Compact DIY 100Ah LiFePO4 Solar Generator

Never Be Without Power Again! This Box Has A 100Ah LiFePO4 Battery, USB-C PD Charging, 12V Output, Solar Charging, Fuses, & A Battery Capacity Meter. Let Me Show You How I Built It!
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#hamradio #hamradiotube #solargenerator

[@kyoshivp]

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!

[@hamradiotube]

Lol yes. They come in quite handy for camping!

[@Captainmatt747]

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!

[@hamradiotube]

Glad it was helpful!

[@WeedyCreek]

Goonies! My daughter is having lunch in Astoria today. Sorry…was distracted by the shirt…back to regular programming…

[@HighDesertAdventurer]

I hadn't thought of printing the Anderson housing. Great idea!

[@JoeMartinBikes]

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

[@Scout75PortableRadio]

Very nice! That meter is slicker than slick.

[@RichHuff]

That has a nice neat layout inside. Good job!

[@ryank5tar]

Yes Indeed!. That meter is beautiful.

[@jameski5oeb668]

That is a great design and execution Mike! I will be making one of these.

[@hamradiotube]

Thank you very much!

[@SCTaylorTX]

Get you a Chicago Tools Oscillating MultiTool. Had one for years, great for everything & can't kill it!

[@jbpiper50]

Outstanding, just what I needed to see

[@hkmp5s]

Clean build.

[@davidcampbell4206]

Excellent Build everything in its place and ready to go. Think its on my radar to put one together.

[@bobkopf227]

Awesome new battery box, thanks for sharing Mike

[@hamradiotube]

You bet

[@hikerboyz]

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.

[@hamradiotube]

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.

[@markviers998]

Nice build!

[@Philip-KA4KOE]

Nice build.

[@kh6qmchristophercolquhoun695]

Nice work Mike!

[@hamradiotube]

Thank you very much!

[@dougdaniels]

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.

[@hamradiotube]

Nah. It's too big to be outside the box. It would ruin the aesthetic.

[@M9A1MAN]

Nice work man

[@Sonicgott]

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

[@hamradiotube]

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.

[@KS0JD]

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

[@hamradiotube]

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.

[@n7jrr]

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.

[@hamradiotube]

I have a Dremel. I love it. But they suck at making battery boxes. They're good at melting plastic. Not a fan.

[@hammathguy3995]

You know what they say: safety last!

[@dienadel30]

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.

[@funnybunnyprogaming7929]

How ironic was just talking about a few days ago thanks for the info enjoy the content 👍

[@jamess1787]

"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.

[@StephenW1SKC]

Great video! I learned a lot!!! Thank you!!!

[@johnbock3711]

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

[@hazer72]

I dub thee yellow/black powerpoles Stryper! 🤘🤣🤘

[@hamradiotube]

lol I might get sued. Are they still around??

[@hazer72]

@@hamradiotube I figured they fizzled out long ago but wikipedia says they're still going lmfao

[@spaceghostone]

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?

[@hamradiotube]

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!

[@HamRadioN0CKL]

Excellent video 💪 Question- could I use that meter with a 30AH bioenno?

[@hamradiotube]

You sure can.

[@chrissewell1608]

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!

[@hamradiotube]

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

[@funnybunnyprogaming7929]

Was wondering on the is lifespan before have to put the set up on a new battery 2 years sound about right

[@hamradiotube]

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.

[@vitalsquad2]

New to this, just wanted to know if you had the capability to charge at home and with solar

[@hamradiotube]

Yes

[@Philip-KA4KOE]

Is that breaker rated for multiple switch cycles as an off/on device?

[@hamradiotube]

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.

[@derbemobile]

✈️👮🏼⚡TSA is going to love seeing that

[@jameyevans29]

👍

[@ericwolf5874]

Where did you find the STL files? STLs or it didn't happen... 😉

[@hamradiotube]

Thingiverse.

[@jerryKB2GCG]

So when can we buy one ? KB2GCG

[@hamradiotube]

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.

[@jerryKB2GCG]

@@hamradiotube I thought it might be another product you offer!

[@AD6DMDennis]

Drok rules!

[@hamradiotube]

Dude I'm in love with this meter!

[@bruehlt]

Wupp! Wupp!!

[@1shARyn3]

Wrong time to say this; but ---- hope that sticker wasn't put on upside down .... (just sayin...)

[@hamradiotube]

That is something I would do, but no, I got it right.

[@vicmiller7191]

Nice piece of kit. Job well done... Vic de KE8JWE