Last weekend, I was camping at a campground with no power hookups. I said to myself that I should learn to build a battery box. Quite timely. Well done! 73!
I'm glad you did a step by step on how you wired a battery box up, especially how you incorporated the shunt. Sometimes it nice seeing how someone does it. Thank you for the great work!
after selling my previous trailer with AGM batteries I finally pulled the trigger on 150a liFEPO4 battery with bluetooth...I have decided that I have several vehicles, Jeep, 2 trailers, 2 other vehicles and I want to make my BATTERY portable.....i basically bought all these parts before watching your video so i must be on the right track
Watch this video and your original review of this battery. Good stuff! Purchased 3 of them. Two for my wife’s horse trailer with living quarters to replace the crap led acid batteries and one for myself for my van. The ones I received came with two sets of bolts of two lengths and they had Phillips screwdriver compatible heads. They listened to you!!! Thanks again for your content. I really enjoy it
Awesome Box. You even put the MOST important feature in this build. The "Mains" Breaker!!! Question Will that Short red wire from the POS post to the Mains breaker carry the 125A should there ever be a short? or will it burn up before 125A breaker kicks? Burning wires in a Plastic box NOT GOOD! Please Don't tell me your relying on the BMS! Fusing is to protect the "Wire" carrying the load. The wire is sized to carry the load! Will those wires your using carry 25A?? 50 or 60A breaker max??? Just curious!
Hail to the master of battery boxes. From this battery nerd, another awesome video! Nice thing about this box is that with a bigger fuse block, it's also expandable.
This is perfect. I'm building a larger one in a rolling tool box to be more for tailgating or comms where I'm driving to a location and don't have power, but this size can loaded in or on a pack and rucked into an area. Guess I have more money to spend.
Super sweet and clean install. The only thing I might recommend is check the specs on the breaker to see if it’s switch rated. Else you might wear it out quicker than a true switch and it wont work for you anymore :)
Love the build! I did one in an ammo box. The only thing I did different is I put heat shrink on the shunt. Not sure its really needed because of the low current at that point. 73
There's pretty high current going through that shunt. Remember, all the negative wires are going through it and to the battery. I was thinking about wrapping it with some kapton tape. I should probably do that just to be safe.
Great Video Mike! I've already watched it about 10 times. I think I'm going to make a battery box almost exactly as you have illustrated here. I already have the same box and several of the other pieces to complete it (with the CyclenBatt 100 ah Mini.) ONE QUESTION THOUGH at 13:53 did you plug your 6 amp charger into the Anderson solar charging port (the black & yellow port)? Nice inspiring work! Thanks. Gerald - KG0VA
Just watched your mailbag response about whether to use a vehicle battery to run the HF rig and followed the link to here. Excellent project Mike! Now you gave me yet something else to do! 73 de K2CJB
Are you also charging the entire box via a 120 Volt AC to 12 Volt DC converter (wall wart) and using the Anderson Plug, to plug into the Solar Charge Controller input? Because ya gotta have an AC input, somewhere!
I use a couple different LiFePO4 chargers depending on how fast I need to charge it. Either a 6 amp or 20 amp charger from Bioenno. You don't plug into the solar controller though. That's for solar. You just plug into any one of the red/black Andersons. There is no AC input. It's all DC. Though the charger is AC to DC if you want to look at it that way. www.bioennopower.com/products/copy-of-14-6v-6a-ac-to-dc-charger-anderson-12v-lifepo4-batteries-bpc-1506a www.bioennopower.com/products/14-6v-20a-ac-to-dc-charger-powerpole-for-12v-lifepo4-batteries-bpc-1520a
Brilliant design, sir. I’m curious about building one of these battery boxes down the road when I graduate to 100W radios. Nice to be able to charge your tablet/phone at the same time you’re powering your radio! Beautiful work as always. - KF0QNM
Oh they're not just for 100 watt radios. Though that is what I usually use them for. Think if your power goes out. Hook up a small inverter to it. Plug in some lights or your fridge, or your TV, router, etc. They have more uses than you'd think.
Great video. I'm building a box with the same case. Thanks for recording the build! Did you attach the battery to the box somehow? I'm a bit concerned about the battery shifting or moving around as I carry it. Or should I not worry about that?
