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.<br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Mar 24, 2009 at 12:24 AM, 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>
Very cool stuff, I'm a cheap skate and use a Rat Shack digital meter and a<br>
bunch of strip terminals. It's a rat's nest all right. This is much better<br>
<font color="#888888"><br>
Vinnie<br>
</font><div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
On 23 Mar 2009 at 22:31, David McKenzie wrote:<br>
<br>
><br>
> You may like these then Vinnie, I'm seriously considering a no-meter<br>
> option and one of these (will<br>
> break even vs metered):<br>
><br>
> <a href="http://www.powerwerx.com/product.asp?ProdID=34676&CtgID=3575" target="_blank">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<br>
> anderson powerpoll plunge to<br>
> standardize all the DC in the shack and hopefully clean things up<br>
> considerably. Working on<br>
> getting an MFJ strip with a number of PPs and a couple of binding<br>
> posts.<br>
><br>
> On Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 10:17 PM, Vinnie Grosso<br>
> <<a href="mailto:vinnie@vinnievision.com">vinnie@vinnievision.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> David,<br>
><br>
> I find the volt meter on the Astrons to be useless anyway.<br>
><br>
> Vinnie<br>
><br>
><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<br>
> expensive<br>
> > to switch to batteries at this<br>
> > point, I'd rather supplement later. Right now I can sell my<br>
> 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<br>
> 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<br>
> 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<br>
> 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<br>
> (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<br>
> out<br>
> > there,<br>
> > >> assuming I can find it. A 70Ah gel<br>
> > >> cell battery appears to be about a little less than half<br>
> 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<br>
> 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.<br>
> Good<br>
> > news<br>
> > >> is that<br>
> > >> many hams do this, and the Green movement now has much<br>
> 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<br>
> 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<br>
> 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<br>
> amps<br>
> > can<br>
> > >> be<br>
> > >> > drawn until dead over a specific time (20 hours<br>
> 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<br>
> 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<br>
> 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<br>
> 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>
> > 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>
><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>
><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>
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</div></div></blockquote></div><br>