iPod? Camcorder? Notebook? Our Portable Power Pack will keep 'em running, plus we figure out if an AC Inverter or a DC/DC Converter is more efficient!
DC power wherever you go, whether it's for a notebook, camcorder, elevator party, or you need, say, to run your iPod for a loooooong time at the beach... or, say, if you need to keep your notebook powered. That's where the DIY Power Pack came from. (Oh... that replacing Patrick's ElectroVaya's PowerPad 160 would cost $370, on sale from $449 motivated this, too.)
Jonathan wrote in:
Could you possibly send me more detailed instructions on how to build the DIY
power supply from Episode 1 of Tekzilla? I guess I would mostly just need a parts list to make sure I've got all the components before beginning construction.
Jonathan
For anybody that missed the DIY Power Pack in episode 1 of Tekzilla, it's a simple portable battery in a bag you can use to power anything that you can plug into a 12V power jack in a car (the plug formerly known as a cigar lighter receptacle)
Given that it's Summer, it's insanely hot for San Francisco, and we desperately want to get outside of the sweltering Revision3 Headquarters, we'd -love- to go in depth building (and testing... especially testing, preferably somewhere with AC or a breeze) the DIY Power Pack for you, Jonathan.
The primary parts are:
A 12V 12Ah sealed Lead Acid Battery, commonly called an 'alarm battery' at your local hardware store. We paid $40 for the one we picked up at Fry's.
and a 12VDC Car Power Accessory Outlet from RadioShack
Crimp onquick disconnects, heat shrink tubing and some kind of container... complete the project.
For folks that were curious, our battery is packed into a Maxpedition bag we picked up from our favorite tactical gear and toy shop: TAD Gear. (Technically, there's no Anime there... but there is Rocket World for toys!)
Got cash? Patrick's a huge fan of his (sadly deceased) ElectroVaya's PowerPad 160 The company has slick new designs for the PowerPad 95 & 130, which sell for $199 and $299, and weigh less than a third of our DIY setup!
Once we got the Power Pack settled, we went after a question from Chris, who's wondering if he can power is Alienware M7700 laptop directly from DC, or if he needs an AC inverter. The answer is yes, but we were surprised when we tested an DC/AC Inverter powering a regular 120V power supply vs. a DC/DC power supply!
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Posted by biggz22 on 07/23/2008 at 11:42:19 am in Systm
Can you use a power inverter for this project? So I could use normal plug for my devices? advantages? Disadvantages?
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Posted by GordonD on 07/22/2008 at 03:11:19 pm in Systm
So, I've just finished building this Power Supply, but does anyone know anywhere in New York City to get one of those 12v chargers for the battery?
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Posted by gsbrickner on 06/29/2008 at 09:27:20 pm in Systm
I recently bought a 12 volt, 5 watt solar panel with the idea of maintaining an emergency power source for lights, inverter and USB charging.
I haven't bought a large battery yet but I pulled a lead-acid battery out of a spare APC UPS. It looks identical to the battery that Patrick used.
While at Walgreens, I found a car USB charger for $8.00. It's a car power plug with two USB ports on the end.
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Posted by VelocitaPaola on 06/29/2008 at 03:41:52 pm in Systm
Absolutely, there are so many techniques when it comes to recharging batteries: constant voltage, constant current, burp charging, slow charging, trickle charging, etc.. Lead-acid recharging techniques are some of the more straightforward ones.
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Posted by fishtoprecords on 06/29/2008 at 03:35:50 pm in Systm
" If it doesn't discharge nearly linearly under load, I would highly doubt they're lead-acids.
NiMH and NiCd don't have very linear discharge profiles either. The tend to provide nice, consistent voltages throughout their lives, quickly dropping off right before full discharge. The charging profiles are completely different, though."
You could always check with Sears :-)
recharge profiles are amazingly complex, you really should measure voltage, current, and temperature, and adjust to suit. Or by a micro-controller specific for your chemistry
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Posted by VelocitaPaola on 06/28/2008 at 04:27:02 pm in Systm
"
Interesting... still, though, the discharge profile is specific to the lead-acid chemistry. If it doesn't discharge nearly linearly under load, I would highly doubt they're lead-acids.
"
NiMH and NiCd don't have very linear discharge profiles either. The tend to provide nice, consistent voltages throughout their lives, quickly dropping off right before full discharge. The charging profiles are completely different, though.
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Posted by fishtoprecords on 06/28/2008 at 09:59:46 am in Systm
"
No, (or not that I know), they are still lead acid. But they have a plateau and then a cliff, rather than the old linear discharge model.
LiOn batteries are not at all linear. They have a very short peak Voltage when fully charged, then plateau for a fairly long time at about 98% of peak voltage, (the plateau is not literally flat, but it has a gentle slope) and then when it hits a point, it rolls off fast, like a typical audio curve, falling very quickly in voltage that essentially becomes a cliff.
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Posted by VelocitaPaola on 06/27/2008 at 02:59:48 pm in Systm
"Yeah, the DieHard batteries changed the world, I think all of the car batteries work the same way now.
In the olden days, the voltage would slowly drop off, and you would hear the starter motor slowing down, it meant time to buy a new battery. At the end, you would get a raaR-raaR very slowly, that could still start an engine in good tune.
DieHards changed that. They keep their voltage nearly constant for a long time, and then fall off a cliff. They will start your car longer than the old style, but there is no warning. Different discharge curve, same number of amp hours"
They must use different technology altogether then (sounds almost like NiMH or NiCd) because lead-acid batteries, which encompass the majority of modern car batteries, always follow a linear discharge profile... it's inherent to their chemistry.
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Posted by astinsan on 06/26/2008 at 12:30:35 pm in Systm
You can drop off any type of battery for recycling at any Home Depot.
They usually have a drop bin in the tool corral area.
(with bags)
(I am not sure about alkaline batteries because I never use them)
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Posted by fishtoprecords on 06/26/2008 at 10:05:43 am in Systm
"
Yeah, the DieHard batteries changed the world, I think all of the car batteries work the same way now.
In the olden days, the voltage would slowly drop off, and you would hear the starter motor slowing down, it meant time to buy a new battery. At the end, you would get a raaR-raaR very slowly, that could still start an engine in good tune.
DieHards changed that. They keep their voltage nearly constant for a long time, and then fall off a cliff. They will start your car longer than the old style, but there is no warning. Different discharge curve, same number of amp hours
Read More »
