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Making a Battery Pack

Discussion in 'Tilted Gear' started by genuinemommy, Feb 13, 2015.

  1. genuinemommy

    genuinemommy Moderator Staff Member

    I'm curious if this is something I could do with my limited electronics knowledge. Figured this place would be a decent enough place to ask.
    So I want to make a portable battery pack to use with a new breast pump that I was given. The company that makes the pump doesn't make a portable battery pack (rather they sell more expensive versions of each pump with an internal battery). So I looked at the pack that comes with a different breast pump and I thought "this can't be too hard to make for my pump"...
    The other company uses 9-volt battery pack, and I'll need a 12-volt pack for the new pump. The plug that goes into the device itself is a different size as well. So it's not like I can hack the other company's battery pack and make it work for this one.
    Here's a link to the 9 volt battery pack: http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/products/360/pump-in-style-8-count-battery-pack
    and a picture of the power cord of the device I want to make a 12-volt battery pack for: http://static.parastorage.com/media/ae7545_eb1d0ff193ae4a0e89492117f9662833.jpg_256 (if a better image might help I can take images myself. It bothers me that they don't show both the wall and device plugs in this image).
    Where would I buy the parts to make this kind of a thing? Would I be able to walk into radio shack and find stuff or should I order online? How do I make sure the plug is the right size? Short of bringing in the device and plugging it in - isn't there going to be a name/number identifier for the plug type? If so, where would it be listed?
     
  2. fflowley

    fflowley Don't just do something, stand there!

    It's not going to be easy.
    Unless you have a lot of free time and a high tolerance for failure you might be better served just buying the one with the internal pack.
    My bigger concern, given how expensive those pumps are, is that you would be voiding your warranty coverage if your home made electronics cause a pump issue.
     
  3. genuinemommy

    genuinemommy Moderator Staff Member

    It has no warranty for me, since the gift was passed on by someone who got it through their insurance and my name is not linked to its serial number.
    If I make this work, I'll share the process here. A RL friend has given me some tips on how to get started.
     
  4. ASU2003

    ASU2003 Very Tilted

    Location:
    Where ever I roam
    Oops, I wrote a response without looking at the website you had posted first. It looks like it is a small battery pack. The one I describe below is way overkill (but it would work for a month if you were living on a remote island with no power for this pump).

    Here is a normal AA battery pack to create a 12V battery.

    Amazon.com : DC 5.5mmx2.1mm Male Connector 8 x 1.5V AA Plastic Battery Case Holder : GPS & Navigation

    Buy rechargeable batteries and hope the wire is long enough. And the plug is the right size. Measure the round plug in mm to see if it would work.



    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    [This is for building a larger system that could handle a month of pumping without recharging]
    Read how many Watts the Wall Plug (AC to DC converter) uses. Or if there is a number of Amps, that would work too. And create a circuit with a fuse, and voltage disconnect when it goes below 11 V (You don't want the amp draw to go up too high since the amps go up when battery voltage goes down) Then either get a battery like this:

    Amazon.com: Battery Tender BTL09A120C Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery: Automotive
    70 Watts usable power = $75.45

    Amazon.com: Battery Tender BTL14A240C Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery: Automotive
    100 Watts usable power = $99.90

    Lithium battery are more expensive, but they are light weight and last longer.

    You will need a battery charger as well.
    http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-021-0123-Junior-Charger/dp/B000CITK8S/ref=pd_sim_auto_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0TZQF2Y42VVBVGJ7YA1W

    The easy solution would be to buy the 12 V battery and charger and then an AC inverter that you can just plug your wall plug into. It isn't efficient because you are converting DC to AC to DC power, but everything is done and it will work in 10 minutes.

    Amazon.com : BESTEKĀ® Dual USB 2.1A 200w power inverter car dc 12v to 110v ac inverter dc adapter laptop charger notebook adapter dc charger ac adapter usb charger MRI 2011U : Vehicle Power Inverters : Car Electronics

    Either cut off the car lighter plug and put ring terminals on the ends of the wire to connect it to the battery, or buy one of these if you don't have the tools.
    Amazon.com: Waterproof Fused 12V Car Cigarette Lighter Socket Charger Outlet: Cell Phones & Accessories

    Then connect to the battery with a bolt.
     
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2015
    • Like Like x 1
  5. Lindy

    Lindy Moderator Staff Member

    Location:
    Nebraska
    • Like Like x 1
  6. If it fits your budget:[​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    12000 mAh, multiple plug adapters, can recharge your phone or even jumpstart your car. We sell them to a lot of our professional mechanics for over $100.00. Can't tell from the photo if one of the adapters will work for you without modding.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  7. There are other models, some cheaper, some more powerful. We actually stopped selling a couple of them due to failures and problems processing warranties. The one I pictured has been reliable, so far.
     
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