Lunch Box Battery

380 Views 15 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Back Pack Hack, 12 d ago

mathmonger

Discussion Starter · 12 d ago

Anybody have a good lunch-box style battery recommendation? Just a first line of defense to power some lights and radios and phones. I want something with a solar charge controller, so I can simply plug in a few solar panels.

1 - 16 of 16 Posts

Kauboy

· #2 · 12 d ago

Sort of...

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solar experiment

Hello, When I started out putting in a solar set up I got a lot of good advice from everyone about how to do it right. And if you post on here about what you are doing and what you are using people are quick to tell you that your not doing it right and that's good if you are learning from...

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That was made almost 10 years ago. The box is still in great shape, though I would guess that time has taken its toll on the components. I've not tested it in years.

Reactions: 1

mathmonger

Discussion Starter · #3 · 12 d ago

Kauboy said:
Sort of...

solar experiment

Hello, When I started out putting in a solar set up I got a lot of good advice from everyone about how to do it right. And if you post on here about what you are doing and what you are using people are quick to tell you that your not doing it right and that's good if you are learning from...

www.prepperforums.net

That was made almost 10 years ago. The box is still in great shape, though I would guess that time has taken its toll on the components. I've not tested it in years.

Yeah... I've been looking at different DIY setups for a few months and I have come to realize I'm never going to get around to doing it. I need something I can just buy off the shelf. Maybe I'll expand on it later, but I want to get started, ya know?

Kauboy

· #4 · 12 d ago

mathmonger said:
Yeah... I've been looking at different DIY setups for a few months and I have come to realize I'm never going to get around to doing it. I need something I can just buy off the shelf. Maybe I'll expand on it later, but I want to get started, ya know?

I see.
You're looking for an off-the-shelf option to have portable power that can accept external solar panel input.
Do you already have the solar panels bought or in mind? If so, what are their specs?

Would you be opposed to a self-contained unit that has a small solar panel as part of its construction? Or is an external input an absolute requirement?
I'm just trying to narrow down your potential options. There are many, but they don't all operate the same or offer the same functionality.

NMPRN

· #5 · 12 d ago

mathmonger said:
Anybody have a good lunch-box style battery recommendation?

Mine is just the standard 'prepper setup'. Nothing fancy but bullet proof reliability.
100Ah deep cycle RV battery
20a, 100v PV, MPPT charge controller ($80 on scamazon)
RV battery box

Anderson PowerPoles on the load side and coming right off the battery. I'm running it on a single 100w panel but it'll handle two of the 240w panels from my grid tied 5kW system if the grid goes down. I've got lots of MC-4 connectors, solar cable and tools for building any cables if I need to.

It runs 2 "shack in a box" ham radios and two raspberry pi4's (and some other radio gear) It'll also run my DSL modem and wifi router if I need to.

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NMPRN

· #6 · 12 d ago

mathmonger said:
I've been looking at different DIY setups for a few months and I have come to realize I'm never going to get around to doing it.

...a simple DIY setup takes (literally) 10 or 15 minutes to setup and saves a bunch of $$$.

You don't need all the bells and whistles you see on youtube. The charge controller has all that built in.

mathmonger

Discussion Starter · #7 · 12 d ago

Kauboy said:
I see.
You're looking for an off-the-shelf option to have portable power that can accept external solar panel input.
Do you already have the solar panels bought or in mind? If so, what are their specs?

Would you be opposed to a self-contained unit that has a small solar panel as part of its construction? Or is an external input an absolute requirement?
I'm just trying to narrow down your potential options. There are many, but they don't all operate the same or offer the same functionality.

Yeah. I didn't buy anything yet. A self contained unit would be great, but probably on the dinky side.

Kauboy

· #8 · 12 d ago

mathmonger said:
Yeah. I didn't buy anything yet. A self contained unit would be great, but probably on the dinky side.

Yes, most of them offer only a small panel and small battery.

How much power are you expecting to need, and for how long, before recharging?

Back Pack Hack

· #9 · 12 d ago

Kauboy said:
...How much power are you expecting to need, and for how long, before recharging?

This is the most critical question that needs answered. We can recommend products till the cows come home. But having a setup that's too small for your needs is useless and one grossly oversized is a waste of money.

NMPRN

· #10 · 12 d ago

mathmonger said:
Just a first line of defense to power some lights and radios and phones.

That's not going to take much.

mathmonger

Discussion Starter · #11 · 12 d ago

Back Pack Hack said:
This is the most critical question that needs answered. We can recommend products till the cows come home. But having a setup that's too small for your needs is useless and one grossly oversized is a waste of money.

I basically want something that is equivalent to a single regular outlet. I want to be able to plug my vacuum in if I have to. How many watt-hours? I guess that depends on the size/weight/cost. I guess maybe 1000 or 1500?

Back Pack Hack

· #12 · 12 d ago

120volts at 20amps is 2400kw.

Kauboy

· #13 · 12 d ago

mathmonger said:
I basically want something that is equivalent to a single regular outlet. I want to be able to plug my vacuum in if I have to. How many watt-hours? I guess that depends on the size/weight/cost. I guess maybe 1000 or 1500?

Whoa... That's like running a small refrigerator or microwave.
That's a bit more than charging phones and running radios.
You're getting into the 1.5kWh range there. Vacuum cleaners can require anywhere between 800 and 3000 watts, depending on model.

If you're looking for something that will run a 1.5kWh vacuum for 20-30 minutes, you're going to need a beefy little battery that can discharge 10s of amps without overheating.
If you still want power left over for lights, charging, and radios, you may be exceeding the "lunch box" size you were originally hoping for.

You have two ways to reach your solution.
Use dictates size.
Or...
Size dictates use.
Pick one.

Kauboy

· #14 · 12 d ago

Back Pack Hack said:
120volts at 20amps is 2400kw.

I think you're off be a few decimal points brother, or your chosen unit needs updating.

mathmonger

Discussion Starter · #15 · 12 d ago

Kauboy said:
Whoa... That's like running a small refrigerator or microwave.
That's a bit more than charging phones and running radios.
You're getting into the 1.5kWh range there. Vacuum cleaners can require anywhere between 800 and 3000 watts, depending on model.

If you're looking for something that will run a 1.5kWh vacuum for 20-30 minutes, you're going to need a beefy little battery that can discharge 10s of amps without overheating.
If you still want power left over for lights, charging, and radios, you may be exceeding the "lunch box" size you were originally hoping for.

You have two ways to reach your solution.
Use dictates size.
Or...
Size dictates use.
Pick one.

Yeah. I don't think I will regret going a little bigger. Obviously I'm not going to be running a vacuum in a blackout, but that intuitively seems to me like a good amount of power. I like to have options. Any idea where I could get a good one? What is a good brand?

Back Pack Hack

· #16 · 12 d ago

Kauboy said:
I think you're off be a few decimal points brother, or your chosen unit needs updating.

Yeah, I edited 24000w to 2.4kw and forget to delete the zeros.

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