I hate to critique great ideas, but when they're unsafe, and unsecured, it's a call out. I applaud your efforts per se, but this is a real danger having the battery unsecured and hoping nothing 'shifts' or comes undone, much less banging all the wiring around with a semi loose battery. Just not safe, period. I appreciate your idea, I've built many including much larger ones but these 'quickees' still need internals secured... I hope you take a peek around and consider this as a safety waring... Best of luck, truly.
Another great build video Mike! I built one like this a few weeks ago with all the same components. Only difference is I added a female12v cigarette plug to run my 12 fridge. Thanks to you're other videos, the meter is awesome! 73 KB1ICL
I am not familiar with this shunt meter. But the way you have it wired if you turn off your breaker will the monitor loose the charge status? Or does it have memory? You might want to connect the shunt low power lead directly to the battery, possibly through a small inline fuse. No concern if the monitor has memory. WE9O
Drak is ok could not get the relay to work doesn't actually send a signal on the relay terminal. I use the newer version that has BT connectivity pretty happy with it so far.
Nice box, have a few questions? 1. main power wires from battery to fuse panel what guage are they, look a little small for a 100a breaker panel. 2. are the fuse panel, meter, and breaker listed on you site?
I'm not really using the breaker as a breaker. I'm using it as a switch. I would never actually be pulling even close to 120 amps out of this box. More like ~30 at one time if that. All the wire is 10AWG pure copper stranded wire (purchased at O'Reilly auto parts) except for the Solar CC , & USB-outlet, which is 14AWG Oxygen free copper wire I had lying around. The wire connecting the positive to the shunt is whatever wire came with the meter. The fuse panel and meter is on my amazon store under "battery box stuff" www.amazon.com/shop/k8mrdradiostuff/list/3I2P1IKZVZT2D?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d I don't have links for the breaker because quite honestly, they're not very good. They're pure chinesium. I have several of them lying around so I decided to use one in this build. I have mixed results with them. Some actually break at the rated current, some don't. For me, it's just a master switch. Hope that helps!
All links are in the description to the video. You can find the fuse box and lots of other stuff I use on my Amazon store under "battery box stuff" www.amazon.com/shop/k8mrdradiostuff/list/3I2P1IKZVZT2D?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d and I don't actually recommend the breaker to be used as a breaker. Like I said in the video, I'm using it purely as a switch. I just have some of them lying around so I decided it would be a cool idea to use it. I'm relying on the fuses in the fuse box to protect my stuff. Search Amazon for 12 Volt breaker and you'll find all kinds of them. I just don't feel comfortable suggesting a particular one as I have many of them and they are pure Chinesium. Some of them work as they should, some don't. I have a 250 amp one I use in my battery testing videos that never breaks even though I'm pulling well over 250 amps. Use at your own risk. But, for a switch, it does exactly what I need it to do which is 1, be small enough to fit inside the box, and 2, operate as a switch. There are some stand offs on the back of it that I cut off with a Dremel that I didn't show in the video that allows me to mount it flush so you might want to do that as well. Hope that helps. Have fun building your box!
Depends on how much you discharge the battery but generally a LiFePO4 battery will have at least a 2000 cycle lifespan at a full depth of discharge. For example, if you were to fully discharge, then charge the battery once a week, it would last over 5 years. But it would still have ~80% of its original capacity. Of course there are more variables to this like how fast you charge/discharge but that's the ballpark. 10 years is really about the life span for a casual user of LiFePO4 batteries.
Lol unfortunately this is too big to fly with. But surprisingly I've flown many times with batteries and they don't usually even bat an eye. Including my home brew 10AH LiFePO4 battery that legit looks like a bomb.
@@hamradiotube I bought one of those batteries before I saw this video. It’s sitting here looking 🔋👀 at me. Also got a 20Ah to put in a box with the Yaesu FT991A
Michael, you are scaring me every time you work on batteries with your metal bracelets dangling over battery contacts. I am waiting for that next Marvel Comics character that spits sparks from his wrists. Just one word for cutting plastic cases - Dremel.
I don't see why it wouldn't be. I guess we'll find out. I use a 250 amp one for all my battery testing videos. Works just fine. I just don't trust them as actual breakers though as they are pure Chinesium. Sometimes they break, sometimes they don't. But as a switch, they've never failed me.
"unfortunately i dont have a bit that drills a square." Unfortunately I dont have a car that can fly for durations of time, either. Maybe if i attach the explorer to a lip-mount.
