Skip to content
  • MySensors
  • OpenHardware.io
  • Categories
  • Recent
  • Tags
  • Popular
Skins
  • Light
  • Brite
  • Cerulean
  • Cosmo
  • Flatly
  • Journal
  • Litera
  • Lumen
  • Lux
  • Materia
  • Minty
  • Morph
  • Pulse
  • Sandstone
  • Simplex
  • Sketchy
  • Spacelab
  • United
  • Yeti
  • Zephyr
  • Dark
  • Cyborg
  • Darkly
  • Quartz
  • Slate
  • Solar
  • Superhero
  • Vapor

  • Default (No Skin)
  • No Skin
Collapse
Brand Logo
  1. Home
  2. Hardware
  3. Recommendation for 12V battery power

Recommendation for 12V battery power

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Hardware
12 Posts 7 Posters 5.3k Views 6 Watching
  • Oldest to Newest
  • Newest to Oldest
  • Most Votes
Reply
  • Reply as topic
Log in to reply
This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
  • mfalkviddM Offline
    mfalkviddM Offline
    mfalkvidd
    Mod
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    I'm planning to build a 12V battery-powered led light to use as work light, when taking photos and filming.

    The power will probably be about 10W.

    Does it make sense to use 3x li-ion batteries? If I do I will probably need a step up+down to give the leds 12V when batteries are full (12.6V) and when batteries are near empty (9V). Would MT3608 http://www.aliexpress.com/item/MT3608-DC-DC-Adjustable-Boost-Module-2A-Boost-Plate-2A-Step-Up-Module-with-MICRO-USB/32680855927.html work? I'm not sure how I would charge the batteries though, maybe with 3x TP4056 http://www.ebay.com/itm/5PCS-TP4056-5V-Micro-USB-1A-Lithium-Battery-Charging-Board-Charger-Module-/291648406607?hash=item43e799844f ?

    Any thoughts?

    1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • tbowmoT Offline
      tbowmoT Offline
      tbowmo
      Admin
      wrote on last edited by tbowmo
      #2

      how mobile would you like it to be? :)

      What about a car battery? it's 12V, so no need for boosters..

      (the 12V will vary a bit between around 14V for a fully charged, down to 10-11V for a discharged battery..)

      or even use a 12V lithium-ion pack directly?

      http://www.powertechsystems.eu/home/products/12v-lithium-battery-pack-powerbrick/100ah-12v-lithium-ion-battery-pack-powerbrick/

      mfalkviddM 1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • tbowmoT tbowmo

        how mobile would you like it to be? :)

        What about a car battery? it's 12V, so no need for boosters..

        (the 12V will vary a bit between around 14V for a fully charged, down to 10-11V for a discharged battery..)

        or even use a 12V lithium-ion pack directly?

        http://www.powertechsystems.eu/home/products/12v-lithium-battery-pack-powerbrick/100ah-12v-lithium-ion-battery-pack-powerbrick/

        mfalkviddM Offline
        mfalkviddM Offline
        mfalkvidd
        Mod
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        @tbowmo that's a good idea. A 12V motorbike battery with 1.2Ah capacity weights 600g which is a bit heavy, but manageable. Example at biltema, 12USD.

        I would get more capacity and lower weight with 3x 18650 li-ion though.

        1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • Nca78N Offline
          Nca78N Offline
          Nca78
          Hardware Contributor
          wrote on last edited by Nca78
          #4

          Hello, I would use 18650 too. But only two of them with good capacity so you only use a step-up (I use the one you reference to power a 12V bluetooth speaker from a 5V AC/DC power source with no problem so far).
          You can carry one or two sets as backup and they will only weight a fraction of the motorbike battery.
          Chargers charging two 18650 at a time are also easily available, cheap and lightweight.

