Author Topic: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's  (Read 36997 times)

Offline SLAYERFISH

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #90 on: Jan 12, 2018, 03:18 PM »
I took a couple pics of my set up.

Power source with cord and male spade connectors attached.



"Stock" Marcum female spade connectors that hooked to old lead-acid battery.


Entire battery/ power source/ cable assembly into where old battery went.

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Offline BeenShanty

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #91 on: Jan 12, 2018, 03:58 PM »
What ga wire is that?  Hard to tell but it looks a little thin.  Make sure you beef this up, mine was getting warm until I went to 10ga.  Don't need any fires in the shack.

Offline SLAYERFISH

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #92 on: Jan 12, 2018, 04:20 PM »
Plenty thick. Thicker than stock wiring-
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Offline Bigassbassman

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #93 on: Jan 12, 2018, 06:55 PM »
Great pics, thanks Slayer!  Just curious, where'd you find the male spades?  My Marcum has female F1s.
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Offline esox_xtm

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #94 on: Jan 12, 2018, 08:19 PM »
@ BABM: Any decent hardware store ought to have 'em in the electrical connection area.
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Offline Bigassbassman

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #95 on: Jan 12, 2018, 08:24 PM »
@ BABM: Any decent hardware store ought to have 'em in the electrical connection area.
Thanks! :tipup:
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Offline Bigassbassman

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #96 on: Jan 13, 2018, 04:27 PM »
Hey all -- anyone able to help?  I just hooked up a setup similar Slayer's and it was working fine for a while. Decided to add some electrical tape around my crimps on the wires, plugged everything back in, and now it won't run.  Nada.  I think the 12V power source output isn't working. USB works fine to charge my phone , but the 12V seems like it's dead. Does anyone know what could've happened?  Could I have fried the power source somehow?  Frustrated and clueless.
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Offline geo315

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #97 on: Jan 13, 2018, 05:37 PM »
ck your connections with a meter.

Offline Bigassbassman

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #98 on: Jan 13, 2018, 05:47 PM »
Here's my cord I made:

When hooked up to the M18 PS (yes, switch was on) I checked the terminals with my multimeter and registered 0V.

Double checked my SLA battery terminals showed ~12-13V, so the meter works.

I guess the 12V output must be fried?  What would cause that? I don't do a lot of electrical work, so any input would be appreciated!
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Offline esox_xtm

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #99 on: Jan 13, 2018, 05:51 PM »
Have you checked the PS output directly (without a wire/cable connection)? It may be your connector...
To fish or not to fish? That's a stupid question!



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Offline Bigassbassman

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #100 on: Jan 13, 2018, 06:12 PM »
Have you checked the PS output directly (without a wire/cable connection)? It may be your connector...
So, would I just touch both test leads inside the 12V output?  Red to the center, and black to the outside?
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Offline SLAYERFISH

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #101 on: Jan 13, 2018, 08:04 PM »
So, would I just touch both test leads inside the 12V output?  Red to the center, and black to the outside?
  Yes.If you have polarity reversed it'll just read negative volts.
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Offline Bigassbassman

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #102 on: Jan 13, 2018, 09:03 PM »
Thanks everyone for the input....Well, I think the 12V PS is dead. USB works but can't get any reading on the 12V. Guess I'll have to buy another. No way to return this one, bought on Amazon and package is gone. I'll have an extra USB charger, tho!

Could I have fried it inadvertently?  If my wire gauge is wrong or something?  Or if I accidentally touched the terminals together? Don't want to screw up the new PS, too.
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Offline MT204

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #103 on: Jan 13, 2018, 09:45 PM »
Could I have fried it inadvertently?  If my wire gauge is wrong or something?  Or if I accidentally touched the terminals together? Don't want to screw up the new PS, too.
Yep.
I toasted two. One checking to see what the maximum amps that could be drawn and someone set something on my wires while I was load testing one and shorted the wires.
There's no overload or reverse polarity protection on them.

Offline BeenShanty

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #104 on: Jan 15, 2018, 12:59 PM »
I don't condone buying overseas, however I'm fairly confident this is milwaukee's source for this product.. bought mine on ebay for $11.  Wasn't until the first week went by I noticed it was shipping from Hong Kong.. it hasn't failed me yet and I've used the heck out of it.  Looks identical except no mk label.