As soon as you order all the parts and make it lol! Seriously though, I wasn't planning on selling these but if you need me to build you one shoot me an email. Maybe we can work something out. My labor ain't cheap though.
Fantastic again. I learn something from every one of your builds/videos. I am making plans to attend the Hamcation 2025. I hope I run into you there. 73 de W3LU
I'd recommend putting a fuse on the positive lead. 120 amp breaker is obviously not going to do very much good.
A dremel or oscillating multi tools would make quick work of cutting out the plastic of that case.
Last weekend, I was camping at a campground with no power hookups. I said to myself that I should learn to build a battery box. Quite timely. Well done! 73!
Lol yes. They come in quite handy for camping!
I'm glad you did a step by step on how you wired a battery box up, especially how you incorporated the shunt. Sometimes it nice seeing how someone does it. Thank you for the great work!
Glad it was helpful!
after selling my previous trailer with AGM batteries I finally pulled the trigger on 150a liFEPO4 battery with bluetooth...I have decided that I have several vehicles, Jeep, 2 trailers, 2 other vehicles and I want to make my BATTERY portable.....i basically bought all these parts before watching your video so i must be on the right track
Watch this video and your original review of this battery. Good stuff! Purchased 3 of them. Two for my wife’s horse trailer with living quarters to replace the crap led acid batteries and one for myself for my van. The ones I received came with two sets of bolts of two lengths and they had Phillips screwdriver compatible heads. They listened to you!!! Thanks again for your content. I really enjoy it
Get you a Chicago Tools Oscillating MultiTool. Had one for years, great for everything & can't kill it!
I have an oscillating tool and a Dremel. I chose to not use them for cutting plastic.
Goonies! My daughter is having lunch in Astoria today. Sorry…was distracted by the shirt…back to regular programming…
Awesome Box. You even put the MOST important feature in this build. The "Mains" Breaker!!! Question Will that Short red wire from the POS post to the Mains breaker carry the 125A should there ever be a short? or will it burn up before 125A breaker kicks? Burning wires in a Plastic box NOT GOOD! Please Don't tell me your relying on the BMS! Fusing is to protect the "Wire" carrying the load. The wire is sized to carry the load! Will those wires your using carry 25A?? 50 or 60A breaker max??? Just curious!
That has a nice neat layout inside. Good job!
Very nice! That meter is slicker than slick.
That is a great design and execution Mike! I will be making one of these.
Thank you very much!
Looks good. I regret I didn't pick up a case when I was in Harbor Freight last week. You need a Dremmel my friend! Cheers, 73.
If I had a nickel every time someone told me what tool to use...Dremels suck at cutting plastic. They melt it. I'm good with a razor.
Hail to the master of battery boxes. From this battery nerd, another awesome video! Nice thing about this box is that with a bigger fuse block, it's also expandable.
You should swap out the fuses for push to reset circuit breakers that fit in those fuse holders. may be helpful in an emergency
This is perfect. I'm building a larger one in a rolling tool box to be more for tailgating or comms where I'm driving to a location and don't have power, but this size can loaded in or on a pack and rucked into an area. Guess I have more money to spend.
Yes Indeed!. That meter is beautiful.
I hadn't thought of printing the Anderson housing. Great idea!
Do you have the STL files for the anderson connector housing?
Any thought to moving the switch to the outside so you don't have to open the case to turn everything on? I've built them both ways.
Nah. It's too big to be outside the box. It would ruin the aesthetic.
Super sweet and clean install. The only thing I might recommend is check the specs on the breaker to see if it’s switch rated. Else you might wear it out quicker than a true switch and it wont work for you anymore :)
Outstanding, just what I needed to see
BRO!!!!! I’m going to start building one soon and I so needed this … thanks!!!
Please do share the power pole housing design for printing?
Excellent Build everything in its place and ready to go. Think its on my radar to put one together.
Love the build! I did one in an ammo box. The only thing I did different is I put heat shrink on the shunt. Not sure its really needed because of the low current at that point. 73
There's pretty high current going through that shunt. Remember, all the negative wires are going through it and to the battery. I was thinking about wrapping it with some kapton tape. I should probably do that just to be safe.
