Fueled by a print I did of someone else's Baofeng battery compartment, I set out in Tinkercad to create my own 18650*** battery compartment for a Yaesu FT-60. This was my first radio, and I can't see spending $20-$40 for replacement batteries for it. Now I can use the common 18650 batteries and get almost twice the power for a few dollars less than even knockoff batteries made for the radio.
It takes a little more work than just slapping an SD card with the Gcode into the printer, but it is still fairly easy. The print works without supports, too. It's 10% fill which is pretty economical on plastic used and weight.
I use Altoids tins for contacts. I've found that the steel used in the tins is easy to cut, bend, and solder. I've used a rotary tool and kitchen shears to cut the metal into the shapes needed. Either way works, but the rotary tool with a cutoff wheel does provide cleaner edges. Be sure to tin the steel so it is less prone to rusting and corrosion.
The springs used came from a cheap ink pen. I had to search a couple of pens before I found a spring that was capable of being soldered. Using reclaimed springs from an old battery box might work better for you because those springs easily collapse into a smaller footprint. (Look at the Yaesu AA battery box...those are nice springs.)
***This box is designed for FLAT TOP batteries!!!
| Yaesu_18650_Battery_Compartment.stl | 266.8KB |
