[Elecraft] OT - Solar panel output

[dolfindon at msn.com]

Hi
 
Actually 33 watts is more than enough to power a QRP K2. You only transmit about 25 % of the time and receive the rest so running a K2 at 10 watts will only require about 15 watts to keep the battery charged. For a 100 watt K2 you will need about 75 watts of panels and about a 35 amp hour battery to run continuously. I know this works because this is the setup one of the operators used on field day here in Tyler Texas a couple of years ago. The panel was set up out in a field about 100 ft away from the rig. The controller was one of my Solar Controller Kits and the battery was a 35 amp hour gel cell like used on electric wheel chairs. We operated night and day CW at 75 watts out. The battery kept us running all night and the solar panel had the battery back fully recharged by mid day.
 
 
Don Brown
KD5NDB  



> Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2008 10:34:21 -0700> From: wrcooke at flash.net> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT - Solar panel output> To: k0pp at rfwave.net; alsopb at nc.rr.com; Elecraft at mailman.qth.net> CC: > > > --- Ken Kopp <k0pp at rfwave.net> wrote:> > > We have an RV with 12A of solar panels on the roof.> > They charge a bank of 4 golf cart batteries with a> > total> > capacity of 440 AH> > > > It's surprising the amount of energy they will> > deliver,> > even on a rainy day. Nothing near the 12A, but> > still> > several amps.> > > > We have the experience to back this up ... 5 years> > of six (winter) months each on the Oregon coast.> > (:-))> > > > Didn't want the idea that solar panels are useless> > in> > the rain or a on a cloudy day to get started.> > > > 73! Ken Kopp - K0PP> > ElecraftCovers at rfwave.net> 12 AMPS of solar cells is a lot bigger than the 33> watt unit that we were discussing. 12 amps X 14 volts> is 168 watts. The 33 watt unit is less than 2.5 amps,> barely enough to run a transceiver continuously during> good sunlight.> > > Willis 'Cookie' Cooke > K5EWJ> _______________________________________________> Elecraft mailing list> Post to: Elecraft at mailman.qth.net> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com