[Elecraft] Ten Tec never sounded so good!

[Phil Kane]

On 4/15/2010 8:25 AM, Wes Stewart wrote:

> For the life of me I can't understand why radios continue to be
> designed around an automobile storage battery when fewer than 1%
> will ever operate in a mobile environment.

  For those of us who insist that our communications gear operate
  when the mains power goes off, the 12V DC battery system is the
  most reasonable backup.  Few if any of us have the resources to
  install a commercial 48V battery system  - which is the
  commercial standard currently - or the 40 KW backup generator
  or solar array which is what is needed (but don't have) to run
  my house "off the grid".

  For communications backup purposes we don't use "automobile
  storage batteries" which are designed for a large current draw
  for a short time (engine cranking) and relatively little current
  draw afterward while the alternator picks up the load.  Deep-cycle
  totally sealed batteries are the standard for communication
  backup systems of this capacity.

  My engineering firm designs commercial communication sites
  primarily for the public safety community and such backup
  power systems are a very important part of what we do for our
  clients.

--  73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane
    Elecraft K2/100   s/n 5402