The primary purpose of building battery boxes for amateur radio is to safely contain and protect the batteries used to power radio equipment, especially during emergency situations or field operations, by preventing damage, providing secure connections, and shielding them from the elements, all while allowing for proper ventilation to manage the potential heat buildup.
Key reasons for using a battery box in amateur radio:
- Safety: Battery boxes provide protection from damage, which can be harmful to people and equipment if exposed.
- Protection from elements: A box shields the battery from weather conditions like rain, snow, and extreme temperatures, ensuring optimal performance.
- Secure connections: Battery boxes can be designed to hold the battery firmly in place, preventing loose connections that could cause sparks or damage to the battery.
- Ventilation: Proper ventilation within the box allows for the release of heat produced by the electricity moving through the wire, and preventing potential hazards.
- Portability: A dedicated battery box allows for easy transport of the power source to different locations for field operations.
Once you decide you want to build a portable power case, here are some considerations to help guide you on this project.
Type of Case: There are several types of cases to be used from plastic to metal ammo cans, Hard cases like Apache, Condition 1, Pelican, SKB and many more. All of these come in at different price points, construction and durability. Some cases have wheels for ease of movement, but they can be bigger, which has both positive and negative qualities.
Functionality: Things you can build into the case
- DC to DC power conversion.
- Bluetooth power readouts to your smartphone.
- DC to AC inverters, be sure to use a pure sine wave device and that it has enough power (watts) to do what you want.
- The ability to charge your small electronic devices.
- The ability to hook into a wide variety of connectors.
- Remember the more bells and whistle you put in, the more power is consumed and the cost increases and last but not least, more chance for failure.
Durability: This ties itself back to the first point. If money was not a factor Pelican cases would be my go to for lots of reasons. But I have to work on a budget and I have to balance this out. People have mixed reviews of Apache cases but they are on the more affordable side of the scale. I have been using an Apache case when I deploy to disasters to carry my CPAP machine with no issues. Recently I have discovered Condition 1 cases out of Texas. They offer a lifetime warranty and seem pretty solid. So for this build I went with a 1179 case from Condition 1. Now I mentioned earlier that another case option was the plastic ammo can. Very affordable and easy to work with, but not very rugged. Choices are very dependent on your budget.
You have put some thought into this project and you have done your research – what other things do you need in order to be successful?
Tools: You will need a basic set of tools such as:
- Screwdrivers: Common and Phillips
- Automotive Crimps: Spend the money on good quality tools
- Wire Strippers: There are a lot of these on the market
- Wire Cutters: Again quality matters
- Digital Voltmeter is very handy to have to ensure proper voltages.
- Heat shrink gun
- Powerpole crimps
- Step and regular drill bits
- Wired or cordless drill
- Dremel Tool with Barrel sander
- Label maker
Materials: Additional things you might need:
- Double Sided Tape
- Plastic wire ties (these are for cleaning up your wiring).
- Heat Shrink (to seal the automotive crimp connectors and to add some strain relief).
- Automotive crimp connectors: Rings, butt connectors
- Hook and Loop fasteners
- Resettable fuses:
- Inline fuses on each port with the appropriate rated fuse.
- Silicon to seal all of the ports (to make it water tight).
- Rubber Caps for putting over terminals (to prevent electrical shorts).
- Webbing 1″ wide and buckles (this is not a requirement but it does keep things from moving).
- 10 gauge stranded copper wire.
- Spare Blade Fuses
- High-vis label tape.
- Red Loctite
- Black or Grey Speaker Carpet (makes for a cleaner project).
- Thin sheet of birch plywood (allows you to attach items without penetrating the case)
- 3M spray adhesive (for attaching the carpet to the plywood)
- Powerpole distribution block with blade fuses
- Master kill switch (to turn off all the power)
Most of the tools and materials can be purchased from the WaveTalkers Store on Amazon.
Skills
When undertaking a project like this, remember you are working with AMPS! (Remember volts don’t kill, amps do.) We are working with discharge rates like 10, 25, 50, 75, 100 amps, so make sure you have a good understanding of wiring. We need to ensure solid connections as well as building in some protection to avoid electrical shorts. The skill and knowledge levels can be rather to very complex.
