[BARC-List] Battery Operations [try 2]

[Dick Doherty]

Bill N1VUX wrote:

>Hmm. I tried replying once, but barc-list@qth.net failed, does it insist on
>barc-list@mailman.qth.net now? [Those also on MRAS saw this already once,
>cince I cc:'d that list on my reply.]
>= = = = = = =
>
>>I'm looking for portable power solutions for operating a mobile rig at
>>12v. This would be for use where more than 5w is needed in an emergency or
>>at an outlying area of a public service event.
>>
>
>I got a Vector or Power City belt-pack on discount from Grossmans Outlet in
>Brighton; contains two gel-cells, a 12v type outlet, a fuse, and a small,
>cheesy inverter (so it can even run small 110v AC devices, with a stepped
>square-wave "pseudo-sine"; requires a true RMS meter to properly read it,
>don't power anything that gets too hot they say).
>  The Ham stores have similar items without the 110v inverter. "Power Pocket"
>is a brand I've seen.
>  You can also build something similar from a fanny-pack, a long flat gell
>cell like video-cameras and bag-phones used to use, appropriate crimp
>connectors, and a cigar-lighter outlet on pigtails.  An inline fuse holder
>would be a good idea.  You can usually buy wires with the right connector for
>gell-cell connectors at one end and Andersen Power Poles at the other from
>Howard (formerly displaying "Girlfriend Wanted" banner) at the MIT Flea.
>www.emaares.com/ppole.htm
>
>>I remember seeing someone at the Boston Marathon a few years ago (before I
>>was a ham) who had a mobile radio in a backpack with batteries and a small
>>antenna mast. What kind of setup might this have been?
>>
>
>Probably a couple of alarm-sized (medium-large) gel-cells in the backpack.
>Would be fairly hefty, but they'd provide ballast to keep it from tipping over
>
>too; otherwise you need a sandbag or something to stabilize the mast.  From a
>real radio hole, backpacking a mobile 10W or 25W or 50W radio, 125AH or 250AH
>of batteries, and a mast is almost a necessary precaution -- but generally
>running a strategically located magmount on a cookie-sheet or pie-plate from
>the 5W HT is sufficient.
>
>>And carrying a car battery around is not all that practical.
>>;-)  Or is that really the answer...
>>
>
>Car batteries have their chemistry & internal passages are designed for
>maximum cold cranking amps, or surge loads, with the expectation that the load
>
>will not last long enough to be measured in Amp-Hours, that they'll soon be
>well recharged.  They're damaged by beeing discharged long and hard.  For
>running radios you really want a battery whose chemistry etc are optimized for
>
>a smaller current (1-20A) for a much longer time instead -- these are called
>deep discharge batteries.  "Marine" is a euphemism for deep-discharge.
>Deep-discharge gell-cells are you best bet, sealed Marine d/d 2nd best.  You
>don't want to deal with non-sealed "oh no, the acid spilled on me" batteries
>in an emergency.
>
>One important thing with gell cells and other big batteries is to cover the
>terminals in storage, so stray wrenches etc won't short them and cause a fire
>or explosion.
>
>73
>
>      William Ricker, ARS N1VUX
>      EMA ARES Webmater/NetControl & DEC Suffolk/Metro-Boston
>      SKYWARN backup coord, So.NE & Waltham Net Control
>      http://www.EMaARES.com/   http://world.std.com/~wdr/
>      wdr@theworld.com  a/k/a n1vux@theworld.com @amsat.org @arrl.net
>
>
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you might want to try the Power Port bag battery
www.powerportstore.com
They have a 8ah battery in a bag