Rick,
Thanks for your comments and estimates. It always helps if estimates
are based on reality. I was thinking of trying SSB but was really
unsure of how I would get out on sideband. The group I do FD with
generally will have at least one run for QRP contacts for their point
value. If things quiet down, I could insert the Argosy and still have
access to the beams although with a little thought I could also use
whatever I wanted. I will now have to go and look at the rules for low
power operation.
I have made a few low power contacts and 50 W contacts with the Argosy
on my antenna here at home so it is not like I have never tried it.
John / WA1JG
On 3/27/2012 4:46 PM, Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP wrote:
Steve, you are way off on your assumptions.
Normally the TX current drain is not the biggest problem.
Continuous current drain is the problem.
I would say you will be on receive 90% of the time.
When talking you probably average only 30% of max current drain.
On transmitting CW it might be 50%, probably less.
But as I said, 90% of the time that the radio is switched on, it will be in
RX mode.
Important is continuous current drain:
- Turn off the dial lamps (can't remember if there is a switch on that rig
or not; if not, install one)
- Use headphones instead of speaker; that way it draws less current
- Turn the radio off every chance you get (breaks for eating, etc.)
- If it gets dark, use an external LED lamp to light the rig's front panel
(I used to use candles)
Run as little TX power as necessary.
For CW, 20w is generally enough (if you feel you have to run more than 5).
Running in QRP mode saves more than you think because it is more efficient
in that mode than when running reduced power in high power mode. What I
mean is, if you switch it to QRP, it draws perhaps 800mw on TX. If you run
it in high power but back the power off to , say, 10w, it doesn't draw twice
the current, but rather 3 or 4 times as much current.
I hope your Argosy is the analog version.
It will draw less power in receive than the digital readout version.
You will find that the dial lamps draw half of the total current in RX mode.
My Experience: 18 years of running Ten-Tec transceivers from a motorcycle
battery. Transceivers used: Ten-Tec 505, 509, (both with and without the
405 amp), Ten-Tec Argosy (analog), Ten-Tec Scout, and Argonaut 515.
You can see some photos of my setup here:
http://www.dj0ip.de/my-expeditions/
SPECIFICALLY, check out the ones to the Isle of Man, and Corsica.
ALSO, check out my 1979 operations from Andorra.
I ran a Ten-Tec Omni (analog, dial lights switched off, running @ 50w CW)
for 10 days off of car batteries.
Generally one car battery would last me an entire day, and I was on the air
about 16 hours per day.
I could recharge the battery on our generator which was located near the SSB
tent, about 200 meters away from the CW tent.
I felt like I was transmitting all the time (or so it seems when you're
doing it), but the reality is, you receive far more than you transmit.
See: http://www.dj0ip.de/my-expeditions/andorra-1979/
In my 1975 expedition to Andorra, we also ran off of the car battery (that's
all we had) but we ran the car's motor quite a lot, just to keep warm. We
ran an old Swan SS-100 (well it was brand new then) with 50w out.
RUNNING FROM THE CIGERETTE LIGHTER:
It's not a problem to run the full 50w off of the car's cigarette lighter.
You need to purchase a special device for this.
Check out the MFJ-4403 transceiver Voltage Conditioner:
http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-4403
It works.
VERY IMPORTANT: ALWAYS HAVE JUMPER CABLES WITH YOU WHEN RUNNING OFF OF YOUR
CAR BATTERY.
You can almost always find another driver/car willing to jump start your
car, but they don't always have jumper cables.
Have fun!
Rick, DJ0IP
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