First post (hope its not too long) and hi from northern Canada! I love DIY projects and am always looking for new ideas. Here is my take on a portable 12V power source box using DeWalt 20V tool batteries.
Posted this on another site, and is about a year old. Prices have changed and you may find components cheaper than listed. Can be used for tent camps / hunting blinds / sheds / outhouses, etc. Also looking at using components such as battery adapter and step down converter to power trail cameras and possibly my electronic callers.
I am not the originator of this idea, this is just my take on it. Lots of ideas on youtube and different websites, and this my build:
We bought a flip over ice fishing sleigh and it all started with looking for a light source for inside the hut when it is flipped over. After checking an ice fishing web site for ideas, I decided to go with LED light bars with individual switches. They will be mounted onto the overhead bars on the structure. The biggest issue was how to get power to the lights. After searching an ice fishing web site and checking out a bunch of you tube videos, I decided to build a 12 volt battery box. This is my take on a bunch of other folks ideas. Most use a sealed lead acid (SLA) battery for the power, and I didn’t want to go that way and wanted a system that would use my Dewalt tool batteries.
This is what I built using plastic 30 caliber ammunition boxes. I got them on sale from a Harbour Freight store. Most of the on-line videos show using numerous self installed switches to deal with the various attachments. I am not an electrician by any stretch of the imagination so I went with a 4 gang switch plate with a voltmeter and 2 USB ports.
One of the first things I realized was that space was limited and wire management would have to thought out in order to make sure that I could get the Dewalt battery in and out of the box. There were wires on the gang switches that were to be used for dash lights that were not required, so I removed the yellow and blue wires in order to have a bit more space to work in.
These are the materials I used – all bought off Amazon.ca (parts list at the end of the post). First was the battery adapter for the Dewalt battery to clip into. It was then attached to a 24 to 12v step down converter with a 5 amp inline fuse. I have an off grid shed in which I installed the adhesive LED light strips and tried using a battery adapter that had 2 USB ports that I was plugging the light strip into. Turns out there was no step down converter in the adapter, and when using a Dewalt 20v battery, it would work for 7 or 8 minutes, then overheat causing the lights to strobe like a 1970s disco.
The power source is wired into the switch plate. The USB port was live wired so that it was always on, and I have now wired it to a switch (so that if I use a LED light strip with a USB plug, I can turn it on and off at the box). A set of banana jacks was wired to a switch – the LED light bars wire have prong attachments that attach under the plastic nuts. A 12 LED light was wired and placed on the top of the box, so that when the light bars are turned off in the hut we aren’t in the dark. Two 3-LED lights at the front of the box were wired to a switch and can be used as a flashlight.
It took me a while to get everything lined up in order to make sure the battery is easily plugged in or removed. I epoxied the step down converter to the box, and screwed a piece of ½ inch plywood to the box to attach the battery adapter due to the stress of attaching / removing the battery.
The lights are extremely bright and I haven’t done a test yet to see how long before they draw the battery down. One of the posts I read said that Dewalt batteries can be damaged if drawn down too low, and I am using a generic battery instead. I like the small size and light weight using the 30 caliber box. If you want to go with SLA batteries you will probably have to move up to the bigger 50 caliber box to fit everything in.
Light output with the 2 LED light bars, and LED light strip and the power box lights:
The cost of all the power box materials (at the time I bought them) was approximately $95.00. I showed the power box to our local tackle store – apparently commercial models are about 3 times the cost.
If you only wanted to power a USB light strip without a power box, you could use a battery adapter with a built-in switch ($23), to a step down converter that has a USB outport plug ($15).
Parts list - you may be able to find them elsewhere and at better price (obviously huge fluctuations if the switch plate jumped from $26 to $45 in a week):
Power Box:
Dewalt Battery adapter – 2 pack:
Amazon product ASIN B09Y12828M
Step down converter:
Amazon product ASIN B08YYK1DK3
4 Gang switch plate:
Amazon product ASIN B093WNHYXJ
Banana Jacks (4 pack)
Amazon product ASIN B07CK1VL3B
3 LED light (4 pack)
Amazon product ASIN B083GYZSCQ
12 LED light (2 pack)
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09289V9JS?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
Cheaper option:
Dewalt Battery adapter with rocker switch:
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09GVZ61F7?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
Step down converter with USB outport connection:
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07H7YGCMB?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
LED light strip:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B09BQNS7XK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
Hope this is of interest to you and that you can build a similar type of unit if you need one.
Regards