I needed so badly, a step by step. All things electrical scare the heck out of me. Yes even little 12 v batteries. I tip my hat and truly honestly thank you.
Just finished building mine. Thank you very much. A clear cable explanation would be the best. But everything worked fine for me. Wish you the best, my friend. Greetings from Argentina.
Nice build, and a very well organized box. FYI, your batteries are in parallel giving you a 12V 18Ah system. If anyone is curious, you can also connect them in series and get a 24V 9Ah system (I hope that's right, college circuits were a long time ago). Just depends on what your needs are. Thanks for posting.
Thank you very much for the patient explanation and willingness to make this video. I’m studying to be an electrical engineer, though I’m still a novice amateur at best, therefore this power-box project is an ideal learning experience for me to make something for practical applications, and it will be fun and enjoyable, and I can do it w/ my dad who is a retired electrician. Have a great day, JDS Outdoors. You’re the man!
I bought the same set up you have here and haven't done it because I wasn't sure where to start or how to do it exactly. This video will be watch A LOT when I make mine. Very easy to follow and clean! Nice work! Thanks for the help!
Can't thank you enough. Just finished my go box. Your video and explanation regarding the wiring were what got me through. I did add a couple of items you don't have but everything works great. Thanks again and hope to see more of your videos.
Very nice job. Actually bought the same swiches for redoing my old Jeep. Only change I would make is to connect the hot leads coming off the fuse block to the swich beneath it rather than running the wires diagonally. But, that's just my OCD kicking in! Suscribed.
Been looking for a way to build a battery box for my Kayak. Best video yet! Great job. Will reference this when I get ready to build. Only will have to figure how to wire up a control panel where I will be sitting. Thanks.
Wonderful video. I am building my portable power box now. Still waiting for components to come in from Amazon and Ebay. I will be adding a MPPT Solar charge controller, an Inverter, and a external AC plug. Thanks for posting. Really appreciate your discussion about wiring the fuse block and switches.
Marc Velo yes everything was ordered off of Amazon I typed in 12v switches, volt meter, USB, and fuse block and found the ones I thought would work best for my needs. thank you
I bought a Powerwerx premade power box, a battery, and a battery charger. It cost me about $200 for all 3 items. It saved me a lot of work. Now my thoughts are about improvising so I can do more with it. For example, I will after learning to use this properly for small wattage electrical things, connect much higher Ah battery(ies) so I can power a lot more stuff. For those of you who want to save time cutting up and connecting wires, you could consider the Powerwerx power box to get started quickly with little work.
There are loads of videos here on how to make these boxes: this is one of the better ones. Only suggestion I'd make is to lay an insulating sheet of plastic or rubber over the batteries because the working parts get a bit close when the lid is closed: adds a second line of defence if anything wiggles loose in transit and prevents shorts. I like the master fuse and master switch.....
I’ve been looking for a tutorial on how to assemble my box and this video is simple and easy to follow. Just one thing, I was thinking of adding a socket to charge the batteries either from a charger or solar panel.
I just got the last of what I need for my box, which will be a power source for a trolling motor on a canoe. My box will have a cig lighter, combo volt/amp/watt panel meter (ebay), combo battery charging port & battery status panel (NOCO chargers), PWM motor speed controller with variable speed and a reversing switch (ebay). I plan on having 2 sets of power lugs. 1 set of lugs will come out of the PWM speed controller (for the trolling motor) and the other set of lugs will bypass the speed controller. I had already planned on doing almost all of the wiring on the inside of the lid like you have done. I am using one 35ah battery (Amazon).
Boy, that's nice and tidy wiring. Fantastic design. Thanks for sharing. I have no idea what your time is worth to you but I'd be willing to pay a guy $50 to source and build one of these. I'll be using this wiring design but will be solar charging. Will also add a connection for 2 hand crank chargers so can charge the battery if not sunny.
Cool project. Getting all the pieces together to make something similar, not as many bells and whistles. But you've done a spectacular job describing the setup process.
Hi JDS Outdoors, this is awesome and I am aiming to build one to go fishing! I am no electrical expert so what would really help is a list of the items you used...e.g. 7amp fuses / 10amp wire etc... if at all possible. No worries if not I can muddle through. Thanks for the video!