SAFETY: Isolate your power source until you have double-checked your work! If in doubt, seek help from others. Lithium Batteries can be very unforgiving.
Once you have figured out case and battery size and function. I highly recommend you draw out a build plan for everything. I would also do a wiring diagram to help you understand and address some of the ideas above.
For my project I decided I wanted a very portable case, not small and not too big. Again, the idea is to be deployable without a lot of big heavy items. I wanted to be able to deliver power to various connectors that I might see in the field. I determined what my radio equipment needs will be, with room for expansion. So here are my requirements:
- Condition 1 #1179 Case with only lid foam.
- 50-Amp hour LiFePO4 battery with a low profile.
- Power outlets
- Powerpoles
- USB-C & A ports
- 12-volt power socket
- Binding posts
- Weather resistant
Considerations: For my build I chose not to have any built-in panel lights or lighted gauges, because they all draw power. It is a personal preference.
Condition 1 Case #1179 Top View
Condition 1 Case #1179 Side View
Condition 1 Front View
The wooden/carpet board install and installing the ports
View of battery install in relation to wiring
Battery strapped down
50 Amp resettable fuse
The protective caps on exposed terminals
Side view of case with ports installed
USB A & C ports
Protective caps for the binding posts with green P-cord
This is the 50 Amp Powerpole wired straight to the battery.
Different built adapters.
50A Battery Case
50A Battery Case Materials List
1 – Condition 1 #1179 Case
1 – Circuit Breaker Switch 50A Waterproof Fuse Inline Holder Resettable Fuse Manual Reset 12V-48V DC for Car Audio Sound Amplifier System RV Home Marine Boat Truck ASIN B0BXWFW61B
1 – 10Pcs 4mm Banana Plug Socket Plated Terminal Amplifier Speaker Terminal Connector ASIN B07DH6Y8LW
1 – Powerwerx PanelPole2, Panel Mount Housing for Two Anderson Powerpole Connectors with a Weather Tight Cover ASIN B097QDKJJ2
1 – Battery Disconnect Switch Battery Isolator Switch Main Switch 12V-48V Cut Shut Off Isolator Switch Max. 32V DC 100A Cont 150A INT ON-Off Power Switch for Marine Boat Caravan Car Vehicles Yacht Bus ASIN B0BXSDW99W
1 – Cllena 12V USB Outlet Dual PD USB C & Quick Charge 3.0 Car Charger 3 Port USB Socket with Voltmeter and Power Switch, Multi-Function Car USB Charger Adapter for Car Boat Marine RV Truck ATV etc. ASIN B0CMHD68MB
1 – 2Pcs Embedded Plug Installation Panel, Anderson Plug Panel Base with Dust Cover, Flush Mount Bracket Panel Kit, Plug Mounting Panel (Without Plug) (50A) ASIN B0D131W78D
1 – Cigarette Lighter Socket Car Marine Motorcycle ATV RV Lighter Socket Power Outlet Socket Receptacle 12V Waterproof Plug by ZHSMS ASIN B07H1MGWFN
1 – 400 PCS Round Vinyl Flexible End Caps Bolt Screw Rubber Thread Protector Safety Cover, Soft Rubber Cover for Indoor and Outdoor, Home Use, Construction Site Use, 10 Sizes in Red & Black ASIN B09B8YD6NV
1 – 40″ x 40″ Speaker Box Carpet Car Sub Woofer Trunk Liner Felt Black Fabric for RV, Boat, Truck, Automotive Interior, Marine, Home Floor (Grey) ASIN B0DD9LSLWD
1 – YoungTree 12V 50Ah LiFePO4 Battery, Built-in 50A BMS, Deep Cycle Lithium Battery Up to 15000 Cycles & 10-Year Lifetime, Suitable for Trolling Motor, Backup Power, RV, Camping, Off-Grid ASIN B0CLTYFRKV
1 – 6 way Fused DC power splitter distribution fits Anderson Powerpole connector B EBAY: bd7-maple
1 – 10 Gauge Wire (35FT Each, Black/Red), 2-Pack Translucent Power Ground Cable, CCA, Primary Automotive Wire, Battery Wire, Car Audio Amp Wire, Trailer Harness Cord, Lightning Wire, Electrical 10AWG Wire ASIN B0CZ73JSQ8
