Yep. Car battery and charger.

"Brian" wrote in message
link.net...
Do any of you guys run your radio equipment on battery power? I was just
considering this approach as an alternative to the noisy house mains.
Would
like something I could use permantly inside that can be recharged from
house
current. Does anyone have any suggestions? Is this a feasible idea?


-Brian

"Brian" wrote:

Do any of you guys run your radio equipment on battery power? I was just
considering this approach as an alternative to the noisy house mains. Would
like something I could use permantly inside that can be recharged from house
current. Does anyone have any suggestions? Is this a feasible idea?


-Brian


I power everything from solar and a 440 amp-hour battery bank.

Some thoughts:

- EVERY wire to/from the battery (bank) must be fused.
- All of my batteries are gel-cells, obtained at rock-bottom prices
from people who replace life-critical batteries every year. $30 for
an 80 Ah battery and the like.
- I use the West Mountain Radio Rigrunner for distribution to
individual radios. Size the fuses there appropriately -- these are
the ones that should blow from something going wrong "normally" (as
opposed to a catastrophic failure, which is what the battery fuses are
for).
- If you use a charger powered by the mains, make sure that it tops
off properly and handles overload conditions gracefully. The reason
for the latter is obvious. The reason for the former -- ESPECIALLY
with gel-cells or AGM batteries is that overcharging destroys them.
- If you use solar power, chargers are available from a large number
of places. I recommend Morningstar. There are also Maximum Power
Point chargers that will produce the most efficient voltage/current
for the panels, but cost more.
- For solar panels, I recommend Solarex.
- For solar equipment suppliers, I recommend Backwoods Solar
(www.backwoodssolar.com)


--
Eric F. Richards

"The weird part is that I can feel productive even when I'm doomed."
- Dilbert

= = = "CW" wrote in message
= = = ...
Yep. Car battery and charger.

"Brian" wrote in message
link.net...
Do any of you guys run your radio equipment on battery power? I was just
considering this approach as an alternative to the noisy house mains.
Would
like something I could use permantly inside that can be recharged from
house
current. Does anyone have any suggestions? Is this a feasible idea?


-Brian

CW,

Actually a little more is needed.

Power Recharging End - Battery Charger

Middle - Battery and Double Knife Edge Switch*

Radio Reception End - Radio/Receiver

* Note: The Knife Edge Switch is wired with the Battery as the
Center Switch-Arm Position; the Recharger on one side; and the
Radio Receiver on the other side. This provides an 'effective'
Safety Lock-Out to prevent any chance of directly connecting the
Battery Charger to the Radio.
See - Philmore 30-9730 Knife Switch
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/switch/1432.html


~ RHF
..
..

"RHF" wrote

Actually a little more is needed.

Power Recharging End - Battery Charger

Middle - Battery and Double Knife Edge Switch*

Radio Reception End - Radio/Receiver

* Note: The Knife Edge Switch is wired with the Battery as the
Center Switch-Arm Position; the Recharger on one side; and the
Radio Receiver on the other side. This provides an 'effective'
Safety Lock-Out to prevent any chance of directly connecting the
Battery Charger to the Radio.
See - Philmore 30-9730 Knife Switch
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/switch/1432.html

In this hobby there are gadgets for everything, but that isolator is not one
that has any usefulness whatsoever. In all mobile (cars, boats, aircraft)
operations the alternator is not isolated from the radio, nor does any harm
come from a battery charger being in parallel with the radio. Well o.k., I
can see it might protect an IDIOT from setting a commercial battery charger
to "boost" while the radio was operating. Short of that, a waste of money
imo.

Jack

Damn, after all these years, now you tell me that my set up doesn't work.
Must have imagined the whole thing. Next, you'll tell me that my antennas
don't really exist.

"RHF" wrote in message
om...
= = = "CW" wrote in message
= = = ...
Yep. Car battery and charger.

"Brian" wrote in message
link.net...
Do any of you guys run your radio equipment on battery power? I was
just
considering this approach as an alternative to the noisy house mains.
Would
like something I could use permantly inside that can be recharged from
house
current. Does anyone have any suggestions? Is this a feasible idea?


