Last year I picked up some nice Headway LiFePo4 cells, so what to build with them? With warmer months on the way, I decide to design and 3D print my own mega powerbank. It can charge two phone/tablets at once multiple times, run any 12V auto or camping equipment, and recharge from solar panels. It also has an onboard BMS to keep it safe and prevent any mishaps.
In this video I also include an update on the Bambu Lab X1 3D printer. It has been receiving small updates to improve reliability, new firmware and software, plus online documentation. If you backed it on Kickstarter, you might find this portion useful.
0:00 Introduction
0:42 Existing 18650 Li-ion powerbanks
18650 custom battery guide:
1:33 Headway 38120 Lifepo4e cell
EVworks Headway product page:
Life Iron Phosphate wiki page:
Example Headway bus bar:
3:10 Designing the electronics
Daly BMS Aliexpress link:
6:57 Designing the casing
9:09 3D printing the parts on the Bambu Lab X1 Carbon
Previous X1 test video:
Bambu Studio GitHub:
Bambu Lab wiki:
X3D Diamond series PLA:
Previous Carvera test video:
11:59 Assembly
13:26 Finished product
Source CAD in case you want to remix or print yourself:
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Watch more new videos about Camping | Synthesized by Mindovermetal English
Nice!
I love the appearance of your design. The combination of different materials and colours is just wonderful!
Super clean design. Nice detail with the custom busbars. I wouldn't mind seeing a video on just making those 🙂
Do you think the trouble with the X1 cooling would be improved if the wide cooling fan was on both sides (instead of just the one)?
You should have added an extra output to power the DropBear repeller. That way you would be safe camping anywhere in OZ.👍
as a camping item, the number 1 concern should be Water exposure, and weight. ( what if it gets rained on?) I like how water will funnel directly onto your LCD and Batteries in this design. I also like how chonky it is with many thick components.
Awesome project Michael, looks beautiful too.
That is pretty spiffy.
Just out of curiosity, how much would you estimate you spent on this? (I recently purchased something similar, and am wondering if it might be cheaper to build my own, if I want another one)
Can you please give some warnings when sanding, milling or working with carbon fiber. The small fibers can get airborne when they get broken down and cause similar harm like asbestos. Many people watching your videos did never get in touch with the dangers or safety measures when working with carbon fiber.
You can buff a lot of the sanding marks out with baby oil and a cloth.
"like nothing else in the world" except for the jackery and every other camping battery.
thats not a power bank thats a power brick
The drop bear was the icing on the cake of this great vid.
One of these is allowed on an airplane 🙂
Hmmm, no fuses at all…
OMG that's a missed opportunity: "That ain't a powerbank, this is a powerbank." jees
Like the shirt
Without the housing it looks like an actual bomb
Great shirt
Awesome work Michael. You really can be proud of it!
I have been looking to do something similar and compare to off the shelf alternatives. There is really no replacement for the fun of DIY, but is it worth it?? What do you think?
i would open that up and fuse the 12v car socket also i would most definitely wrap the bus bars and some of the wires in Kapton tape for better protection you should always use Kapton tape on battery packs like this.
Not sure that PLA is a good choice. Hope you don't leave it in a hot car or tent. Where I live, PLA is not an option for functional parts like this.
Would be interested to know how many Ah at 12 volts this is?
Nice looking powerbank & I love the cells too. Hello from Penrith! 😃
Always a fan of XT connectors. Happy to see projects using them.
The one thing I would have chosen is a bolt with a low profile head on it. You seem to add 6mm to 8mm of dimensional volume purely due to screw head choice. Was there a cost effective and safe option available? I presume size is always an issue in applied design and here may have been the simplest way to overcome some space wastage.
A very cool project. Why did you opt for solar-only charging?
Isn't the whole point of camping to get away from things that need powerbanks?
This. Is. Awesome. Thanks so much for the build and tutorial. Would love to build something like this for my family for camping trips.
I think you missed the for Crocodile Dundee joke opportunity in the intro.
And right at the end of the video is the real reason why you made this, to defend yourself against drop bears.
Love it!
Glad to see you now have good protection against drop bears. Nasty creatures those!
So no Power Delivery Protocol?
This is again a great design. I love the red side panels and the knurling looks much better than a simple flat surface.
Just as a warning for all viewers who are going to build something similar: Although LiFePO4 is considered safer than LiIon, make sure that you don't short circuit anything during testing or assembly. These cells are able to deliver very high currents when a short circuit is created and your wiring (or screwdriver) will go up in smoke. For that same reason I would take a BMS with a current rating one step above the max. current you would use. For me, the 30A BMS would be more than enough.
Was the overhang issue due to cooling only coming from the left side? Seems like large prints benefit from a left/right orientation for this reason.
I'm curious if the side of the part that had trouble is on the right side which is opposite of the bulk cooling fan. Also, are you u sing the carbon fiber sheets for reinforcement or for aesthetics? What are printed end pieces made of? Did I miss it?
Add a solar charger and its perfect
Just got a sponsor for a 12V rv fridge and was considering building a powerbank for camping. I think I should do this one