KX3 DVR

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KX3 DVR

PeteWK8S
Will the KX3 DVR be able to record what the receiver is hearing or just what the mic hears?

Pete WK8S
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Re: KX3 DVR

Lyle Johnson
It is for messages only, not recording off the air.

The Flash used in the KX3's DSP requires a longer erase time than it
takes record, so it can not keep up in a real-time recording loop.

73,

Lyle KK7P

> Will the KX3 DVR be able to record what the receiver is hearing or just what the mic hears?

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Re: KX3 DVR - glich?

Dominic Baines-2
Lyle,

Tnx fer the KX3 SSB DVR functionality ...I waited a long time for this
so was eager to use it and I just had a /P trip to CT and it worked
great as CT7/M1KTA/P when on the beach however I noted an odd bit of
behaviour...

The repeat function, sometimes it would run and send (I was using for
CQCQ etc) repeats as expected, other times it would send once and then
key the mic line (TX light would come on) but send nothing. A reset MSG
then Long 1 or 2 and it would run again fine, the message was still there.

Same behaviour on internal batteries or an external power source car
cigarette lighter socket.

Happens often enough that it was not a one off glich.... any ideas?

72

Dom
M1KTA


On 09/02/13 15:10, Lyle Johnson wrote:

> It is for messages only, not recording off the air.
>
> The Flash used in the KX3's DSP requires a longer erase time than it
> takes record, so it can not keep up in a real-time recording loop.
>
> 73,
>
> Lyle KK7P
>
>> Will the KX3 DVR be able to record what the receiver is hearing or
>> just what the mic hears?

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Re: KX3 DVR - glich?

Christian AK4VV
I have noticed the same thing during the Georgia QSO Party that I'm working
right now.

Sometimes it goes to open mic after first repeat, sometimes it's the
dozenth, and anything inbetween.  I have to kill the repeat, and start very
very odd.  Can't tell that there's a pattern.

This is on station power, latest firmware.

73,
Christian
AK4VV


On Mon, Feb 18, 2013 at 5:20 AM, Dominic Baines <[hidden email]>wrote:

> Lyle,
>
> Tnx fer the KX3 SSB DVR functionality ...I waited a long time for this so
> was eager to use it and I just had a /P trip to CT and it worked great as
> CT7/M1KTA/P when on the beach however I noted an odd bit of behaviour...
>
> The repeat function, sometimes it would run and send (I was using for CQCQ
> etc) repeats as expected, other times it would send once and then key the
> mic line (TX light would come on) but send nothing. A reset MSG then Long 1
> or 2 and it would run again fine, the message was still there.
>
> Same behaviour on internal batteries or an external power source car
> cigarette lighter socket.
>
> Happens often enough that it was not a one off glich.... any ideas?
>
> 72
>
> Dom
> M1KTA
>
>
> On 09/02/13 15:10, Lyle Johnson wrote:
>
>> It is for messages only, not recording off the air.
>>
>> The Flash used in the KX3's DSP requires a longer erase time than it
>> takes record, so it can not keep up in a real-time recording loop.
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> Lyle KK7P
>>
>>  Will the KX3 DVR be able to record what the receiver is hearing or just
>>> what the mic hears?
>>>
>>
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> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.**htm<http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm>
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>
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Re: KX3 DVR - glich?

Christian AK4VV
Another updated.  What happens is this.  DVRmessage, wait interval,
DVRmessage, wait interval, mic goes open.  Push 1 or 2 I get CHAIN message.
 Sometimes REPEAT briefly blinks in there, but I haven't quite figured out
what makes it happen.  When I hit any other button, END shows up and TX
ends.

