RadioBanter - View Single Post - Running a radio from a large rechargeable cell or battery

October 30th 05, 12:41 PM

wrote:

Cheap inverters put out square waves (not quite, but good enough for
this discussion). They make a ton of racket, so I can't see how anyone
would consider them suitable for use around radios. Further, if your
radio runs off of 12VDC, why take a 12V battery, invert it to 117V AC,
then step it down and rectify to 12VDC.

For devices that run off of 12V, note that the 12V is nominal. Just
about everything can run from the 13.8V float voltage, with margin. The
only pain in the arse is the Wellbrook pre-amp, which is positive
ground. Touch the case to to a negative ground and you pop the internal
fuse. When I use the device in the field, I place it in a zip lock bag,
poking a hole for the cable. They really should have insulated the
thing. Of couse, you need to build a special postive ground cable
(cigarette lighter adapter) and make sure you only use it with the
wellbrook.

In the future, I'm going to build a 12V distribution box using cannon
connectors. Those cigarette lighter connectors are really crap.

I use Exeltech inverters for things that won't run directly off 12 or
24 volts, and they are quite clean unless run at or above rated
capacity (Their ratings are quite conservative). Exeltechs are pure
sine wave inverters -- they are very good, and cost more than your
typical Big Box inverters.

As for distribution, I use West Mountain Radio RigRunners with
Anderson PowerPole connectors. These are used by ARES, are rated to
30 amps in 12VDC and are "genderless" in that any connector can
connect to any other.

http://www.exeltech.com
http://www.westmountainradio.com

wrote:
On 29 Oct 2005 20:24:26 -0700, "junius" wrote:

Hi Joe...

I'm curious, do you find that the inverter generates noise, as
suggests it would?

I'm not Joe however I have use radios in the vicinity of [inexpensive]
inverters and have found them to be very effective noise generators.

Joe Analssandrini wrote:
Dear Bruce,

I own a Century Electri-pac Model BPIP-99 (Portable Electric Power -
Cordless and Rechargeable) which meets all your requirements. I bought
it several years ago from THE SPORTSMAN'S GUIDE catalog ($75.00 at the
time). I do not know if this model is still available, but you could
investigate. Similar items are available at THE PEP BOYS.

In fact I have powered my AOR AR7030 Plus and my Wellbrook ALA 330S
from this unit. Everything worked fine.

Best,

Joe

--
Eric F. Richards,
"Nature abhors a vacuum tube." -- J. R. Pierce, Bell Labs, c. 1940