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  • #61
    Re: Battery Box

    I've found that bluetooth will eat up battery power faster on my devices than a corded speaker set will on the power pack - and with my clipper, the speakers are set up in a permanent position. My little xboom mini speaker works great for outside when I want music that doesn't bother the local critters or any camping neighbors or passerby.
    “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

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    • #62
      Re: Battery Box

      Originally posted by James. View Post
      I must admit that I worked nights when Seinfeld was on the air. Never really watched it.
      It's amazing how many things Seinfeld nailed on everyday behaviors like the "it's your job to keep Joe away from the grill", etc.
      “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

      Comment


      • #63
        Re: Battery Box

        Originally posted by toedtoes View Post
        It's amazing how many things Seinfeld nailed on everyday behaviors like the "it's your job to keep Joe away from the grill", etc.
        ...but Joe doesn't grill (except over a campfire)...

        Enjoy!
        2006 Jeep Rubicon, TJ; 4.11 gears, 31" tires, 4:1 transfer case, lockers in both axles
        For DD & "civilized" camping; 2003 Ford explorer sport, 4wd; ARB & torsen diffs, 4.10 gears, 32" MTs.
        Ground tents work best for me, so far.
        Experience along with properly set up 4WD will get you to & through places (on existing, approved 4WD trails) that 4WD, alone, can't get to.

        Comment


        • #64
          Re: Battery Box

          Originally posted by tplife View Post
          Joe you caught me again being sarcastic. In the house I run Straitwire Octavio speaker cables, they are the size of garden hoses. I run a HSU Research ULS-15 MKII 15" sub, it will resonate the walls of the back of the house if I tune it that way. Mostly it's for home theater and music as it will reproduce a lot of sub-audible tones that you feel rather than hear. Can't see toting subs along for camping as there has to be a limit to the craziness. I have a nice audiophile setup currently driven by an Arcam AVR-350 receiver and Paradigm Reference 100 speakers. Moving forward to add a Paradigm CC-490 center channel this fall. All my "old high-current gear" is in the garage in my lesser system, lol. I don't use soldering in any of my portable gear as it can be an issue to get that iron hot around a campfire, haha.
          Since my hearing started to go I find less enjoyment in quality audio; even turned off the sub on the home theater (unless I find some really interesting source material). ... reminds me; I need to convert the rest of the old vinyl to digital; maybe this winter...
          I do still have the sub that I made in the late '70s/very early '80s based on an Audio magazine design; 16 cubic feet (roughly refrigerator size) of (sub) sonic goodness... It sits, retired, under the basement stairs; I got really tired of fixing drywall cracks... honestly.

          Let me look in the old tools...

          Click image for larger version

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          ..Yep; got campfire soldering covered.. antique soldering iron...(small size for fine work).

          (BTW, caught the sarcasm...)
          Enjoy!
          Last edited by Happy Joe; 08-20-2016, 07:35 AM.
          2006 Jeep Rubicon, TJ; 4.11 gears, 31" tires, 4:1 transfer case, lockers in both axles
          For DD & "civilized" camping; 2003 Ford explorer sport, 4wd; ARB & torsen diffs, 4.10 gears, 32" MTs.
          Ground tents work best for me, so far.
          Experience along with properly set up 4WD will get you to & through places (on existing, approved 4WD trails) that 4WD, alone, can't get to.

          Comment


          • #65
            Re: Battery Box

            Originally posted by Happy Joe View Post
            ..Yep; got campfire soldering covered.. antique soldering iron...(small size for fine work).
            I'm really glad you brought that up - reminded me to put the 12 volt iron in the kit.

            Comment


            • #66
              Re: Battery Box

              Originally posted by MacGyver View Post
              I'm really glad you brought that up - reminded me to put the 12 volt iron in the kit.
              While I do carry a bit of solder in the vehicle's peanut butter jar; along with random bits of bench top junk like nuts bolts, crimp on connectors, wire nuts, hose clamps valve stems/cores, some heat shrink, etc. ...(The peanut butter jar is semi famous among my four wheeling friends as a resource that has saved many a trip).
              I haven't carried soldering torches or irons since radiators became aluminum (foul stuff to repair in the field).

