DONE! Building a battery box
- Thread starter AlumniCU
- Start date
Touché! Googled "snap-track" got a lot of model railway tracks..
In any case, the two items I'm curious about is the dc-dc buck converter and the panel meter.
Panel meter is going to be surface mount somehow, but the attached shunt needs to be mounted somewhere. Same with the buck converter.
Meter:
buck:
AlumniCU
Member
Last edited:
If you have the build documented that would be great.
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AlumniCU
Member
Progress so far... Pelican 1600, 100Ah AGM, solar controller with MC4 inputs, AC charger with AC input port, outputs to ARB fridge, USB and DC socket.
Wrestling with how to incorporate a Renogy DC/DC charger.*
Need to add an inverter, vents, and probably fan/temp sensor.*
* Advice welcome
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Wrestling with how to incorporate a Renogy DC/DC charger.*
Need to add an inverter, vents, and probably fan/temp sensor.*
* Advice welcome
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Hillbilly Heaven
Explorer
They make bulkhead MC4 connectors that could replace the PG connectors on your Go Power. This way it would be more rigid than running cable thru the PG connector and adding a MC4 connector. Depends on the size of the hole for the PG connector in the GO Power.
AlumniCU
Member
My project is progressing. My goal has been to develop a dual battery set up that was removable from my vehicle to be used as a stationary source.
100Ah Renogy AGM in a Pelican 1600 battery box includes charging from:
Output goes to:
To do:
Questions:
This has been a fun project and I greatly appreciate the advice from these boards. I am learning a lot.
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100Ah Renogy AGM in a Pelican 1600 battery box includes charging from:
- AC from 3A Battery Tender
- DC from 20A Renogy DC/DC Converter
- Solar from 200W to 300W solar through 30A Renogy PWM controller
Output goes to:
- ARB Fridge/Freezer
- Various 12V and USB outlets
- simple digital voltmeter
To do:
- clean up wiring
- add vents and fans
- add AC inverter
- add USB C outputs
Questions:
- Can anyone suggest a temperature sensitive relay that would turn on fan to help ventilate the box? Or should I just wire the fans to run when certain devices are operating?
- What is the largest AC inverter I could install that would match up with the 100Ah AGM battery and charging inputs noted above? I would like to have the largest size practical but haven’t really determined what I loads I would power.
This has been a fun project and I greatly appreciate the advice from these boards. I am learning a lot.
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Hillbilly Heaven
Explorer
Someone correct my terminology and forgive an old mind. There are some temperature sensitive snap switches that will easily handle turning on a fan. Small device consumes no power. You will want a normally open closing on rising temperature.
dreadlocks
Well-known member
get some good low power dc fans, run em constantly when charging and it'll just siphon off a fraction of an amp.. when not charging it shouldent get too hot in there i'd think.
Victron's Phoenix Inverters suggests 800w max for 100AH of lead batteries
Victron's Phoenix Inverters suggests 800w max for 100AH of lead batteries
hour
Observer
How does one determine that charging is occurring, did you mean manually? I'm trying to put a spare Victron 75/15 in a pelican case with PV and battery extensions to panel mount jacks on the outside of the case. I don't want to rely on passive cooling from vents alone. Would be sweet if the load output option in the victron app offered 'load on when charge current above 0.1a', but as far as I can tell the best I can do is pick a voltage range for load to be on or off. If I'm above my batteries resting voltage of like 13.3 then I could tell that it's charging and use app settings, but if the battery is low when I connect it then I won't hit above 13.3 for a while, and that duration will be when the controller is pumping the most power out - and getting the hottest.
dreadlocks
Well-known member
might use the victron load output + an over-ride switch would be simple, mebe a 120vac relay that comes on when your AC power is hooked up.
or put all your charge sources up to a bus with a load sensing switch/circuit between that bus and the battery.
or put all your charge sources up to a bus with a load sensing switch/circuit between that bus and the battery.
NevetsG
Active member
Ok I posted it:
50 Cal Ammo Can Power supply
https://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/50-cal-ammo-can-power-supply.205744/
AlumniCU
Member
Well, my battery box is about done. Here’s the rundown.
100ah Renogy AGM battery charges from:
- Solar charging through Renogy Wanderer 30a charge controller with 100W Renogy panel on roof input through Anderson Power Poles and option to add 200W from Renogy Eclipse suitcases with input through MC4 connectors.
- DC charging from car battery through Renogy 20a DC/DC converter wired to truck battery, input through Anderson Powerpoles
- AC charging from 3a Battery Tender with input from AC port
Output goes to:
- 700W Renogy Inverter with one AC port on box, switch on outside of box
- ARM fridge freezer outlet on box
- USB and 12v outlets with voltmeter on box
Have two busbars, main battery switch and junction box for outputs. Have installed two vents and will add more.
Thanks for everyone’s comments. Appreciate any feedback or counsel!
Need to complete - More in-line fuses and final securing of battery and inverter.
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100ah Renogy AGM battery charges from:
- Solar charging through Renogy Wanderer 30a charge controller with 100W Renogy panel on roof input through Anderson Power Poles and option to add 200W from Renogy Eclipse suitcases with input through MC4 connectors.
- DC charging from car battery through Renogy 20a DC/DC converter wired to truck battery, input through Anderson Powerpoles
- AC charging from 3a Battery Tender with input from AC port
Output goes to:
- 700W Renogy Inverter with one AC port on box, switch on outside of box
- ARM fridge freezer outlet on box
- USB and 12v outlets with voltmeter on box
Have two busbars, main battery switch and junction box for outputs. Have installed two vents and will add more.
Thanks for everyone’s comments. Appreciate any feedback or counsel!
Need to complete - More in-line fuses and final securing of battery and inverter.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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