[Icom] Re: IC-24AT questions

Gary Pearce KN4AQ [email protected]
Mon, 21 Jul 2003 17:23:35 -0400


At 07:34 PM 7/21/2003 +0000, you wrote:
>i recently picked up an IC-24AT.  the radio came with the BP-84 7.2V 1200mAh
>battery and the BC-72 slow charger.  the radio can only xmit at 1.5 watts 
>with the current battery and i can not run the radio at home using the charger.
>
>What battery do i need to increase the xmit to 5 watts and is there a way to
>run the radio at home off 120VAC or the car's cigarette light?
>
>-steve hanlon
>KB3KAQ


Hi, Steve

The BP-85 is a higher voltage (but lower capacity) battery that will run 
the radio at 5 watts output.  It's available from some of the after market 
places like W&W www.ww-manufacturing.com.  I tend to favor the 7.2 volt 
batteries, as I get much longer life.  Most radios put out a bit more power 
(2.5 to 3 watts).  The 1.5 watts seems a little low.  Did you use an 
accurate meter?

The BC-72 desktop charger should be a rapid charger, taking about an hour 
and a half to fill up the BP84/BP85 batteries.  It runs on 12 volts (from 
your car, or a hefty wall-wart).

I don't have the 24AT, but I have some of its siblings - the 2SAT and 
3SAT.  Those radios run directly from 12 (13.8) volts on their little power 
connector.  You can NOT run them from the wall-wart chargers, but you can 
run them from a regulated power supply that does 3 amps or so.  You can run 
them directly from your car, but you might run into alternator whine or 
other noise, unless you use one of the filters.  I'd expect the 24AT would 
permit this as well.

73,
Gary KN4AQ