              I try to modularize and carry spares (like a spare inverter; near miss lightning strikes have killed several)... though space limits me to semi critical spare items.

              (DO NOT set up camp under/near trees which show lightning damage - the snap before the BANG is somewhat nervous making... and potentially deadly... If the hair on your arms starts standing up (only seems to happen when I am dry); make like King Arthur and "Run away!" /get into a vehicle).
              http://www.rockymountainhikingtrails...-mountains.htm

              Enjoy!
              Last edited by Happy Joe; 08-21-2016, 05:05 AM.
              2006 Jeep Rubicon, TJ; 4.11 gears, 31" tires, 4:1 transfer case, lockers in both axles
              For DD & "civilized" camping; 2003 Ford explorer sport, 4wd; ARB & torsen diffs, 4.10 gears, 32" MTs.
              Ground tents work best for me, so far.
              Experience along with properly set up 4WD will get you to & through places (on existing, approved 4WD trails) that 4WD, alone, can't get to.

              Comment


              • #67
                Re: Battery Box

                Originally posted by James. View Post
                I was listening to a podcast yesterday and they were saying how great a ukulele is for camping/backpacking. And apparently really easy to learn.
                I don't have a uke, but I do have a mando - but chicks don't like it as well.
                2018: Any way the wind blows; doesn't really matter to me....Too Meee....

                Comment


                • #68
                  Re: Battery Box

                  The battery, remote, stereo and solar got a workout this past weekend, convinced at least 2 people that LED lighting is way better than lanterns...
                  Had to baby sit the solar to keep it pointed at the sun, and out of the shade (no biggie, just rearrange it when we move the chairs to stay in/out of the sun).
                  The $8 W-mart floor lamp needs a re-design to keep it alive and make it more packable...

                  Click image for larger version

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                  Enjoy!
                  Last edited by Happy Joe; 09-05-2016, 08:41 AM.
                  2006 Jeep Rubicon, TJ; 4.11 gears, 31" tires, 4:1 transfer case, lockers in both axles
                  For DD & "civilized" camping; 2003 Ford explorer sport, 4wd; ARB & torsen diffs, 4.10 gears, 32" MTs.
                  Ground tents work best for me, so far.
                  Experience along with properly set up 4WD will get you to & through places (on existing, approved 4WD trails) that 4WD, alone, can't get to.

                  Comment


                  • #69
                    Re: Battery Box

                    Originally posted by Happy Joe View Post
                    The battery, remote, stereo and solar got a workout this past weekend, convinced at least 2 people that LED lighting is way better than lanterns...
                    Had to baby sit the solar to keep it pointed at the sun, and out of the shade...
                    Not sure if I mentioned this on another thread or not... Have you considered rewiring that lamp for 12 volts and putting some type of LED lamp in it? That would save your battery some juice.

                    Comment


                    • #70
                      Re: Battery Box

                      Originally posted by MacGyver View Post
                      Not sure if I mentioned this on another thread or not... Have you considered rewiring that lamp for 12 volts and putting some type of LED lamp in it? That would save your battery some juice.
                      Yes, I considered 12 volt LEDs several years ago. Went to the local RV stealership and bought a couple of RV, 12 volt, LED "bulbs".
                      brought them home and had good test results until I tried recharging the battery while the bulbs were on; they died from over voltage.
                      If I were to do it again I would wire in a 12 volt driver (as proper LED design criteria recommends).
                      The drivers are just a voltage/current limiting power supply (really a buck/boost circuit) and is contained in 120 volt LED bulbs.
                      I have simplified by just using wally mart LED bulbs. I use the same bulbs at home to minimize stocking issues.
                      While I was burning out $25 RV bulbs, I was also doing efficiency tests (unexpectedly some inverters and bulbs show either a definite preference or dislike for each other) and found a combination of 120 volt LED bulbs and a small inverter that used minimal power. So I am not loosing much in the inverter, total 12 volt draw of inverter plus 470 lumen (I can even get substantially more light by removing the bulb's diffuser, but I only do this in totally enclosed fixtures and for an emergency flood light) 120 volt LED bulb is around 600ma... way less that I used to light the tent in the old fluorescent tube days... I could save some by running a driver and 12 volt led bulbs but I use it for lighting such a small percentage that its not worth the effort/runtime for me.
                      I will, however install a 12 volt outlet on the battery for future use .

