[VHFcontesting] Rover Battery Questions

[Mark Spencer]

Nice post.   I'll just add that if I was starting with a "clean sheet of paper" I'd take a long look at using LiFePO4 batteries as opposed to sealed lead acid batteries in the cab of my truck.  In my experience using a LiFePO4 battery while back packing this year (and during a few 50 MHz portable outings in my truck over the last few months) the higher terminal voltages of typical LiFePO4 batteries vs typical lead acid batteries is a significant advantage in my opinion.

Although the LiFePO4 batteries are not inexpensive, when I consider the cost of lead acid batteries that I am prepared to run inside the cab of my truck and factor in the typical voltages I get from both types of batteries as they are discharged the LiFePO4 batteries are not quite as expensive as they may seem at first glance.

73 

Mark S
VE7AFZ

mark at alignedsolutions.com
604 762 4099

> On Dec 21, 2018, at 9:13 AM, K7XC Tim Marek <k7xcnv1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> The Best way is to install an isolator to charge a deep cycle battery in
> the cab of the car that runs the rover station when mobile and carry a
> small 1K or 2K generator to run everything / charge the battery when
> stationary.
> 
> in the 20+ yrs I was a Competitive ROVER the battery and electrical system
> have occasionally died on me in very inconvenient places, hence the switch
> to the deep cycle and small generator.
> 
> Now When I was running around with a borrowed 6M KW ROVER... That was
> another story. In 4 long and well planned grid activation trips over a 3
> yrs period to rare grids, I activated 110 grids.  6M KW ROVER as we called
> it had a 8KW Genset that was for its size very quiet. It and everything
> else in the bed was attached to a Heavy Duty Wood False Floor, The Huge
> duty lumber rack that was modified to have a wood floored porch above the
> cab for installing the 50ft mil surplus portable tower attached to the
> front of the bed.
> 
> to install the 6M antenna you undid the bungy cords then climbed the short
> ladder you set up behind the lowered tailgate, worked you way throug the
> bed of equipment to a small ladder installed at the front of the bed,
> climbed up to the platform above the cab, grabbed the 5 ele M2 Yagi and
> lift it up over your head, twirled it to land on the safety-wired rotor
> that waited for it. Only a few cranks on a Socket driver with a 1/2 deep
> socket to secure the antenna pointed toward the front bumper. Then hit the
> switch and the 12V winch raised it to up till the 6 preinstalled guys grew
> taunt at a bout 40 ft or so total height above ground. If not already
> running fire off the Genset and let it settle down a bit the get in the cab
> of the awesome late model ram PU truck to the center console where the
> IC-706mkIIg ,IC-PM1, and rotor remote controls were mounted.
> 
> Fire up the gear and your on the air with 1KW on 6M on any mode,
> CW/SSB/Digital. Mounted on the passenger side back corner was one of that
> loops KB6KQ made for 6M. 3' diameter mounted on a pipe about 4ft above the
> Ladder rack and 11 ft above the roadway. While he only tested those loops
> to 700 watts of so I am here to tall you one of those with a perfect SWR
> will easily handle a full KW on FSK441, CW, or SSB while traveling down the
> road at 75MPH. I worked over 100 MS contacts while driving thru rare grids
> in NV, CA, AZ, UT, NM, TX, WY, MT, and OR!
> 
>