[450] Gel cell batteries for primary station use?
Rich
t41 at optonline.net
Tue Mar 24 18:18:20 EDT 2009
Dave ...what would you call it if I had issues with your issues?
Yes, Johnny Boy is back....how vas de faderland, mein friend?
Herr Richard
--
-------+++++--------
Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your hearth or burn down your house, you can never tell. - Joan Crawford
----- Original Message -----
From: David McKenzie
To: vinnie at vinnievision.com ; 144.450 Mailing List
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 5:56 PM
Subject: Re: [450] Gel cell batteries for primary station use?
Well, I took the plunge and ordered a new VS-70M from Universal Radio, along with a powerpole plug strip and some extra connectors. I plan on reselling the VS-50M and a 21 amp linear to recoup costs. I don't think I'd sell it to anyone on the list though because I've had issues with both of them.
On Tue, Mar 24, 2009 at 12:24 AM, Vinnie Grosso <vinnie at vinnievision.com> wrote:
David,
Very cool stuff, I'm a cheap skate and use a Rat Shack digital meter and a
bunch of strip terminals. It's a rat's nest all right. This is much better
Vinnie
On 23 Mar 2009 at 22:31, David McKenzie wrote:
>
> You may like these then Vinnie, I'm seriously considering a no-meter
> option and one of these (will
> break even vs metered):
>
> http://www.powerwerx.com/product.asp?ProdID=34676&CtgID=3575
>
> Or one of the other two they have. I think I'm going to take the
> anderson powerpoll plunge to
> standardize all the DC in the shack and hopefully clean things up
> considerably. Working on
> getting an MFJ strip with a number of PPs and a couple of binding
> posts.
>
> On Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 10:17 PM, Vinnie Grosso
> <vinnie at vinnievision.com> wrote:
> David,
>
> I find the volt meter on the Astrons to be useless anyway.
>
> Vinnie
>
>
> On 23 Mar 2009 at 17:28, David McKenzie wrote:
>
> >
> > Ya, not sure what I am going to do. I think it will be too
> expensive
> > to switch to batteries at this
> > point, I'd rather supplement later. Right now I can sell my
> VS-50M
> > for 150 or so and get a new
> > 70A model for 300ish shipped, or get the one with out meters for
> > considerably less and pick up a
> > digital in-line current meter.
> >
> > On Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 4:33 PM, Rich <t41 at optonline.net> wrote:
> > Seems like a good plan, if you are going to spend the money
> why
> > not have
> > less noise and emergency power as added benefits? You may be
> > able to
> > find
> > sealed heavy duty GEL Cells used for cheap. There was someone
> > selling
> > nice
> > ones at the Newtown hamfest a few years back, remember Bob?
> >
> > Just wanted to say how nice it was to see everybody yesterday!
> > Looking
> > forward to New Hampshire in May!
> >
> > Rich
> > --
> > -------+++++--------
> > Most people get a fair amount of fun out of their lives, but
> on
> > balance life
> > is suffering,
> > and only the very young or very foolish imagine otherwise. -
> > George Orwell
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Vinnie Grosso" <vinnie at vinnievision.com>
> > To: "144.450 Mailing List" <450 at lists.vhfwiki.com>; "David
> > McKenzie"
> > <kb1fsy at vhfwiki.com>
> >
> > Sent: Monday, March 23, 2009 3:02 PM
> > Subject: Re: [450] Gel cell batteries for primary station use?
> >
> >
> > > Dave,
> > >
> > > Great to hear about the large gel cells at 70 amp. that may
> be
> > the answer
> > >
> > > Vinnie
> > >
> > >
> > > On 23 Mar 2009 at 13:07, David McKenzie wrote:
> > >
> > >>
> > >> Vinnie,
> > >>
> > >> From what I understand, the gel cells are functionally the
> > same to
> > >> deep cycle batteries except
> > >> that they are sealed, exhaust no vapors while charging
> (deep
> > cycle
> > >> puts out some sort of toxic
> > >> gasses i think) and cost a bit more. It is good news that a
> > lot of
> > >> hams are using batteries to power
> > >> their stuff, that means there is a wealth of information
> out
> > there,
> > >> assuming I can find it. A 70Ah gel
> > >> cell battery appears to be about a little less than half
> the
> > price
> > >> of a 70 amp ICS supply. Looks like
> > >> you are saying that I need a float charger from the linear
> to
> > the
> > >> battery and then a voltage
> > >> regulator between the battery and the equipment. Sounds
> > reasonable,
> > >> I'll look more into it.