          1 Reply Last reply
          1
          • bjacobseB Offline
            bjacobseB Offline
            bjacobse
            wrote on last edited by bjacobse
            #5

            LeadAcid batteries in cars/motorcycles are no good, since they are designed as starter-batteries and can't withstand deepcycle.
            The basically gets worn out too quickly. Instead you can use "fork lift" batteries, those are designed to supply energy to an motor and they are deepcycle batteries
            http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question219.htm
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_cycle_battery

            mfalkviddM 1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • bjacobseB bjacobse

              LeadAcid batteries in cars/motorcycles are no good, since they are designed as starter-batteries and can't withstand deepcycle.
              The basically gets worn out too quickly. Instead you can use "fork lift" batteries, those are designed to supply energy to an motor and they are deepcycle batteries
              http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question219.htm
              https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_cycle_battery

              mfalkviddM Offline
              mfalkviddM Offline
              mfalkvidd
              Mod
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              @bjacobse Good point. Truck batteries sounds heavy though :) are they?

              bjacobseB 1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • mfalkviddM mfalkvidd

                @bjacobse Good point. Truck batteries sounds heavy though :) are they?

                bjacobseB Offline
                bjacobseB Offline
                bjacobse
                wrote on last edited by
                #7

                @mfalkvidd
                Sorry my interpretetion error, when I wrote "truck" I actually meant a forklift

                https://www.google.dk/search?q=gaffeltruck&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwidh-L0yZDOAhViDsAKHVJkA5kQ_AUICCgB&biw=1920&bih=955#safe=off&tbm=isch&q=el+gaffeltruck

                mfalkviddM 1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • bjacobseB bjacobse

                  @mfalkvidd
                  Sorry my interpretetion error, when I wrote "truck" I actually meant a forklift

                  https://www.google.dk/search?q=gaffeltruck&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwidh-L0yZDOAhViDsAKHVJkA5kQ_AUICCgB&biw=1920&bih=955#safe=off&tbm=isch&q=el+gaffeltruck

                  mfalkviddM Offline
                  mfalkviddM Offline
                  mfalkvidd
                  Mod
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  @bjacobse ok. Thanks :)

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • C Offline
                    C Offline
                    Chester
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    What about using the battery packs used in cordless drills / power tools like the De Walt 18V packs or Ryobi One systems?

                    Find a damaged drill and cut the base off to re use the socet, or just solder direct to the terminals and use a charge module to charge it up. You can buy the batteries separately too.

                    They are lightweight, have a good charge storage and are pretty rugged, so put up with a bit of pounding.

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    2
                    • C Offline
                      C Offline
                      ceech
                      Hardware Contributor
                      wrote on last edited by ceech
                      #10

                      The charger can be something like this one:
                      http://www.ebay.com/itm/LM2596-DC-DC-Step-down-Adjustable-CC-CV-Power-Supply-Module-Converter-LED-driver-/191673918658?hash=item2ca0a7e4c2:g:4H4AAOSwMmBVo4rQ

                      It has a buck converter with constant current and constant voltage settings which is what batteries need. It can charge any kind of battery with proper float voltage and current settings. If you would go with 4 lithium cells in series you can use the same module to charge the batteries and use it to drive LEDs. Multiple cell lithium batteries normally also need a balancing circuit. Not absolutely necessary, although recommended.

                      Here is a link to a video on driving LEDs with this converter:
                      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piET0Biqo0I

                      mfalkviddM 1 Reply Last reply
                      3
                      • C ceech

                        The charger can be something like this one:
                        http://www.ebay.com/itm/LM2596-DC-DC-Step-down-Adjustable-CC-CV-Power-Supply-Module-Converter-LED-driver-/191673918658?hash=item2ca0a7e4c2:g:4H4AAOSwMmBVo4rQ

                        It has a buck converter with constant current and constant voltage settings which is what batteries need. It can charge any kind of battery with proper float voltage and current settings. If you would go with 4 lithium cells in series you can use the same module to charge the batteries and use it to drive LEDs. Multiple cell lithium batteries normally also need a balancing circuit. Not absolutely necessary, although recommended.

                        Here is a link to a video on driving LEDs with this converter:
                        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piET0Biqo0I

                        mfalkviddM Offline
                        mfalkviddM Offline
                        mfalkvidd
                        Mod
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #11

                        @ceech very nice! thanks!

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • M Offline
                          M Offline
                          markzoes
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #12

                          Great thread.

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          1
                          Reply
                          • Reply as topic
                          Log in to reply
                          • Oldest to Newest
                          • Newest to Oldest
                          • Most Votes


                          30

                          Online

                          11.7k

                          Users

                          11.2k

                          Topics

                          113.1k

                          Posts


                          Copyright 2025 TBD   |   Forum Guidelines   |   Privacy Policy   |   Terms of Service
                          • Login

                          • Don't have an account? Register

                          • Login or register to search.
                          • First post
                            Last post
                          0
                          • MySensors
                          • OpenHardware.io
                          • Categories
                          • Recent
                          • Tags
                          • Popular