Battery Power

[K5JEP]

I have grown tired of all the power supplies I have been thru to run my gear.  I would like to run all my gear from one source:

Motorola Syntor (45 watt model)
ADI AR-146 (2 meter 45 watt)
HTX-202 (2mtr 5 watt handheld)
Mirage BD-35 Amp(for the HTX-202 Packet)

Can I run it all from one marine battery? If so, can I use the common marine battery bought from WalMart?  What kind of charger should I use?

Thanks for any suggestions
73 de K5JEP
Joe in Rosharon, Texas

[N3SKO]

What type of marine battery did you buy?  If it is a "deep cycle gel" type, charging voltage is pretty critical IF you want the battery to last.  Go to a marine store (or web site - the prices on marine.com are usually pretty good) and pickup a three-step charger.

I have an 8D gel cell (weighs 160 lbs! :-) in my commo trailer which runs 15 radios through a 225 amp Square-D breaker panel.  Keep the wire runs short OR use big wire.  I am also a big fan of the West Mountain Rigrunners, but that Syntor of yours is probably fused at 30-40 amps, which is the rating of the RigRunner.  So on the big radios, run straight to the battery.  Don't forget to fuse/circuit breaker EVERYTHING.  Fires are no fun.

73,
john
N3SKO/AAT3BF/AAM3O/AAA3DE/AAA9AC

[WA9SVD]

You don't state if there is a possibility of ALL of this equipment being on transmit at the same time, in which case you'd have a serious meltdown!  Nor do you state what sort of duty cycle you expect, so it's difficult to give a good estimate.  If only ONE radio were to transmit at a time, with a low duty cycle, and all others were on receive, you might be able to do it.
    The comment about the Motorola radio having a 35-40 Amp rating, however is puzzling.  That yields a 420 - 480 Watt drain for 45 W. output?  That's REALLY inefficient.  I'm not familiar with the particular radio, but a 45 W. output radio (unless it has some VERY special features) shouldn't draw that kind of current. Most deep discharge batteries wouldn't supply that kind of power for more than a few hours of transmit at most, unless you needed a fork lift to move it.
    My mobile radios typically use about 10-12 Amp for 50 W. out, so you should be able to get at least 33% efficiency.  But 35-40 Amp. for 45 W. out seems excessive.  I have a 2M handheld that will put out just over 5 W. at 1.0 Amp at 12 V.  I'd use a factor of three (to be conservative) to calculate the current capability vs. the power output you will have at any given time.  So if your radios all add up to 130 watts output, and they COULD all be in use at the same time, you would need a battery (or batteries) capable of supplying 390 Amp/Hours.  That's a MIGHT hefty battery (that's five on the Marine Die-Hard batteries I keep for emergency purposes!) And you would have to use VERY large wires, the equivalent of #2 AWG.
    I realize this is worst case scenario, but you need to realize that a single source of power may be stressed much further than multiple supplies.  
    On the other hand, if operation (or at least transmit!) will occur on only one radio at a time, with the others on receive, the requirements are much more modest, and a high capacity, Marine deep-cycle battery may suffice.  (A little more info on your actual intended use would be helpful in recommending a battery with sufficient capacity.)

[K5JEP]

The Syntor itself is a 45 watt model..I know the Syntor X which is 110 watt needs a 45 amp power supply.

At any rate, my HTX-202 5 watt handheld and the Mirage 45 watt amp will be used for packet (send and recieve) the Motorola Syntor(45 watt) will be used for transmit and recieve as well..and as for the 3rd radio My ADI AR-146 will more than likely be used for recieve only, if not making a home into my truck.

I just want something that will run a total of 110 watts max and would rather use a good marine battery with a charger/conditioner instead of using power supplies...plus in my area we are prone to blackouts due to storms,hurricanes etc..and I really need a battery source just in case..

As far as usage..the packet setup will be constant(but light usage) the Syntor will be used on a light to moderate basis (Maybe 2 hours a day)thanks for the input!
73 de K5JEP
Joe

[WA9SVD]

Thanks for the update.  You might be better off splitting the load between two hefty marine (deep cycle) batteries rather than relying on a single battery, as it seems there is a chance that one or more transmitters could be in operation at the same time?  Although it seems it's not your intention, if it COULD happen (other than momentarily) it would not be good.  It might not damage the equipment, but important information might be lost.
    If the equipment is under automatic or semi-automatic control this is an important consideration.  If it will always be under manual control, where only a single transmitter could be activated at any given time, it's much simpler.  (But the packet may still pose a problem if it's on auto operation.)
    If you are contemplating the possibility of multiple operators, you should definitely look at seperate batteries for some or all of the radios.

[W0IPL]

Don't forget Golf Cart Batteries. While they will usually be 6V, two in series will handle your voltage requirements. They tend to be in the 375 to 425 Amp Hour range (power = voltage * current) and are made for heavy current loads. They usually run about $65 each ($130 for a pair to give 12 V output).

I have not been able to find the literature I have on a DC/DC voltage regulator that supplies 13.8V at 22amp from 18V, that I have around here somewhere. That would allow you to run three 6V in series and get the 13.8V at 22amp to drive all of the HF to full output.

Pat

[VA7KBH]

I may have access to some old UPS batteries - the person I may be able to get them from said that they are supposed to be replaced every 5 years but they've gone 6 - with a charger every second - can they still be used?

[KE4SKY]

Virginia RACES collects UPS pull batteries from local hospitals and County buildings all the time.  We normally distribute about 5 tons a year free to our RACES members during live training sessions, and use the ones larger than Group 30 (105ah) for repeater backup power.

Any time there is a problem with a single battery in  a "string" of them which are interconnected, the entire group of batteries is replaced, because it isn't good practice to just replace one battery in a set, and have an unmatched one in the string.  A large string in a public facility may contain sixty Group U1 (33ah each) or 32 Group 24 (80ah each), so we usually need a couple fellows with 3/4 ton pickup trucks and hand trucks to move them.  It is then quite a job to screen, test, recharge and distribute them.  

Most maintenance schedules call for replacement of the string at 4 to 5 year intervals, at which point the batteries will be down to about 80 percent of their original capabity.  If you are careful to screen and load test the batteries you get, most will give good service for another year or two, if you are willing to live with the slight reduction from rated capacity.

 

[K9KJM]

I have gone to all battery power over ten years ago, Using a single marine deep cycle type battery.
This type of set up will easily run your equipment,
As long as you do not have a real high transmit duty
cycle. Run number 4 wire (fused) from the battery to
the hamshack area. Try to keep the battery away from
equipment. The big "secret" if there is one, to make
this work, Is to have a fully automatic battery charger
that will not overcharge the battery. I use Schumacher
10 amp "Fully automatic"  
I also use this set up at remote tower sites, And Of several of the chargers I bought, I have encountered a few "bad" ones that would NOT go to about zero charge when the battery was fully charged. I simply use those
for normal car battery charge use. There are many advantages of using a battery supply like this, It provides a really nice clean DC supply to your equipment no matter what the commercial power is doing.
If there is a commercial power brown out, failure, or
whatever, your radios will keep right on going!
"Outgassing" from the battery is not a problem, Just be aware that if there is a big power outage, when the power comes back on, And the battery is taking a large charge, Outgassing will occur to a much higher degree than in normal operation, So caution around the battery should be observed.