The Top Box

THE TOP SECTION

So after careful consideration and planning, I decided that this box would fill my needs, so it was time to get to work. Of course, every field box needs a power panel. In the top section, I cut the proper size hole to mount my Hobbico Deluxe Power Panel II.

It was a simple mater to lay out the location, cut it out and screw down the power panel. However, as part of the plan, I soldered some 16 gauge leads to the back side of the fuel pump banana jack connections. These leads will ultimately lead down to the bottom bin section is where the fuel pump will be located.

POWER IT UP

Next I needed to fulfill my power requirements. I needed to be able to operate the Hobbico Power Panel, My Duratrax Charger/Discharger, My Astro Flight charger, my battery cooling box, and my TrippLite 300watt power inverter.
To fulfill these requirements, I built a custom power panel out of 1/4" Birch plywood and parts from my local Radio Shack.

Completed, the new power panel fills all of my electrical needs.
The Master Switch powers everything on and off.
The Charging and Post Switch starts my Astro Flight 110D charger as well as supplies power to the POS and NEG posts. The POS & NEG posts are capped with vinyl covers and use nylon nuts for safety.
The Fan Switch starts the battery pack cooling fan when needed. E-flight and other battery packs easily slide under the whole unit.
There is an Auto (cigarette) style plug for my 300watt TrippLite power inverter.
The Voltmeter keeps track of battery power remaining as well as charging status.

There are two sets of pos and neg leads that run from the top box to the bottom bin box. On set of 16 gauge leads have been soldered to the back side of the Hobbico power panel fuel pump banana jacks and they lead to the fuel pump in the bottom bin. The other is a set of 14 gauge leads that run from the custom power panel master switch to the 12v 18amp sealed high capacity battery in the bottom bin.

click on any picture to enlarge

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