73,
Christian
AK4VV


On Sat, Apr 13, 2013 at 10:11 PM, Christian AK4VV <[hidden email]> wrote:

> I have noticed the same thing during the Georgia QSO Party that I'm
> working right now.
>
> Sometimes it goes to open mic after first repeat, sometimes it's the
> dozenth, and anything inbetween.  I have to kill the repeat, and start very
> very odd.  Can't tell that there's a pattern.
>
> This is on station power, latest firmware.
>
> 73,
> Christian
> AK4VV
>
>
> On Mon, Feb 18, 2013 at 5:20 AM, Dominic Baines <[hidden email]>wrote:
>
>> Lyle,
>>
>> Tnx fer the KX3 SSB DVR functionality ...I waited a long time for this so
>> was eager to use it and I just had a /P trip to CT and it worked great as
>> CT7/M1KTA/P when on the beach however I noted an odd bit of behaviour...
>>
>> The repeat function, sometimes it would run and send (I was using for
>> CQCQ etc) repeats as expected, other times it would send once and then key
>> the mic line (TX light would come on) but send nothing. A reset MSG then
>> Long 1 or 2 and it would run again fine, the message was still there.
>>
>> Same behaviour on internal batteries or an external power source car
>> cigarette lighter socket.
>>
>> Happens often enough that it was not a one off glich.... any ideas?
>>
>> 72
>>
>> Dom
>> M1KTA
>>
>>
>> On 09/02/13 15:10, Lyle Johnson wrote:
>>
>>> It is for messages only, not recording off the air.
>>>
>>> The Flash used in the KX3's DSP requires a longer erase time than it
>>> takes record, so it can not keep up in a real-time recording loop.
>>>
>>> 73,
>>>
>>> Lyle KK7P
>>>
>>>  Will the KX3 DVR be able to record what the receiver is hearing or just
>>>> what the mic hears?
>>>>
>>>
>> ______________________________**______________________________**__
>> Elecraft mailing list
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>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.**htm<http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm>
>> Post: mailto:[hidden email].**net <[hidden email]>
>>
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>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>>
>
>
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Re: KX3 DVR - glich?

Christian AK4VV
Gave a talk on SOTA tonight and had conversations with several other KX3
owners who have seen the same thing...

73,
Christian
AK4VV
 On Apr 13, 2013 11:20 PM, "Christian AK4VV" <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Another updated.  What happens is this.  DVRmessage, wait interval,
> DVRmessage, wait interval, mic goes open.  Push 1 or 2 I get CHAIN message.
>  Sometimes REPEAT briefly blinks in there, but I haven't quite figured out
> what makes it happen.  When I hit any other button, END shows up and TX
> ends.
>
> 73,
> Christian
> AK4VV
>
>
> On Sat, Apr 13, 2013 at 10:11 PM, Christian AK4VV <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> I have noticed the same thing during the Georgia QSO Party that I'm
>> working right now.
>>
>> Sometimes it goes to open mic after first repeat, sometimes it's the
>> dozenth, and anything inbetween.  I have to kill the repeat, and start very
>> very odd.  Can't tell that there's a pattern.
>>
>> This is on station power, latest firmware.
>>
>> 73,
>> Christian
>> AK4VV
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Feb 18, 2013 at 5:20 AM, Dominic Baines <[hidden email]
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> Lyle,
>>>
>>> Tnx fer the KX3 SSB DVR functionality ...I waited a long time for this
>>> so was eager to use it and I just had a /P trip to CT and it worked great
>>> as CT7/M1KTA/P when on the beach however I noted an odd bit of behaviour...
>>>
>>> The repeat function, sometimes it would run and send (I was using for
>>> CQCQ etc) repeats as expected, other times it would send once and then key
>>> the mic line (TX light would come on) but send nothing. A reset MSG then
>>> Long 1 or 2 and it would run again fine, the message was still there.
>>>
>>> Same behaviour on internal batteries or an external power source car
>>> cigarette lighter socket.
>>>
>>> Happens often enough that it was not a one off glich.... any ideas?
>>>
>>> 72
>>>
>>> Dom
>>> M1KTA
>>>
>>>
>>> On 09/02/13 15:10, Lyle Johnson wrote:
>>>
>>>> It is for messages only, not recording off the air.
>>>>
>>>> The Flash used in the KX3's DSP requires a longer erase time than it
>>>> takes record, so it can not keep up in a real-time recording loop.
>>>>
>>>> 73,
>>>>
>>>> Lyle KK7P
>>>>
>>>>  Will the KX3 DVR be able to record what the receiver is hearing or
>>>>> just what the mic hears?
>>>>>
>>>>
>>> ______________________________**______________________________**__
>>> Elecraft mailing list
>>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/**mailman/listinfo/elecraft<http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft>
>>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.**htm<http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm>
>>> Post: mailto:[hidden email].**net <[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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Solar Power for KX3

Jimk8mr
Rather than reinvent the wheel, does anybody have experience or suggestions for a small solar array sufficient to keep a KX3 with internal batteries going during daylight? I would assume 10 watts average over a reasonable TX duty cycle would be enough.? Something strong enough or flexible enough to withstand packing for air travel would be desirable.


