Starting a truck with a Makita drill battery (and a glossy official video)  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2015, 10:46:56 pm
content: Fun & games installing 800m of LED tape on the front of Selfridges in Oxford Street, LondonThe official making-of video (you might just spot me in the odd frame)

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 03, 2015, 11:36:50 pm
content: i'll bet your video gets more views!looked like a nice project to get involved in. How long did it take, start to finish?

author: orion242
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 04, 2015, 02:34:52 am
content: Any videos of it in action?

author: crispy_tofu
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2015, 02:57:13 am
content: Quote from: orion242 on November 04, 2015, 02:34:52 am+1, looks like a nice idea.

author: aroby
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2015, 03:12:25 am
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on November 03, 2015, 10:46:56 pmThe videographer did a nice job on this one. I assume the "in action" video is waiting for the Xmas lights to be switched on.

author: nowlan
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2015, 03:21:08 am
content: Did you use the battery (18v) to fast charge the truck battery (24v?), or just boost in parallel?I am struggling to see 18v goes into 24v. I thought voltage had to be higher, else the truck would charge makita.

author: Paul Moir
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2015, 06:51:36 am
content: Quote from: nowlan on November 04, 2015, 03:21:08 amAbout 6:50, "each battery was reading about 10v.". I took it to mean two 12v batteries since 10v is just about completely discharged on them.And I'll take the opportunity to say how much I enjoy and learn from your videos: thank you Mike!

author: Mr.B
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 04, 2015, 07:16:19 am
content: Many thanks Mike.I always get so much out of your videos, particularly the "handy hints".The magnet drag of the nut through the alloy channel is simply genius.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2015, 08:16:13 am
content: Quote from: nowlan on November 04, 2015, 03:21:08 am18->12v- did each battery in turnCharge current = (18-12)/R of short piece of wire

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2015, 08:41:16 am
content: Quote from: wilfred on November 04, 2015, 12:36:17 amProjects are usually too different to standardise much ( except some code, sometimes). Similarly you always find things that could be done better next time, but again you rarely get the chance as next time is so different.There are some common factors, like :Using RS485 for data (because it's simple, easy and cheap)Making sure everything is protected from any conceivable abuse (mostly shorts between data and power)Avoid putting hardware in inaccessible placesMake spares of everythingDon't buy a PSU from a cheaper brand than mean Well, and don't run at more than 75% of rating.Allow time for burn-in tests (which invariably disappears because something screws up, causing delays)Make things modular, so if one works, there is negligible chance of problems when there are more of them.QuoteIt works both ways - in several cases what happens is I find an interesting part, knock up a demo unit & show it around to plant the seeds of some ideas, and projects then come out of it in various ways.one client has a wall in their studio covered in various of my demo pieces, which they then show to their clients to see if anything takes their fancy.For example, this project happenned a couple of years after me finding some white LED matrix displays & playing around with greyscale drivers :http://www.jasonbruges.com/projects/uk-projects/mirror-mirror(actually the panels were destined for another project that fell through, & they got recycled as an artwork for the V&A!And this came pretty much directly from "PSP displays - how cheaply can I make something to drive them"http://www.cinimodstudio.com/project/flutter/And this from"I need something to make up the free-delivery value at Mouser, ooh look - 0402 white LEDs, it would be fun to make a tiny 32x32 matrix"http://cinimodstudio.com/project/baby-angel/Obviously it's not entirely that straightforward but none of the above would have happened (at least not in the form they ended up) had I not randomly decided to play with something & make up a demo unit.QuoteVaries a lot - most of my customers involve me at an early stage & I often have to steer them away from impractical/ridiculous ideas. I have occasionally rescued projects where people had just got hopelessly out of their depth trying to scale up something they got running on an Arduino with no understanding of Ohm's Law.

author: krivx
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2015, 08:47:42 am
content: I always enjoy your videos Mike, cheersWish I could do something like this.