You may like these then Vinnie, I'm seriously considering a no-meter option and one of these (will break even vs metered): <br><br><a href="http://www.powerwerx.com/product.asp?ProdID=34676&CtgID=3575">http://www.powerwerx.com/product.asp?ProdID=34676&CtgID=3575</a><br>
<br>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.<br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 10:17 PM, Vinnie Grosso <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:vinnie@vinnievision.com">vinnie@vinnievision.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
David,<br>
<br>
I find the volt meter on the Astrons to be useless anyway.<br>
<font color="#888888"><br>
Vinnie<br>
</font><div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
On 23 Mar 2009 at 17:28, David McKenzie wrote:<br>
<br>
><br>
> Ya, not sure what I am going to do. I think it will be too expensive<br>
> to switch to batteries at this<br>
> point, I'd rather supplement later. Right now I can sell my VS-50M<br>
> for 150 or so and get a new<br>
> 70A model for 300ish shipped, or get the one with out meters for<br>
> considerably less and pick up a<br>
> digital in-line current meter.<br>
><br>
> On Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 4:33 PM, Rich <<a href="mailto:t41@optonline.net">t41@optonline.net</a>> wrote:<br>
> Seems like a good plan, if you are going to spend the money why<br>
> not have<br>
> less noise and emergency power as added benefits? You may be<br>
> able to<br>
> find<br>
> sealed heavy duty GEL Cells used for cheap. There was someone<br>
> selling<br>
> nice<br>
> ones at the Newtown hamfest a few years back, remember Bob?<br>
><br>
> Just wanted to say how nice it was to see everybody yesterday!<br>
> Looking<br>
> forward to New Hampshire in May!<br>
><br>
> Rich<br>
> --<br>
> -------+++++--------<br>
> Most people get a fair amount of fun out of their lives, but on<br>
> balance life<br>
> is suffering,<br>
> and only the very young or very foolish imagine otherwise. -<br>
> George Orwell<br>
> ----- Original Message -----<br>
> From: "Vinnie Grosso" <<a href="mailto:vinnie@vinnievision.com">vinnie@vinnievision.com</a>><br>
> To: "144.450 Mailing List" <<a href="mailto:450@lists.vhfwiki.com">450@lists.vhfwiki.com</a>>; "David<br>
> McKenzie"<br>
> <<a href="mailto:kb1fsy@vhfwiki.com">kb1fsy@vhfwiki.com</a>><br>
><br>
> Sent: Monday, March 23, 2009 3:02 PM<br>
> Subject: Re: [450] Gel cell batteries for primary station use?<br>
><br>
><br>
> > Dave,<br>
> ><br>
> > Great to hear about the large gel cells at 70 amp. that may be<br>
> the answer<br>
> ><br>
> > Vinnie<br>
> ><br>
> ><br>
> > On 23 Mar 2009 at 13:07, David McKenzie wrote:<br>
> ><br>
> >><br>
> >> Vinnie,<br>
> >><br>
> >> From what I understand, the gel cells are functionally the<br>
> same to<br>
> >> deep cycle batteries except<br>
> >> that they are sealed, exhaust no vapors while charging (deep<br>
> cycle<br>
> >> puts out some sort of toxic<br>
> >> gasses i think) and cost a bit more. It is good news that a<br>
> lot of<br>
> >> hams are using batteries to power<br>
> >> their stuff, that means there is a wealth of information out<br>
> there,<br>
> >> assuming I can find it. A 70Ah gel<br>
> >> cell battery appears to be about a little less than half the<br>
> price<br>
> >> of a 70 amp ICS supply. Looks like<br>
> >> you are saying that I need a float charger from the linear to<br>
> the<br>
> >> battery and then a voltage<br>
> >> regulator between the battery and the equipment. Sounds<br>
> reasonable,<br>
> >> I'll look more into it.<br>
> >><br>
> >> On Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 12:37 PM, Vinnie Grosso<br>
> >> <<a href="mailto:vinnie@vinnievision.com">vinnie@vinnievision.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> >> David,<br>
> >><br>
> >> I think the better answer could be use a 70 Amp deep<br>
> cycle<br>
> >> battery. I<br>
> >> believe<br>
> >> you need to have at last 2X times the reserve in the<br>
> battery, or<br>
