Storm season is fast approaching us and I just received my new 12 volt power cord . My ? Is will a fully charged medium size motor cycle battery keep my PSR 600 going till house power is restored and how long will the battery last on a draw before it discharges ? .
In case of power outage .
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doctordialtone
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Just pull the plug and find out!
Simple, huh?
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Spec's show that it uses ~about~ 600ma at 12 volts, that would be at "full smoke", volume up all the way, actively receiving, back light on, etc.
So, depends on how big a motorcycle battery you have. Take the Ampere/Hour rating and divide it by .600. This will give you a very rough estimation of how long it can run the radio. There are some variables involved, like the age/condition of the battery, temperature, At what voltage they rate the ampere/hour rating for, etc.
So, let's say it's a 30A/H battery, .600 into that is about 50, so ~around~ 50 hours, if that's the rating on your battery. Like I said, that will vary depending on the age/condition of the battery and the ambient temperature.
So, depends on how big a motorcycle battery you have. Take the Ampere/Hour rating and divide it by .600. This will give you a very rough estimation of how long it can run the radio. There are some variables involved, like the age/condition of the battery, temperature, At what voltage they rate the ampere/hour rating for, etc.
So, let's say it's a 30A/H battery, .600 into that is about 50, so ~around~ 50 hours, if that's the rating on your battery. Like I said, that will vary depending on the age/condition of the battery and the ambient temperature.
Haven't bought the battery yet or the cable clips .
I'll see how it goes in a few days .
I'll see how it goes in a few days .
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Ah, OK.
A gel cell or AGM type battery would be a better choice. The low cost motorcycle/ATV/lawn tractor batteries like you'd get at Wal-Mart are not your best choice. They are also starting type application batteries that are designed for a quick dump of power then recharge. They don't always last a long time in deep cycle applications.
wtp
Member
how about a deep cycle battery then...
www.batteriesplus.com
i don't work for them, i fact i don't have a job.
deep cycle 12V RV Batteries at Batteries Plus Bulbs
Looking for a deep cycle 12V RV Batteries replacement? Get reliable power by shopping the array of RV, trailer and camper batteries at Batteries Plus Bulbs online or in-store.
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mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
how about a deep cycle battery then...
i don't work for them, i fact i don't have a job.deep cycle 12V RV Batteries at Batteries Plus Bulbs
Looking for a deep cycle 12V RV Batteries replacement? Get reliable power by shopping the array of RV, trailer and camper batteries at Batteries Plus Bulbs online or in-store.
They'll work, however you do need to consider how they vent.
If a battery is being improperly charged (too fast, to high voltage, etc) it can release hydrogen gas. You don't want that in your house.
Ideally, the battery should be located in a properly vented space, or outside.
Some battery designs are designed to allow small amounts of gas to leak out slowly through a one way vent. Some are designed to re combine the hydrogen. Gel cells tend to be a bit safer to use indoors. That's while you'll find them in a UPS, alarm system, etc.
Chargers need some consideration, too.
A cheap/noisy charger will put a lot of RFI on the radio if you are running them at the same time.
A well regulated, well designed charger should not be an issue.
You do want a regulated charger that charges at the specific voltage the battery manufacturers specifies for "float charging".
If it was me, I'd consider a solar panel, maybe a 20 watt panel. That'll keep the battery charged and if in full sunlight, keep you charged and the scanner running through the night.
I remember using my lawn tractor battery for a few days for power to run my 15x while the power was out . Battery didn't even drain much of power . But I've got a 1.5 amp trickle charger to use to recharge .
I'll check on the recommendations listed .
Thanks for the update .
I'll check on the recommendations listed .
Thanks for the update .
In 2007's Ice Storm I ran my 996 on two 6V batteries tied together for 3 days off during the night time hours. You can buy more than 2 if you think you'll need more time.
Oh I totally forgot about those 6v batteries . Thank you sir
If you really want to go hog wild, figure out what you need to run what you want for 20 hours, then you should be able to recharge the batteries (for the most part) using solar, or a quick daily run of 4 hours from a generator.
www.westmarine.com
Has a bunch of articles on how to properly size things. Try the electrical budget worksheet. They're guides are easier than reading a dedicated book on the subject.
Or
Maybe you could select a battery booster / starter (harbor frieght tools has them relatively cheap)
Thanks
Joel
West Marine collection of boating, diving and paddle sports how-to articles | West Marine
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www.westmarine.com
Has a bunch of articles on how to properly size things. Try the electrical budget worksheet. They're guides are easier than reading a dedicated book on the subject.
