Valkyrie Riders Cruiser Club
July 10, 2025, 01:53:09 PM *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Ultimate Seats Link VRCC Store
Homepage : Photostash : JustPics : Shoptalk : Old Tech Archive : Classifieds : Contact Staff
News: If you're new to this message board, read THIS!
 
Inzane 17
Pages: [1]   Go Down
Print
Author Topic: Sena 20s battery replacement update  (Read 2687 times)
Serk
Member
*****
Posts: 21836


Rowlett, TX


« on: June 26, 2020, 07:49:09 AM »

Just an update, figured I'd start a new thread instead of digging up one of the old ones.

The battery in the Sena 20s seems to be its' weak point, and it's officially not replaceable. I had Sena replace both units about a year ago under warranty, and on a recent ride with Kali mine was only getting about 3 hours of talk time before depleting the battery, so I re-researched replacement batteries for the unit.

In the past, this required soldering, and I'm not good at soldering so I hadn't considered that an option.

Since them, drop in plug and play replacement batteries have become available.

The hardest part was finding my Torx T8 bit that's required, and prying the old battery off the circuit board (It's stuck on the board with some sticky tape) without breaking anything.

Took about 30 minutes, taking my time, to replace the batteries in both of my Sena 20S units, and so far so good! Had to massage the new battery a bit to get it to fit but it's in there, slightly higher capacity too...

So, now that the batteries on the 20S are easily replaceable, wanted to pass that little tidbit along...

Video on replacing the battery with the new plug and play battery:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8chy14Btg4

The batteries I purchased to do the replacement:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TZBRS82/


One of mine with the old battery still in place:



The bad battery had gotten "puffy", which is the death knell of LiPo batteries. The other was starting to get puffy but hadn't gotten too bad yet...

Anyway, just wanted to pass on the info that the batteries are now pretty easy to swap out in the Sena 20S headsets...
Logged

Never ask a geek 'Why?',just nod your head and slowly back away...



IBA# 22107 
VRCC# 7976
VRCCDS# 226

1998 Valkyrie Standard
2008 Gold Wing

Taxation is theft.

μολὼν λαβέ
vanavyman
Member
*****
Posts: 803


Suffolk, VA


« Reply #1 on: June 26, 2020, 08:49:43 AM »

Thanks, nice to know. Trish and I use them all the time since she started riding her own Trike. We’ve been luck to keep getting 12-13 hours out of ours but glad there is a process to change the batteries. On the Amazon link there is a link for the EVO version of the 20S. That Battery is $2 more.
Dan
Logged

2015 Red GL1800 Level 4 w/2015 Tailwind Trailer
1999 Valkyrie Custom Interstate w/2006 Bushtec Roadstar Trailer
2000 Valkyrie Interstate Roadsmith Trike (Wife's)
Member Number 33081
_Sheffjs_
Member
*****
Posts: 5613


Jerry & Sherry Sheffer

Sarasota FL


« Reply #2 on: June 26, 2020, 12:17:45 PM »

Switched a couple out as well, sure wish they were larger from the start.
« Last Edit: June 26, 2020, 12:21:01 PM by _Sheffjs_ » Logged
msb
Member
*****
Posts: 2284


Agassiz, BC Canada


« Reply #3 on: June 26, 2020, 12:31:01 PM »

My now year old "up-sized" replacement in my Sena 15FM half helmet model is still going strong, with the charge still lasting longer than the original battery ever did new. I would guess (hope) that new Sena models are now using better batteries?
Logged

Mike

'99 Red  & Black IS
gordonv
Member
*****
Posts: 5762


VRCC # 31419

Richmond BC


« Reply #4 on: June 26, 2020, 03:03:50 PM »

The bad battery had gotten "puffy", which is the death knell of LiPo batteries. The other was starting to get puffy but hadn't gotten too bad yet...

This sounds like the batteries are being over charged. A very bad condition for any Li battery (look on youtube for overcharging).

How do you charge this devious? I suspect that your charger is at fault and this will take out the replacement battery too.
Logged

1999 Black with custom paint IS

Beardo
Member
*****
Posts: 1247

Regina, Saskatchewan Canada


« Reply #5 on: June 26, 2020, 08:23:34 PM »

Good to know. Thanks for posting.
Logged
F6Dave
Member
*****
Posts: 2263



« Reply #6 on: June 27, 2020, 09:04:02 PM »

The bad battery had gotten "puffy", which is the death knell of LiPo batteries. The other was starting to get puffy but hadn't gotten too bad yet...

This sounds like the batteries are being over charged. A very bad condition for any Li battery (look on youtube for overcharging).