He also never said how to RECHARGE the batteries, most of us use SOLOR but you can use a small battery tender from Harbor Freight. You really need to charge when you are away from home, that would be with solar most likely. You could hook it up to your car 12V DC supply (segregate lighter). That is not in his description. What I would do from the LEFT I would have a 20 amp MAIN fuse then a 7.5 or a 10 amp fuse then the rest would be 3 amp fuses.
Wow, I just came across your video. Thank you very much. Your video was very informative and it helps me out a great deal. I’m going to make one of these out of my Milwaukee pack out box. Thanks again
Terrific video. Looks like a fairly simple weekend build. I would probably add a three way switch (on-off-on)for charging via a wall adapter and a solar controller. Also a connection point to add in a another ammo box with just a pair of batteries for additional run time.
cheers for sharing mate, im just about to make another little battery box, your wiring is heaps neater than what i did last time. that fuse box is brilliant
76aussieguy thanks man is it weird I read that with an accent? I have a friend who lives in Tamworth and as soon as I saw heaps I knew you were Australian. glad I could help
great video, I a was looking for something like this for ice fishing and my kayak and canoe. Only improvement I can think of is a built in charger to charge the batteries. You should build and sell these, there is a market huge market right now for these. thank you for sharing the idea and how to!
Hey cool, man. I was looking for something simple for emergencies and camping. This will go along with my 40w solar panels I just bought. Good tutorial. Five stars!
Great Video!! Learned alot. That makes a great power box for anything!! A water proofed one would be good for my Kayak. Maybe with some silicone will make it more waterproof.
Almost five years ago now, did something similar but most of the lights were replaced with a Bluetooth amplifier and some car stereo speakers. Wound up changing the battery to a Lithium Ion one as the sealed lead acid was no longer holding a charge for more than an hour.
hello great job fella i watch your other video on the small one's made two of them so far going to make some for Christmas gifts for family .love the 20 min videos make's it easy too hook them up thanks again for in formation . P.S. also watch the LED lights like it thanks again .happy holidays to you
That was exactly my question as well! There's no way to charge the batteries in the box. Leaving the switches off would not change the batteries (I'm pretty sure....), I think!
Great job, the box was big enough to put the batteries to one side and wire in a 200 watt inverter for the most important camping item, (the TV). Looks very clean build, thanks for sharing.
Hey JDS... this is "heaps" lol (@Sunshine Coast Aus.) great.... with the total 18amps - ideal for those led lights & the little spotties are a great idea & excellent wiring setup & vid.
Good video and nice box. The info at 6:40 about connecting the positive (+) wire to one battery and the negative (-) wire to the other battery is not necessary. No matter how you connect them power is being drawn evenly from both batteries at once.
Good Video, However a couple of Safety tips. All jewelry should be removed before working on anything electrical & The Battery should be the very Last Connection ALWAYS.
Excellent build and very precised tutorial too! Of all the DIY power box/power stations I've watched on TH-cam, this is the best and easy to understand and follow. Thank you for this great tutorial. Subscribed forever! More power!
I'm examining multiple videos and I have ordered two books. I'm doing a lot of thinking on how to handle a situation where the power grid fails for a long period of time. When I researched power generators I discovered that most required significant amounts of gasoline which might not be available if the power grid fails. Storing large amounts of gasoline is a safety hazard so I'm looking for other methods to counteract a power grid that fails for long periods of time. Terrorism, EMPs, and just ordinary warfare could destroy the power grids.
I'm a newby. How do you install the aluminum flat stock? Do you bend it? How do you attach? What size screws and nuts? How do you measure to have batteries fit? Do you have other videos that I missed showing how to add connectors to wires. I like your whole set up but need a more detailed parts list. I also need more details in setting up fuse block and installing switches. Thank you.
I used a vice and hammer to bend the aluminum and used 3/16" rivets to attach them I used 14ga for the wires that go from the battery to the fuse block and 16 ga for the rest. also there a tons of options on Amazon for 12v stuff shop around and see what works for you
hey JDS Outdoors i LOVE this battery box of yours i want to make one my self but i live in south africa and its hard to get boxes like that i want a box just like yours can you please send me a link of some of the stuff you have bought for your power box what watts are the led lights (hot systems)
![ทุกครั้งที่หลับตา (Lucid Dream) - AYLA's [ Official MV ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4i1OBAQyv58/mqdefault.jpg)
I needed so badly, a step by step. All things electrical scare the heck out of me. Yes even little 12 v batteries. I tip my hat and truly honestly thank you.
