Topic: Need some guidence with battery project

[mmadd29]

I need to make an external power source for my ART II Phantom power box.  The box takes a 12Vdc power source.  What I have done is get a 8  AA battery holder from Rat Shack, that will put out the 12Vdc needed.  Since I have 50 or so rechargeable AA batteries, that is what I would like to use.  The box also takes two 9v batteries, but most 9V batteries are around 250mAh.  By using my 2600mAh, AA batteries I know I will have more then enough current available, and should have much longer battery usage.

Now for the project.....when buying the M power plugs, wires and heat shrink, I saw some small project boxes.  I thought it would be great to use one of those to house it in, and since it is bigger than the batter holder, I'd like to add a plug to recharge the batteries, and a little light led to know how much of a charge is left in the batteries.  This is what I have no idea how to do.

I do understand basic electronics such as parallel and series circuits, but it has been 20 years since college electronics so I'm very rusty.  In fact I was going to put two eight battery holders together in parallel to get 12 Vdc @ 5A, but then thought that is probably overkill.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to pull this project off.

Thanks to all

[dnsacks]

hey -- one big problem I see up front -- rechargable nimh batteries only put out 1.2 volts (not 1.5 volts like alkalines).  So, your 8 cell holder is only going to put out 9.6 volts. 

[Church-Audio]

I need to make an external power source for my ART II Phantom power box.  The box takes a 12Vdc power source.  What I have done is get a 8  AA battery holder from Rat Shack, that will put out the 12Vdc needed.  Since I have 50 or so rechargeable AA batteries, that is what I would like to use.  The box also takes two 9v batteries, but most 9V batteries are around 250mAh.  By using my 2600mAh, AA batteries I know I will have more then enough current available, and should have much longer battery usage.

Now for the project.....when buying the M power plugs, wires and heat shrink, I saw some small project boxes.  I thought it would be great to use one of those to house it in, and since it is bigger than the batter holder, I'd like to add a plug to recharge the batteries, and a little light led to know how much of a charge is left in the batteries.  This is what I have no idea how to do.

I do understand basic electronics such as parallel and series circuits, but it has been 20 years since college electronics so I'm very rusty.  In fact I was going to put two eight battery holders together in parallel to get 12 Vdc @ 5A, but then thought that is probably overkill.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to pull this project off.

Thanks to all

There is a voltage sensing LED out there that lights below a certain voltage as an indicator of a low voltage condition IE your battery is dead dummy light that would be one way to do it cheaply the other way would be to use a led bar display with a voltage detection ic that can be used as a battery gage. I like the other method my self the led method you can also purchase multiple led's at different ratings so that you can make a 12v 10v 8v and so on I will find the part number and send it to you as well as a source to buy the led's and aa cells if you want it should be pretty easy.

Chris Church

[mmadd29]

hey -- one big problem I see up front -- rechargable nimh batteries only put out 1.2 volts (not 1.5 volts like alkalines).  So, your 8 cell holder is only going to put out 9.6 volts. 

I just found that out     

Ok, I'll use a 10 battery holder....but all the same with the rest.

[mmadd29]

I need to make an external power source for my ART II Phantom power box.  The box takes a 12Vdc power source.  What I have done is get a 8  AA battery holder from Rat Shack, that will put out the 12Vdc needed.  Since I have 50 or so rechargeable AA batteries, that is what I would like to use.  The box also takes two 9v batteries, but most 9V batteries are around 250mAh.  By using my 2600mAh, AA batteries I know I will have more then enough current available, and should have much longer battery usage.

Now for the project.....when buying the M power plugs, wires and heat shrink, I saw some small project boxes.  I thought it would be great to use one of those to house it in, and since it is bigger than the batter holder, I'd like to add a plug to recharge the batteries, and a little light led to know how much of a charge is left in the batteries.  This is what I have no idea how to do.

I do understand basic electronics such as parallel and series circuits, but it has been 20 years since college electronics so I'm very rusty.  In fact I was going to put two eight battery holders together in parallel to get 12 Vdc @ 5A, but then thought that is probably overkill.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to pull this project off.

