K3 and battey usage

[w4giw]

Anyone using the K3 with an auto size deep cell 12 volt battery with 60 watt solar charge system. Operation is limited to about 2 hours per day mostly during the day with 80% listening.

Your experience with the K3 and solar appreciated.  Thanks Van W4GIW a ham for 60 years.
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[Jim Bennett]

Hi Van -

I've been running my K3 almost exclusively like that almost from day one (two years), although I do have a tad more amp-hours available than you'd need for two hours per day of operating. Here is what my system consists of:

(1) GE 72-watt solar panel about 20 feet from the shack, connected via #8 copper wire

(1) Morningstar Prostar PS15m charge controller

(3) Sun-Extender PVX-1080T AGM batteries, in parallel

(1) N8XJK Boost Regulator

(1) Rig Runner 4008 12VDC Power Distribution unit

The charge controller, batteries, boost regulator, and Rig Runner are in the shack, about three feet from the K3.

With this setup I am able to run my K3 at 100 watts for a looooong time. I do mostly casual operating / rag chewing, 160 - 10 meters, but occasionally do get into all-weekend contests, as I'm trying to finish off 5BWAS before time finishes me off! I do very little SSB and no data modes, so my CW-only operating adds to the amount of time the batteries will last. The K3 will run on 12 volts, but I wanted to keep it supplied with 13.8, no matter what the battery levels were at, thus the use of a boost regulator. I believe that MFJ also markets one - I deduced that the N8XJX model was the best fit for me. I also have their RM-1 remote meter and power switch connected to it.

I have that boost regulator in the line BEOFRE the rig runner unit, so anything I plug into the rig runner is powered by 13.8 volts, NOT whatever the battery level is currently sitting at. And I do have several other pieces of gear connected to it, including an Icom IC-207H VHF/UHF rig and a 12v station lamp. Having the rig runner installed is nice because I can connect other stuff to it as needed. I occasionally hook up my MFJ-259B antenna analyzer, KX1, etc. - all get a nice, regulated 13.8 volts.

One of the reasons why I've got so much capacity is that this part of California can go several days without sun. I never want to get to the point where I have to worry about not operating because I've depleted my amps. Just isn't an issue with three of those buggers hooked to the system. But it wasn't cheap!

As a side note, a few months ago I built a KPA-500 amp. It runs off the house mains, but with the drive level only 25 watts for full power out, the K3's current draw on that battery bank is a LOT less than if running at 100 watts! So, if I want QRO operation at 500 watts, I still need the electric utility. But for 100 watts and less, I am self-sufficient.

Hope that helps.

73, Jim / W6JHB

On   Thursday, Mar 15, 2012, at  Thursday, 8:07 PM, van wrote:

> Anyone using the K3 with an auto size deep cell 12 volt battery with 60 watt solar charge system. Operation is limited to about 2 hours per day mostly during the day with 80% listening.
>
> Your experience with the K3 and solar appreciated.  Thanks Van W4GIW a ham for 60 years.
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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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