I'm no expert on these matters, but I bought an SLA battery and charger
from these folks: www.zbattery.com. I bought a 'smaller' (fewer amp
hours) battery than you're looking for, but their service was good and
I have no complaints.

You'll want to pick up a fast-blow fuse at Radio Shack for the wires
leading from the battery to the spring clip terminals on the back of
the R8B.

If you aren't planning to travel with your R8B and just want an
alternative to your AC outlet, you might also consider an external DC
power supply. Several people in this group have said nice things about
the Astron supplies. You could also get an inexpensive one from Radio
Shack. I have one and it works fine, though I have to put a bit of
distance between it and the R8B to avoid a strange noise that's
somewhere between a 'hash' and a 'hum'.

Best,

Steve

jamulc wrote:
Hello folks,

I'm interested powering my Drake R8B from a gel cell for outdoor use.
The use of gel cells is something I'm totally new to, so I was
wondering if perhaps some of you out there who may have some
knowledge/experience with this sorta thing might be able to give me
some pointers as to
* where I might look to find a fair deal on a gel cell
* what types of models/brands are worth consideration
* what might be required in order to hook the Drake up to a gel cell
for proper powering (wires and what-not; admittedly I'm new to
this...up to now, I've only powered the Drake from the power outlet in
the wall)
I would need something that would give me at least 20 hours or so of
usage before requiring recharge, and I'm only looking to power the R8B
with the unit (not any other accessories or the like).
Any help would be much appreciated.

jamulc