Absolutely the best pedagogic video, no stirr, no stress ...perfect, thanks👍👍👍👍👍
Just finished building mine. Thank you very much. A clear cable explanation would be the best. But everything worked fine for me. Wish you the best, my friend. Greetings from Argentina.
Nice build, and a very well organized box. FYI, your batteries are in parallel giving you a 12V 18Ah system. If anyone is curious, you can also connect them in series and get a 24V 9Ah system (I hope that's right, college circuits were a long time ago). Just depends on what your needs are. Thanks for posting.
Thank you very much for the patient explanation and willingness to make this video. I’m studying to be an electrical engineer, though I’m still a novice amateur at best, therefore this power-box project is an ideal learning experience for me to make something for practical applications, and it will be fun and enjoyable, and I can do it w/ my dad who is a retired electrician. Have a great day, JDS Outdoors. You’re the man!
Nice build. I used a 30 ah battery on mine. So far it does all i need.
I bought the same set up you have here and haven't done it because I wasn't sure where to start or how to do it exactly. This video will be watch A LOT when I make mine. Very easy to follow and clean! Nice work! Thanks for the help!
Kevin D no problem thanks for the comment glad it helps
Can't thank you enough. Just finished my go box. Your video and explanation regarding the wiring were what got me through. I did add a couple of items you don't have but everything works great. Thanks again and hope to see more of your videos.
Gary Tucker thanks man I'm glad it helped. comments like this make it worth it
This is solid work mate. The video is detailed enough for anyone to understand and build one.
Very nice job. Actually bought the same swiches for redoing my old Jeep. Only change I would make is to connect the hot leads coming off the fuse block to the swich beneath it rather than running the wires diagonally. But, that's just my OCD kicking in! Suscribed.
Awesome. I gotta build one of these for my camping, fishing, and my Astrophotography rig
Been looking for a way to build a battery box for my Kayak. Best video yet! Great job. Will reference this when I get ready to build. Only will have to figure how to wire up a control panel where I will be sitting. Thanks.
I've been wondering all about these power boxes. You described it right on! Clear and simple. Great job!
thanks for taking the time to show how it is done, please keep them coming,
Wonderful video. I am building my portable power box now. Still waiting for components to come in from Amazon and Ebay. I will be adding a MPPT Solar charge controller, an Inverter, and a external AC plug. Thanks for posting. Really appreciate your discussion about wiring the fuse block and switches.
Everything looks ok. Hung it on a hook in the living room she can't reach.
Marc Velo yes everything was ordered off of Amazon I typed in 12v switches, volt meter, USB, and fuse block and found the ones I thought would work best for my needs. thank you
Hi. Can you make one and sell it to me?
I bought a Powerwerx premade power box, a battery, and a battery charger. It cost me about $200 for all 3 items. It saved me a lot of work. Now my thoughts are about improvising so I can do more with it. For example, I will after learning to use this properly for small wattage electrical things, connect much higher Ah battery(ies) so I can power a lot more stuff. For those of you who want to save time cutting up and connecting wires, you could consider the Powerwerx power box to get started quickly with little work.
There are loads of videos here on how to make these boxes: this is one of the better ones. Only suggestion I'd make is to lay an insulating sheet of plastic or rubber over the batteries because the working parts get a bit close when the lid is closed: adds a second line of defence if anything wiggles loose in transit and prevents shorts. I like the master fuse and master switch.....
Thanks JDS Outdoors for the video. I basically duplicated your box for using in my fishing canoe. Worked out great!
Great advice... I've made one following your video with a 130ah leisure battery.
I’ve been looking for a tutorial on how to assemble my box and this video is simple and easy to follow. Just one thing, I was thinking of adding a socket to charge the batteries either from a charger or solar panel.
Its possible I have a solar video as well for the power boxes. Version 2 is much better than this one
Love the box build, very thorough description. Thank you for sharing.
👍Also a step bit works great for holes!!
I just got the last of what I need for my box, which will be a power source for a trolling motor on a canoe. My box will have a cig lighter, combo volt/amp/watt panel meter (ebay), combo battery charging port & battery status panel (NOCO chargers), PWM motor speed controller with variable speed and a reversing switch (ebay). I plan on having 2 sets of power lugs. 1 set of lugs will come out of the PWM speed controller (for the trolling motor) and the other set of lugs will bypass the speed controller. I had already planned on doing almost all of the wiring on the inside of the lid like you have done. I am using one 35ah battery (Amazon).
