alpmco
05-12-2011, 01:13 PM
I had mentioned this on a couple other threads and it was suggested I might want to post up what it looks like.
As a background I have severe sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine. I’m active in Boy Scouts and do like to camp so I need power to run the CPAP. I’m also not a Marine, I believe in my comfort so in winter (Florida) I have an electric blanket and in spring and fall I have a fan. Again I need electricity.
So after building a 12VDC generator years ago out of an old edger motor and car alternator I came up with a quieter idea. Following are photos and a description of the power cart I use.
First off I bought a $10 hand cart at Harbor Freight. I mounted a plastic battery box on the lip and use a Velcro strap to secure the lid in transit. Be sure to up the deep cycle battery in a box because if it is lead acid it will spill out in transit and some will bubble out if you leave it on charge too long. I lost a tent due to spilled battery acid.
Next I placed a steel plate across the uprights to mount an AC inverter and a 12VDC cigarette lighter outlet. I cut a hole in it to mount as automotive volt meter and a momentary on push button switch to illuminate the meter at night to do a quick voltage check.
From the battery box I have a 10ga positive and negative wire running up to the backside of the panel. I put 30 amp inline fuses on the wires by the battery ends. The wires are attached to a positive and negative terminal block on the back side of the panel. From there jumpers go to the voltage meter, cigarette lighter outlet and the 400 watt AC inverter is attached to the block.
I took a rectangular Rubbermaid snap lock tub and cut the center of the lid out to clear the terminal blocks and wiring I used copious amounts of silicone adhesive to glue the lid to the back of the panel. Then I simple snap the bottom of the tub to the lid and all the wiring and terminal blocks are covered and water resistant.
I use the larger of the two deep cycle marine starting batteries sold at Advance Auto Parts. I think it has 180 minutes reserve capacity. I keep two of these batteries stored in my backup power housing attached to the outside wall of my office/radio shack. They are hooked to a marine battery charger / maintainer. When I pack to go camping I just unhook a batter and plop it in the cart and go.
It built this about 10 years ago. One change I recently made was to replace the hard plastic wheels with pneumatic tires/wheels. We had built a “lash box derby†car in Webelos and I had used 10†Harbor Freight pneumatic tires on the car. (We came in second place in the district!) So I cut off the original 1/2" steel axle rod on the cart and welded on a 3/4" threaded rod for an axle. Due to the taller tires the axle had to be mounted higher to keep the battery level when parked. Now it has bigger wider tires which help a lot in soft sand at the campsites.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/alpmco/iPhone/543a2029.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/alpmco/iPhone/dfd67b5f.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/alpmco/iPhone/b4937576.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/alpmco/iPhone/b12b3bd0.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/alpmco/iPhone/c6ade98d.jpg
As a background I have severe sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine. I’m active in Boy Scouts and do like to camp so I need power to run the CPAP. I’m also not a Marine, I believe in my comfort so in winter (Florida) I have an electric blanket and in spring and fall I have a fan. Again I need electricity.
So after building a 12VDC generator years ago out of an old edger motor and car alternator I came up with a quieter idea. Following are photos and a description of the power cart I use.
First off I bought a $10 hand cart at Harbor Freight. I mounted a plastic battery box on the lip and use a Velcro strap to secure the lid in transit. Be sure to up the deep cycle battery in a box because if it is lead acid it will spill out in transit and some will bubble out if you leave it on charge too long. I lost a tent due to spilled battery acid.
Next I placed a steel plate across the uprights to mount an AC inverter and a 12VDC cigarette lighter outlet. I cut a hole in it to mount as automotive volt meter and a momentary on push button switch to illuminate the meter at night to do a quick voltage check.
From the battery box I have a 10ga positive and negative wire running up to the backside of the panel. I put 30 amp inline fuses on the wires by the battery ends. The wires are attached to a positive and negative terminal block on the back side of the panel. From there jumpers go to the voltage meter, cigarette lighter outlet and the 400 watt AC inverter is attached to the block.
I took a rectangular Rubbermaid snap lock tub and cut the center of the lid out to clear the terminal blocks and wiring I used copious amounts of silicone adhesive to glue the lid to the back of the panel. Then I simple snap the bottom of the tub to the lid and all the wiring and terminal blocks are covered and water resistant.
I use the larger of the two deep cycle marine starting batteries sold at Advance Auto Parts. I think it has 180 minutes reserve capacity. I keep two of these batteries stored in my backup power housing attached to the outside wall of my office/radio shack. They are hooked to a marine battery charger / maintainer. When I pack to go camping I just unhook a batter and plop it in the cart and go.
It built this about 10 years ago. One change I recently made was to replace the hard plastic wheels with pneumatic tires/wheels. We had built a “lash box derby†car in Webelos and I had used 10†Harbor Freight pneumatic tires on the car. (We came in second place in the district!) So I cut off the original 1/2" steel axle rod on the cart and welded on a 3/4" threaded rod for an axle. Due to the taller tires the axle had to be mounted higher to keep the battery level when parked. Now it has bigger wider tires which help a lot in soft sand at the campsites.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/alpmco/iPhone/543a2029.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/alpmco/iPhone/dfd67b5f.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/alpmco/iPhone/b4937576.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/alpmco/iPhone/b12b3bd0.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/alpmco/iPhone/c6ade98d.jpg