Dick Grady AC7EL wrote:
I'm looking for a portable rechargeable 12-volt battery, probably a gel cell, to
extend my operating time with a VHF/UHF hand-held to about 12 hours of use.
I envision that I could power my radio by connecting its cigarette lighter power
adapter to the portable battery. The portable battery should be comfortable to
carry with me, for example: attached to my belt, or with an over-the-shoulder
strap. Any ideas?

Estimate the number of hours out of that 12 hours
that you would be transmitting. Multiply that by
the current consumption during transmit. Multiply
the rest of the hours by the current consumption
during receive. Add them together to get an
estimate of the necessary ampere*hour rating
for the gel cell. Be sure to take into account
the minimum operating voltage required by the
hand-held.
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com