I was tired of all the loose wires in the glasshouse, running between the solar panel, battery and charge controller, so I decided I would build some kind of DIY solar battery.
I already had some lead-acid batteries from an Uninterruptible Power Supply, and an ammo box, so I ordered a 12 volt switch panel for the project.
The switch panel has a voltmeter, a 12 volt “cigarette lighter” type outlet, two 2,1 amp USB plugs and a switch that can power everything on and off.
All the components come unassembled in the box, so you can connect the plug to what ever you fancy, so if you prefer the voltmeter to be on all the time, you can bypass the switch.
In the opposite end of the ammo box, I’ve mounted a flush XT-60 connector, that connects to the solar panel with a matching XT-60 plug.
So far it works like a charm.
It’s easy to move around, and the only loose wire is now the wire between the ammobox and the solar panel.
Ive connected it to the LED lights in glasshouse, so that it can be illuminated after dark.
