SMALLEST AMMO CAN BATTERY BOX MTM MINI WITH FULL SIZE FEATURES

Video #6 in this DIY series has big ammo can upgrades in the smallest ammo can form factor ever like LED emergency flasher, front LED night light, 3 water resistant power switches, 12V remote power lugs, and battery rails for added security. Sorry it took so long to make this video, but there was a lot to consider in making this mini battery box look just as good as the big ones without going short on features. A smaller box is just so irresistible.

[@mikehelme3360]

Really like this. A parts list would be great also. Thanks for the video!

[@thisoldmanchannel]

Hey Mike, thank you for commenting. You just gave me a good idea and I'll be putting something out relative to parts. I think a lot of people going through the process of building their own will probably customize their project to their specific needs., but the basics are the same. This project started out as a budget can and kinda evolved. By the same token, I'd like to get some emails and pics from viewers and see what they're building.. Thanks for watching!

[@TAWier]

Yeah, I came here to see if a list of the parts was here. I like the light he used on the front of the box but haven't been able to find one that size yet.

[@mr.makeit4037]

Great job. Only thing that I didn't see was the addition of a state of charge battery meter. Thats really important as this generator is using a lead acid battery which can only be drawn down no less than 50% You would need to monitor this. Also I would use a forstner bit over the paddle bit to drill those switch holes as the box is thin plastic. Finally, fusing is needed. All in all though, good job. Good detailing.

[@thisoldmanchannel]

Hi there! Every box has a built in battery meter and a dedicated fuse block. All wires are pure silicone to withstand temperature extremes and maintain flexibility. A wiring chart was also consulted to assure the wires far exceed capacity for amount of amperage. Just took my experience in building electric radio controlled cars and boats and applied it to ammo box batteries. Built the boxes for fun and relaxation as novelties mostly.. Thanks for watching!

[@jasonudchitz302]

The LOOP!!! I know you're from Chicago LOL

[@thisoldmanchannel]

Hey Jason! The LOOP, WLS, XRT Broadcast right across Foreman High School. Love 💖 Chicago Man!

[@jasonudchitz302]

@@thisoldmanchannel I loved listening to Mancow in the mornings lmao. Terd lived the next block over from me when I used to live in Peotone.

[@thisoldmanchannel]

Small world, my kid worked for Mancow couple of years until they got sold. That's where I got a lot of cool stuff. Got LOOP stickers on the lawn mower too!

[@brucekempf4648]

Really cool project. Have you considered using the LiFePo4 batteries? I wonder how many amp hours you could get into this box and it would be lighter and the battery will almost last forever

[@thisoldmanchannel]

Hello Bruce. Agreed lithium is the way to go but I'm kinda on a fixed income and the gel cell was around $22. Parts are readily available on line but people build these things to suit their own needs so it's really a matter of preference. If this is your first build, go with a larger box as it's easier to work with. Took me a while to figure out how to put the smaller box together. Thank you for commenting and especially for watching.

[@jaysrandomnesschannel]

What was the reason you went with the traffic light style power switches?

[@thisoldmanchannel]

Helo Jay! They were low profile and water resistant. Big problem with placement. Originally wanted to place these on the other side on top of the logo but the impressions of the logo and recessed square caused a esthetic problems. So I considered making a plate out of metal or ABS plastic to cover the logo and mount the switches there, cutting the logo out and mounting a plate beneath it.. Nothing I thought of was working so the project sat. Then last week the idea to mount them in the handle hit... Played with the measurements and it worked.... Buttons look awesome in there. Red switch will power the front 12v lugs.. Amber for the flasher, and green for the front light. Just worked out that way... Just making it up as I go along...

[@jaysrandomnesschannel]

@@thisoldmanchannel very creative!

[@thisoldmanchannel]

You too man! Thank you!

[@allkindsofoutdooractivities]

Nice build!

[@thisoldmanchannel]

Thank you All kinds of Outdoor Activities. It's great to see a new wave of KZbinrs coming online. I'm so glad to be a part of that movement!

