Simple DIY 12v Portable Battery Charging Box With USB/Lighter Connectors For Chordless Devices

[@dashermike3207]

if you run your drill in reverse while pressing the hole saw into the surface of the box it will cut a much smoother hole and it wont walk around so much. Great battery box setup!

[@RadReelingFishing]

Thanks for watching. Good idea for cutting the holes!

[@dashermike3207]

@@RadReelingFishing What I do is penetrate the surface with the bit and as soon as the the teeth bite into the plastic, I put the drill in reverse and put a little extra pressure to make it cut through even though it is running backwards. Really like all your videos. Thanks

[@rdo6566]

Built one almost exactly like that for ice fishing. Cheap, easy and holds a charge for over 12 hours when I use it for powering my LED ice shanty lights. Works well for charging phones and powering accessories as well. Nice Job!

[@RadReelingFishing]

Awesome news for sure. While reading your comment I was reminded that I'm going to rig my kayak with lights for filming at night. This battery pack will work great for power. Thanks!

[@sandywoolf2883]

The video description is great! This kind of cigarette lighter USB integrated machine is necessary. I bought this elecdeer brand not long ago. After using it for a period of time, it feels very convenient and very good. Everyone can spare one.

[@damiansheils510]

Great video buddy! I've ordered my parts and I'm off to get building thank you for steering the way.

[@bgates1128]

Great video! Can flip the battery lengthwise where terminals are on same side as hinge. That way, can open lid farther.

[@ProjectReel]

Great looking battery box JC. Very handy DIY accessory for the outdoorsman. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@RadReelingFishing]

Thanks for watching . I'm planning a camping trip soon where there's no power, trying to get prepared.

[@Twigging_Around]

Solid... So solid. I was about to buy the dakota power box like a moron.

[@BusyBee11226]

Or you could have used the plate it came with as a template for your holes.

[@RadReelingFishing]

Right on, what a great tip. Thanks for watching.

[@fernandodillon1995]

Great idea

[@charlescox4213]

I been working on my battery box too for a live well in my kayak, great video. I a real live well is something to consider to keep your bait alive would make a great video too.

[@Huy0035]

I use mine as a 12v air bubbler. The bubbler and battery fit nicely inside the ammo can. Added a couple aluminum clips on the side and I can hang it from my surf cart rail. I throw it in my bucket and take it when Im walking in. Or bring it on the kayak. Very portable. When I build 2.0 I will add a thru hull sae connector for charging.

[@RealSnowMan78]

Here's a tip for using a hole saw in any sort of plastic. Run the drill in reverse to drill your hole. Makes a MUCH cleaner hole

[@RealSnowMan78]

A step bit works extremely well also.

[@johnbrocklehurst5125]

How do you charge the battery in the box

[@sonnyblu6299]

I have searched what feels like a thousand battery boxes and DIY "SoGens" and have yet have anyone explain "How to recharge your battery from your vehicles 12 volt Cig input" as all the Jackery/Bluetti types do. Solar is simple... a Charge Controller and a Solar Panel. BUT how do you recharge via 12 volt whilst driving your vehicle? What's it take? How is it done?

[@greedyg76]

@@sonnyblu6299 As long as the car voltage is higher than you battery box, it will charge. Cigarette lighter sockets are usually pretty low amperage, so it won't be fast...

[@sonnyblu6299]

@@greedyg76 Would there be any advantage to using a DC to AC INVERTER to AC Battery Charger? Thanks...

[@greedyg76]

@@sonnyblu6299 not likely. DC to AC conversion is very inefficient. There is a lot of power lost in that direction. If you wanted to charge at a higher rate than what the cigarette lighter is capable of, you’d be better off running a dedicated switched & fused circuit direct from the battery. Switched via a relay so it would not charge when the car is not running, reducing the chance of draining the car starting battery. Fused because you want to protect the car’s electrical in the case of a short somewhere along the line.

[@sonnyblu6299]

@@greedyg76 Thank you... As much as I really want to DIY a "So-Gen" for the "Cost to Power effectiveness" and just for the fun of it! This is a prime example of my ignorance and why I should just buy a Jackery or Bluetti etc... LOL ;-) Thank you!

[@TkMkHawaiian]

I’m late to the party but I’m finally here. Just ordered everything except for the battery.. because batteries don’t ship to certain places… probably going to buy local. Anyway.. I’m going to have a camping trip soon. 2 nights 3 days. Will this set up last? I’m only going to charge what I need. 2 Headlamp and 3 phones.

[@LA-Creative]

I love that you made a simple setup video and the wiring is clean. 😇 How do you charge the internal battery? Can you charge it with the 12v cigarette port? I’m thinking of making one of these that I can attach a solar panel trickle charger into via SAE connector panel or by cigarette lighter plug.

[@RadReelingFishing]

If I were you just buy a power bank. They are reasonably priced and much more efficient.