                      The battery and inverter plays triple duty as; a large battery for the computer UPS, an emergency power failure supply (just plug in any of our table lamps, all are 120 volt, LED, and turn it on) as well as for camping.

                      Enjoy!
                      Last edited by Happy Joe; 09-05-2016, 02:37 PM.
                      2006 Jeep Rubicon, TJ; 4.11 gears, 31" tires, 4:1 transfer case, lockers in both axles
                      For DD & "civilized" camping; 2003 Ford explorer sport, 4wd; ARB & torsen diffs, 4.10 gears, 32" MTs.
                      Ground tents work best for me, so far.
                      Experience along with properly set up 4WD will get you to & through places (on existing, approved 4WD trails) that 4WD, alone, can't get to.

                      Comment


                      • #71
                        Re: Battery Box

                        Look what just popped up in my recommendations on Amazon. At first I thought it was just an overpriced slightly modified battery box. But then I saw the battery meter and two integrated circuit breakers. It's now in my saved for later cart.



                        https://www.amazon.com/Newport-Vesse.../dp/B01AE2TG7G
                        Last edited by MacGyver; 09-06-2016, 05:28 AM.

                        Comment


                        • #72
                          Re: Battery Box

                          $65 is not a terrible price... but look at all the therapy (better than basket weaving) you would miss by not doing the try and fit yourself...

                          It seems to be sized to fit group 24 and 27 batteries (Costco has a group 27 deep discharge that is often a good deal)..
                          I do like the handle many/most battery boxes don't have a good one.

                          Enjoy!
                          Last edited by Happy Joe; 09-06-2016, 07:51 AM.
                          2006 Jeep Rubicon, TJ; 4.11 gears, 31" tires, 4:1 transfer case, lockers in both axles
                          For DD & "civilized" camping; 2003 Ford explorer sport, 4wd; ARB & torsen diffs, 4.10 gears, 32" MTs.
                          Ground tents work best for me, so far.
                          Experience along with properly set up 4WD will get you to & through places (on existing, approved 4WD trails) that 4WD, alone, can't get to.

                          Comment


                          • #73
                            Re: Battery Box

                            Originally posted by Happy Joe View Post
                            $65 is not a terrible price... but look at all the therapy (better than basket weaving) you would miss by not doing the try and fit yourself...
                            Believe me - I love DIY projects. But sometimes a product comes along that's just so neat and tidy, ya gotta go for it. Can't say I'll have it tomorrow, but eventually...

                            Comment


                            • #74
                              Re: Battery Box

                              Originally posted by Happy Joe View Post
                              Yes, I considered 12 volt LEDs several years ago. Went to the local RV stealership and bought a couple of RV, 12 volt, LED "bulbs".
                              brought them home and had good test results until I tried recharging the battery while the bulbs were on; they died from over voltage.
                              Shouldn't your charge controller protect the bulbs from over voltage?
                              “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                              – E. B. White

                              Comment


                              • #75
                                Re: Battery Box

                                Originally posted by James. View Post
                                Shouldn't your charge controller protect the bulbs from over voltage?
                                I don't believe most non MPPT controllers do any current or voltage limiting other than to shut down the power as the battery becomes charged (to prevent over charging and running the battery out of water)...

                                Protect your LEDs use a driver...

                                Enjoy!
                                2006 Jeep Rubicon, TJ; 4.11 gears, 31" tires, 4:1 transfer case, lockers in both axles
                                For DD & "civilized" camping; 2003 Ford explorer sport, 4wd; ARB & torsen diffs, 4.10 gears, 32" MTs.
                                Ground tents work best for me, so far.
                                Experience along with properly set up 4WD will get you to & through places (on existing, approved 4WD trails) that 4WD, alone, can't get to.

                                Comment

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