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K2 #5312 lo battery indication

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John Wiener

K2 #5312 lo battery indication

Hello everyone.

Just started to notice LO BATT indication while using digital modes
on xmit...beep heard along with the LO BATT on display. I am on a
power supply and even my signalink is NOT battery operated. What
does this mean?
The voltage from the Daiwa power supply is right on 12 VDC throughout.

Thanks!

John
AB8O
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Guy, K2AV

Re: K2 #5312 lo battery indication

If your power supply is set to 12.0 volts, rather than the usual automotive
13.8 volts output, it would not take much loss in the DC hookup cabling and
connectors to get down toward 11 volts or below, and depending on the
setting for lo-volts, would exhibit the symptoms you mention, particularly
on 100 percent duty cycle modes.

The usual setting for floating/charging six cell lead-acid batteries is 13.8
at the terminals. Such a battery will show 12.x - 11.x volts for most of
its discharge cycle, hence the common name for the battery. If one attempts
to maintain a lead-acid battery at 12.0 volts, less than a quarter of the
discharge capacity will be available in a discharge cycle.

The low battery setting on a K2 is designed for indicating the point where a
typical 6 cell lead-acid battery is mostly discharged in battery only
operation. However most people run their power supply at the *charge*
voltage for a battery, 13.8v, rather than it's discharge voltage.

73, Guy.

On Sat, Oct 24, 2009 at 1:25 PM, John Wiener <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Hello everyone.
>
>
> Just started to notice LO BATT indication while using digital modes
> on xmit...beep heard along with the LO BATT on display. I am on a
> power supply and even my signalink is NOT battery operated. What
> does this mean?
> The voltage from the Daiwa power supply is right on 12 VDC throughout.
>
> Thanks!
>
> John
> AB8O
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>

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Don Wilhelm-4

Re: K2 #5312 lo battery indication

In reply to this post by John Wiener

John,

If your power supply is up to par, then --
IF your K2 is below SN 3000 - look at the switch on the top of the
control board (to the right of center). If its handle has been bumped
out of the INT position (toward the center of the control board), that
will cause a LO BATT indication.
OTOH, IF your SN is above 3000, there is a 3 pin header in place of the
switch - make certain the jumper is present and is plugged into the two
pins closest to the center of the control board. The pins and jumper do
the same as the switch, but are not as easily accidentally bumped when
the top cover is open.

73,
Don W3FPR

John Wiener wrote: