My Cool Battery Go Box

Status
Not open for further replies.

prcguy

Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Messages
15,226
Location
So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
How do you know when the batteries have dipped below a safe level when using the DC-DC converter? Most lead acid types will be permanently damaged if pulled below about 10.5V. Many solar chargers have connections for the panel, battery and load and will disconnect the load at a prescribed voltage.
 
Last edited:

737mech

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Aug 14, 2006
Messages
2,435
Location
Clark County, NV.
How do you know when the batteries have dipped below a safe level when using the DC-DC converter? Most lead acid types will be permanently damaged if pulled below about 10.5V. Many solar chargers have connections for the panel, battery and load and will disconnect the load at a prescribed voltage.
The volt meter is actual battery reading, the dc-dc is only for the four banana posts. I haven't tried the senario you described yet. So good point, I should monitor and not allow below 10.5 V. I will add the solar charge controller and a panel for my remote scan days, then hopefully they will be charged enough to run the scanners all night. In a camp out setup.
 

prcguy

Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Messages
15,226
Location
So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
I've made a lot of battery go boxes and the last one I made for a friend had this solar charger inside. Sun YOBA Solar Controller Battery Charger 20A 12V 24V 708747876031 | eBay

Its cheap and provides a 10.5V cutoff for the battery if you use the load terminals on the controller instead of pulling right from the battery. I would post a pic of that box but I'm out of RR storage space for pictures at the moment.

The volt meter is actual battery reading, the dc-dc is only for the four banana posts. I haven't tried the senario you described yet. So good point, I should monitor and not allow below 10.5 V. I will add the solar charge controller and a panel for my remote scan days, then hopefully they will be charged enough to run the scanners all night. In a camp out setup.
 

737mech

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Aug 14, 2006
Messages
2,435
Location
Clark County, NV.
I've made a lot of battery go boxes and the last one I made for a friend had this solar charger inside. Sun YOBA Solar Controller Battery Charger 20A 12V 24V 708747876031 | eBay

Its cheap and provides a 10.5V cutoff for the battery if you use the load terminals on the controller instead of pulling right from the battery. I would post a pic of that box but I'm out of RR storage space for pictures at the moment.
So the solar charger load terminals should be used instead of directly from batteries kinda like a charge traffic cop? Solar input or not it will cut off the batteries at 10.5 VDC?
 

prcguy

Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Messages
15,226
Location
So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
The low voltage cutoff works with or without sun on the panels. I usually connect the load right to the battery in larger systems but for something small where the batteries may run down I then use the charger load terminals.

So the solar charger load terminals should be used instead of directly from batteries kinda like a charge traffic cop? Solar input or not it will cut off the batteries at 10.5 VDC?
 

737mech

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Aug 14, 2006
Messages
2,435
Location
Clark County, NV.
I worked on them Tonopah Test Range during Desert Storm 1991. Went to Saudi Arabia with them. Finished off my enlistment just as they were moving to Holloman AFB. NM.
 

prcguy

Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Messages
15,226
Location
So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
Thank you but I have not served in the armed forces and don't deserve the recognition that our vets do. I did however have a career with the Hughes Aircraft Company mostly making stuff to kill commies during the cold war. I'm also a member of the USCG AUX where I can donate some of my time to free up enlisted CG to do their good work.

Back to the topic, on my batt go boxes, I've standardized on Anderson Power Pole and maybe a cigarette lighter plug for the output and the push on two circuit trailer type plugs for solar panel inputs. You can get chassis mounted Anderson sockets and neat little 2 circuit trailer sockets in a flange mount for the box.

I think I freed up enough pictures to post a pic of a batt box I made for a friend. He's not a radio guy and just needed some portable power for an XM radio and a small AC inverter.



prcguy and 737Mech thank you both for your service.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Attachments

  • top down.jpg
    top down.jpg
    72.9 KB · Views: 86
  • side.jpg
    side.jpg
    74.4 KB · Views: 82

prcguy

Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Messages
15,226
Location
So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
Here is an old batt box I made with a pair A123 Systems 5AH LiFePO4 batts. These have built in cell balancing and low voltage cutoff and will charge with anything close to 14V applied. The Pelican box is only about 9" X 7" X 4" and will crank out 50A continuous if needed with each battery fused at 30A. Its not as fancy as the OPs box but since the cells have all kinds of protection it made the build really simple. I've had this one for about 5yrs and it gets used all the time. The wiring in this box and most I build is silver plated Teflon insulated and fire proof.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2949.jpg
    IMG_2949.jpg
    94 KB · Views: 78
  • IMG_2950.jpg
    IMG_2950.jpg
    94.2 KB · Views: 79

wa8pyr

Technischer Guru
Staff member
Lead Database Admin
Joined
Sep 22, 2002
Messages
6,982
Location
Ohio
Back to the topic, on my batt go boxes, I've standardized on Anderson Power Pole and maybe a cigarette lighter plug for the output and the push on two circuit trailer type plugs for solar panel inputs. You can get chassis mounted Anderson sockets and neat little 2 circuit trailer sockets in a flange mount for the box.

Where did you get the flange-mount trailer-type socket and what does it look like with the lid open?
 

mrkelso

Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2008
Messages
1,530
Location
NNJ
Just an update I'm adding a solar panel and charge controller to this, might use a seperate box or go bigger all in one? When the parts come in I'll decide.
Sounds like a plan, take pictures and post when complete.
 

prcguy

Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2006
Messages
15,226
Location
So Cal - Richardson, TX - Tewksbury, MA
I don't remember, might have been Flebay or another site. I did have to search for awhile to find them and ended up putting one on my travel trailer for patching in portable solar panels. These trailer connectors are known as SAE 2 pin plugs and that might help your search.

Where did you get the flange-mount trailer-type socket and what does it look like with the lid open?
 

K5MPH

Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2003
Messages
1,622
Location
Brownsville Texas,On The Border By The Sea.
Thank you but I have not served in the armed forces and don't deserve the recognition that our vets do. I did however have a career with the Hughes Aircraft Company mostly making stuff to kill commies during the cold war. I'm also a member of the USCG AUX where I can donate some of my time to free up enlisted CG to do their good work.

Back to the topic, on my batt go boxes, I've standardized on Anderson Power Pole and maybe a cigarette lighter plug for the output and the push on two circuit trailer type plugs for solar panel inputs. You can get chassis mounted Anderson sockets and neat little 2 circuit trailer sockets in a flange mount for the box.

I think I freed up enough pictures to post a pic of a batt box I made for a friend. He's not a radio guy and just needed some portable power for an XM radio and a small AC inverter.
 

737mech

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Aug 14, 2006
Messages
2,435
Location
Clark County, NV.
It’s coming together soon. I have the 100w panel and this box I built for solar charge control and radio charge bases. Also added usb battery chargers both lithium and NiMH (not seen in pic waiting for shipment.) Should work out great for my power needs. Forgot to mention the pi3b powered by usb for adsb tracking. I'll get 1090 and 978 over wifi stratux to my ipad from that box.
 

Attachments

  • E1CDC9FC-5B87-481B-96EC-B33F333939E5.jpeg
    E1CDC9FC-5B87-481B-96EC-B33F333939E5.jpeg
    80 KB · Views: 64

madrabbitt

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Apr 1, 2004
Messages
743
Location
NM
This is brilliant, and with the additional suggestions and other people's versions, i think i have a new project to put together in my slow season.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top