Simplex ammo can repeater project for under $250

[warthog74]

This is a work in progress, but here’s what i have so far. Intended use will be for camping, fishing, power outages, and when SHTF.

Ammo can $17 - 6ah lifepo4 battery $19 - 10w eco-worthy solar panel $21 - 30a mppt charge controller $12 - surecom sr-112 simplex repeater controller w/kenwood mobile plug $55 - leixen vv-898 10w uhf/vhf transceiver $67 - velcro $5 - so239 to so239 bulkhead connector $3 - n9tax murs/gmrs tuned slim jim antenna $33 - 2 cig plug sockets $8. Total = $240.

I’d still like to change a few things, but it’s functional. Mainly i want to add an external power connector of some sort for solar charging so that i don't have to open it up to get to the other cig plug thats attached to the charge controller. I’m thinking about a marine grade water proof cig plug with dust cover and cutting another hole in the ammo can to mount it, but not sure yet. Also want to add some foam inserts to keep the battery in place. Everything else is either screwed down or held on by velcro. I also want something other than alligator clips on the battery that can be quick connect/disconnect.

Inside the box i labeled i have the mic and some other goodies if i want to use it for comms rather than a repeater, or in case of an emergency. The radio is programmed in Bank A with just gmrs repeater freqs, Bank B is programmed with murs/frs/gmrs/marine (for emergency use)/2m calling (for emergency use) and noaa. The leixen only draws .3a idle/RX and 1.5a during TX, so the 6ah (72wh) battery should last for a few days without the solar panel attached if need be.

Anyway, here is the functional, but not finished product. (and yes, i have to remove the box to close the lid. the charge controller fits in that spot. might look for a smaller charge controller so that it all fits inside.)

 

[WSBQ451]

This is sick. Following topic!

[BoxCar]

Anderson power pole connectors will fit the tabs on the battery perfectly.

[warthog74]

Thanks. I think i might have some of those laying around somewhere. Will have to do some digging.

[SteveShannon]

On 3/10/2024 at 7:09 PM, BoxCar said:

Anderson power pole connectors will fit the tabs on the battery perfectly.

No, those battery tabs are not Anderson Power Poles.  They’re Faston connectors, which are more commonly called quick disconnects and they’re available at almost every hardware store.  They’re available in two sizes, 187 (3/16”) or 250 (quarter inch).  The ones in the picture look like they’re the smaller size. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FASTON_terminal

[BoxCar]

2 hours ago, Sshannon said:

No, those battery tabs are not Anderson Power Poles.  They’re Faston connectors, which are more commonly called quick disconnects and they’re available at almost every hardware store.  They’re available in two sizes, 187 (3/16”) or 250 (quarter inch).  The ones in the picture look like they’re the smaller size. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FASTON_terminal

I didn't say they were Power Pole connectors. I said Power Pole connectors would fit on them.

[SteveShannon]

3 hours ago, BoxCar said:

I didn't say they were Power Pole connectors. I said Power Pole connectors would fit on them.

That may be, but why not teach them the right connector in the first place?

[warthog74]

Update:

The Anderson connectors worked out fine. Fit nice and snug and easy to connect / disconnect. I also managed to fit the solar controller, microphone, programming cable, and manuals so that the lid closes with everything i need inside. I used velcro to secure a zip lock bag to hold the manuals and programming cable to the lid. I also had an old fiberglass 102’ whip from my CB days laying around along with an old mirror mount, so i used its guts which got mounted to the lid. Then i zip tied my n9tax slim jim to the 102. Now wherever i put the ammo can repeater, the antenna is a “minimum” 9 feet off the ground. If i stick it on the roof of my truck, then 16-17 feet off the ground. All thats left is an external charging port for the solar panel and it’s done. Pretty happy with the result.

 

[WSBQ451]

Nice. I wanna tackle something like this. Just looking for the time!

[warthog74]

It really didn’t take long to toss together once i had everything. Waiting for some of the parts to arrive from ebay / amazon took the longest and slowed the build down.

[WRDJ205]

This is really an awesome project.   Thanks for the information.  

[warthog74]

Final update:

The 102” whip with the slim jim was too cumbersome to be “portable”, so i moved the so-239 bulk head to the top of the case and i now use a Nagoya NL-R2 instead. Then i widened the hole where the so-239 use to be and installed a water proof cig plug socket for solar charging. This project is now complete.

 

[WSBQ643]

Looks like everyone was right. Not enough horsepower that battery pack. So, I got a charge controller for my solar panel, 7ah battery, mini inverter and all is well in paradise. Should have posted this sooner and saved myself the headache. By the way the Ammo Can looks great. Thanks for the help.