Lecture And Lab February 2026

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A portable black power box with a digital display showing voltage, current, and power usage, featuring multiple buttons and indicators.

Come join the DARC for the February 2026 Lecture and Lab – In this lecture and lab you will build a 12volt 34Ah LiFePo4 battery box complete with a 10amp charger, volt/amp meter, LED lights, 65W PD power/USB-C (this is enough to charge/power a MacBook Pro and more). The build will take place at the Dallas Medical Center on the 3rd floor. Plan on attending in-person Feb 28, 2026 start time is 10am central time. More details below.

This is an in-person event and is open to the public you do not need to be a member of the DARC or have a HAM radio license to attend and participate or purchase a battery box kit. We have a total of 15 kits available and they are first come first served on Lecture and Lab day and the kit cost is $135.00. Any questions or comments find us (KF5ZBL, KG5EIU) on the DARC Discord server or hit us up at: https://w5fc.org/contact/

The 34Ah LiFePo4 battery box build has a lot of features packed inside a .50cal plastic ammo-can including: Dual Anderson Power Poles, 65W PD USB-C (capable of charging/power MacBooks and more), USB-A ports, Volt/AMP/Watt meter, LiFePo4 battery, on/off switches, LED area lighting for those early morning/late nite POTA activations. The kit also includes a LiFePo4 10amp charger. Everything is included to build the box: batteries, switches, wire, terminals/connectors, power poles, LEDs and of course the .50 cal AMMO can, etc.

You will need the bring your solder kit assembly tools along with some other handy things to make the build go fast and easy:

You will be building a 12v 34Ah LiFePO4 battery box using a plastic .50cal ammo can.   The battery box will have ports for 2 Anderson Power Poles, dual PD 65W USB-C / USB charge.   The box will also have external LED lighting for site illumination.   Other features include a Volt/Amp meter, main power switch, LED auxiliary lights with integrated on/off switch and 100AMP main on/off switch and the 10amp LiFePo4 charger is also included. 
Tools Needed/Required:

  • Solder Iron, solder and associated accouterments to solder small electronic components
  • Wire cutters, and strippers small screwdrivers and other general kit building tools
  • volt/ohm meter
  • Sharp box cutter/utility knife with a fresh blade
  • Steel ruler/straight edge  1’ or less
  • X-acto knife with  a fresh blade
  • Black/Red Sharpie Pens 
  • Center punch/awl 
  • Safety glasses

Handy Tools To Have For The Build:

  • Cordless drill and drill index
  • Small files, emery/sandpaper 
  • Anderson Power Pole crimpers 
  • Small ratchet socket kit with an extension
  • Crimpers for uninsulated terminals 20ga – 12ga 
  • Clear wide packing tape
  • Stubby screwdrivers
  • rivet gun
  • heat gun
  • 1.125″ hole saw

You will prep the plastic ammo-can to assemble the battery box using an included template. This will be a fun and educational lab and should be easy to assemble with the included wiring diagram, custom 3D printed parts and drill templates.

Wiring diagram for a DARC 34Ah LiFePO4 battery system, showing connections for battery disconnect, volt/amp meter, USB ports, and 12V LED lights.

Some assembly galleries to look over: KF5ZBL https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCEVwA KG5EIU: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCt2jN

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