Thanks for your input John. You obviously have more experience than me. I was
assuming a lot of CQ'ing and QSO's which would be a different story.
Sent from my iPad
On Mar 27, 2012, at 6:42 PM, John <jh.graves@verizon.net> wrote:
> 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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