Or
Maybe you could select a battery booster / starter (harbor frieght tools has them relatively cheap)
Thanks
Joel
Just use a motorcycle. Good excuse anyway.
Ive got a battery booster in my truck .
yup... the battery booster for me is nice and easy to use, and I can justify it for things other than playing radio....
A sligthly more complicated version would be to use the Li-ion batteries from my yard equipment
I'n not to sure how to make that work though, I might have to break down and buy the ham book about alternative power sources.
As a side note, with power out, that's the best time for MW and HF
A sligthly more complicated version would be to use the Li-ion batteries from my yard equipment
I'n not to sure how to make that work though, I might have to break down and buy the ham book about alternative power sources.
As a side note, with power out, that's the best time for MW and HF
Decided to go with a lawn tractor battery .
n1das
Member
We have talked about batteries and chargers for keeping our radios running during a power outage. OK, so what do you do to back up the AC power with in case of an outage so that you don't need to use the batteries yet?
In addition to batteries and charger, I have a 6800W portable generator and an interlocked connection to the electric panel in my house. I can run everything in the house on the generator except for the electric stove. I can run the electric clothes dryer provided I keep other stuff turned off. I have to be careful with the total power budget when loading the generator.
It takes only a few minutes to swap the house connection from commercial AC power to the generator. I would love to have a permanently installed and fully automatic generator setup but that costs $$$$$.$$. A good portable Gen with an interlock in the electric panel for a safe (and legal) generator connection is an inexpensive and practical way to go. I have receptacle outside the house for the generator connection. The interlock in the panel consists of a metal sliding plate between the main breaker and a pair of 30A ganged circuit breakers installed in the top two slots on the right hand side of the panel (Square-D brand panel). The main breaker has to be first moved to the OFF position to allow the plate to be moved to allow the pair of 30A circuit breakers to be turned on for the generator connection. When these circuit breakers are ON, the metal plate physically blocks the main breaker from being able to be flipped on. To switch back to commercial AC power, the generator circuit breakers have to be turned off to allow the plate to be moved to allow the main breaker to be flipped on. Each physically locks the other out so that the main breaker and the pair of breakers for the generator can't be on at the same time. Either the main breaker or the pair of 30A breakers for the generator can be turned on, never both at the same time.
I also installed a propane conversion kit on the generator to allow running the Gen on propane instead of gasoline. I use a standard 15 lb. gas grille propane cylinder. The ability to run the Gen on gasoline is fully retained so that the generator can run on either gasoline or propane, giving it dual-fuel capability. Having one of these kits installed on the generator also opens up a lot of other possibilities for fueling the generator. The propane conversion kit is from PropaneCarbs.com. (www.propanecarbs.com) Very easy to install. I recommend watching the how-to videos on the site.
In addition to batteries and charger, I have a 6800W portable generator and an interlocked connection to the electric panel in my house. I can run everything in the house on the generator except for the electric stove. I can run the electric clothes dryer provided I keep other stuff turned off. I have to be careful with the total power budget when loading the generator.
It takes only a few minutes to swap the house connection from commercial AC power to the generator. I would love to have a permanently installed and fully automatic generator setup but that costs $$$$$.$$. A good portable Gen with an interlock in the electric panel for a safe (and legal) generator connection is an inexpensive and practical way to go. I have receptacle outside the house for the generator connection. The interlock in the panel consists of a metal sliding plate between the main breaker and a pair of 30A ganged circuit breakers installed in the top two slots on the right hand side of the panel (Square-D brand panel). The main breaker has to be first moved to the OFF position to allow the plate to be moved to allow the pair of 30A circuit breakers to be turned on for the generator connection. When these circuit breakers are ON, the metal plate physically blocks the main breaker from being able to be flipped on. To switch back to commercial AC power, the generator circuit breakers have to be turned off to allow the plate to be moved to allow the main breaker to be flipped on. Each physically locks the other out so that the main breaker and the pair of breakers for the generator can't be on at the same time. Either the main breaker or the pair of 30A breakers for the generator can be turned on, never both at the same time.
I also installed a propane conversion kit on the generator to allow running the Gen on propane instead of gasoline. I use a standard 15 lb. gas grille propane cylinder. The ability to run the Gen on gasoline is fully retained so that the generator can run on either gasoline or propane, giving it dual-fuel capability. Having one of these kits installed on the generator also opens up a lot of other possibilities for fueling the generator. The propane conversion kit is from PropaneCarbs.com. (www.propanecarbs.com) Very easy to install. I recommend watching the how-to videos on the site.
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