73?? -? Jim?? K8MR

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Re: Solar Power for KX3

Fred Townsend-2
Jim:
Be careful what you ask for. Solar arrays are not rated for average.
Probably because there is no such thing as an average sun. I'd like to say
they are rated for peak power but that is somewhat illusionary too. How much
power you actually get from an array depends on many things. You will want
to get some sort of charge controller for sure. That is so you can match the
charging requirements of your rig and battery to the array. DO NOT expect
them to be the same without a controller.
I will offer a little data I collected on a 12x18" array in Southern
California in June. I had a rig and 7AH gel cell in parallel. My peak solar
current was 225ma (.225 x 13.8 = 3.1w) and the rig was drawing right at
200ma in receive. That meant I was pushing 25ma into the battery to replace
what I used on transmit.
If I could have kept that going I would have been happy. I used the ammeter
to aim the array at the sun. The problem is the sun is always moving. In
twelve minutes my array power was down to less than 1 watt output. That
meant after five minutes I was taking power out of the gel cell to help
power the receiver. If I really wanted to charge the battery I had to turn
the rig off.

Ratings: The manufacturer rated the array at 5 watts but they said it was
the equivalent of a 10 watt array by using their controller.
This was a glass covered array not suitable for back packing. If I were back
packing I would want the more expensive roll-up arrays. Then you need a
frame to hang them in.
I have never seen any guaranteed ratings on solar arrays. Caveat Emptor.

73, Fred, AE6QL  

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of [hidden email]
Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2013 1:29 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] Solar Power for KX3

Rather than reinvent the wheel, does anybody have experience or suggestions
for a small solar array sufficient to keep a KX3 with internal batteries
going during daylight? I would assume 10 watts average over a reasonable TX
duty cycle would be enough.? Something strong enough or flexible enough to
withstand packing for air travel would be desirable.


73?? -? Jim?? K8MR

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Re: Solar Power for KX3

k6dgw
This Fred will second the other Fred.  My engineering team designed a
solar system for 4 repeater stations for a pipeline communications
system in S. Africa.  It was hugely overdesigned, we had to to meet the
contract specs.  In full sun, it made over 200A, way more than the wet
glass batteries needed or could handle, and we had to have a controller
that would sink all that power.  90 mins later, it was down to 110A, and
60 min later it was down to 60A which just about shouldered the site load.

Be careful in your plans.  For a field operation, it's great, and it
works well.  I was visiting my college roommate while they were building
a straw bale house, and one morning, there was no generator noise.
Turned out they had a solar trailer [I have a photo if anyone is
interested], it was bright and sunny, they could move the trailer, and
it seemed to power their skill saws and drills.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2013 Cal QSO Party 5-6 Oct 2013
- www.cqp.org

On 4/18/2013 8:39 PM, Fred Townsend wrote:
> Jim:
> Be careful what you ask for. Solar arrays are not rated for average.
> Probably because there is no such thing as an average sun. I'd like to say
> they are rated for peak power but that is somewhat illusionary too. How much
> power you actually get from an array depends on many things. You will want
> to get some sort of charge controller for sure. That is so you can match the
> charging requirements of your rig and battery to the array. DO NOT expect
> them to be the same without a controller.

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Re: Solar Power for KX3

Greg Troxel
In reply to this post by Jimk8mr
Panels are rated for a standard sun (1000 W/m^2 insolation) at I think
25C.  This is for the maximum power point, which is almost never the
voltage to charge the battery at.  The ones I've played with (powerfilm
5W, HQRP 20W) do more or less make their rated power in full sun (really
blue sky), and 5-20% of that in clouds.

I have a 20W panel with not particularly good siting that gets sun from
about 1030 to about 1600.  I have seen 1.3A from it, charging a 12V AGM
battery with a simple on/off controller (brunton).   Over the last 2
months I have gotten an average of just over 3 Ah per day.  On really
sunny days I get 7Ah.