Thanks to all

There is a voltage sensing LED out there that lights below a certain voltage as an indicator of a low voltage condition IE your battery is dead dummy light that would be one way to do it cheaply the other way would be to use a led bar display with a voltage detection ic that can be used as a battery gage. I like the other method my self the led method you can also purchase multiple led's at different ratings so that you can make a 12v 10v 8v and so on I will find the part number and send it to you as well as a source to buy the led's and aa cells if you want it should be pretty easy.

Chris Church

Thanks Chris.....just the info I was looking for.

[Church-Audio]

hey -- one big problem I see up front -- rechargable nimh batteries only put out 1.2 volts (not 1.5 volts like alkalines).  So, your 8 cell holder is only going to put out 9.6 volts. 

I just found that out     

Ok, I'll use a 10 battery holder....but all the same with the rest.

Go to digikey.com and check out the cells they have for sale.

[mmadd29]

I need to make an external power source for my ART II Phantom power box.  The box takes a 12Vdc power source.  What I have done is get a 8  AA battery holder from Rat Shack, that will put out the 12Vdc needed.  Since I have 50 or so rechargeable AA batteries, that is what I would like to use.  The box also takes two 9v batteries, but most 9V batteries are around 250mAh.  By using my 2600mAh, AA batteries I know I will have more then enough current available, and should have much longer battery usage.

Now for the project.....when buying the M power plugs, wires and heat shrink, I saw some small project boxes.  I thought it would be great to use one of those to house it in, and since it is bigger than the batter holder, I'd like to add a plug to recharge the batteries, and a little light led to know how much of a charge is left in the batteries.  This is what I have no idea how to do.

I do understand basic electronics such as parallel and series circuits, but it has been 20 years since college electronics so I'm very rusty.  In fact I was going to put two eight battery holders together in parallel to get 12 Vdc @ 5A, but then thought that is probably overkill.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to pull this project off.

Thanks to all

There is a voltage sensing LED out there that lights below a certain voltage as an indicator of a low voltage condition IE your battery is dead dummy light that would be one way to do it cheaply the other way would be to use a led bar display with a voltage detection ic that can be used as a battery gage. I like the other method my self the led method you can also purchase multiple led's at different ratings so that you can make a 12v 10v 8v and so on I will find the part number and send it to you as well as a source to buy the led's and aa cells if you want it should be pretty easy.

Chris Church

OK...dumb question time....the LED's are in parllel to the voltage source....correct?  I would use three as recommended.

[Church-Audio]

I need to make an external power source for my ART II Phantom power box.  The box takes a 12Vdc power source.  What I have done is get a 8  AA battery holder from Rat Shack, that will put out the 12Vdc needed.  Since I have 50 or so rechargeable AA batteries, that is what I would like to use.  The box also takes two 9v batteries, but most 9V batteries are around 250mAh.  By using my 2600mAh, AA batteries I know I will have more then enough current available, and should have much longer battery usage.

Now for the project.....when buying the M power plugs, wires and heat shrink, I saw some small project boxes.  I thought it would be great to use one of those to house it in, and since it is bigger than the batter holder, I'd like to add a plug to recharge the batteries, and a little light led to know how much of a charge is left in the batteries.  This is what I have no idea how to do.

I do understand basic electronics such as parallel and series circuits, but it has been 20 years since college electronics so I'm very rusty.  In fact I was going to put two eight battery holders together in parallel to get 12 Vdc @ 5A, but then thought that is probably overkill.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to pull this project off.

Thanks to all

There is a voltage sensing LED out there that lights below a certain voltage as an indicator of a low voltage condition IE your battery is dead dummy light that would be one way to do it cheaply the other way would be to use a led bar display with a voltage detection ic that can be used as a battery gage. I like the other method my self the led method you can also purchase multiple led's at different ratings so that you can make a 12v 10v 8v and so on I will find the part number and send it to you as well as a source to buy the led's and aa cells if you want it should be pretty easy.

