[Elecraft] battery care

[Dave]

Andreas

In addition to the other comments about not regularly discharging lead acid
batteries (basically the same as a car battery), you will probably find the
battery doesn't last too long if you operate from it in the field. After a
couple of years of regular home use and occasional field use, where the
battery is float charged showing 13.8 on the K2 display, the battery was
noticeably below specified capacity. At work we use many of these type of
batteries for portable "radio" style use and find they don't last long once
they've been deep discharged. We/I just accept the fact these batteries are
cheap and need replacing from time to time.

It would be nice if Elecraft were to bring out a NiMh (or even lithium ion)
battery pack for the K2 as that would offer better capacity to weight ratio
than the heavy and out dated lead acid pack (hint hint Eric and Wayne).

73 Dave, G4AON
K2 #1892

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andreas KU7T" <ku7t@ku7t.org>
To: <elecraft@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2003 2:33 AM
Subject: [Elecraft] battery care


Hi,

I set my power supply to a voltage that displays 13.8V on the K2 just how
the manual describes it. Is this all I can do to keep the battery life long?

How about discharging it once in a while (well, operating with the power
supply off with QRP)?  There used to be a memory effect in some rechargeable
batteries and I am not sure whether the KBT2 is one of them.  Or is all I
have to do to care best for the battery to connect it all the time to my
power supply?  Or just when I operate the K2?

73, Andreas, KU7T