Okay. I'm almost done with my boombox. However, now I really need your help. I'm at the electronics part and I want to be absolutely sure that what I'm doing is right. Messing things up now would be catastrophic 
Here's a picture of how I intend to connect it all (I'm certain that I've connected the speakers right):
Questions:
1. Does everything look right?
2. Is it needed to cut off both wires to the solar panels when I want to charge using a normal charger? My switch is a 2 way switch so it can turn on/off on 2 wires.
3. I've just connected everything except the solar panels to one battery (the battery that is not directly connected to the amp) - is it safe?
Thanks Saturnus or anyone else who might want to answer. I don't want to screw anything up this close to the festival.
EDIT: I'm using the same 8V open voltage 5 W panels as Phaedras.
Here's a picture of how I intend to connect it all (I'm certain that I've connected the speakers right):
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Questions:
1. Does everything look right?
2. Is it needed to cut off both wires to the solar panels when I want to charge using a normal charger? My switch is a 2 way switch so it can turn on/off on 2 wires.
3. I've just connected everything except the solar panels to one battery (the battery that is not directly connected to the amp) - is it safe?
Thanks Saturnus or anyone else who might want to answer. I don't want to screw anything up this close to the festival.
EDIT: I'm using the same 8V open voltage 5 W panels as Phaedras.
1. Technically yes but with one caveat which I'll get back to under 3
2. You only need to cut the wire in 1 place to cut the circuit, I'd recommend a diode to ensure your batteries don't discharge into the panels though if it's not included in the panels but I think it is.
3. Not really. You connect all pluses to the plus on one battery and all the minuses to the minus on the other battery and then have thick cables connecting the batteries.
Okay. I'm almost done with my boombox. However, now I really need your help. I'm at the electronics part and I want to be absolutely sure that what I'm doing is right. Messing things up now would be catastrophic
Here's a picture of how I intend to connect it all (I'm certain that I've connected the speakers right):
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Questions:
1. Does everything look right?
2. Is it needed to cut off both wires to the solar panels when I want to charge using a normal charger? My switch is a 2 way switch so it can turn on/off on 2 wires.
3. I've just connected everything except the solar panels to one battery (the battery that is not directly connected to the amp) - is it safe?
Thanks Saturnus or anyone else who might want to answer. I don't want to screw anything up this close to the festival.
EDIT: I'm using the same 8V open voltage 5 W panels as Phaedras.
How do you intend to mount that many wires onto a single battery? I'm looking for a solution to doing that
So this is how I should connect everything? I hope I'm not being silly here.
EDIT:
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
EDIT:
Soldering?
1. Not really, a charger doesn't like it if you play on it while charging unless the charger is specifically designed to do so though but the power consumtion of the amp in idle makes no difference to the charger.
2. Use the sleep function, or just let it be on at all times. Idle consumption is only 60mA, or 0.7W, and in sleep mode it's 5mA, or 0.06W.
Jep, thats correct. atleast for the batteries, i'm not sure how the on/off switches will work when set up like this, but i guess since there wont be flowing current when a switch is off anyways, it should work?
Actually, also when charging two batteries in parallel, you should put + on one battery and - on the other. I guess this is the same for when using the batteries. Thanks for the insight saturnes, seems like I will have to redo my power cables a little bit. I thought it only was when you charged the batteries.
The point is to get the batteries to act as one instead of 2 separate ones, and that must be done both while charging and discharging.
How do you intend to mount that many wires onto a single battery? I'm looking for a solution to doing that
You can also do what I do and have a central connection point for all pluses and minuses.
Attachments
Last edited:
I was more thinking about damaging the amp, but since you did not raise that issue, I guess it's not a problem? My charger has a setting for smaller batteries like the SLA 7,2 Ah batteries i'm using so it probably wont damage it?
I was just thinking there might be a solution that made it easier to disconnect stuff from the batteries than soldering.. I might be wrong tho
Soldering is the best wait to connect directly to the battery. You could always have a terminal of some kind soldered to the battery and then you just tighten some screws to secure other cables to the terminal.
I'd go with Saturnus's "common point" method. Using butt splices would work, or what I've done sometimes is crimp-on ring terminals held together with a bolt/nut/lockwasher and wrapped well in electrical tape.
For connecting to SLA batteries themselves, I use proper .187" or .250" quick-disconnect connectors. Around here, you can get a box with a crimper, wire stripper and a bunch of quick connectors / butt splices / etc for about $10 CAD at a hardware store.
Another thing I HIGHLY suggest - hit up an auto parts store and get an inline fuseholder, and fuse the + side of each of your batteries before bringing them to a common point. SLA batteries can output a LOT of current if they're shorted, creating a lot of smoke, fire, flying acid or worse. Something like this:
0-376-90 Pack of 5 Splash-proof In-Line standard blade fuse holders - TheToolBoxShop.com
For connecting to SLA batteries themselves, I use proper .187" or .250" quick-disconnect connectors. Around here, you can get a box with a crimper, wire stripper and a bunch of quick connectors / butt splices / etc for about $10 CAD at a hardware store.
Another thing I HIGHLY suggest - hit up an auto parts store and get an inline fuseholder, and fuse the + side of each of your batteries before bringing them to a common point. SLA batteries can output a LOT of current if they're shorted, creating a lot of smoke, fire, flying acid or worse. Something like this:
0-376-90 Pack of 5 Splash-proof In-Line standard blade fuse holders - TheToolBoxShop.com
I actually had a SLA battery of 9 Ah short circuit on me once for like 0.5 sec. Nothing happend though. I was just in shock
Here's what I just did:
Now I just connect the farthest one on the picture to everything that's minus and the closest one to everything that's plus, yes? Also: I soldered some shoes with branching ("forgrener" in danish I think) on the wires and put them on the batteries. They are pretty tight on. Now I can solder every other wire directly onto the branching.
Here's what I just did:
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Now I just connect the farthest one on the picture to everything that's minus and the closest one to everything that's plus, yes? Also: I soldered some shoes with branching ("forgrener" in danish I think) on the wires and put them on the batteries. They are pretty tight on. Now I can solder every other wire directly onto the branching.
So basically, just take all wires that go to plus and cramp them into a single butt splice and then do the same with minus? Or did I misunderstand something
Yes. I forgot that part. Fusing is vital. It could save your health or life.
I thought one of the pros by using SLA batteries was that explosion danger was non-existing or at least limited. Maybe I have misunderstood this with it not leaking acid as car batteries can.
I just remember looking at a car battery in T-Hansen with a sticker on it like this:
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
I don't see the same warning on my SLA batteries. It just says "Avoid short circuit".
How long do you think it would take short circuiting the battery before it may explode?
Bought them at Brinck Elektronik in Copenhagen. I asked them for the right size for my 9 Ah batteries.
True. But it will still render your batteries more or less useless, so a fuse is always a good idea.