Jump to content

Banner.jpg.b83b14cd4142fe10848741bb2a14c66b.jpg

Leisure Battery Box

JimS

By JimS
in DIY Astronomer

Recommended Posts

JimS

JimS

Posted
Posted

Hi all,

Just thought i'd share my newly constructed mobile power unit. Constructed from a heavy duty tool box from Wickes, re-inforced with a 7mm plyboard enclosure that also fixes the leisure battery wiring and fuses.

The leisure battery is 100Ah, and is linked to 6 12V female power sockets, via a fusebox on the positive side.

I have some future work planned such as adding a voltmeter and a cutoff switch, but for now I am very happy with my efforts so far!

post-24097-0-55907100-1349620910_thumb.j

post-24097-0-29083800-1349620912_thumb.j

post-24097-0-82891000-1349620913_thumb.j

post-24097-0-60095000-1349620915_thumb.j

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 61
  • Created
  • Last Reply
pwalsh61

pwalsh61

Posted
Posted

Nice one! I've been thinking of making a box out of ply/MDF to hold my battery and charger and various connections but your solution is far neater (besides, my woodworking skills sometimes leave a lot to be desired!). What gauge/amp rating wires did you use for the connections and what size fuses?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JimS

JimS

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Nice one! I've been thinking of making a box out of ply/MDF to hold my battery and charger and various connections but your solution is far neater (besides, my woodworking skills sometimes leave a lot to be desired!). What gauge/amp rating wires did you use for the connections and what size fuses?

The wire is 15 Amp rated, and the fuses are 10 Amp Car blade fuses.

As for the box it is Wickes 24 inch heavy duty tool box

http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/168027

Hope that helps! :smiley:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Marc1980

Marc1980

Posted
Posted

There is definately a gap in the market. I am not electrically minded but spend enough time looking at the ones others have built on these forums you will get your head around it. Have a go and if you get stuck ask. This one is very well documented.

http://stargazerslounge.com/index.php?/topic/154685-power-tank-build-help!!#entry1561539

Sent from my galaxy s3 using taptalk 2

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Marc1980

Marc1980

Posted
Posted

Thats great, do you have a photo of the inside, would be interested to see how you wired it in. Did you take the positive through the fuse box or inline fuse, into the switch, into the volt meter then back to negative batt connection.

Looks really tidy and compact. Weighs a bit I bet!

Sent from my galaxy s3 using taptalk 2

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JimS

JimS

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thats great, do you have a photo of the inside, would be interested to see how you wired it in. Did you take the positive through the fuse box or inline fuse, into the switch, into the volt meter then back to negative batt connection.

Looks really tidy and compact. Weighs a bit I bet!

Sent from my galaxy s3 using taptalk 2

Couple of requests now for the wiring. In answer to above, i haven't wired the voltmeter through the fusebox as I didnt see the need to. The voltmeter has a on/off switch and will only ever be on for seconds at a time, plus only cost a couple of quid so not concerned about protecting it. Minor detail - didn't have any spare fuse capacity......

post-24097-0-24024700-1350420326_thumb.j

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JimS

JimS

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Like it!!!

Jim how do you re-charge it? is the battery fixed in position? & im sorry but i am totally coping!!!!!

Great Job

Cheers!

The battery isnt fixed, it simply lifts out of the wooden box once the connections are removed. I charge it with a charger unit I purchased from halfords.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
pwalsh61

pwalsh61

Posted
Posted

Well the first ply box I tried to make was a mess - ply was too thin and I was rushing, so I'll get some thicker stuff and try again. Sockets arrived last week but I need a 27mm or 28mm drill to make the holes. At the moment they're connected with spade connectors and are loose inside the box.

Mine is the opposite way round to Jim's in that +ve is on the left on my battery. There's also a subtle difference between my box and Jim's in that mine only has 2 clasps compared to Jim's 4

I've found there's enough room at the -ve side of the battery for my Draper charger to fit on its back (just need to support it on wood blocks/ply). I'll either leave the croc clips on the charger and attach when ready to charge, or rig a connection to the battery via a DPDT switch. The charger can also show the state of the battery without having to be plugged in to the mains. As I write this I'm now thinking of chopping the plug off the charger and wiring the lead to a C14 Euro chassis plug then use a computer power lead with a suitable fuse in it. I might also see if there's enough room around the battery to wrap it in polystyrene or foam insulation to keep the cold out a bit, though this may be overkill as I only observe/image for about 4hrs, so should have plenty of power regardless of temperature.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JimS

JimS

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Well the first ply box I tried to make was a mess - ply was too thin and I was rushing, so I'll get some thicker stuff and try again. Sockets arrived last week but I need a 27mm or 28mm drill to make the holes. At the moment they're connected with spade connectors and are loose inside the box.

If it helps, I used a Dremel to create the holes for the sockets. Just used one of the bevell tools to open out a hole big enough to fit the curcular sanding attachment and then gently sanded in a circular motion until the hole was an appropriate size. Would recommend doing outside and with a mask as there is a lot of plastic mess produced.

Mine is the opposite way round to Jim's in that +ve is on the left on my battery. There's also a subtle difference between my box and Jim's in that mine only has 2 clasps compared to Jim's 4

Yeah, I fitted a couple of extra clasps myself, anchored by blocks of wood to help distributing the load on the box. Will probably also purchase a couple of luggage straps to further strengthen. It feels very solid at the moment but I would rather strengthen before the box breaks than after....!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JimS

JimS

Posted
  • Author
Posted

what about fitting a shoulder strap, i know having a heavy tool box is a rite pain to carry with the handle

I like this idea. I might have a little look, although I dont plan on carrying the box much further than a few yards from the back seat of the car to my observing point....! :grin:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.