So a solar setup really needs enough batteries to run for most of a week
(at least in New England), and enough panel to recharge if you have 1.5
sunny days in that week.

So for a fixed installation

  take daily use in Ah

  multiply by about 15 (1 week, don't discharge more than half) to get
  battery capacity

  take daily use in Ah, multiply by 2h of average good sun per day, and
  find a panel that can produce that current in full sun.



All that said, I have taken a single 7Ah battery and the 20W panel with
charge controller, and found that in mostly sunny conditions that powers
a kx3 indefinitely just fine.

Do not even think of using a panel without a charge controller.  You
will end up with excessive voltage and fry the battery.

73 de n1dam
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Re: Solar Power for KX3

Peter Wollan-2
In reply to this post by Jimk8mr
I suspect you're going to have to reinvent at least some of the wheel.  I
have a 10-watt panel I got several years ago and have used to power a K2 at
several Field Days.  It generates 0.5 amps at up to 20 volts in strong
sunlight.  Lower light intensity reduces the voltage but the amps stay
constant.  I run it into a charge controller (a kit from someone on this
list), then a gel-cell battery in parallel with the K2.  Running overnight,
not very intensely, the battery is fully charged again at the end of FD.

Lead batteries are very robust about charging, and I don't know if the
controller in the KX3 can accept this kind of wide-ranging power.

My panel is small and light, and is mounted in a nylon cover with a zipper
-- it's two panels which fold up.  It was about $100 -- cheap at the time.
 Looking around the web, there are folding amorphous silicon panels for
backpacking, for a lot of money, and larger, cheaper, heavier panels from
places like Home Depot and Northern Tools.  Kits are available.  You'll
need a silicon panel, a reverse-voltage protection diode, and some kind of
charge controller if the KX3 doesn't already do that.

I'd like to hear about your results.

Peter W0LLN


On Thu, Apr 18, 2013 at 3:28 PM, <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Rather than reinvent the wheel, does anybody have experience or
> suggestions for a small solar array sufficient to keep a KX3 with internal
> batteries going during daylight? I would assume 10 watts average over a
> reasonable TX duty cycle would be enough.? Something strong enough or
> flexible enough to withstand packing for air travel would be desirable.
>
>
> 73?? -? Jim?? K8MR
>
> ______________________________________________________________
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> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
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>
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Re: Solar Power for KX3

WB4SON
From personal experience with the KX3 and solar panels, a 10 watt panel
simply won't keep up.  A 20 watt panel is fine on a bright sunny day if you
shift its position and angle several times during the day.  But I now use a
30 watt folding panel which has been adequate even on slightly overcast
days to keep the battery fully charged, and I don't have to worry about
moving it around all the time (I can just lay it flat on the ground rather
than trying to match the exact sun angle).  Of course if it was black-sky
stormy, don't expect to keep up, and if it is winter time, lying it flat on
the ground isn't a good choice given the low sun angles.

I've run the KX3 in contest mode for several long contests and the average
current draw over the entire contest has bee 300 mA (for 5 watts output).
 Bumping the power up to 10 watts brings that average drain to about 400 mA.

73, Bob, WB4SON
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73, Bob, WB4SON
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Re: Solar Power for KX3

Matt Zilmer
In reply to this post by Jimk8mr
I'm using two solar setups.  One is a 100W system for the K3 and KX3 /
ham station generally.  That's probably not going to interest anyone
for portable ops with the KX3.

Five or so years ago, I bought 80 4.5-inch wafers from a 2nd tier
outfit in New England.  From these, I built two panels that supply 21V
with no load, and output is about 18W each.  The panels were designed
to strap on the rear of a backpack and they're about 16" x 28".  I've
used them only a few times as this transport arrangement is a bit
clumsy and maneuvering is difficult with that type of unwieldy
backpack load.  Now I only use them when I drive the operating
location.

I would recommend some of the more modern roll-up amorphous silicon PV
modules.  I've seen them at Field Day, but don't have any brand names.

