I've been wanting to buy/use a marine battery as a 1vdc power source for emergencies such as ice storms etc
Thing is I don't know if there exists a "box" that will contain he battery yet allow USB and 12vdc "ports" to be obtained from it?
Bottom line...does there exist a "box" that will hold a heavy battery such as this yet maybe have internal connections for USB charging ports and still allow hook up of 12vdc car "trouble" lights for home lighting?
I've never heard of such a box, but if you can't find one you could make one yourself fairly easily using:
An ordinary battery box A couple of cigarette lighter outlets from auto parts store A 5V voltage regulator, plus maybe a small heat sink from Radio Shack A USB extension cable
And even if such a box does exist, I bet the above might be a lot cheaper.
I suggest you make a box and put some cigarette lighter outlets in it. You can get adapters for those that have usb 5 v outlets in them. I have one that has 2 usb outlets. Make the top removeable so you can connect your charger.
This is done all the time for amateur radio emergency work. Usual deal is to get one of the marine battery boxes, or something that will fit, put in a couple of 12 cigar lighter sockets, maybe a switch, fuses, and pilot light, and you are good to go.
Mine is a "sportsman's dry box" from the local sporting goods store, sockets from Radio Shack, and charger, etc., from local hardware store. I also have a microphone clip on the end so that I can set my radio on top, and keep the microphone from flopping about. For smaller endeavors, get one of the SLA gel cells like are used for alarm systems or emergency lighting systems. Depends on what current draw you need.
As for USB stuff, there are USB adapters that plug into a car cigar lighter. I have enough space in my box for the charger to live, and a couple of odds and ends of cables, adapters, etc. I also have one of those plug-in volt meters to check the state of charge of the battery.
/paul W3FIS
I don't know why you need 1 volt supply.
A "marine" battery is one with a carrying strap. It does NOT have to be deep discharge.
greg
It only has to be deep discharge if that is what you intend to do with it. Which is exactly what the posters requirement is. Marine batteries come in several flavors: deep discharge, starting, and dual purpose. What's critical is to get the right type for your application and the poster has that correct.
Something to consider ..........
I have battery boxes that have exterior terminals, 1/4" plug-ins, cigarette lighter plug-ins, and a meter on the outside to tell you how much juice is in the battery. Don't remember where I got them, but they ARE available. Probably a boat supply house. Shop around.
Second consideration .......... get two 6v. batteries and hook together. They have thicker plates, weigh more, take charging/discharging for many more cycles than regular batteries, are about the same price, but more importantly, give you MUCH more amp hours on a charge.
Steve
Heart surgery pending? Read up and prepare. Learn how to care for a friend. Download the book.
Does there exist a box pre-built with all the connectors and internals for this?
If not, how exactly do you mount the cigar lighter sockets in the plastic battery box?
Ahhh yes! This is what I'm looking for...something already pre-made!
Easy to build, really. Nothing more than hand tools.
I happened to have a 1 5/32" Greenlee punch from my vacuum tube days, but use a "rat tail" file or taper drill/reamer to get the right size. Measure the OD, then scribe the right sized circle on the box with a compass. Cut/file to the size of the desired hole. Try to make it a tight push fit.
I secured it with the glue from a "hot glue" gun. Very handy gadget. The "glue" appears to be polyethylene, and sticks pretty well. You can cut it loose with a sharp knife, if you need to.
Simple holes for the switch, pilot light. Fuses were "in line" with the charger pig tail. Use crimp fittings to connect to the back of the cigar lighter socket. Ditto with the switch -- get the right kind for that.
To block in/secure the battery, I cut some pieces of 1" pine to fit, drilled holes through the side of the box, and secured with some pan head screws. I do need to put a dab of silicon caulk under the screw heads for better weather seal perhaps.
/paul W3FIS
A "marine" bettery may or may not have a carrying strap, is designed to take more vibration than an automotive battery, and is generally somewhere between a common SLA (starting, lighting, and Accessory) battery and a deep charge battery in construction and capability.
I know there has been a fair number of posts on this topic but I'd also add that oyyu might be disappointed in your marine battery backup. A smal generator is not very expensive and will run for as long as you put gas in it.
Cant you avoid lead acid by buying a sealed AGM deep discharge battery?
FWIW, I've always known SLA to stand for "Sealed Lead Acid" battery.
I think what you mean is usually called a Starting-Ignition-Lighting (SIL), aka the typical car battery. They should not be used where they will be discharged to lower than 50% of the amp-hour rating because the plates will become damaged.
SLA's are the deep DIScharge batteries found in UPS's, golf carts and wheel chairs and usually have no caps or covers for the individual cells as car batteries do. They are often called "gel cells." They can tolerate much greater discharges than car batteries without damage, although it's recommended that they not be deeply discharged too often because they too can suffer damage when completely discharged. They need to be sized correctly for the application.
-- Bobby G.
Generator wont work for me
Switches can cause enough spark to light the gas. Good idea to pressurize the box with a small muffin fan at the bottom of the end with the switches and connectors, and vent the box at the top of the other end
Here in Canada, Canadian Tire sells a box with the battery and inverter and 12 volt socket all built in under their "MotoMaster Eliminator" brand. Called the "powerbox 1200" with 60 AH battery. They also have smaller "powerbox 800" and "powerbox 600" units, and likely even smaller.
They are made by Xantrex, last I heard.
A very large percentage of "deep cycle" and "marine" batteries today are avaoilable as "sterved electrolyte" or AGM type batteries. Many of these batteries do not gas at all under normal load or recharge conditions (they are "recombinent chemistry" batteries or "valve regulated recombinent" batteries. Virtually all of the "portable power" systems use these batteries, including the Motomaster power-boxes.
Also called that. Perhaps more commonly.
When's the last time you saw a car battery with individual OR removeable caps?????
There are "gell cells" and there are "Absorbed Glass Mat, or AGM" cells as well as "Valve regulated" sealed cells, and there are "starved electrolyte" cells. The common high output deap cycle lead acid cell today is the starved eletrolyte AGM battery, which can be shipped by air and is not considered as "hazardous material" when it comes to transporting or handling. They are very resistant to sulfating, and SOME can even take crazy extreme charging currents.
The only Golf Cart batteries (GC2, 6-volt 220Ah) I have found recently are *not* sealed, unfortunately, which makes me hesitate to use a pair of them as an *indoor* emergency power supply for my amateur radio station: (a) they will need to be topped up regularly; (b) they will emit hydrogen under charge, with its explosive propensity.
BTW, SLAs can be gel cells, AGM (absorbed glass mat) or be -- as I understand Optima batteries to be -- liquid-electrolyte batteries with catalytic recombinant components.
Further, I have seen "Marine Starting," "Marine Deep Cycle" and "Marine Dual Purpose" batteries.
Perce
Catalitic caps can be had for GC2H batteries - they reduce the water loss by better than 90%. I had 8 GC2H batteries in the old Fiat ElectraMobile
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