[ICOM] Powering Icom rigs

[George, W5YR]

Vic, I use a 105 AH RV wet-cell battery as backup for my station. The
battery is charged by an Astron VS-35M which is diode isolated and fused
both on the battery and the load side. Because of the diode drop, the Astron
output voltage is set for about 14.7 volts to provide 13.8 volts output to
float the battery and drive the station under a-c power. The advantage of
the VS-35 is that I can readily adjust the output terminal voltage as needed
to provide the desired float and operating voltage. You would have to go
into the RS-35-M and modify it to permit the output voltage to be increased
as needed.

One caution - not negotiable: PLACE THE BATTERY OUTSIDE THE SHACK!    One of
the batteries should be more than enough capacity.

I can switch off the Astron at any time and the rest of the station never
knows it.

The circuit is Astron output to a heavy-current silicon diode (has to handle
the maximum charging current) to a 30-amp fuse to the battery. The Astron is
also connected  to the station equipment through a large 60 amp fuse
connected to the diode output feeding the battery. The battery is connected
to the station equipment through the 30 and 60 amp fuses in series. The
diode blocks battery current from flowing back into the Astron. A few
minutes adjusting the RS-35-M output voltage and you have a super UPS for
your station!

73, George W5YR
Fairview, TX
w5yr at att.net
http://www.w5yr.com


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Vic/Johanna Culver" <vculver at verizon.net>
To: "ICOM Reflector" <icom at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 10:18 AM
Subject: [ICOM] Powering Icom rigs


> Corps Groupus Delicious:  I'm trying to reconcile insecurities about
caring
> for a couple of huge 12 v. gel-electrolyte batteries as emergency back-up
> power for an Icom 706MkIIG and an Icom 2030H.  I've looked up the
situation
> in my '96 RA Handbook and find nothing more than this:  "Once charged, the
> battery may be safely maintained at the "float" level, 2.3 v/cell.  Thus,
a
> 12-v gel-cell battery can be "floated" across a regulated 13.8-v system as
a
> battery backup in the event of power failure."  No caveats whatsoever.
I've
> powered my at-home radios from Astron RS-35-M and RS-50-M power supplies
for
> many years.  I'm pretty sure I couldn't float BOTH batteries from one
P.S.,
> but am I just overcautious in wondering if something should go WRONG -- as
> in a power line drop (it happens, and is one of the reasons for this whole
> exercise) or etc. -- that I'll blow up either the power supply or the ICOM
> rig(s) or both if I simply parallel one battery with the PS and the radio?
> If anyone deems this worthy of a reply, I'd be glad of any comments you
> might make.  I'm a digest subscriber, so I may not see your reply for a
day
> or so if you don't send comment to me direct (as well as via list).
Thanks
> for the bandwidth.  Vic  W4VIC
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