Externalpower source, Please don't laugh!

[Idaho Ron]

Last year while I was working I went through a PILE of batterys. I wanted the ability to have a rechargable external source.

After I read the post on external power sources I got to thinking. I got a cam corder 7 years ago and it quit. A year ago I took it in to have it fixed and they said it would cost as much as a new one. I said NO WAY!

My wife went to throw it away and I said I want to "play" with it. I don't know yet how long the battery will last but it is rechargable, light, and small.

I took the battery compartment out and figured out which wire was what with a tester. Then I cobbled together a case. The whole project cost me 8 dollars for the power hook up. I had the scrap plexy glass and screws.

The battery still has everything hooked up so it will not fall out. I think it will be cool.

Ron

 

This is a side view.

 

This is a front view.

 

This is a picture of it hooked together.

 

[This message was edited by Idaho Ron on February 17, 2003 at 02:20 PM.]

 

[This message was edited by Idaho Ron on February 17, 2003 at 02:21 PM.]

[+Firefishe]

Nice Job there, Ron! Just goes to show that with a little ingenuity and taking the time to get some technical knowhow, what can be accomplished with so-called "scrap" electronics.

 

Nice lookin' power box you have there. What's the voltage on the battery? What did you use for the voltage regulation?

 

It looks great! Nice to see there is some technical ingenuity in the Geocacing Community at Large!

 

Warm regards,

Firefishe/N8PZT

 

[Cache Canucks]

...wouldn't a couple of sets of NiMh AA's that fit into the GPSr have been easier?

 

[Idaho Ron]

Originally posted by Cache Canucks:

...wouldn't a couple of sets of NiMh AA's that fit _into_ the GPSr have been easier?

 

What is the fun in that ? Besides I would have had to buy a charger and batteries

 

Firefishe, The battery is a 6 volt. I plugged in the 12 volt power cord for my truck and tested the out put against two AA batterys. It was the same as two full AA's.

After I was sure it was OK I plugged it into my etrex camo (I didn't want to test it with my Legend)

[Team Sidewinder]

You da man ron. Maybe you would know if there is a solar power unit that puts out enough watts and volts to power a gps that normaly runs on 2AAs or a car adapter. It is a garmin 76S. I know there are solar grids that will charge these batteries but is there one that will run the gps. I don't use rechargeables so I just want to have it run on the solar power

sidewinder

 

LOST AND FOUND DEPT.

[+PDOP's]

There are not to many solar power systems that don't involve some sort of battery. Otherwise you'd lose power everytime the sun was blocked.

 

Solar chargers for AA batteries would be the way to go.

[Idaho Ron]

here is a web page for Brunton. Ron

http://www.brunton.com/catalog.php

[+mrcpu]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cache Canucks:

...wouldn't a couple of sets of NiMh AA's that fit _into_ the GPSr have been easier?

 

http://canflag.ptbcanadian.com/images/animated/provii/ontario1.gif

---

 

But not as much fun!!!!

 

Rob

Mobile Cache Command

[+phantom4099]

I started out with something like that to power my 315. It first started as a 6 volt spotlight battery and a 2.99 cigrate lighter connector, along with my power data cable. I then purchased a 12 volt game feeder battery from cabelas, and a bag to carry all of the stuff in. This worked for me for over a year and I could get long run times, but it was extremly heavy.

 

I have since switched to nimh and hardly ever use that other method unless I need power for a long time. Now my battery is used to power other things when I go places, it also works good with a power invertor (I still think its cool to take a lamp into my back yard and use it).

 

I may still be using that method if I could find a lighter battery source. But I don't know the affects of using a 6 volt battery (magellan cables are rated from 9-35 volts approx), and the 12 volt latern batties have nothing to attach the wires too.

 

But I think your method is cool, and you obviously put more work into it than I did. I just put every thing in a bag and hoped that nothing would become unpluged (which happened often).

 

Wyatt W.

 

The probability of someone watching you is directly proportional to the stupidity of your actions.

[+Renegade Knight]

quote:

---

Originally posted by SIDEWINDER:

You da man ron. Maybe you would know if there is a solar power unit that puts out enough watts and volts to power a gps that normaly runs on 2AAs or a car adapter. It is a garmin 76S. I know there are solar grids that will charge these batteries but is there one that will run the gps. I don't use rechargeables so I just want to have it run on the solar power

sidewinder

 

LOST AND FOUND DEPT.

---

 

When I find some loose change I'll be playing with solar power for things. I like the concept of a plug in solar module for recharging my batteries on a campoing trip. I know they have chargers but I don't want chargers. I want a power source. There is a difference. Think modular.

 

Idaho Ron, good job on the scratch job building that thing.

 

Wherever you go there you are.

[Idaho Ron]

I think the brunton solar units run about $40. That is the one that will run or charge a GPSr or a cell phone. I just might have to get one. Ron