On Tue, 7 Feb 2006 15:56:18 -0600, "john graesser"
wrote:


wrote in message
roups.com...
Need to charge some SLAs and other lead acid batteries for field day Im
trying to make
something work without buying a new battery charger, so here goes.
I need to charge a alot of different voltage lead acid batterys
6,8,10,12, ect. I have a
old charger that only puts out 12-14vdc, I have a 10amp 120vac
powerstat (variac) im thinking
of adding to the input of the transformer to reduce output . Will this
work?
Im not sure about the inductance & operating a transformer @ 1/2 or
2/3 the normal 120 vac
input voltage, im wandering if this will effect efficiency or if it
will work at all.

To get battery credit, didn't the batteries need to be charged by something
other than power line current? I thought they had to be solar, wind, water
etc charged so that you couldn't just plug in a battery charger into a wall
and charge them the easy way.
Not to put a damper on your using batteries for field day, but you might
want to check the rules. Here we use a big diesel generator for the radios,
but some wanted their logging laptops plugged into the wall instead of the
generator and a spirited argument broke out whether that negated the credit
for not using lines power.
thanks, John.
KC5DWD


There are two different multipliers at work.

If it's battery then how they were charged is unimportant. All that
counts is your running on battery. If you charge them while on the
air then how you charge them counts. If off generator its differnt
than off the mains. There is a special class if you charge them using
neither generator(gas/diesel power) or mains for that see alternative
power.

If your going for the alternative power source multiplier then how the
batteries are charged counts. I think the rule says non-petropower
(gas oil or pertro byproducts) IE: Solar, unless you have a really
big solar array it's diffictult to run a radio directly from the sun
(it's possible) but the rules do allow you to charge batteries from
the sun and run from them. I believe you get both solar power and
battery scores for that. Other sources are allowed such as water
power, wind, someone peddling a genny, a old military handcrank gen
would be valid examples. I was told steam powered genny running off
wood or waste and a internal combustion engine running off a wood
gassifier also qualifies. I suspect a diesel gen running of
greasoline (used cooking grease or vegetable oil) may also qualify.

Running aux equipment like fans, lights and computers(not connected
to radios) do not negate the battery or alternate energy
credit/nultipliers.

Allison
KB!gmx