Offline Bigassbassman

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #105 on: Jan 15, 2018, 01:45 PM »
bigassbassman,
Look at slayer's pic.  that black part is the on off switch for the Power Source.  Make sure its to the left as I believe that is the on position.  I bet you have it in the off position....

I too was having problems until I realized my stupid moment....lol

Thanks, but I made sure to double check that!   ;)

Does anyone know if the power sources have a fuse inside?  I see there are screws, wonder if I should take it apart.
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Offline TIBS

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #106 on: Jan 15, 2018, 05:13 PM »
I may have missed it somewhere, but has anyone tried this conversion with the DeWalt power source?  Seems like it would work exactly the same.

Offline ronco

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #107 on: Jan 17, 2018, 07:20 PM »
Here's my cord I made:

When hooked up to the M18 PS (yes, switch was on) I checked the terminals with my multimeter and registered 0V.

Double checked my SLA battery terminals showed ~12-13V, so the meter works.

I guess the 12V output must be fried?  What would cause that? I don't do a lot of electrical work, so any input would be appreciated!



Nate, looking at your picture, you'll want to hook your terminals to your fish finder first then to the power source.  If you hook to the power source first, your terminals may touch and that would create a dead short and maybe burn up your power source. Hope that makes sense.
The secret to fishing.....fish where the fish are.

Offline Bigassbassman

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #108 on: Jan 17, 2018, 08:41 PM »


Nate, looking at your picture, you'll want to hook your terminals to your fish finder first then to the power source.  If you hook to the power source first, your terminals may touch and that would create a dead short and maybe burn up your power source. Hope that makes sense.
Thanks, Ron!  Will do.  Just got a replacement PS and will be hooking it up soon. I guess that's how you learn these things.  Trial and error...
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Offline Ekulbor

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #109 on: Jan 19, 2018, 05:17 PM »
I may have missed it somewhere, but has anyone tried this conversion with the DeWalt power source?  Seems like it would work exactly the same.

Looks like it should be the same I just make sure you order the  DCB-091 power source that has the 12v out heated power jack. Now I just need to find a cable that will plug into it so I can test it out. I'll try and update next week when my adapter comes in.

Offline mediummac

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #110 on: Feb 04, 2018, 06:56 PM »
really im not understanding all this step down stuff ive taken my vexilar out twice so far and just hook it up to the 18 volt battery one time with a akita four amp h and the next with a rigid four amp. both times I had no problem running the unit.will I eventually hurt the vexilar?

Offline MT204

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #111 on: Feb 04, 2018, 09:28 PM »
The "average" voltage of most 18 style batteries for cordless tools is somewhere between 19 and 22+ volts.
The recommended voltage according to Vexilar is 10.5-15 vdc. (https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?action=post;topic=349286.90;last_msg=3817647)
Would I run mine that way.....NO WAY!!
How long will it run before there's a problem? Let us know.

Offline geo315

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #112 on: Feb 04, 2018, 11:04 PM »
Looks like it should be the same I just make sure you order the  DCB-091 power source that has the 12v out heated power jack. Now I just need to find a cable that will plug into it so I can test it out. I'll try and update next week when my adapter comes in.
Yes I got got one on line and used a old plug  from an old computer I had around. Just be sure to  hook pos to pos and neg to neg.   The bright side is that you are using 12 volts from an 18 volt fuel bat. It give you longer life  at a constant 12 volts. i believe it is called a  power source.  Good luck, Geo.

Offline SLAYERFISH

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #113 on: Feb 05, 2018, 08:30 AM »
Since this thread was burped back up I will give an update.   I use a 4AH batt on the LX-5. After 10 hrs run time it will show 1 or 2 bars remaining depending on the ambient temperature.  Works flawlessly! ;D

And SOOOOO light!

And charge my smartphone-


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Offline Rather-B-Fishin

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #114 on: Feb 11, 2018, 01:08 PM »
good ideas!

Offline Luke1046

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #115 on: Feb 11, 2018, 09:33 PM »
This is neat I will have to look into doing it

Offline wyoutdoors

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #116 on: Jan 27, 2019, 01:32 PM »

Offline BeenShanty

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Re: Running your flasher off Milwaukee M18's
« Reply #117 on: Jan 27, 2019, 02:40 PM »
It's too late.  My vexilar and ice shack run entirely on electro-magnetic energy.  No need for other fuels, except I can now charge my Fuels with free energy out on the ice.  Lovin it.

 



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