> >> you will get<br>
> >> reverse EMF back to the radio. You will also need to build<br>
> a<br>
> >> zener based<br>
> >> regulator to make sure nothing ever gets over voltage. Good<br>
> news<br>
> >> is that<br>
> >> many hams do this, and the Green movement now has much data<br>
> on<br>
> >> home<br>
> >> controllers that will have some info as well.<br>
> >><br>
> >> Dam good idea -- even though you do not think you will need<br>
> it<br>
> >> to power the<br>
> >> radios -- you will at some point.<br>
> >><br>
> >> Also I was running my 746Pro on car batteries, and the<br>
> noise<br>
> >> floor almost<br>
> >> diappeared -- it's amazing how good 80M and 20M got with<br>
> the<br>
> >> lower noise<br>
> >> floor.<br>
> >><br>
> >> Vinnie<br>
> >><br>
> >><br>
> >> On 23 Mar 2009 at 11:28, David McKenzie wrote:<br>
> >><br>
> >> ><br>
> >> > Instead of buying a 70 amp supply or a second 50 amp supply<br>
> to<br>
> >> > parallel, I am considering picking up a large gel cell<br>
> battery<br>
> >> and<br>
> >> > fast/float charger to run the amp all the time and the<br>
> radios<br>
> >> during a<br>
> >> > power outage. I don't know very much about batteries.<br>
> Here's what<br>
> >> I do<br>
> >> > know:<br>
> >> ><br>
> >> > Rated in ampere-hour, which pretty much means how many amps<br>
> can<br>
> >> be<br>
> >> > drawn until dead over a specific time (20 hours supposedly<br>
> is<br>
> >> > standard). Charging rate should always be 10% or less of<br>
> Ah<br>
> >> rating.<br>
> >> > Float chargers exist relatively cheaply that allow the<br>
> battery to<br>
> >> be<br>
> >> > connected to a constant voltage supply (existing astron<br>
> supply)<br>
> >> > indefinitely.<br>
> >> ><br>
> >> > My questions are really as follows:<br>
> >> ><br>
> >> > What size battery would I need to "buffer" a 60-70 amp low<br>
> duty<br>
> >> cycle<br>
> >> > load to power the amplifier? I'd assume the amp would<br>
> connect to<br>
> >> the<br>
> >> > battery directly and then the battery to a charging circuit<br>
> with<br>
> >> > protections for when AC is removed from the CVS.<br>
> >> ><br>
> >> > Since my goal is not long term battery backup but to run<br>
> high<br>
> >> current<br>
> >> > devices for short periods, would a smaller battery on a<br>
> constant<br>
> >> > supply be the best bet? Do you need to match the Ah rating<br>
> to<br>
> >> the<br>
> >> > instantaneous maximum current draw?<br>
> >> ><br>
> >> > Is this just a dumb idea, and I should buy more power<br>
> supplies?<br>
> >> ><br>
> >> > -Dave<br>
> >> ><br>
> >><br>
> >><br>
> >> The best way to predict the future....is to invent it<br>
> >> Carl Mangold<br>
> >><br>
> >><br>
> >> _______________________________________________<br>
> >> 450 mailing list<br>
> >> <a href="mailto:450@lists.vhfwiki.com">450@lists.vhfwiki.com</a><br>
> >> <a href="http://lists.vhfwiki.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/450" target="_blank">http://lists.vhfwiki.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/450</a><br>
> >><br>
> >><br>
> ><br>
> ><br>
> > Vincent Grosso<br>
> > Vontage and Cell 917-546-6661<br>
> > The Best Way to Predict the Future is to Invent it<br>
> > Carl Mangold<br>
> > _______________________________________________<br>
> > 450 mailing list<br>
> > <a href="mailto:450@lists.vhfwiki.com">450@lists.vhfwiki.com</a><br>
> > <a href="http://lists.vhfwiki.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/450" target="_blank">http://lists.vhfwiki.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/450</a><br>
><br>
> _______________________________________________<br>
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> <a href="mailto:450@lists.vhfwiki.com">450@lists.vhfwiki.com</a><br>
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><br>
><br>
><br>
<br>
<br>
Vincent Grosso<br>
Vontage and Cell 917-546-6661<br>
The Best Way to Predict the Future is to Invent it<br>
Carl Mangold<br>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br>