Secure battery box

[JRobyn]

Hi folks,

I'm planning to install an electric gate opener soon at the farm, which is way too far from a power source for anything but battery power. I'd like to use a regular automotive or marine type battery, but if I just put it by the gate in a plastic battery box, I suppose it won't stay there long!

Does anyone know of a source for a moderately-priced steel or aluminum battery box that could be bolted to a concrete pad? A google search for metal enclosures and battery boxes didn't really return anything that fits so far.

- Jay

 

[srjones]

If I was a thief (which I am not), I'd be less interested in stealing a battery and box than stealing the much more expensive control box and linear actuator. If you're solar powering it, that would be a target too.

But, you could always put bolts through a plate inside the plastic box and make sure to put a lock on the battery box.

If you must stick with metal, what about a security mailbox? It's about the right size. I would line it with a non-conductive material, though, and use gromets for the wire holes.

Or you could fabricate something....

Or put it in something that nobody would be interested in taking and hide the wires. Like a big terra cotta planter, or fake rock....

 

[Soundguy]

I agtree with SRjones.. 1, anything you leave out by itself is subject to theft.

2, you can't build a box to house a battery that another man -can't- take apart with determination and some hand tools... just not much out there a gas axe or a battery powered abrasive say won't cut.

best defense may be to find an old flip top cooler, burry it and stick the battery in that.. put a couple rocks under it to keep it off the bottom so water has a place to go.. and run the cables out the bottom.. then throw an inch or two of dirt over it.. and some sod pieces... in a couple - 3 years when you need a new battery.. dig it up. if you are worried about gas buildup.. make a 'j' pipe out of pvc and stick it down in the cooler and rtv it arounf the hole.. stick an upside down flower pot over this breather and hopefully nobody will see it... this all assumes a solar setup... can stick that up in the top of a tree.. etc..

sad bottom line is if somebody wants it bad enough.. and you aren't standing there with a gun.. they will get it ..if they want it..

soundguy

Hi folks,

I'm planning to install an electric gate opener soon at the farm, which is way too far from a power source for anything but battery power. I'd like to use a regular automotive or marine type battery, but if I just put it by the gate in a plastic battery box, I suppose it won't stay there long!

Does anyone know of a source for a moderately-priced steel or aluminum battery box that could be bolted to a concrete pad? A google search for metal enclosures and battery boxes didn't really return anything that fits so far.

- Jay

 

[jinman]

Does anyone know of a source for a moderately-priced steel or aluminum battery box that could be bolted to a concrete pad? A google search for metal enclosures and battery boxes didn't really return anything that fits so far.

- Jay

Jay, do you have a place that sells trailers in your area? This is just an impulse response, but many trailers have electric winches and battery boxes installed. I believe most of those are metal and lockable. Otherwise, it would not ba difficult fabrication to get a box made at a welding shop.

For our electric gate, it used a small 7ah, 12 VDC sealed gel-cell type battery. They sell online for $19.95. The gate control center is a 12" x12" box with the control, charger, and battery all tucked away inside. It charged off a small solar panel that was purchased with the gate opener. The battery was good for at least a dozen gate open/close cycles when fully charged, probably more.

Whether you use the smaller battery or larger one, you will need the solar cell to charge it. Today, that's probably as likely as anything to be the item stolen. You might want to make it easily removable so you can take it with you when you leave for a long period of time. The battery will hold it's charge for a long time without your being there. Keeping a spare 7ah battery is also not a bad idea, just in case. The battery is only about 3-1/2" tall by 6" long by 2" thick. They are very compact and you never worry about acid leaks or danger as you would with a full-size lead-acid battery.

 

[JRobyn]

Chris- burying it would be great except for that there's only about 2 or 3 inches of soil over the solid rock! I had to have the holes for the posts drilled!

Jim- Thanks for the trailer shop suggestion, I'll try that - I once had a trailer with a "tongue box" that would have been just about right. I'll also consider just sticking with the little gel-cell that's provided with the opener, but my BIL has had problems with depleting the charge on his after a few cloudy days. That's exactly why I was considering using a regular lead-acid battery. I wonder if the as-supplied control box would hold TWO of the cells in parallel?

Maybe I'll just invest in a decent IR gamecam instead and try to catch anyone making off with batteries or the solar setup.

- Jay

 

[JRobyn]

Didn't mean to excude you, SR! The mailbox might also work perfect. Since the gate will be in a gravel road with nothing around it but woods, ANYthing would stick out and be noticable! I'm kinda hoping (wishful thinking) that most local folk will either be of good moral character (most of the folk in the area that I know are), or that they're not bright enough to figure out that the controls/actuator/panel would have any value to them. But now a nice new, big BATTERY! "That there'd work in my bass boat!!"

The IR camera (and insurance) are starting to look better and better.

- Jay