diy solar

diy solar

Micro Portable Battery System

707kevin

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Mar 7, 2023
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I figured I would post my DIY version here. It's not perfect, but it was fun to build. This was my first time using Anderson connectors and I'm hooked. Got a decent crimper and love these things.

I made this mainly for my camping trips, but I've already used this at home a few times during outages this winter.

TL;DR: Tiny, 30Ah LiFePo4 in a Pelican im2050 case. Pretty much the same as all the other portable batteries with solar chargers!

CASE: Pelican Storm im2050, was a freebee so I wanted to use it for a project. I didn't cut or drill it, so it's still waterproof and can be used for another project if I change direction later.

BATTERIES: These are 15Ah in the form factor of standard 7Ah batteries. Parallel for 30Ah. From Amped Outdoors, seem to be great quality, great BMS. dense foam pad on top and thin pad on bottom. Nice snug fit in the case. Some protective cover over the terminals was from the insides of an old power supply.

CHARGE CONTROLLER: Renogy Wanderer 10A. It works well enough. Cheap. I used the switched DC output on this controller for a tiny work light, or to plug in my DIY LED light tube.

SOLAR PANEL: Used Rockpals 100W from ebay that looked brand new and works great too. I got 6A from it the other day on a winter sunny day.

SWITCH PANEL: The switch panel is a old office sign (no smoking I think.. hope it holds true for my batteries!) made from composite aluminum paneling. This stuff is awesome to work with and can be found free or cheap if you dig around a office warehouse, or find someone with old signs.

DIY LED LIGHT: Built in a polycarbonate tube. It will light a 20x30 room well enough to read a book in any seat on full. On 'low' it draws 0.1A and provides a ton of light still. The 5 position switch incrementally turns on all 4 strips. I need to finish this up, add a hook / strap to hang it. Maybe a magnet, maybe a stable base option. It was a silly little DIWhy project, but it works really well!

CONNECTORS: Everything is Anderson 15/30/45 connectors where possible. They are awesome!

INVERTER: Typical 300W pure sine Bestek inverter from Amazon. I left it separate because I don't have a big need for an inverter 99% off the time.

OTHER STUFF IN THE BAG: Everything stores in the backpack with an assortment of USB cables & adapters, and a 18650 battery charger for the flashlights, just in case. AC Charger also for recharging the whole thing at home, or from inverter in the car if needed.

Things I would do different next time or change soon:

* The solar input does not need to be switched or fused. That was just my old automotive wiring habits kicking in. (FUSE ALL THE THINGS!)

* I'll add second DC output Anderson connector. Just need to embiggen the hole in the panel & wire in another stack of Anderson connectors clipped on to the existing ones. Those little Anderson panel mount brackets are handy,

* Repaint & relabel the panel. Or make a new panel. The DC switch and wiring should hold 30Amp (Max battery discharge is 1C, 30Amps anyways) I haven't had it past 20 yet. Maybe have my wife make me some nice cutout vinyl stickers to make the panel look professional.

Everything stuffed in a 5$ yard sale SOG backpack
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Renogy Wander 10A and x2 Amped Outdoors 15Ah LiFePo4 batteries in parallel. Lot's of opportunity to make the switch panel much better...
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A USB-C PD 60W, QC4+ adapter stuffed in a earbud case with passthrough Anderson connectors.
20230308_165840.jpg


An assortment of barrel connector adapters.
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Amazon Bestek 300W inverter & adapters all switched to Anderson.
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The unfinished LED Tube lamp I was working on. The camera compensates for the light strangely. It's definitely to bright to look at!
Also you can see the tiny LED work light I've mounted in the case. It's about 3/4" of COB LED and also much brighter than expected.
20230308_165950.jpg
 
$425 for a 400Wh battery that I can fix, modify, and add on to as needed is pretty good to me.
Maybe missing some bells and whistles of the pre-made versions, and at this size, very hard to be competitive pricewise.

I did not cheap out on batteries, so that was $200 right there. Panel &

Also, all the little things like switches, fuses holders, wire, Anderson connectors, USB chargers, and all that REALLY add up if you don't have them already! I probably have enough small parts for 10 more of these. Economies of scale just aren't on your side when n=1!
 
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