Background
Israel has been at war on several fronts during the last month and the war is expected to continue for a long time to come. The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) has called up hundreds of thousands of reservists since the October 7th massacre in the south of Israel, in addition to the currently on-duty soldiers serving in the IDF. Combat soldiers are mainly confined to their armored vehicles such as tanks, personnel carriers, and jeeps. These vehicles have no capability of recharging smartphones and other mobile tactical equipment using a USB port. To solve this difficult problem and to help our soldiers at the front, a voluntary civilian team was formed, consisting of electronic and mechanical engineers, for the purpose of developing and building an accessory for fast charging electronic equipment.
Product description
The solution that was created is a dedicated accessory called the Lior Charger. This accessory connects on one side to a standard 24V power socket called a “spotlight socket”, that exists in tanks and other armored vehicles, and on the other side to a USB charger, through which it can charge any USB device. The accessory includes protection to prevent possible damage to the tanks’ electrical systems.
The charger was designed in collaboration with the Munitions Department of the IDF Ground Arm Headquarters and is approved for use by the Israeli army. So far, 100 units have been produced. Fifty units have been distributed directly to the 363rd and the 52nd tank battalions and another 50 units were transferred to the IDF Ground Arm Headquarters, that distributed them to ground troops. The feedback from the soldiers who are using the accessory are positive and the demand is, needless to say, very high. The Lior Charger meets both an operational need and allows the soldiers to communicate with home, when possible.
Cost of producing the Lior Charger
Efforts are being made to rapidly produce an additional large quantity of Lior Chargers to be distributed for free to all tanks at active war fronts. The immediate goal is to produce 1,000 units within the next few weeks. The cost of a single unit is $88. Therefore, funding of $88,000 is required.
All those involved in spearheading the project work on a fully volunteer basis. Upon receiving the necessary funding, an order will be issued to the FTK Solutions Factory in Netanya, Israel. This factory produced the first 100 units, free of charge, and has proven itself, professionally and operatively. The factory has agreed to fill the order of high-quality accessories in a short period of time.
“..and the sons returned to their borders” - Book of Jeremiah • Chapter 31 • Verse 16
