of balance as easily as Lipos do and are MUCH more resistant to overdischarge and overcharge.

For heat shrink, get the 5" shiny stuff from www.batteryspace.com
They sell it in 12" lengths, so order a bunch so you'll have it ready for new packs.

Get some 12 gauge wire and plugs of your choice and solder away!

When you assemble the packs, use a strip of packing tape or electrical tape or something to keep the cells packed together, otherwise they'll shift and wobble and coupld potentially short themselves, which will result in a HUGE pop and arc and probably a little pee in your pants. :wink:

[Wheelhaus]

also, you really need a heat gun to shrink this stuff, a hair dryer barely cuts it.

either of these should work very well.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=35776

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96289

[Steve Bryant]

I have built several of the packs in different configurations. the best thing i have found to keep the cells aligned while soldering taps and main power leads is hot glue. The gizmo I use looks like a soldering iron with a pistol grip. The glue comes in round sticks. The glue gun heats the glue internally and when you pull the trigger it feeds out hot glue. when this stuff dries and hardens, it is well stuck. In the event you perform a forced reconfiguration (crash) or a cell goes bad, the glue isnt so strong that you can't break the cells apart without making a mess of the cardboard cell sleeves.
After wiring them up, shrink wrap them and your ready to go. My average weight per 10 cell brick so far has been 800 grams(28.25 ounces)