[@Joel-lopez]

Love the vid! Quick question, does the battery drain? And if it does how do you recharge it?

[@RadReelingFishing]

If I were you look into purchasing a power station. amzn.to/49UX2oj They are reasonably priced and work a lot better than this set up. Yes, it drains and the battery I purchased came with a small charging cable.

[@emilybrown8089]

​@@RadReelingFishingThank you for answering this question. I was looking for a 12v USB only power station build video, and you delivered.

[@joserivas2992]

why not to use the 3 holes template that come with it??

[@RadReelingFishing]

I forget why? There was a reason I didn't use it though...

[@fernandodillon1995]

What a great video, love the fast motion, makes the video more interesting thanks

[@jd07996]

Great Job! I would suggest securing the battery to the side and bottom with velcro.

[@RadReelingFishing]

Alright! That's a great idea. Thanks!

[@moncorp1]

or cut up a pool noodle and stuff it around the edges.

[@megamattoutdoors7648]

Sweet one JC. Totally gonna make one for sure

[@RadReelingFishing]

Thanks or watching.

[@Johndoe-qk6fi]

To strip wires i just use a lighter 👍 try it out sometime i bet its easier. Cool box i like it

[@FaithNFishing]

Great idea and very useful. If you want to secure the battery, you can probably use some spray foam to form a mold for it. As always, appreciate the content!

[@RadReelingFishing]

Good idea for sure, thanks.

[@ar_snl]

Just the video i was looking for!

[@BigPhatAlbert]

This is great!!! But may i suggest a thicker marker? 😆 kidding. Thanks

[@Johndoe-qk6fi]

I went all out metal can marker and fog lights 5 switch panel 20ah lithium jesus i spent 300. wish id have seen this first but the one i make will be in my kids house somewhere after im gone. It was a project i make things its a hobby. Im gonna make one like you did too tho its cheap and handy

[@Johndoe-qk6fi]

I just made one like your lastnight as all the parts for the metal one arrive it turned out nice and was good practice now its time for the main event haha i need one of those stepped drill bits. This is metal hopefully its more of a challenge. I enjoy this stuff so much. Im gonna take my time and check everything 3 4 or even 5 times. That 20ah battery barely fit in that 50cal box were talking 1/8" to spare. snug as a bug in a rug. What would be cool is to find a way to rig up an alternator in a can and have connections to the can with light and battery to charge it youd have to find a low rpm 12v alternator and factor in how many cranks you could comfortably do then theres math involved to determine how many amps are being delivered at the rate of hand cranking opposed to 3000 rpm or whatever. Or you could cheat and hook up a volt meter and see what you produce and a comfortable rate and it it needs fine tuning you could employ a capacitor for a car stereo to spice it up a bit haha i love this stuff i went to college for building computers. Electronics are my jam.

[@Johndoe-qk6fi]

I did the metal one lastnight its a beast! It has 2 fog lights and 6 marker lights and all the power sockets and switches

[@NoProGoPronto]

I'm reading comments for more info and was a little disappointed that you are now telling people to just buy a power bank. We know we can buy one. I have (2) jackerys and they work just fine, but I'm also interested in building one just to keep my hands busy and to learn something new. So now my question is, if I don't want to cut out the individual holes what would I use so I can just drop the whole piece in place? Thanks

[@RadReelingFishing]

Oh...Not sure, I used what I had on hand to make this one.

[@19jtown]

This is probably a dumb question, but I’m looking at this as an alternative to a Jackery. But how long could I expect the battery to last with just doing simple charges like phones?

[@RadReelingFishing]

I can't answer that. I'm sure a Jackery will serve you much better than this one.

[@trampster7306]

Good video JC! Chordless? Only from a musician! I think you meant Cordless! I would have put some Silicone around those puppies before tightening down - it would have helped seal with the holes being a little large. Tight lines Bro!

[@RadReelingFishing]

Excellent editing, thanks! Silicone is a great idea. Thanks for the tips.

[@oscarzepeda1558]

Can you use this to run a CPAP inside a mini-van ??? I was thinking of Jackery or Goal Zero but that's super expensive !!! Please respond when you can... Thank You....

[@RadReelingFishing]

Sorry I'm not qualified to answer that question. I just use this to charge my phone and gopro batteries.

[@geebroni4118]

CPAP runs on AC. This set up is strictly DC. Jackery has a inverter to change DC to AC.

[@ctrichell]

How do you charge it. Nobody mentions how you charge these boxes.

[@RadReelingFishing]

The battery I purchased came with a charger.

[@troyyarbrough]

I have purchased 3 of those USB/12V Plug/Master Switch sets. Each one from a different vendor. The master switch on all of them is not the best quality. The least little bit of force will pop the switch up out of the holder. My suggestion is to purchase your master switch(es) separately. Other than that, cool build.

[@marisaayling9065]

What do you use to recharge the battery?

[@RadReelingFishing]

Get a power bank, much better than making one.

