[Elecraft] [OT] Lead-acid battery question

[Phil Kane]

On 4/8/2013 9:51 AM, Jim Wiley wrote:

> Running the engine once a week seems excessive if all you 
> want to do is test it tomake sure it starts. Once a month is all I used 
> when I had a 15-KW diesel set, and it never failed to start in 20+ 
> years.  

Once a week is standard in our Public Safety and medical support comm
centers, after the terrible experience that a (national) telephone
utility had after an earthquake when they tried to start a gas turbine
and it literally blew itself apart - it had never been tested or
inspected in several years in an effort to reduce costs.

The test isn't whether it will start so much as whether it will pick up
and maintain the rated load.

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

Member, Washington County, OR
Emergency Communications Team
for ARES/RACES and HEARTNET

Station Co-manager - W7PSV / K7PSV
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center
Disaster Communication Team