Battery Box Time

[terrym2002uk]

My 17ah Skywatcher Tank has got to the point where it cant hack all my power requirements... Well atleast for as long as I need it too. So I have decided that its time for an upgrade.

I've just ordered a Numax CXV24MF 86Ah Battery and Ctek 5A charger. For now I plan just to connect the batter to the Sky Watcher Jump Power tank Jump Leads until I get time to make a battery box over the coming weeks.

Anyway, that got me thinking about how to build one, and I wanted something neat and functional. So I've come up with this. Should be able to source most of the bits off flea bay, but I suspect the waterproof accessory sockets will be the most expensive bits.

I plan to nick the jump leads off an older charger I have. Always worth have a jump starter at hand!.

Blue LCD Digital Voltage Volt Meter Voltmeter Panel 20V | eBay

3 X Motorcycle/Marine Waterproof 12V Accessory sockets | eBay

Opinions would be welcome.

[j45on]

I have the marine sockets on mine get the matching plugs as well they lock in nice and securely

I would have thought a red volt meter would be better for your night vision.

[terrym2002uk]

I would have thought a red volt meter would be better for your night vision.

You know I never even thought about that, but a good point. I've never see a red one, other than (LED ones, but maybe a push to make button to switch it on temporarily would be easy.

or even this (looks better sealed)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Digital-Voltmeter-DC-12V-120V-Red-led-Electric-Car-36V-72V-96V-Panel-Meter-/180764552705?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Test_Measurement_Equipment_ET&hash=item2a16682e01

[Bizibilder]

Have a look at these threads:

power

Portable Power Supply

http://stargazerslounge.com/diy-astronomer/95646-105ah-powertank.html

for a few ideas. Hope they help.

[terrym2002uk]

Have a look at these threads:

power

Portable Power Supply

http://stargazerslounge.com/diy-astronomer/95646-105ah-powertank.html

for a few ideas. Hope they help.

Thanks I had a good look at them earlier today, when poking around for ideas.

My solution has to have and on/off switch and a meter so I know if im killing the battery. I didnt want to put the load through a switch, so have used a relay. Fairly standard practice in a car.

[j45on]

Looking forward to what you come up with for a box.

I had grand ideas of adding something like an arduino with a red lcd display showing voltage,current used ,temperature gps coordinates ect.

I ended up with just a project box stuck directly to the top of the battery

[terrym2002uk]

Looking forward to what you come up with for a box.

I had grand ideas of adding something like an arduino with a red lcd display showing voltage,current used ,temperature gps coordinates ect.

I ended up with just a project box stuck directly to the top of the battery

Lol, I wasnt going that fancy. Just want something as handy as my powertank, but with a heck of a lot more ooompphh. Then again I may cop out a just wire a load of leads to the terminals.

[pete_l]

I've made a few battery boxes for 12V 7aH SLAs.

All I did was build the box out of 6mm ply, with enough room for some accessory sockets and some USB 5V sockets for charging phones, etc. I didn't bother with weatherproof sockets as I have no intention of the boxes getting wet. Maybe the Mk2 would have a spring-hinged cover to stop the ingress of dirt/water.

So far as your version goes, with a 86aH battery it's going to be heavy. I'd suggest looking at accessories: reinforced edges/corners, that Maplin have for building "roadie-proof" flight cases.

Concerning whether to use a red or blue voltmeter - if the display is bright enough that you can see the colour, it's already bright enough to diminish your night vision. The red light thing is really a bit of a myth. However, if you get the blue-lit display, you can put a piece of red film over it, which will cut out almost all of the light and should preserve your dark adaptation.

Finally, have a few spare fuses easily accessible - maybe in a special "bits" compartment in the battery box.

[MikeWilson]

Good thread. I have that battery and am also planning a battery box to put it in.. although planning to keep it simple - not necessarily a switch for 'on/off' but perhaps a switch to activate/disengage the voltmeter.

A little question though - which terminals would be best to attach the 35A cable to to the battery? The big fat ones with a clamp or the smaller screw like one?

My original plan was to use instead of a >=30A cable from the battery was to have multiple 15A cables coming directly from the terminals - via a fuse box - to the cigarette sockets.

eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

That's the cable I was going to use.

Thoughts? Would a single heavier duty cable attached to the battery be preferable to multiple lighter cables? If you used a single heavier duty cable as per your diagram, how would you split the 35A cable off into 6 x 5A cables?

I'm an electrical newbie

All the best,

Mike

[terrym2002uk]

Hi Mike,

On my phone so will make this brief.

Either way would be fine. If I was doing multiple cables I woulduse the screw nut. If the single heavy duty cable then I would use terminal Clamps. No technical reason other than ease.

I was going the single cable route to cut down on the mess. I will create two bus bars across the fuses and the other across the returns on the lighter sockets. So no need to split the cable.

Hope that helps.

[terrym2002uk]

Btw, I could have killed for an on/off switch the other night. Had the battery chained to my my powertank. When I was packing up the out side of a USB cable hit the battery + terminal. Nice fireworks. Luckily no damage except the USB cable!

[MikeWilson]

Btw, I could have killed for an on/off switch the other night. Had the battery chained to my my powertank. When I was packing up the out side of a USB cable hit the battery + terminal. Nice fireworks. Luckily no damage except the USB cable!

Wow!

Presumably a fuse was blown?

Thanks for your info re: busbar. Sadly I'm just a Level 2 newbie when it comes to forging electrical items so I'll have to make at least 100 iron daggers to level up...

.. oh wait, that was something else ..

The busbars are beyond me but I do like the idea. I wanted to avoid soldering at all costs since last Wednesday night my soldered spliced power cable running to my EL panel split. It was supported by shrink-wrap cable material but I pulled it a little too hard while setting up and it broke the cable so no flats for me. I want things to be as robust as possible, ideally as few joins as possible but chocblock connectors, a single cable to the terminals and we're good.

I'm thinking of running 2 x 40A cable to the terminals and have purchased bronze fixing thingies for the terminals. One for the 5 of the 10A fused ciggy sockets and the other directly to a ciggy socket which I plan to use for charging the battery.

Parts ordered, I'll attempt a build and post up the results

All the best,

Mike

[terrym2002uk]

Mike, bus bar sounds complicated? Just a loops of wire from one terminal to next. Just crimp two wires into one spade connector.

Sounds fine what your doing. Fusing is the most important bit to protect your kit.

[MikeWilson]

Thanks Terry,

That sounds like a good idea. It would make the wiring a lot neater.

All the best,

Mike