Great Video Mike! I've already watched it about 10 times. I think I'm going to make a battery box almost exactly as you have illustrated here. I already have the same box and several of the other pieces to complete it (with the CyclenBatt 100 ah Mini.) ONE QUESTION THOUGH at 13:53 did you plug your 6 amp charger into the Anderson solar charging port (the black & yellow port)? Nice inspiring work! Thanks. Gerald - KG0VA
Just watched your mailbag response about whether to use a vehicle battery to run the HF rig and followed the link to here. Excellent project Mike! Now you gave me yet something else to do! 73 de K2CJB
Imagine how long this would power your 817?!?!
Clean build.
Awesome new battery box, thanks for sharing Mike
You bet
Are you also charging the entire box via a 120 Volt AC to 12 Volt DC converter (wall wart) and using the Anderson Plug, to plug into the Solar Charge Controller input?
Because ya gotta have an AC input, somewhere!
I use a couple different LiFePO4 chargers depending on how fast I need to charge it. Either a 6 amp or 20 amp charger from Bioenno. You don't plug into the solar controller though. That's for solar. You just plug into any one of the red/black Andersons. There is no AC input. It's all DC. Though the charger is AC to DC if you want to look at it that way. www.bioennopower.com/products/copy-of-14-6v-6a-ac-to-dc-charger-anderson-12v-lifepo4-batteries-bpc-1506a www.bioennopower.com/products/14-6v-20a-ac-to-dc-charger-powerpole-for-12v-lifepo4-batteries-bpc-1520a
Beautiful. This screams to be sold as a kit. BYOB BYOBB (bring your own battery, and battery box).
Brilliant design, sir. I’m curious about building one of these battery boxes down the road when I graduate to 100W radios. Nice to be able to charge your tablet/phone at the same time you’re powering your radio!
Beautiful work as always. - KF0QNM
Oh they're not just for 100 watt radios. Though that is what I usually use them for. Think if your power goes out. Hook up a small inverter to it. Plug in some lights or your fridge, or your TV, router, etc. They have more uses than you'd think.
How ironic was just talking about a few days ago thanks for the info enjoy the content 👍
Great video. I'm building a box with the same case. Thanks for recording the build!
Did you attach the battery to the box somehow? I'm a bit concerned about the battery shifting or moving around as I carry it. Or should I not worry about that?
I hate to critique great ideas, but when they're unsafe, and unsecured, it's a call out. I applaud your efforts per se, but this is a real danger having the battery unsecured and hoping nothing 'shifts' or comes undone, much less banging all the wiring around with a semi loose battery. Just not safe, period. I appreciate your idea, I've built many including much larger ones but these 'quickees' still need internals secured... I hope you take a peek around and consider this as a safety waring... Best of luck, truly.
Another great build video Mike! I built one like this a few weeks ago with all the same components. Only difference is I added a female12v cigarette plug to run my 12 fridge. Thanks to you're other videos, the meter is awesome! 73 KB1ICL
Nice work man
Nice build!
Nice work Mike!
Thank you very much!
Nice build.
Great video! I learned a lot!!! Thank you!!!
I am not familiar with this shunt meter. But the way you have it wired if you turn off your breaker will the monitor loose the charge status? Or does it have memory? You might want to connect the shunt low power lead directly to the battery, possibly through a small inline fuse. No concern if the monitor has memory. WE9O
Drak is ok could not get the relay to work doesn't actually send a signal on the relay terminal. I use the newer version that has BT connectivity pretty happy with it so far.
Mike curious, what charger did you plug into which port?
I dub thee yellow/black powerpoles Stryper! 🤘🤣🤘
lol I might get sued. Are they still around??
@@hamradiotube I figured they fizzled out long ago but wikipedia says they're still going lmfao
Nice box, have a few questions? 1. main power wires from battery to fuse panel what guage are they, look a little small for a 100a breaker panel. 2. are the fuse panel, meter, and breaker listed on you site?
I'm not really using the breaker as a breaker. I'm using it as a switch. I would never actually be pulling even close to 120 amps out of this box. More like ~30 at one time if that. All the wire is 10AWG pure copper stranded wire (purchased at O'Reilly auto parts) except for the Solar CC , & USB-outlet, which is 14AWG Oxygen free copper wire I had lying around. The wire connecting the positive to the shunt is whatever wire came with the meter. The fuse panel and meter is on my amazon store under "battery box stuff" www.amazon.com/shop/k8mrdradiostuff/list/3I2P1IKZVZT2D?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d I don't have links for the breaker because quite honestly, they're not very good. They're pure chinesium. I have several of them lying around so I decided to use one in this build. I have mixed results with them. Some actually break at the rated current, some don't. For me, it's just a master switch. Hope that helps!