[@BusterBennettYT1]

I'm interested in purchasing one from you!

[@bobhodson7640]

Should have used the plate for support behind the lid.

[@adventures3699]

What do you use to charge the battery???

[@RadReelingFishing]

I bought a combo, battery with the charging set up.

[@annacao4743]

would you have to jumpstart the battery if its dead

[@RadReelingFishing]

Recharge! Thanks for watching.

[@janeenbenito6067]

Awesome idea! Thank you!

[@RadReelingFishing]

Thanks for watching. Just getting ready to do some camping.

[@kevinsandells9933]

Heck dont get any easier than that. Thanks for the video.

[@RadReelingFishing]

Thanks for watching.

[@JefAnderson15]

Dude... totally what i was noodling around, such a great video - do you think there'd be any greater advantage using a See Doo sized 12v battery (obviously in a little larger box) thoughts?

[@RadReelingFishing]

I'm guessing the amp hour rating would help in making that decision. I honestly don't know much about one type of battery over the other.

[@JefAnderson15]

@@RadReelingFishing thanx man! great video

[@kybobber1710]

How do you recharge battery?

[@EthanPriceOutdoors]

Great video!

[@STILLPHENOM]

Hey JC, what do you use to charge this battery, and how often do you charge?

[@RadReelingFishing]

Mine came wit a wall charger here: amzn.to/2y46ZTH

[@mrsmd4616]

Need this for a cool box for Champaign want to encase it in mahogany for the boot/trunk

[@njcdailo8934]

Sorry I know this is gonna be dumb . How does it get charged up again after use?

[@RadReelingFishing]

Has a cord it came with.

[@nironbonitz]

How do you charge the battery that powers the rest

[@RadReelingFishing]

The battery came with a charging wire.

[@chrisammons1141]

How long 12v battery last if charging all devices......till needs a recharge

[@RadReelingFishing]

I can't answer that accurately.

[@le6tat]

You didn't mention your recharge method

[@RadReelingFishing]

My battery came equipped with this charger: amzn.to/33j1M7H (paid link)

[@brianjmt5213]

You can buy a battery brick for just few bucks more and it will charge your stuff more times then that battery box will. Look them up on amazon. Battery brick is the way to go very small and lighter then that big box.

[@losoutdoorsfishing7672]

I am going get one thanks 👍

[@RadReelingFishing]

Thanks for watching.

[@LordofStormsEnd]

How do you charge the battery?

[@RadReelingFishing]

The battery came with a small plug in charger.

[@vladfish]

Excellent informative video.

[@RadReelingFishing]

Thanks for watching.

[@vladfish]

@@RadReelingFishing my pleasure 😉

[@smooveb191]

Can you still use this for the fish finder??

[@RadReelingFishing]

Yes. The battery is removable. Thanks for watching.

[@bernied9415]

Should ream the holes out a bit !

[@CapitalDream]

But how do you charge the battery

[@vladfish]

And what's a good charger for that kind of battery ?

[@RadReelingFishing]

Mine actually came with a charger. I'm "guessing" that any 12 volt charger will work.

[@vladfish]

@@RadReelingFishing thanks a lot

[@TheTazmanjump]

What if the battery is not charging your phones , instead is just taking power from my phone instead. Any help will be much appreciated

[@JETTIEROCKSFISHINGwithMIKED]

Awesome idea..and im first..lol

[@RadReelingFishing]

Thanks for watching. I'll be camping soon where there no power. Hopefully it will workout okay.

[@tracynorris355]

You took JC out on your boat...he has to take you out on his...LOL

[@PS4PROGAMER5456]

Do it with a 45 ah batty for better life time on a single charge

[@FanceeName]

Is this still working after four years?

[@RadReelingFishing]

purchase a power station, much better investment of time and money.

[@Njmetsfan27]

Nice 👍🏼

[@markweatherall7437]

Items not available in March 2022

[@bigchief1658]

Why did you draw it on the paper

[@RadReelingFishing]

To make it easy to hook the wires back on in the right place. Thanks for watching.

[@bigchief1658]

@@RadReelingFishing just take a picture of your phone lol

[@danielquintero760]

I heard DYI

[@jamesbaugh3745]

I must have Bad LUCK Ordered 2 of these and both power switches were bad,Just not real Happy and the instructions were terrible the power switch has 3 terminals out the back instructions only show 2.

[@jamestaylor2607]

You keep calling it a cigarette lighter, but it's a power point. A cigarette lighter socket is not the same and cannot be used to power 12 v accessories. Power Point.

[@RadReelingFishing]

Thanks for letting me know. I just thought it looked like the one in my car, cool info may man.

[@drn3081]

How do u charge the battery in the box

[@RadReelingFishing]

Open the lid of the ammo container and connect the battery charger. I'd recommend that you purchase a dedicated power station instead of building your own. They are reasonably priced now. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3Swo5KEqNp2qassi=DLgc_-HX2BQP4gdc