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Reviews For: PWRgate PG40S

Category: Emergency/Portable Power: generators, solar, wind, thermal, etc

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Review Summary For : PWRgate PG40S
Reviews: 16MSRP: 119.95
Description:
Battery isolator w/ charger
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.westmountainradio.com/SuperPWRgate.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00164.8
N2EHG Rating: 2017-09-29
must have Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Had this product for a very long time, needed battery backup at a site that I wasn't able to use a generator with and one that did have a generator but the gen takes a while to kick in. Using this product I have basically zero switch over time so it's fast and quit during a failure of the ac main. Perfect for both charging and maintaining the batteries. Very highly recomend

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Earlier 5-star review posted by N2EHG on 2009-04-19

I have had 2 of these for quite some time. They work great. I currently use one to power my HF primary setup and another one for a second uhf/vhf/packet/gps only position. Used with Astron powersupplies and large Gell cell batteries

Think I will prob end up buying another so I can add more battery time to the pile of rigs at position 1. Folks at the company helped me with great patients setting up some unusual configurations. Product is really well built. I am very happy with the unit, perhaps i'll get a few more will at Dayton!
N5CSU Rating: 2015-05-12
Excellent! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The PWRGate is terrific. I've been using it for over four years in the shack and works flawlessly, keeping my 70 amp hr ACM battery charged and ready. Have a second one in use at the weekend cottage, going on three years there without any problems. Highly recommend this!
W2BLC Rating: 2015-04-26
Poor experience Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had it for three years - worked fine. Then I noticed the battery was dead. Long story short, it stopped charging the battery and pulled it all the way down. Was down for a long time unnoticed. I replaced the battery and kept a constant check on things. The Gate was not charging. Placed same in trash can. I got 3 years from it - now I charge monthly and switch with a knife switch.
CE3DNP Rating: 2013-12-05
Zero failure Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This working 24/7 for over three years. When the power goes out is not noticed and even less with three batteries of 100 amp each. It really is wonderful and a very good investment. On the other side is a very good saving on the electricity bill.
K7OED Rating: 2012-11-25
Outstanding Product! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Like an old Timex watch - it takes a licking and keeps on ticking! In service for 4+ years without a single problem during hundreds of simulated and real-world power failures (also a near-miss lightning strike that took out the switching power supply that was feeding the beast). Have conducted multiple tests on HF and VHF voice nets while switching off the power supply in the middle of transmitting a word and the receiving stations never noticed any difference in signal. The selectable charge rate is nice as I use it with a relatively low capacity SLA battery. Definately got my money's worth out of this product - will not hesitate to purchase a second unit if and when this one fails (now that I think of it - I probably will do so in the near term just to have a spare - the product is integral to my station and I can't imagine being without one).
W6CAW Rating: 2011-11-15
4 years, no problem Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had one of these charging a 400 Ah bank of Gell cells for over 4 years at our fire department EOC. I run the radios directly off the batteries so only use the PG40S as a charger. These batteries were 2 years old when I got them and are still running strong thanks to the controlled charge of the PG40S.
KK4DDM Rating: 2011-11-15
Flawless Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I'm very impressed with this device after 3 weeks on it. I have two 33 Ah AGM batteries in parallel (~66 Ah) and this charges it in no time. I often forget to turn on my power supply and spend the whole day on batteries; when I switch to the power supply it is 100% seamless. Awesome product.
K7RFW Rating: 2011-04-11
Good company, good product Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought one of these about 4 or 5 years ago from Powerwerx. Recently it was flaking out so I tried to get some help from Powerwerx but all I could get was "need 14.6 volts" (or something like that), so I ordered a new one, from Powerwerx. Well, in the process of testing it I must have reversed the battery leads and let the smoke out. All Powerwerx said was "Go see West Mountain Radio". When I told West Mountain what happened and that I might have goofed, how much to fix, they said "sounds like reversed power, RMA it", so I did. They sent me back a brand new one, no cost. THAT is customer care!

I use one on my HF radio with a 15 amp supply feeding a 52 AH battery and I have one on my VHF/UHF radio with a 4 amp supply and 7 AH battery. Both battery charging currents are kept in tolerance, even when I have a power outage and the batteries draw down. Plus, I do not have to worry about power outages. One day the XYL wondered what I did to the power, I did not realize the power was out and I was QSO'ing away on battery. And the discerning reader will realize that a 100 watt radio and a 50 watt radio will not work on those respective power supplies in transmit, but the PG40S/battery/power supply system will.

A nice inexpensive way to hook up a battery system that is charged from a power supply, yet isolated from power outages. Only wish there was a way to set the max voltage, but that would cost more. (Oh, my 53 AH battery was not holding a charge, that was what was wrong originally, so I have two PG40S's now.)

N0FPE Rating: 2009-04-19
Just what I needed Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Just what the Doc ordered for my shack. works perfect. I now have 2 more in service with the club repeater system. Can't be beat.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by N0FPE on 2009-02-16

I have 3 PowerGates in service and have NEVER had anyone at WMR give we the smallest problem. always great to talk to, have worked out a couple items with no questions. The fellow saying to go elsewhere should tell everyone were we can buy the same item as a PowerGate for the same price. The folks at WMR are pretty good at customer service. Dont be scared away because one person seems to have had a bad experiance.
WD4MTW Rating: 2009-02-15
Great Product Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My previous station's backup was modeled on the designs used in some of the GMDSS consoles that I was maintaining. Fast recovery,dedicated charger across a battery(ies)that was swiched into the distribution buss by a drop-out relay across the AC power supply's primary. Charging status was monitored by a Heart/Xantrex link 10. The system worked very well with only a glitch at switch over. When we moved into our present location, there was simply no room for a shack. Whatever could fit into a small computer armoire would have to do. Everything sat on hold for a while untill I seen the first powergate advertised. Only systems with diodes forming an OR gate that I've worked with had been trickle back-up supplies using resistors or bulbs to set the charge current. The lower loss of the schottky diodes looked interesting. Still no way to fit a high current charger and linear supply into such a small space. The PG40s changed that limitation along with a switching power supply. The combination with a Rigrunner 4008 mounted on the back wall allowed me to replicate the previous system along with the Xantrex battery monitor in a very low profile and compact manner with one optima bluetop AGM battery and have plenty of room to spare. Setup by jumper took minutes and the rest was wire distribution and crimping to finish the job. As the other's have noted, the only con is the powerpoles themselves. In my installation, they are hidden out of the way and not likely to get bumped. The system is running flawlessly along with a PC UPS for the computer. Power switch over to the entire station is seamless during an outage. Without the dual function of the PG40s's step charger, it would have been difficult to achieve the same capacity as before in a much smaller space.