Portable, Solar 12V Battery Pack

Camping these days usually means bringing things that require electricity.
Normally I will use the car 12 v socket but I find it cumbersome especially if you have to charge your phone at night.
So, inspired by the building my youngest brother did, I decided to build a battery pack for myself that would last the entire time I was camping, portable and practical.
The battery pack uses a 12 v SLA Battery with 3 outlets, a 12 v cigarette outlet and 2 USB.
The 18 v solar panel ensures that it remains charged throughout the camping trip, and there is LED lighting with dimmers on the side.
To adjust the power of the panel, I used the solar panel regulator.
Finally, I added a power switch to make sure the battery does not run out when not in use.
You can also charge the battery by sticking out a few lugs on the side.
I added these afterwards so you can\'t see them in the picture below.
However, I will add another step to show you how I use the power pack to run the shower (yes, I have a portable hot water shower.
After camping for a few days, there\'s nothing better than a hot bath! ), blow-
Charge my portable speaker and phone, and anything else that needs power.
Construction is not very difficult;
However, it does require some electronic knowledge and some basic welding skills.
I will show you all aspects of the building so that anyone can put one together. Parts:1.
12 v, 7ah SLA Battery-ebay2.
Item or power box.
The size I use is 85mm x 230mm x 150mm.
You can buy these from the electronics store (Jcar in Australia) or ebay3.
18 v solar panel-ebay4.
12 v Solar Panel regulator-ebay5.
On/off switch-ebay6.
Instant switch-ebay7
Line 8 in red and black.
LED light bar-ebay9
12 v dual USB/cigarette charger-ebay10.
Dimmer-ebay11
Aluminum bar (for handle) 12.
Double-sided velvet film 13. Velcro14.
All kinds of nuts and Bolt tools 1. Drill2. Angle grinder3. Files4. Hot glue5.
Soldering Iron 6.
Screwdriver and Philips headphones: 1.
Remove the voltmeter and power adapter and use the cowling as a template for holes that need to be drilled into the project box 2.
Mark the hole on the lid of item box 3.
Drill the hole out
I used one . . . . . . Holes of size to drill holes.
They are slightly larger than needed, so I have some space in case the holes fall off. 4.
Next, put the voltmeter and other adapters into the shield and secure them on the cover with the plastic gasket they come. 5.
Screw the shield onto the project box d6.
Finally, drill a hole near the voltage
Steps for instrument and connecting instant switch: 1.
Make a template with a piece of paper, the same size as the solar panel.
Mark Two welding points on paper and stick them to the lid with adhesive tape. 3.
Next, drill out the area where the pad is located and take out the paper template 4.
The solar panel I use doesn\'t indicate which PAD is negative and which one is positive, so I just used an LED to touch the pad and put it on the light source
Weld several wires to the pads. 5.
Connect some double sided tape to the back of the panel, pass the wire through the hole on the lid and stick the panel to the proper position: power switch 1.
Drill a hole large enough on the side of the project box to install the switch to 2.
Step to enter the location safely: 1.
The dimmer switch is mounted in a small box.
You need to remove the pan and circuit board from the inside. 2. First, un-
Tighten 4 screws and fix the lid on 3.
Next, remove the bolt that holds the pan on d4.
Remove the lid carefully and cancel
Unscrew the board from chassis 5.
Drill a hole on the side of the project box and connect the pot with a nut. Steps:1.
Drill a hole in the project box and let the wire on the LED light pass through.
Remember to keep the light close to the dimmer switch 2.
Connect the LED to the project box.
I have to modify my LEDs so they can be installed correctly, which means I can no longer screw them into the project box.
Instead, I fixed it on the box with some epoxy glue.
The LED also has its own on/off switch so I don\'t have to worry about adding one.
However, you may need to add a switch if there is no step for the switch you choose: 1.
I make a handle with an aluminum strip.
First, you need to bend one end. 2.
Next, measure the position where the other end is bent, stick the aluminum to the pair and bend. 3.
Trim off the excess alumni.
Fix it in place with some screws and lock the nutsSteps: 1.
The first thing to do is to fix your battery to the bottom of the box.
Add some Velcro to the bottom of the battery and paste it in place. 2.
Next, you need to connect the positive pole on the battery to a terminal on the main switch. 3.
Then another wire needs to be connected to another switch terminal of the solar panel regulator. 4.
Finally, connect the wire to the negative terminal and the solar panel regulator step: ignore the one-minute LED line.
I discussed this in more detail in several steps1.
Connect each terminal on the USB and 12 v socket.
Weld the wires to each positive and negative terminals. 2.
Weld the other wire to a negative terminal on the socket and to the terminal on the voltmeter. 3.
On another terminal on the voltmeter (positive electricity), weld the wire to it, and then weld to one terminal on the instantaneous switch. 4.
Weld the wire to another terminal on the instant switch and fix it in the solar panel regulator as shown in the following figure. 5.
Connect the wire to the last terminal on the socket and fix it on the solar panel regulator.
Check out the chart below to help you understand how to connect this section.
This is very direct, but can be a bit confusing for newbies.
I have done some calculations and can find below the effect of the panel charging the battery.
If you have the ideal Sun for 6 hours, you should be able to charge the battery 25%.
This should be top enough.
Battery power per day: 1.
The wires you welded to the solar panel now need to be attached to the regulator.
On the regulator, there is a photo of the solar panel where you need to connect the wires (can\'t be more direct! ) 2.
Fix the wire (polarity) in the right way ). . .
) Thanks to the supervisors!
One last thing.
The dimmer is up. Steps:1.
Connect the wire on the LED light to the output part of the dimmer switch.
Make sure you have the right polarity. 2.
Next, add a red and black line to the input section of the dimmer.
These then need to go into the solar panel regulator as shown in the following figure.
May need to top-
Turn on the battery from time to time.
I decided to add a few lugs to connect the battery charger.
I didn\'t include these initially, but after making some comments I thought it would be a good idea: 1.
Drill several holes on the side of the box.
I make the hole a little smaller than the screw (lugs) so I can add a line inside the hole. 2.
Add a few bolts to the screw.
These will be used to secure the wires on the screws. 3.
Screw the screw into the hole. 4.
Now connect several wires to the battery terminals on the regulator, then wrap them around the screws and tighten the bolts 5.
Finally, I found several rubber sleeves at the hardware store.
It\'s better to cover the batteries when they\'re live, because you don\'t want to accidentally short anything.
Now you have all the wired devices.
It\'s time to test and make sure all the electronics are working properly.
Plug the battery in and test if the power outlet is working.
You should see the light on for USB 5 v.
Also check the light and make sure it is on as well.
Test the solar panel if you can to make sure the battery is charged.
Finally, make sure that the wires of the battery are safe and will not fall off if handled properly. Close-
Twist the box.