[Elecraft] K2 #5312 lo battery indication

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

If your power supply is set to 12.0 volts, rather than the usual automotive
13.8 volts output, it would not take much loss in the DC hookup cabling and
connectors to get down toward 11 volts or below, and depending on the
setting for lo-volts, would exhibit the symptoms you mention, particularly
on 100 percent duty cycle modes.

The usual setting for floating/charging six cell lead-acid batteries is 13.8
at the terminals.  Such a battery will show 12.x - 11.x volts for most of
its discharge cycle, hence the common name for the battery.  If one attempts
to maintain a lead-acid battery at 12.0 volts, less than a quarter of the
discharge capacity will be available in a discharge cycle.

The low battery setting on a K2 is designed for indicating the point where a
typical 6 cell lead-acid battery is mostly discharged in battery only
operation.  However most people run their power supply at the *charge*
voltage for a battery, 13.8v, rather than it's discharge voltage.

73, Guy.

On Sat, Oct 24, 2009 at 1:25 PM, John Wiener <jawod at fuse.net> wrote:

> Hello everyone.
>
>
> Just started to notice LO BATT indication while using digital modes
> on xmit...beep heard along with the LO BATT on display.  I am on a
> power supply and even my signalink is NOT battery operated.  What
> does this mean?
> The voltage from the Daiwa power supply is right on 12 VDC throughout.
>
> Thanks!
>
> John
> AB8O
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