Chris Church

OK...dumb question time....the LED's are in parllel to the voltage source....correct?  I would use three as recommended.

Yes any led would have to be in parallel with the load it must have been a looooong time since electronics class Yes I am looking that part up for you I will have it in a few hours and post it here.

Chris Church

[mmadd29]

I need to make an external power source for my ART II Phantom power box.  The box takes a 12Vdc power source.  What I have done is get a 8  AA battery holder from Rat Shack, that will put out the 12Vdc needed.  Since I have 50 or so rechargeable AA batteries, that is what I would like to use.  The box also takes two 9v batteries, but most 9V batteries are around 250mAh.  By using my 2600mAh, AA batteries I know I will have more then enough current available, and should have much longer battery usage.

Now for the project.....when buying the M power plugs, wires and heat shrink, I saw some small project boxes.  I thought it would be great to use one of those to house it in, and since it is bigger than the batter holder, I'd like to add a plug to recharge the batteries, and a little light led to know how much of a charge is left in the batteries.  This is what I have no idea how to do.

I do understand basic electronics such as parallel and series circuits, but it has been 20 years since college electronics so I'm very rusty.  In fact I was going to put two eight battery holders together in parallel to get 12 Vdc @ 5A, but then thought that is probably overkill.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to pull this project off.

Thanks to all

There is a voltage sensing LED out there that lights below a certain voltage as an indicator of a low voltage condition IE your battery is dead dummy light that would be one way to do it cheaply the other way would be to use a led bar display with a voltage detection ic that can be used as a battery gage. I like the other method my self the led method you can also purchase multiple led's at different ratings so that you can make a 12v 10v 8v and so on I will find the part number and send it to you as well as a source to buy the led's and aa cells if you want it should be pretty easy.

Chris Church

OK...dumb question time....the LED's are in parllel to the voltage source....correct?  I would use three as recommended.

Yes any led would have to be in parallel with the load it must have been a looooong time since electronics class Yes I am looking that part up for you I will have it in a few hours and post it here.

Chris Church

Yes...a long time......my God I'm getting old.........thanks for all your help Chris.

[Church-Audio]

I need to make an external power source for my ART II Phantom power box.  The box takes a 12Vdc power source.  What I have done is get a 8  AA battery holder from Rat Shack, that will put out the 12Vdc needed.  Since I have 50 or so rechargeable AA batteries, that is what I would like to use.  The box also takes two 9v batteries, but most 9V batteries are around 250mAh.  By using my 2600mAh, AA batteries I know I will have more then enough current available, and should have much longer battery usage.

Now for the project.....when buying the M power plugs, wires and heat shrink, I saw some small project boxes.  I thought it would be great to use one of those to house it in, and since it is bigger than the batter holder, I'd like to add a plug to recharge the batteries, and a little light led to know how much of a charge is left in the batteries.  This is what I have no idea how to do.

I do understand basic electronics such as parallel and series circuits, but it has been 20 years since college electronics so I'm very rusty.  In fact I was going to put two eight battery holders together in parallel to get 12 Vdc @ 5A, but then thought that is probably overkill.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to pull this project off.

Thanks to all

There is a voltage sensing LED out there that lights below a certain voltage as an indicator of a low voltage condition IE your battery is dead dummy light that would be one way to do it cheaply the other way would be to use a led bar display with a voltage detection ic that can be used as a battery gage. I like the other method my self the led method you can also purchase multiple led's at different ratings so that you can make a 12v 10v 8v and so on I will find the part number and send it to you as well as a source to buy the led's and aa cells if you want it should be pretty easy.

Chris Church

OK...dumb question time....the LED's are in parllel to the voltage source....correct?  I would use three as recommended.

Yes any led would have to be in parallel with the load it must have been a looooong time since electronics class Yes I am looking that part up for you I will have it in a few hours and post it here.

Chris Church

Yes...a long time......my God I'm getting old.........thanks for all your help Chris.

Here is the PDF of this batery level indicator. I think your going to have to deal with maybe two levels of indication no three. Take a look.


Chris Church