[@test-193]

I love where you're going with this design! I'm currently using the same size case by Flambeau. (6.75” x 3.5” x 6”) They call it the Mini-Ammo can… Model 5415MC. Thanks for posting this!!! This is such a great project… however, I’m begging you to use lithium 18650’s. It’s not too hard and you’ll get soooooo much more energy storage… with only 1/4th the weight. I’ll help you build the battery if you want my assistance. Heck, I’ve got almost 2000 18650 cells, so I won’t even charge you anything. I just want your mini battery box to be the best it can be. On my build, I went with lithium ion LG “MJ1” - 18650's from medical packs. (Most medical packs are cheap and the cells are hardly cycled at all! Test the cells for Capacity, Internal Resistance, and Self Discharge… then cross reference with the manufacturers spec sheet to get the “New” cell specs. That’s how you know how much, or how little your 18650’s have been used.) It’s surprising what I was able to jam into this super tiny box. My battery is 450 Watthours, or 40.5 Amphours. For a box that’s only 6.75” x 3.5” x 6” that’s insane!!! Compare that to the Jackery and GoalZero units. Here’s the battery math: 36 cells in a 3S12P configuration. That calculates to be 3375mAh * 3.7Volts = 12.49Watthours per cell. Multiply 12.49Wh * 36 cells gives 450 Watthours. (That can also be calculated by taking 3.375Ah * 12 cells in parallel = 40.5 Amphours. Now take 40.5Ah * 11.1 Volts nominal = 450Watthours.) Features of my version (I call it “The Nano Solar Generator”): 1) Long lasting, high capacity (450Wh) Lithium battery. (40.5 Amphours) 2) I also squeezed in a 150 Watt Pure Sine Inverter just so I could say that this tiny thing does 120VAC too. LOL. 3) Additionally, I really wanted to be able to charge this box via the sun, so I managed to fit an inexpensive, 220Watt PWM charge controller in here as well! Now I can call it a “solar generator” instead of just a “battery box”. In a grid-down scenario, my box will charge back up via solar panels and keep on trucking. 4) Naturally, my box has USB-A ports (four of them) for cell phones and other USB items. 5) I also included two 5.5 x 2.1 barrel plugs for my 12V LED lights. It’s always more efficient to use 12VDC instead of 120VAC whenever possible, to avoid the inverter’s 10% to 15% efficiency loss. 6) I installed a small LCD voltmeter that shows the battery Voltage and remaining % power. 7) Solar input was accomplished via a panel mounted XT90 jack. Looks clean and it’s made for high current! 8) Built-in LED lights. Let me know the exact dimensions of the spot you have in mind for your battery, and I’ll figure out the most 18650’s that I can cram into that spot. I can make a kit for you to build…… or I can just build it for you and mail it to you. Once the battery is built, adding a BMS is super easy. I have exactly what you need. Let me know. Keep up your excellent channel. You inspire many thousands of people!

[@thisoldmanchannel]

Yeah the flambeau is pretty cool.. Just checked it out... I found the MTM at a firearm store because I was looking for something small and an real easy low cost build for people who wanted to get into building battery boxes... It just kinda evolved into something more, but very challenging to neatly integrate we with more features. I guess there's a difference to something that looks home built as opposed to something that looks more custom built.

[@test-193]

thisoldmanchannel - how about building another one of these tiny boxes with one of my 12.6Volt 18650 lithium batteries? (No charge.). I could email you pictures of mine to show how I managed to squeeze it all in. Honestly, skipping the 150Watt pure sine inverter would make it much easier and require less TETRIS type arranging! Lol.

[@thisoldmanchannel]

Thank you for the offer but I have something else in mind for the next project. Think you guys are really going to like it.

[@leftcoastoutlaw]

@@test-193 What a great offer! I can’t believe he turned it down. I would love to see what you have built and appreciate the earlier explanation of your thought process behind your changes and like the improvements over what has been built thus far on this channel (although I do like the thorough explanations and thought put into these too.)

[@brucekempf4648]

Can you please tell us where to get all the parts and how much it costs to build?

[@thisoldmanchannel]

Hey Bruce, watch the build videos for what to order. Maybe $75 or less.

[@htoddgriffin4787]

How long will this run my full size chest freezer?

[@thisoldmanchannel]

With an inverter, probably not at all. I would recommend a power generator like Generac or something else like it if you're planning for an extended event without power.