Hey folks! I'm looking into upgrading my M12 battery packs with the new Ampace JP30 tabless cells. They're available on the second-hand market for about $5 each. The continuous discharge rating of 36A has me thinking about how I might mod these into my existing 2.0, 2.5HO, or 4.0XC packs to possibly make a "3.0" or "6.0" "Forge" pack.
To anyone who has taken these apart:
1. Do the internal components differ between the various CP models besides the cells themselves?
2. Are the jumper wires or tabs sturdy enough, and could I add copper strips for extra support?
3. How easy will it be to swap out the cells? I've got a kWeld waiting to be finished, and I'm more keen on making these upgrades than on building a large battery pack for an e-bike, especially since my scooter is still going strong.
I recently worked with a 5.0HO pack that really packs a punch compared to my others. The idea of getting similar or even better performance from a smaller CP pack is exciting. I've done some research, and it seems like upgrading the cells in the CP2.0 might be a real game-changer, especially since these cells are often bundled with tools for free!
2 Answers
I found a cool video showing someone using a Molicel cell in a similar mod! It looks like it might work just as you hope. A friend mentioned that Vapcell takes JP30s and rebrands them as Z30, getting them rated for up to 50A continuous discharge. If that's the case, we might see even better performance than with the standard cells. I'm stoked at the thought of getting the same power from a compact pack! Plus, I’m definitely considering the M18 version of the hatchet for my toolkit since the limits on the number of cuts are a bit disappointing!
The highest output you're aiming for is about 50A/600W. Do you really think your tools can take that kind of power? If not, going for tabless cells might not be worth it. Still, I’m curious to see how it goes. It might help with cooling and efficiency.
Actually, I noticed with the 5.0HO pack, my tools do seem to run faster and the sound pitch changes with the RPMs, which shows there’s a difference. The goal here is to get a small pack performing similarly to the 5.0 – fingers crossed that a 3s1p designed with JP30s can hit that 50A mark without melting the wiring.
The key challenge will be figuring out where the thermal stress points are in the circuit – maybe cutting open a pack for testing with a thermal camera could help!
Yeah, that sounds like a solid plan, and I get your point about the smaller battery being easier to carry. It'd be a nice change from lugging around the heavier packs.