1st test of DeWalt 4AH XR DCB204 in my dirt bike!

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Matt Gruber

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Top of the dewalt line DCB204 is on sale 2 for 98 free ship! 4AH 18-20v so i'm expecting it is an upgrade to the
DCB200 3ah which uses 10 UR18650W2 Sanyo which are rated 10c, High amps like a VTC sony.
So does the 204 use sanyo? if so, what cell? Or something else?
Thanks!
Matt
 
Its weird when the first run of DCB series packs came out the cells were 1.5ah Sanyo as you say, But later on during their 2nd or 3rd runs when they added the led battery gauge to the packs they actually had Samsung cells in them which performed a little worse imo.

I got my hands on 1 of the new 2.0 ah packs to get a look inside since i noticed they added a aluminum heat sink to the battery. The pack was not mine so I did not want to start pulling it apart on the guy. So I can verify that they are in fact Sanyo cells but i do not know which model, it cannot be read unless you remove the glued heat sink.

IMG_1513.JPG

.
IMG_1514.JPG
 
Hi Skeet,
Thanks for the update1
i saw 2 of your pack building videos, very helpful!
Did you do any tests on the XR pack?
.
does anyone have a list of sanyo 18650 so i can guess? :lol:
UPDATE- my best guess is sanyo UR18650RX rated 11c 22a/cell or 44a for the pair. Also, in 2009 sanyo merged with panasonic, so that expands the possibilities. With these top brands why worry?
My total cost to convert from SLA is $213 for a 36v 13ah pack. My old charger works fine for me, as i use a timer and it charges at only 1.25a.. Last nov i salvaged 6 makita packs, used, from drbass for $113. Repaired/replaced defective cells. Made plugs from a piece of copper tubing, squeezed flat and coated with solder to resist corrosion.
 
No, unfortunately they are still being used as tool packs. Let me know if you end up getting a few, its the same cost as the older cells and you'd get 8ah instead of the 6ah I have( and they work great)
 
Why don't you get the Greenworks G-max packs? 36V at 4Ah for $120
I am getting a pack and will see if I can run them all the way at 10C (40A). Someone has already tested them at 7.5C (30A)

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=55790
 
AnimeEd said:
Why don't you get the Greenworks G-max packs? 36V at 4Ah for $120
I am getting a pack and will see if I can run them all the way at 10C (40A). Someone has already tested them at 7.5C (30A)

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=55790
Click to expand...

that costs $20 more, but if you are running 10S only and want to keep the packs OEM then its a good idea, otherwise it doesn't really matter...both 10c cells. I will say from experience the Dewalt packs are more of a Pain in the Ars to tear apart and join together. After a few years mine have morphed from 8 packs to 4x 5s 6ah packs to 2x 10s 6ah packs with two sets of jst's to charge.

Dewalts Sanyo packs 2x 10s 6ah
IMG_2451.JPG
 
skeet
got 2 today! shows a date 2013 50-47, 50th or 47th week? Says made in korea
probing the 6 pins in the center i get
-3.63
+3.63
+3.63
-3.63
-3.63

so can i leave the case on(for the 3 year warranty) and CHECK/balance using these pins? ( seems to be no bms to interfere inside, judging from your video) ? That is my plan at this point. Opinion?
 
Grats on the purchase! its a good price really (until the lipo crew chime in)

I'm not actually sure of the pin configuration in correlation to each cell in the packs. I do not have any packs sitting around with the housings anymore, I just rip them apart to build larger packs. You could find out with a multi-meter and some patience.Are you going to discharge at 5s or 10s? I don't see any reason why these wont last 3 years so the warranty does not worry me. You will need to make some kind of port to slide the packs into to keep them intact. I always wanted to shed as much weight as possible, even if its just plastic..heh
 
10s2p
.
i use Makita packs plug and play, so i like not having to take it apart, and building a new protective case, well a few extra ounces is fine, i was using SLA, i'm saving a TON :lol:
.
i did take 4 screws out but no come apart. appears to have a special way? so i put them back in for now. maybe just TIGHT.
90 days to return if they look new, so no prying, hammering, chiseling :lol:
.
so i did a partial bulk charge, 65 minutes averaging 1.25a. both packs read
3.95
3.96
3.96
3.95
3.95
i am disappointed in the label. nowhere does it say the AH capacity. package says up to 33% more run time. makes me suspicious! They should be proud of the AH!
 
