Leaving equipment on

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jazzboypro

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Not sure this is the proper forum but here i go. Just wandering if you guys leave your radios on all the time or turn them off when not using them. I am mostly speaking about base station transceiver/receiver. I for one leave my radios on all the time but not really sure if i should or not. What do you guys do ? any recommendations ?

73
Sylvain
 

R8000

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I turn my off when not in use. More so to avoid displays dimming down over time. LED's over time will slowly get dimmer and video displays can do the same. If you need to leave them on, use the dimmest display brightness you can tolerate would be my suggestion.
 

W9WSS

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The only time I turn my base station equipment off is if I'm going to be gone a week or more. That only occurred maybe 2-3 times in the last 10 years. I have two separate 20 amp circuits in the ham shack powering four battery backups (also known as UPS’s), plus a 5000-watt generator “just in case.”
 

K4EET

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Hi Sylvain @jazzboypro, my Icom IC-208H two meter transceiver has been powered on constantly since 2006 when I bought it new. It has a LCD for the display and has had no problems. My Uniden BCD536HP has been powered on constantly since 2015 when I bought it new. That display is off until a signal is received and then it is illuminated on a low setting. My two Astron RS-50M power supplies that run those radios as well as a host of other 12 VDC equipment have been on constantly since they were purchased in 1982. The key like @W9WSS mentioned is having emergency backup power and also periodic maintenance of all equipment as required. Take care of your equipment and it will last a long, long time, if not like near forever :ROFLMAO: if left powered on constantly. Nothing has suffered any damage or degradation in operation.
 

mmckenna

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Take care of your equipment and it will last a long, long time, if not like near forever :ROFLMAO: if left powered on constantly. Nothing has suffered any damage or degradation in operation.

I had equipment at work that had been powered up continuously for 20+ years. Honestly, we were afraid to turn it off since we were never sure if it would turn back on again.

There's some logic to keeping it turned on all the time if the power supply is stable.
 

merlin

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Start with MTBF (mean time between failure) I have a 44 year old laser printer, shut down twice for clean/lube/PM.
It stays on 24-7. 4X longer than average lifespan. My 30 year old oscilloscope, Runs 24-7, brightness off to keep the CRT from burnin. Still meets specs. 30 year old spectrum analyzer, same as the scope.
A Compaq laptop, 7 years, never shut down, recycled after keyboard fail.
All of this stuff twice the life expectancy or better, a few very minor problems.
Analog power supplies practically never fail operated within their limits.
Other equipment that rarely gets used stays off save for their use.
The reasoning: power surges, thermal changes are the hardest on electronics. poor solder connections can open, micro cracks in traces can open, all causing some failure. An auto engineer once said the wort thing you can do to an auto engine is to start it, the second worst, shutting it down.
 

tweiss3

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Shut off my transceivers when I'm not using them, they seem to get turned on 1-3 times a week now. It keeps the noise down when people are sleeping, and keeps the kids from being drawn to them and pushing buttons.
 

ecps92

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Just like my computers, I tend to reboot them every other week, helps me reset some of the TEMP lock-outs and has prevented the inverted screen. YMMV

btw this is for the newer GRE/RS/Whistler 500/600 etc radios, my older BC898T's etc are 24/7 along with my RS 2004-2006 series

Not sure this is the proper forum but here i go. Just wandering if you guys leave your radios on all the time or turn them off when not using them. I am mostly speaking about base station transceiver/receiver. I for one leave my radios on all the time but not really sure if i should or not. What do you guys do ? any recommendations ?

73
Sylvain
 

jazzboypro

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Thanks guys, it looks like most of you keep your equipment on all the time. I use an Astron RS35M to power my IC-9700 and R8600, the Astron is getting old (15+ YO) but the radios are new. I also leave my computer on 24/7 but turn off the monitors at night. I did lowered the brightness on the radio displays and i might enable the screen saver.

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VA2FCS
 

jonwienke

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LEDs don't dim over time unless they are being driven near their absolute limits and are slowly cooking themselves to death. If they are being driven conservatively, their lifespan is indefinite.
 

mmckenna

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Thanks guys, it looks like most of you keep your equipment on all the time.

Well, I think it depends. The mobile radios in both personal trucks as well as my work truck are all set up for ignition switch control. One of those radios has been in use since 2011 and hasn't had any issues.

I don't think there is a right or wrong. Just do whatever makes you happy.
 

bharvey2

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Well, I think it depends. The mobile radios in both personal trucks as well as my work truck are all set up for ignition switch control. One of those radios has been in use since 2011 and hasn't had any issues.

I don't think there is a right or wrong. Just do whatever makes you happy.


Very much agree. I have various electronics equipment (radios among them) that only get shut off during extended blackouts and those that get turned on and off multiple times throughout the day. I really haven't noticed that one school of thought with regard to powering devices outlasts the other to any degree.
 

jazzboypro

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Well, I think it depends. The mobile radios in both personal trucks as well as my work truck are all set up for ignition switch control. One of those radios has been in use since 2011 and hasn't had any issues.

I don't think there is a right or wrong. Just do whatever makes you happy.

I was mainly talking about base station equipment, my handhelds a not always on but my AnyTone D878 is on from early morning tu around 23:00
 

ladn

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The base radio(s) at home are on 24/7, except for occasional PM and reprogramming, with the volume turned down at night. When I'm away from home in the mountains, I'll leave the radios on 24/7, but cut the volume on the scanner at night. I will power off and disconnect from everything if there's lightning.
 

jwt873

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I turn mine off when not in use.. But, I wouldn't worry about leaving them on all the time if I had a reason to do so.
 

W1KNE

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PC I only reboot once a week, scanner equipment daily in my main monitoring station, for no other reason to unlock the temp avoids.
My Home Patrol II in my living room and my 536hp in my bedroom are on 24/7. I have two feed scanners a PRO 2055 and BCT15X that also stay on 24/7.
 
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