How do you charge this devious? I suspect that your charger is at fault and this will take out the replacement battery too.
Don't Li-Ion batteries have a protection circuit built into the battery pack? I thought this was mandatory due to the high risk of fire or explosion.
Logged
gordonv
Member
*****
Posts: 5762


VRCC # 31419

Richmond BC


« Reply #7 on: June 28, 2020, 06:49:27 PM »

The bad battery had gotten "puffy", which is the death knell of LiPo batteries. The other was starting to get puffy but hadn't gotten too bad yet...

This sounds like the batteries are being over charged. A very bad condition for any Li battery (look on youtube for overcharging).

How do you charge this devious? I suspect that your charger is at fault and this will take out the replacement battery too.

Don't Li-Ion batteries have a protection circuit built into the battery pack? I thought this was mandatory due to the high risk of fire or explosion.

(sorry for the long story)

That answer can go both ways. The reason why I asked, how do you charge them?

I'm reading/looking into Li batteries. Going to make a few battery packs. If the batteries are stand alone, you can over/under charge then, run them down to zero v, and then you kill it, over charge, and blow them up.

You're referring to a BMS (battery maintenance system), which usually has an over/under protection circuit. The max V on a Li-ion is 4.2V, I think the lowest is 3.2V, with nominal charged voltage is 3.7V. By going through your BMS, it turns off the battery pack when a cell gets to 3.2V, and when charging, if a cell reaches a high above 4.2V it turns it off from the charger and starts to drain it (putting it into a loop).

But you can charge your battery in a charger, that has a built in BMS, then take the battery to a device and plug it in. Hopefully it turns off when the voltage reaches the 3.2V (it can get very complicated here, so I'll leave it as a single cell).

Usually you have batteries in a series, 3 Li-ion at a low of 3.2V x 3 (9.6V) to a high of 4.2V x 3 (12.6V), so the device it's plugged into wants a working voltage 10-13V. When the batteries drain to the 10V it turns off, you can't use the batteries any longer. Look at your electronic devices, they say they want a voltage range from the charger, so any steady transformer with the above voltage within 10-13V would work in the above example.

My 12V LiFePO4 motorcycle battery, I feel does not have a BMS in it. It's strictly a battery cell. I can plug in a remote BMS charger, which cost me $80, and charge it up. When I put it in the bike, the max voltage coming from the alternator is 14.2V, which is in range. The bike will possibly die when I get down to a sub 10V charge. But if I was to leave the lights on, I could drain the battery to 0V, and the battery may not recover from a sub 9.6V discharge.

I have batteries waiting for me to pick up in the US, but the border is closed. When I do, I'll be making a BMS controlled LiFePO4 and a Li-ion motorcycle battery, and posting the project here, and maybe in youtube. These can be very small and light weight batteries, like the little jump start cells.

Also, my LiFePO4 mc battery, is wired for a GW, pos/neg on the revers side. Since I'm not using it, I'm going to somehow take the top off, and flip the batteries around inside to revers the voltage polarity, to make it usable in my Valk.
Logged

1999 Black with custom paint IS

Serk
Member
*****
Posts: 21836


Rowlett, TX


« Reply #8 on: June 28, 2020, 06:58:28 PM »

I have a decent quality USB charger connected to my SENA Units, from my research as to the causes of LiPo batterys to puff up, I think the real problem is that they were being charged in my garage. In Texas.....

I've moved the charging station inside the climate controlled portion of the house after the battery replacement, we'll see how it goes....

But high temperatures are listed as one of the big issues involved in premature LiPo battery failure...

Logged

Never ask a geek 'Why?',just nod your head and slowly back away...



IBA# 22107 
VRCC# 7976
VRCCDS# 226

1998 Valkyrie Standard
2008 Gold Wing

Taxation is theft.

μολὼν λαβέ
gordonv
Member
*****
Posts: 5762


VRCC # 31419

Richmond BC


« Reply #9 on: June 28, 2020, 07:40:49 PM »

I have a decent quality USB charger connected to my SENA Units, from my research as to the causes of LiPo batterys to puff up, I think the real problem is that they were being charged in my garage. In Texas.....

I've moved the charging station inside the climate controlled portion of the house after the battery replacement, we'll see how it goes....

But high temperatures are listed as one of the big issues involved in premature LiPo battery failure...

So you are using a micro usb cable, from a charger. So that places it in that 3.7V range. Then the Sena probably turns off when it reaches 3.2V . There shouldn't be a problem at all then.

Yes, there is a temperature range they don't like, I can't remember what, since I don't live in an area that even gets close to it.
Logged

1999 Black with custom paint IS

Pages: [1]   Go Up
Print
Jump to: