Batteries

With the imminent threat of perceived nuclear war and the demise of the Royal Observer Corps & Civil Defence we, as amateur radio enthusiasts, could have a vital role to play; "When the wind blows". It is our duty to maintain our equipment in readiness and that includes batteries.

Golf cart manufacturer Motocaddy are selling a 12V Lithium rechargeable battery (50% weight of lead acid) complete with appropriate charger for just £150. As a result, mature lady golfers are disposing of their old deep cycle lead acid leisure battery before it has expired.

Write a nice letter to your local golf course, they will put it on the noticeboard and pretty soon you will be offered a free 12V deep cycle lead acid leisure battery and charger. I've been given one. It expired at the 17th hole but still works a treat for radio. Most golf batteries now use PowerPole connectors and are fitted with a fuse. The fuse is important so use it. If you don't understand the difference between a deep cycle leisure battery and a car battery then visit this link. There are eight pages of it: http://tinyurl.com/pwbattery

Briefly: Don't use a car battery for light duty extended radio work because you will quickly ruin it. Car batteries need to work extremely hard. Turn starter motor at 1200RPM, then recharge from alternator.

Home

END OF FILE