[Elecraft] K2 Battery Life?

[John R. Lonigro]

Jeff:

The number of times you let it get almost totally discharged 
dramatically affects the service life of the battery.  A 2.9 amp hour 
battery is marginal for the K2 if you transmit at "high power" (i.e., 
near 10 Watts) for very long.  I believe the internal batteries are 
supposed to be used for low power only: 1-2 Watts.  After 200 full 
(100%) discharges, my gelcell (7 amp-hour) only retains about 70% of its 
capacity.  In contrast, after 500 30% discharges, it essentially retains 
its original capacity (These figures are according to the manufacturer).

Don't know if totally discharging your battery is the problem in your 
case, but it is something to be aware of when using internal power.  
This is why I opted for an external gel-cell of larger capacity for my K2.

John AA0VE

Jeff Burns wrote:

>How may months should the internal battery in a K2 last?
>
>My second battery has gone bad after 18 months in service. I have been very
>careful to keep it on constant float charge at 13.9 V out of the charger. I
>have the new low drop diode installed.
>
>Jeff Burns
>AD9T
>
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