1st test!
it's a keeper!
rode my dirt bike almost a half hour. back down to 3.63v/cell pair. 2.5 miles, lots of stops, turns, and 2 laps on my track.
considering how tiny this pack is (2 dewalt packs) at 36v, sag was only 2-3 volts at max power. Very comparable to FOUR makita packs, but they are 2-3 years old. So to be able to run just 2 same weight, 1.3 lbs., is quite an improvement.
pack felt cool
controller 86F
motor 88F
cool morning air 72F.
sorry it took so long to test it, it rained yesterday. :wink:
 
how many Ah's did they deliver, or did you not use a watt meter? how did you know they were at 3.63v when you were done?

Any pics of the bike, and what was your top speed?
 
Hi skeet,
This was a C test to check for V drop. NOT a AH capacity test. From my 65 minute charge at 1.25a, that is about 1.35 AH used.
Sanyo data sheet says they are shipped 40% charged. i only charged to about 70% maybe 75%. So i used about 1/3 of claimed AH. Maybe it has 4ah, maybe not. But it passed the c test, so i can use as little as 2 packs.
All my ev's have a DVM on the handlebar. That is how i know when to stop ride or charge.
I got some pins out of the brake plug on an old burnt controller. They fit into the pack slots to measure each cell pair.
This is not a fast bike like yours :lol: 16.6 mph was max. But on a very tight course, speed isn't needed to have fun!
 
So how come these packs do not have a BMS? Does the charger itself do the balancing and does the power tool monitor the cell voltage for LVC? It would seem like it as you can monitor each cell from the external pins. If true, you should becareful about getting the packs too low as you will not have voltage monitoring for each individual cells.
 
BMS? how do u define bms? Skeets video showed what appears to be a thermal circuit breaker. so if there is a short the pack is protected. or maybe it is just a thermal sensor? no matter, i use a fuse between the 2 packs, and another on the bike.
Bosch fatpacks dont use a PCB either. Cell chemistry plays a huge part. Sanyo UR18650W2 have a manganese oxide cathode, not the flammable cobalt which for cost/density reasons is far more common. The 2 best reasons for using name brand top quality LIMN is they stay in balance and they don't catch fire. And if treated nice, they can last 5, maybe even 10 years! So the cost per wh per year might be less than the "cheaper" LICO
Since LIMN stay in balance, and i do have a voltmeter at all times, i dont ever over discharge any cells. Even if i lent my bike to a friend with no knowledge of anything, say an 8 year old child, the controller has a LVC cutoff at 30.5v, lower than i'd ever go, but good enough for a dumb kid. Sanyo tests down to 2.50v. I would check every cell if the kid pushes it home.
 
Hi I also use Bosch Fat Packs and the new HC are 30% lighter and run cooler. The DeWalt packs you bought are they LiMn also like the Bosch Fat Packs? Thanks
 
bionx 1954 said:
Hi I also use Bosch Fat Packs and the new HC are 30% lighter and run cooler. The DeWalt packs you bought are they LiMn also like the Bosch Fat Packs? Thanks
Click to expand...
How many pins? (can u check each cell pair without opening it up?
Since i can check each cell pair without opening it, i don't know for sure what is inside. They can change cells anytime. Based on skeets reports, and my tests, i don't need to open it. If somebody wants to build a big pack, they might want to know for sure. With a 3 year warranty, i dont feel it is necessary to peek inside. :wink:
tip on buying from home depot,
after my 1st order, they offered more at a !0% discount! and another 5% off for signing up for a mailing list, and i think ANOTHER 10% off for signing up for a HD credit card on the 1st order with it.
So say you want to build a 24ah 36v pack, that is six pairs of packs. order the 1st pair and check them out. then take advantage of all the discounts on the 2nd order, and save a bundle! Like up to 25% off an already reasonable sale price.
 
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