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This write up is to illustrate how to build a charging box with two ISDT Q6 chargers, using one of our dual charging plates. The hard case used in this write up is the Nanuk 910 in green. You can see this dual 910 plate kit HERE, and the others we offer HERE.
Disclaimer: During this build, You must accept that You and You Alone are Responsible for your safety and safety of others in any endeavor in which you engage. While the material on turtlelaboratories.com is provided in hopes that you build your own personalized box, You are Responsible for verifying its accuracy and applicability to your project. You are Responsible for knowing your limitations of knowledge and experience. If you do any work with “main power” such as 120 or 240 VAC power wiring, you should consult a Licensed Electrician.
Our illustrative photos do not depict safety precautions or equipment, but only aid in the construction of your project. These projects are not intended for use by children. Use of these instructions, kits, projects and suggestions is at your own risk. Turtle Laboratories disclaim all responsibility for any resulting damage, injury, or expense. It is your responsibility to make sure that your activities comply with applicable laws.
The ISDT Q6 charger can accept up to 30V input voltage, and the USB charger port and fan are designed to run on around 12V. Depending on your input voltage, you may need to adjust the voltage regulator for your setup.
If You choose to install an internal power supply, You must only run your box off either an AC source or a DC source. Do not run the box while both are connected.
Now, let's get to it!
The parts used for this build are as follows:
- 1 x Turtle Laboratories Dual ISDT Q6 Field Charger Plate for Nanuk 910 Hard Case (comes with mounting brackets and stainless fasteners)
- 2 x ISDT Q6 Pro Chargers
- 1 x AC Rocker Switch with Fuse
- 4 x Red Banana Jacks
- 4 x Black Banana Jacks
- 1 x USB Charger
- 1 x Voltage Regulator
- 2 x Balance Boards
- 2 x Balance Board Shims
- 2 x 60mm PC Case Fans
- 4 x XT60 Male Connectors
- 1 x Balance Board Extension Cable
- A power supply. We used a 750W HP server power supply due to the high quality, small form factor, and high output. One ISDT Q6 requires up to 300W, and this power supply will power two of the ISDT Q6s at max output, and theoretically still have 150W to spare, assuming nothing is plugged into the USB chargers. The fan draw is near negligible. 
Step 1: Begin by placing the two ISDT Q6 chargers face down on a soft cloth or surface, to prevent any scratching of the screens. Then, install the ISDT locating brackets over the chargers. They will tightly hug the outer edge of the charger. Make sure that they become flush with the front face of the chargers. During the assembly, avoid suspending the chargers from the brackets. Though they have a tight fit, they may want to fall out of them until all retaining brackets have been installed.
Step 2: Install the charger/charger locating bracket assemblies onto the underside of the charging plate, using 4 long screws with 4 nuts for each charger. 
Step 3: Next, install the banana jacks, in any configuration you prefer. In the case of our build, two pairs of banana jacks will be used as an input when the integrated power supply is off, and will serve as an output for auxiliary power when the power supply is on. Install the two fans using 4 long screws and 4 nuts on each, making sure to install one as a pushing fan and one as a pulling fan, to ensure positive ventilation. If both fans are facing the same direction, air will not flow through the case. Install the power jack and switch with 2 short screws and 2 nuts. Then install the USB charging port, if you chose this option. 
Step 4: Next, Position the two balance board shims over the balance board holes. These are to space the balance board off the underside of the plate to allow for even spacing once they are installed. Then, place the balance boards in the shims. Use the balance board extension cable to help reach the left charger's balance port. 
Step 5: Then, install an XT60 on both input and output ports of each ISDT Q6 charger. Follow up by soldering an adequate length of wire (no less than 12 AWG wire) to each XT 60 terminal, taking care to notice proper polarity of each terminal. Most XT60 plugs have the polarity labeled on each side of the plug. Make sure that your soldered connections do not touch one another. Keeping the exposed wire to a short length will help, as will finishing with heat shrink tubing over the exposed connection. 
Step 6: Next, Install both balance board retaining plates with 4 nuts each, and two additional long screws per retaining plate. Do not tighten enough to warp the charger plate, but keep them snug enough to securely retain the balance boards. Ensure that the balance boards are still centered in the balance board holes on the front side, before tightening, since they have a tendency to shift during installation of the retaining plates. 
Step 7: Then, install the charger retaining plates using 4 nuts on each charger. Install with enough torque to retain the chargers, but do not overtighten. 
Step 8: You may now flip your charging plate assembly over to inspect the fitment of all the components before continuing. 
Step 9: Now is a good time to finish up the charging wires, by installing ring terminals on the ends, and then installing them on the associated banana jack terminals. We chose to use crimp-on style ring connectors, but we cut the plastic sheath off and soldered them to the ends of the wires to create a better connection.
Step 10: Next, install the voltage regulator to the charging plate, where you prefer. We use 3M heavy duty double sided tape to adhere it to the plate. Then, connect the input side of the voltage regulator to the input banana jacks. On the output side, install the two fans and USB charger plug wires. We also made two jumper wires to connect the input/output banana plug jacks in parallel so that we can have an input from an outside source, and still run an auxiliary device, such as a third charger, off the second banana jacks.
Step 11: Next we must prepare our power supply. If you are building a case without a power supply, skip to step 15. We have chosen to use an HP server power supply, due to the extreme high quality, availability, and low prices. It has a cooling fan built in, also. We soldered our output power leads directly to the PCB terminals, and also soldered the input wires directly to the receptacle terminals, though you may opt to use a power cord to plug in, and strip the opposite ends. There are also two smaller gauge wires that we soldered on so that we can connect it to the rocker switch on the case panel with spade connectors. These thinner wires tell the power supply to turn on, once shorted out with the power switch. Your power supply, if different than the HP server unit we used, may be wired differently. Check with your power supply provider for the proper way to turn your power supply on. 
Step 12: To install the power supply into our Nanuk 910 case, we also used 3M heavy duty double sided tape. Due to the raised rear center section on the case, we doubled up on the pieces on the lower layer to help level out the surface area of the tape to ensure a good contact patch.
Step 13: Make sure to keep the power supply in the rear-most position, when lowering the power supply into the case. This will allow for enough clearance with all the other components that are installed on the charger plate. 
Step 14: From here, we tied the power supply into the rocker switch and female power plug that were previously installed on the charger plate, and tied in the power supply output wiring to the input banana jacks on the charger plate. This would also be a good time to check fitment and operation before finishing the build up. Before finally installing the plate into the box, predrill all case holes to 7/64", being careful to stay straight up and down, to avoid elongating the round hole. 
Step 15: Finally, once the case holes have been pre drilled to 7/64", install all short screws on the perimeter of the charging plate into the case. Be sure to adjust the voltage regulator screw so that the readout on your USB charger displays around 12V. This will vary depending on your input voltage. Our build is based on a 12V power supply and up to 14V from a car alternator. Higher voltage Lipo batteries may yield different results.
Step 16: Grab yourself some batteries, and get charging!
