Well I think the Panasonic ALDP105 looks ok then.
It’s contact rating is 277 VAC, 5A and the coil voltage is 5 VDC with an impedance of 125R.
It’s contact rating is 277 VAC, 5A and the coil voltage is 5 VDC with an impedance of 125R.
I’m still on this, but there have been a few issues. The drivers were damaged in transit so they’ve been reordered from somewhere else because Wilmslow didn’t have more stock. The relays also went missing so there’s more of those on the way too. I ordered some 10Ah size D cells and they were no where near so they have been returned.
I am looking at a LiFePO4 battery now. @MikePP do you have any experience with LiFePO4s? From what I can gather, they are much safer than other lithium chemistries. Assuming that I disconnect the battery to charge it with a dedicated lithium charger can this just be straight connected to the circuit? I’ve read quite a bit about them and everything seems to suggest they are straight swappable with SLAs and have battery management boards in for things like short circuit protection etc. What’s your opinion on using a LiFePO4 for this?
I am looking at a LiFePO4 battery now. @MikePP do you have any experience with LiFePO4s? From what I can gather, they are much safer than other lithium chemistries. Assuming that I disconnect the battery to charge it with a dedicated lithium charger can this just be straight connected to the circuit? I’ve read quite a bit about them and everything seems to suggest they are straight swappable with SLAs and have battery management boards in for things like short circuit protection etc. What’s your opinion on using a LiFePO4 for this?
You'll need a charger that specifically supports LiFePO4 as voltage levels are sufficiently different from LiIon, but other than that there is very little wrong with the chemistry. What you don't get in energy density (which is still good) it makes up for in robustness. A 4S configuration should give you better voltage levels (thus more output power) than 8x alkaline or NiMH while still keeping maximum voltage at an acceptable level. The mechanical aspect could be tricky as the biggest common size seems to be 26650, with only an occasional 32650 in sight (the closest match to a 33 x 61 mm D cell). Alternatively, if you can't find any good D cells you could also try buying some 3x AA to D adapters and a bunch of good AA cells (e.g. 2450 mAh IKEA LADDA). That would just take forever to charge unless you've got a charger that takes D cells.
BTW, I hope you are aware that introducing a bunch of switch-mode circuitry to a boombox like this may very well negatively impact its radio reception. My parents still have a late-2000s Panasonic micro system whose Class D audio amp would interfere with FM reception nearby, a problem ultimately solved by moving the dipole to the attic and running coax.
BTW, I hope you are aware that introducing a bunch of switch-mode circuitry to a boombox like this may very well negatively impact its radio reception. My parents still have a late-2000s Panasonic micro system whose Class D audio amp would interfere with FM reception nearby, a problem ultimately solved by moving the dipole to the attic and running coax.
Hi, thank you very much for the input.
I wasn’t aware that the radio could be affected, but I will keep that in mind in case I run into issues. I could test before hand with the amps wired up to something else and placed on top of the chassis right above the radio part of the circuit. Would DAB be affected in the same way? I’ve looked at a few examples of arduino based DAB radios and I’ve been wondering if it’s worth attempting to integrate something like that in place of the existing radio. If not straight away then down the line.
In terms of the LiFePO4 battery, I was looking at ready made units such as this: Ultramax LI10-12, 12v 10Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate, LiFePO4 Li-Po4 LFP Battery as the size is relatively small and would be able to fit within the centre of the chassis once modified. The original placement of the D cells would have to be modified anyway, due to the drain pipe. The description for this battery says it comes with a charger designed for LiFePO4. Because I’m cautious of lithium chemistry, it seemed a good idea to use a pack like this also because of the integrated management board.
I wasn’t aware that the radio could be affected, but I will keep that in mind in case I run into issues. I could test before hand with the amps wired up to something else and placed on top of the chassis right above the radio part of the circuit. Would DAB be affected in the same way? I’ve looked at a few examples of arduino based DAB radios and I’ve been wondering if it’s worth attempting to integrate something like that in place of the existing radio. If not straight away then down the line.
In terms of the LiFePO4 battery, I was looking at ready made units such as this: Ultramax LI10-12, 12v 10Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate, LiFePO4 Li-Po4 LFP Battery as the size is relatively small and would be able to fit within the centre of the chassis once modified. The original placement of the D cells would have to be modified anyway, due to the drain pipe. The description for this battery says it comes with a charger designed for LiFePO4. Because I’m cautious of lithium chemistry, it seemed a good idea to use a pack like this also because of the integrated management board.