Figure 1. Here we see a 6-volt CDC Trap (PN 512) being powered with a common 12-volt battery motorcycle battery available in every country in the world.

We recently developed a power supply for our battery-operated traps that permits usage of multiple voltage supplies, e.g., alkaline D-cells, 6V or 12 V sealed lead-acid batteries, and Li-ion batteries. This converter can use any battery source from 5 to 30 VDC. We developed this in response to several malaria control projects in Africa where 12-volt motorcycle batteries and chargers were widely available and the cost of shipping 6-volt sealed lead-acid batteries and chargers was considered prohibitively expensive.

The Automatic DC-DC Buck/Boost Power Supply is available in two options.

• PN 8.EXT is a unit that comes in a waterproof housing and can be used with any of our traps.
• PN 8.INT is wired directly into the trap and can be used on our traps where the trap housing provides rain protection, e.g. PN 1012, 1212 traps.

Figure 2. Automatic DC-DC Buck/Boost Power Supply (PN 8.INT) mounted to the New Standard Miniature Light Trap (PN 1012).

This Automatic DC-DC Buck/Boost Power Supply (PN: 8.INT) can be mounted with the photo switch in our New Standard Miniature CDC Trap, PN 1012. The 1012 trap when operated with the Automatic DC-DC Buck/Boost at 12 volts only consumes 0.16 amps per hour; a standard 90-amp hour deep discharge battery would run the trap for more than 550 hours or 45-50 twelve-hour trap runs!

A second important use is to run the same trap with the Automatic DC-DC Buck/Boost but with disposable alkaline D-cells (Four D-cell External Battery Holder, PN 1.50).  Using alkaline D-cell batteries, the 1012 with 8.INT unit’s runtime would be >30 hours or at least two twelve-hour trap runs per set of batteries. And the voltage at the trap will remain at the full 6.3 VDC as required.