Boy, that's nice and tidy wiring. Fantastic design. Thanks for sharing. I have no idea what your time is worth to you but I'd be willing to pay a guy $50 to source and build one of these. I'll be using this wiring design but will be solar charging. Will also add a connection for 2 hand crank chargers so can charge the battery if not sunny.
This is by far one of the better boxes I have been looking at. Great job!
Cool project. Getting all the pieces together to make something similar, not as many bells and whistles. But you've done a spectacular job describing the setup process.
Finally a very clear and neat video. thanks
Easy and simple. Great product.
You are a great teacher. Subscribed.
Hi JDS Outdoors, this is awesome and I am aiming to build one to go fishing! I am no electrical expert so what would really help is a list of the items you used...e.g. 7amp fuses / 10amp wire etc... if at all possible. No worries if not I can muddle through. Thanks for the video!
He also never said how to RECHARGE the batteries, most of us use SOLOR but you can use a small battery tender from Harbor Freight. You really need to charge when you are away from home, that would be with solar most likely. You could hook it up to your car 12V DC supply (segregate lighter). That is not in his description. What I would do from the LEFT I would have a 20 amp MAIN fuse then a 7.5 or a 10 amp fuse then the rest would be 3 amp fuses.
Uni-bit for the holes would work. Cool idea.
Wow, I just came across your video. Thank you very much. Your video was very informative and it helps me out a great deal. I’m going to make one of these out of my Milwaukee pack out box. Thanks again
great video. Maybe put a peice of that bar across your batteries so they don't short out anything of the box gets tipped over. Just a suggestion.
Terrific video. Looks like a fairly simple weekend build. I would probably add a three way switch (on-off-on)for charging via a wall adapter and a solar controller. Also a connection point to add in a another ammo box with just a pair of batteries for additional run time.
Bradley Johnson if you do the extra ammo box could you just hook them up to the post on the top of the ammo box?
You dont need a 3 way switch. There is no difference between charging and discharging.
great video, I'm going to build something like this for my kayak, thank you
What an absolutely fantastic video. Well done mate. Many thanks from across the pond.
Bloody good video, feels great to be able to make your own stuff, keep producing those vids, big hi from Australia!!
good video and well presented and clearly set out , nice one JDS Outdoors
cheers for sharing mate, im just about to make another little battery box, your wiring is heaps neater than what i did last time. that fuse box is brilliant
76aussieguy thanks man is it weird I read that with an accent? I have a friend who lives in Tamworth and as soon as I saw heaps I knew you were Australian. glad I could help
its all good mate, i wrote it with an accent hahaha
hilarious
what a fantastic video, very well put together, clear and concise, thanks
very well made mate, you’ve earned a sub
Great video. Excellent tutorial. I have watched a lot of these videos. This is the best so far.
great video, I a was looking for something like this for ice fishing and my kayak and canoe. Only improvement I can think of is a built in charger to charge the batteries. You should build and sell these, there is a market huge market right now for these. thank you for sharing the idea and how to!
Hey cool, man. I was looking for something simple for emergencies and camping. This will go along with my 40w solar panels I just bought. Good tutorial. Five stars!
Great Video!! Learned alot. That makes a great power box for anything!! A water proofed one would be good for my Kayak. Maybe with some silicone will make it more waterproof.
Thanks for the information man! Appreciate it.
Thanks for posting.
Great DIYer power box. Great "How To"!
Great video how to make and wire up the box would you do a video of this but adding a solar charge controller and solar panels.
Cool video! I'll be making one of these for the portable this weekend.
DEAD WINTER thank you and have fun I enjoy making them
Very cool! I like this project. Will be making one of these for powering a mobile amateur radio soon.
a stepper bit will help with holes in future...
Great Video, very clean and professional looking.
Almost five years ago now, did something similar but most of the lights were replaced with a Bluetooth amplifier and some car stereo speakers. Wound up changing the battery to a Lithium Ion one as the sealed lead acid was no longer holding a charge for more than an hour.
Great video mate. You should sell these. I'd buy one 😊
The step bits work for all panel builds I picked up harbor freight
Thank You, great video 2 questions - can you provide links for the items used to build, and how is the voltage reduced for the usb port?
Some kind of voltage regulator chip eg. 7805 or the 2 amp version. Google it !
hello great job fella i watch your other video on the small one's made two of them so far going to make some for Christmas gifts for family .love the 20 min videos make's it easy too hook them up thanks again for in formation . P.S. also watch the LED lights like it thanks again .happy holidays to you
Thank you and same to you as well
How do you charge the batteries without removing them? Through the posts with the switches off?
