DIY 18 volt battery as power supply for work radio

[tricksel]

Hi all,

I hope this is the right board for this question.

I would like to build my own work radio/bluetooth receiver in a systainer. But, furthermore, I would like to power this from a Festool-standard 18 volt battery. The circuitry won't be the biggest problem, but I need the socket in which I can slide the battery... Has anyone else done this? Is it hand-made or a recycle of an old charger or something like that?
Thanks in advance!

 

[grobkuschelig]

Why not take the existing Festool Radio unit and maybe modify it to fit your needs? Should eliminate all work in regards to adapting battery and interfacing issues...

 

[huntdupl]

I was going to suggest using a different brand, but was shocked to find the 18v 5.2AH Airstream battery was cheaper (new) than a Makita 18v LXT 4AH. Assuming you own cordless outside of Festool, most manufactures have USB power source adapters, this seems the easiest route to tap in. Trying to integrate Festool cordless is more trouble than its worth IMO.

I've dropped car speakers in ice chest, milk crates, and even fiber-glassed into bicycles. The ice chest in my younger days ran off a car battery,  but everyone I build now uses these game batteries They will push a pair of 6x9s for two days, loud.

12v 7AH battery - $20
6v/12v charger - $10

 

[tricksel]

Hi guys,

thanks for the replies. I understand it's easier to get the Festool radio, but hey, where's the tinkering in that  Without kidding, the reason behind it is that I'd like to make one systainer deliver multiple solutions: charge USB from the 18v battery, maybe put my version of a SYS-PowerHub into it and some ideas I might develop in the progress.

Anyway, maybe I am better off using some more-standard stuff and/or stay off the Festool path for this. The reason I thought of this was -and is- that I like using some standard for delivering power, and eliminate all those different chargers.

If anyone else has some luminous idea, please let me/us know! I'm really curious if someone else has built some cool stuff.

 

[nclemmons]

If you have a Festool battery and receiver on a radio, SysLite, charger or drill and access to 3D printing, you could model the base and 3D print a battery plate.

The SysLite has a hook that slides into the back of the lite.  That might give you a simple way to get measurements to fit a battery carrier design.

You could draw up the design in a program like Fusion360 (free for makers) and print it through several online services that will print and ship to you.  Or Google 3D printing and you're likely to find local sources that are inexpensive and fast.

 

[Gregor]

Or look into EKAT drawings of tools that accept these batteries, possible you'll find the (tool/charger side) interface as an (not hugely overpriced) spare part where you only need to solder some wires onto to be done with it.

Or obtain a dead TCL3 charger from (whatever source of used goods you have in your country) for cheap, that would possibly give you a case big enough (after you removed the original guts) to hold the radio you plan to build.

 

[tricksel]

Hi Neil & Gregor,

Thanks yet again for the replies! Unfortunately, I do not have access to 3d printing. Furthermore, while this does work for holding the battery, I'm not sure about the electrical contacts of the battery, if this is easily made with some simple metal.

Gregor, the idea about the EKAT drawings is actually a good idea! My Festool dealer is "around the corner" so he should be able to deliver the parts. Also, the dead charger idea has crossed my mind, but I couldn't find any dead ones second hand, just working ones...  : And I thought it's a shame "killing" it for some tinkering away...
Anyway, thanks for the ideas yet again!