-Brian

CW,

Actually a little more is needed.

Power Recharging End - Battery Charger

Middle - Battery and Double Knife Edge Switch*

Radio Reception End - Radio/Receiver

* Note: The Knife Edge Switch is wired with the Battery as the
Center Switch-Arm Position; the Recharger on one side; and the
Radio Receiver on the other side. This provides an 'effective'
Safety Lock-Out to prevent any chance of directly connecting the
Battery Charger to the Radio.
See - Philmore 30-9730 Knife Switch
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/switch/1432.html


~ RHF
.
.

"CW" wrote in message
...
Damn, after all these years, now you tell me that my set up doesn't work.
Must have imagined the whole thing. Next, you'll tell me that my antennas
don't really exist.

Hey CW, Where did you find the adapter/converter or whatever you use. I
tried Batteries Plus, and the converter they wanted to sell me was fifty or
sixty bucks. Looking for something a bit more reasonable than that.

-Brian

"Brian" wrote:


"CW" wrote in message
...
Damn, after all these years, now you tell me that my set up doesn't work.
Must have imagined the whole thing. Next, you'll tell me that my antennas
don't really exist.

Hey CW, Where did you find the adapter/converter or whatever you use. I
tried Batteries Plus, and the converter they wanted to sell me was fifty or
sixty bucks. Looking for something a bit more reasonable than that.

-Brian


You get what you pay for. For wet cells (marine, car batteries) you
want a 3 stage charger: bulk/float/equalize. For gel cells and AGM,
you never use equalize (or you do so once, then you throw the battery
away :-))

My small charger (for when I'm not using solar) is a Deltran Battery
Tender. Commercial grade ones cost much more, of course.

--
Eric F. Richards

"The weird part is that I can feel productive even when I'm doomed."
- Dilbert

What adapter? Standard car battery and electronic charger. B&B Auto for
both. The electronic charger is better for your battery. It keeps the
battery toped up without going wild like the simple transformer types can.
Don't remember who in this thread mentioned fuses but he's right. Use em.
They are cheap fire insurance. A car battery can deliver an amazing level
of amperage when shorted. Don't expect it to be cheap. My charger cost about
$90.00. If your radios does not run on 12 volts, a regulator is easy to make
for a few bucks.
"Brian" wrote in message
link.net...

"CW" wrote in message
...
Damn, after all these years, now you tell me that my set up doesn't
work.
Must have imagined the whole thing. Next, you'll tell me that my
antennas
don't really exist.

Hey CW, Where did you find the adapter/converter or whatever you use. I
tried Batteries Plus, and the converter they wanted to sell me was fifty
or
sixty bucks. Looking for something a bit more reasonable than that.

-Brian

"CW" wrote in message
...
What adapter? Standard car battery and electronic charger. B&B Auto for
both. The electronic charger is better for your battery. It keeps the
battery toped up without going wild like the simple transformer types can.
Don't remember who in this thread mentioned fuses but he's right. Use em.
They are cheap fire insurance. A car battery can deliver an amazing level
of amperage when shorted. Don't expect it to be cheap. My charger cost
about
$90.00. If your radios does not run on 12 volts, a regulator is easy to
make
for a few bucks.


Actually, I meant between the battery and radio, but thanks.

-Brian

Between battery and radio is just wire, fuse and connector. A few bucks
worth of parts.
Most electronic places(even Radio Shack) have plugs to fit.

"Brian" wrote in message
hlink.net...

"CW" wrote in message
...
What adapter? Standard car battery and electronic charger. B&B Auto for
both. The electronic charger is better for your battery. It keeps the
battery toped up without going wild like the simple transformer types
can.
Don't remember who in this thread mentioned fuses but he's right. Use
em.
They are cheap fire insurance. A car battery can deliver an amazing
level
of amperage when shorted. Don't expect it to be cheap. My charger cost
about
$90.00. If your radios does not run on 12 volts, a regulator is easy to
make
for a few bucks.


Actually, I meant between the battery and radio, but thanks.

-Brian