> > >>
> > >> On Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 12:37 PM, Vinnie Grosso
> > >> <vinnie at vinnievision.com> wrote:
> > >> David,
> > >>
> > >> I think the better answer could be use a 70 Amp deep
> > cycle
> > >> battery. I
> > >> believe
> > >> you need to have at last 2X times the reserve in the
> > battery, or
> > >> you will get
> > >> reverse EMF back to the radio. You will also need to build
> > a
> > >> zener based
> > >> regulator to make sure nothing ever gets over voltage.
> Good
> > news
> > >> is that
> > >> many hams do this, and the Green movement now has much
> data
> > on
> > >> home
> > >> controllers that will have some info as well.
> > >>
> > >> Dam good idea -- even though you do not think you will
> need
> > it
> > >> to power the
> > >> radios -- you will at some point.
> > >>
> > >> Also I was running my 746Pro on car batteries, and the
> > noise
> > >> floor almost
> > >> diappeared -- it's amazing how good 80M and 20M got with
> > the
> > >> lower noise
> > >> floor.
> > >>
> > >> Vinnie
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> On 23 Mar 2009 at 11:28, David McKenzie wrote:
> > >>
> > >> >
> > >> > Instead of buying a 70 amp supply or a second 50 amp
> supply
> > to
> > >> > parallel, I am considering picking up a large gel cell
> > battery
> > >> and
> > >> > fast/float charger to run the amp all the time and the
> > radios
> > >> during a
> > >> > power outage. I don't know very much about batteries.
> > Here's what
> > >> I do
> > >> > know:
> > >> >
> > >> > Rated in ampere-hour, which pretty much means how many
> amps
> > can
> > >> be
> > >> > drawn until dead over a specific time (20 hours
> supposedly
> > is
> > >> > standard). Charging rate should always be 10% or less of
> > Ah
> > >> rating.
> > >> > Float chargers exist relatively cheaply that allow the
> > battery to
> > >> be
> > >> > connected to a constant voltage supply (existing astron
> > supply)
> > >> > indefinitely.
> > >> >
> > >> > My questions are really as follows:
> > >> >
> > >> > What size battery would I need to "buffer" a 60-70 amp
> low
> > duty
> > >> cycle
> > >> > load to power the amplifier? I'd assume the amp would
> > connect to
> > >> the
> > >> > battery directly and then the battery to a charging
> circuit
> > with
> > >> > protections for when AC is removed from the CVS.
> > >> >
> > >> > Since my goal is not long term battery backup but to run
> > high
> > >> current
> > >> > devices for short periods, would a smaller battery on a
> > constant
> > >> > supply be the best bet? Do you need to match the Ah
> rating
> > to
> > >> the
> > >> > instantaneous maximum current draw?
> > >> >
> > >> > Is this just a dumb idea, and I should buy more power
> > supplies?
> > >> >
> > >> > -Dave
> > >> >
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> The best way to predict the future....is to invent it
> > >> Carl Mangold
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> _______________________________________________
> > >> 450 mailing list
> > >> 450 at lists.vhfwiki.com
> > >> http://lists.vhfwiki.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/450
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > > Vincent Grosso
> > > Vontage and Cell 917-546-6661
> > > The Best Way to Predict the Future is to Invent it
> > > Carl Mangold
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > 450 mailing list
> > > 450 at lists.vhfwiki.com
> > > http://lists.vhfwiki.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/450
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > 450 mailing list
> > 450 at lists.vhfwiki.com
> > http://lists.vhfwiki.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/450
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> Vincent Grosso
> Vontage and Cell 917-546-6661
> The Best Way to Predict the Future is to Invent it
> Carl Mangold
>
>
>
Vincent Grosso
Vontage and Cell 917-546-6661
The Best Way to Predict the Future is to Invent it
Carl Mangold
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