Mike, can you share the files for printing the Powerpole housings?
Excellent video 💪
Question- could I use that meter with a 30AH bioenno?
You sure can.
What 12v charger did you use? I can’t seem to get any of mine to get past the genasun charge controller
Mike, Where did you source the bus bar box and 120A switch? Thanks.
All links are in the description to the video. You can find the fuse box and lots of other stuff I use on my Amazon store under "battery box stuff" www.amazon.com/shop/k8mrdradiostuff/list/3I2P1IKZVZT2D?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d and I don't actually recommend the breaker to be used as a breaker. Like I said in the video, I'm using it purely as a switch. I just have some of them lying around so I decided it would be a cool idea to use it. I'm relying on the fuses in the fuse box to protect my stuff. Search Amazon for 12 Volt breaker and you'll find all kinds of them. I just don't feel comfortable suggesting a particular one as I have many of them and they are pure Chinesium. Some of them work as they should, some don't. I have a 250 amp one I use in my battery testing videos that never breaks even though I'm pulling well over 250 amps. Use at your own risk. But, for a switch, it does exactly what I need it to do which is 1, be small enough to fit inside the box, and 2, operate as a switch. There are some stand offs on the back of it that I cut off with a Dremel that I didn't show in the video that allows me to mount it flush so you might want to do that as well. Hope that helps. Have fun building your box!
Was wondering on the is lifespan before have to put the set up on a new battery 2 years sound about right
Depends on how much you discharge the battery but generally a LiFePO4 battery will have at least a 2000 cycle lifespan at a full depth of discharge. For example, if you were to fully discharge, then charge the battery once a week, it would last over 5 years. But it would still have ~80% of its original capacity. Of course there are more variables to this like how fast you charge/discharge but that's the ballpark. 10 years is really about the life span for a casual user of LiFePO4 batteries.
✈️👮🏼⚡TSA is going to love seeing that
Lol unfortunately this is too big to fly with. But surprisingly I've flown many times with batteries and they don't usually even bat an eye. Including my home brew 10AH LiFePO4 battery that legit looks like a bomb.
@@hamradiotube 😂
@@hamradiotube I bought one of those batteries before I saw this video. It’s sitting here looking 🔋👀 at me. Also got a 20Ah to put in a box with the Yaesu FT991A
New to this, just wanted to know if you had the capability to charge at home and with solar
Yes
3:53 Cut toward your buddy, not your body. 😂 --n1bs
Michael, you are scaring me every time you work on batteries with your metal bracelets dangling over battery contacts. I am waiting for that next Marvel Comics character that spits sparks from his wrists. Just one word for cutting plastic cases - Dremel.
I have a Dremel. I love it. But they suck at making battery boxes. They're good at melting plastic. Not a fan.
You know what they say: safety last!
Well done mike looks great. 73 KC1QXL
👍
Is that breaker rated for multiple switch cycles as an off/on device?
I don't see why it wouldn't be. I guess we'll find out. I use a 250 amp one for all my battery testing videos. Works just fine. I just don't trust them as actual breakers though as they are pure Chinesium. Sometimes they break, sometimes they don't. But as a switch, they've never failed me.
@@hamradiotubeoh....you mean Chicomium.
Drok rules!
Dude I'm in love with this meter!
Where did you find the STL files?
STLs or it didn't happen... 😉
Thingiverse.
"unfortunately i dont have a bit that drills a square."
Unfortunately I dont have a car that can fly for durations of time, either. Maybe if i attach the explorer to a lip-mount.
Wupp! Wupp!!
So when can we buy one ? KB2GCG
As soon as you order all the parts and make it lol! Seriously though, I wasn't planning on selling these but if you need me to build you one shoot me an email. Maybe we can work something out. My labor ain't cheap though.
@@hamradiotube I thought it might be another product you offer!
KF8ID
Wrong time to say this; but ---- hope that sticker wasn't put on upside down .... (just sayin...)
That is something I would do, but no, I got it right.
Fantastic again. I learn something from every one of your builds/videos. I am making plans to attend the Hamcation 2025. I hope I run into you there. 73 de W3LU
Nice piece of kit. Job well done... Vic de KE8JWE