Thanks for the help.
That was exactly my question as well! There's no way to charge the batteries in the box. Leaving the switches off would not change the batteries (I'm pretty sure....), I think!
finally the best power box!
❤ Excellent video and info….🙏🏻😎
OMG you rock man; ever think about using Lithium Ion Battery pack instead?
So helpful. Thanks bro
Very helpful video. I'm getting ready to build one myself and you have given me some very good ideas. Thank you.
good video im planing on making one with 18650s in a steel ammo can
Great job, the box was big enough to put the batteries to one side and wire in a 200 watt inverter for the most important camping item, (the TV). Looks very clean build, thanks for sharing.
Awesome love your work mate 👍👍👍👍
Thanks, very clear explanation on the wiring!
Nice job on the video!
Jim Breth thank you sir
Hey JDS... this is "heaps" lol (@Sunshine Coast Aus.) great.... with the total 18amps - ideal for those led lights & the little spotties are a great idea & excellent wiring setup & vid.
Good video and nice box.
The info at 6:40 about connecting the positive (+) wire to one battery and the negative (-) wire to the other battery is not necessary. No matter how you connect them power is being drawn evenly from both batteries at once.
Great setup
Tks for sharing buddy
👍👍👍
Thank you so much for making this video! really helped me a ton.
Great video! will be making one soon
Good Video, However a couple of Safety tips. All jewelry should be removed before working on anything electrical & The Battery should be the very Last Connection ALWAYS.
Made this. Works excellently. Thanx for the great idea. I am thinking about how to make another (smaller) battery source. Any ideas.
Well explained. Great idea.
Great video!
Thanks for such a great video. The wiring you made look so simple. One question: How do you charge it and what with?
You hook a 12v charger to the battery or the power posts
Perfect build
GOOD JOB !!! :)
Regards PP.
What would be a good plastic ammo box to put 2 6.5. 1/2 150watt marine speaker on the front of it should I go with 30mm 40mm or 50mm?
I'd go with a 50 cal box.
@@JDSOutdoors is there a 50mm plastic ammo box black
@kylewilliams3306 I haven't heard of one but that doesn't mean there isn't one.
Yes this is a great video also. Thanks for sharing!
If you have the master and poles switch on can you charge the batteries w/o opening the lid?
Yes
Awesome video
Thank you
Excellent build and very precised tutorial too! Of all the DIY power box/power stations I've watched on TH-cam, this is the best and easy to understand and follow. Thank you for this great tutorial. Subscribed forever! More power!
I'm not sure you mentioned what amperage fuses did you use?
Jamel Harris no I forgot to mention that. 7.5 main and 5 amp for the rest
What's the total cost?
very nice presentation. But how do you charge the 2 batteries?
Great video. Thank you.
I'm examining multiple videos and I have ordered two books. I'm doing a lot of thinking on how to handle a situation where the power grid fails for a long period of time. When I researched power generators I discovered that most required significant amounts of gasoline which might not be available if the power grid fails. Storing large amounts of gasoline is a safety hazard so I'm looking for other methods to counteract a power grid that fails for long periods of time. Terrorism, EMPs, and just ordinary warfare could destroy the power grids.
Great video, thank you for sharing!
I'm a newby. How do you install the aluminum flat stock? Do you bend it? How do you attach? What size screws and nuts? How do you measure to have batteries fit? Do you have other videos that I missed showing how to add connectors to wires. I like your whole set up but need a more detailed parts list. I also need more details in setting up fuse block and installing switches. Thank you.
I used a vice and hammer to bend the aluminum and used 3/16" rivets to attach them I used 14ga for the wires that go from the battery to the fuse block and 16 ga for the rest. also there a tons of options on Amazon for 12v stuff shop around and see what works for you
Great video!! Thank you!!
Hi mate can you tell me what fuse size you use from left to right ta as am using 2x 12v 12ah batteries
Very clean like it
hey JDS Outdoors i LOVE this battery box of yours i want to make one my
self but i live in south africa and its hard to get boxes like that i
want a box just like yours can you please send me a link of some of the
stuff you have bought for your power box what watts are the led lights (hot systems)
Great video bro!
How do you charge the batteries take them out for her to get the charger to pause on the negative