73,
matt W6NIA

On Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:28:52 -0400 (EDT), you wrote:

>Rather than reinvent the wheel, does anybody have experience or suggestions for a small solar array sufficient to keep a KX3 with internal batteries going during daylight? I would assume 10 watts average over a reasonable TX duty cycle would be enough.? Something strong enough or flexible enough to withstand packing for air travel would be desirable.
>
>
>73?? -? Jim?? K8MR
>
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Re: Solar Power for KX3

KC6CNN
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Re: Solar Power for KX3

Matt Zilmer
I agree re the charge controller.  I use a kit-built one from CirKits.
Model: SCC3.  It is uber-RF-quiet being a linear cc, and can handle
20A.

73,
matt W6NIA

On Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:30:57 -0500, you wrote:

>The key here is a good charge controller. I use a mppt controller and it is
>98 % efficient. Gets 30% for charge. Has 3 different charge rates and
>handles all battery types.
>My RV is also wind turbine and solar powered. I have 560 watt solar to my
>mppt charger, then to my 900 amp hr battery bank. At night the wind turbine
>(600 watts) takes over and charges my battery bank. ( aw living off the
>grid. )
>
>On Apr 19, 2013 10:07 AM, "Matt Zilmer" <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> I'm using two solar setups.  One is a 100W system for the K3 and KX3 /
>> ham station generally.  That's probably not going to interest anyone
>> for portable ops with the KX3.
>>
>> Five or so years ago, I bought 80 4.5-inch wafers from a 2nd tier
>> outfit in New England.  From these, I built two panels that supply 21V
>> with no load, and output is about 18W each.  The panels were designed
>> to strap on the rear of a backpack and they're about 16" x 28".  I've
>> used them only a few times as this transport arrangement is a bit
>> clumsy and maneuvering is difficult with that type of unwieldy
>> backpack load.  Now I only use them when I drive the operating
>> location.
>>
>> I would recommend some of the more modern roll-up amorphous silicon PV
>> modules.  I've seen them at Field Day, but don't have any brand names.
>>
>> 73,
>> matt W6NIA
>>
>> On Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:28:52 -0400 (EDT), you wrote:
>>
>> >Rather than reinvent the wheel, does anybody have experience or
>> suggestions for a small solar array sufficient to keep a KX3 with internal
>> batteries going during daylight? I would assume 10 watts average over a
>> reasonable TX duty cycle would be enough.? Something strong enough or
>> flexible enough to withstand packing for air travel would be desirable.
>> >
>> >
>> >73?? -? Jim?? K8MR
>> >
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Re: Solar Power for KX3

WB4SON
In reply to this post by KC6CNN
MPPT Controllers (small capacity) are few and far between and expensive.
 Several are actually PWM, are falsely marketed as MPPT, making the
situation complicated.  A MPPT controller can produce about 30% more power
from a given solar panel during the summer months and about 10% more during
the winter months.  But it may be difficult to justify the substantial cost
increase for smaller panels -- ask the question are you better off spending
$100 more for a MPPT controller to get 3 watts more out of a 10 watt panel,
or spending $100 to buy a 20 watt panel?

The BuddiPole charge controller may be ideal for a KX3 user.  It is very
small, will work with LiFePO4 batteries or SLAs, and it isn't particularly
expensive.

But as others have said, using a charge controller is critical.

http://www.buddipole.com/sobaco.html

73, Bob, WB4SON
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73, Bob, WB4SON
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Re: Solar Power for KX3

Bill Frantz
I have two solar panels mounted together that I got, along with
a 36AH SLA battery for running our Colman camp cooler (5A draw)
on road trips. The panels together supply about 7.5A at 12-18V
and will fit on the roof rack of our 4Runner. I also have a made
in China charge controller for the setup which includes low
voltage cutoff. (All of these pieces came from Jameco.)

Having decided that it was wasteful to only use them on trips, I
put the panels on the roof and am using them to run the
K3/10+P3. This setup is good enough to run the radio on receive
all night. (I haven't tried it during our rainy season.) I hope
it will run well for field day.

Cheers - Bill AE6JV

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Re: Solar Power for KX3

Dr. William J. Schmidt, II
In reply to this post by WB4SON
A side note for those attending Dayton.  There has been a company that
manufactures solar panels for the government at Dayton the last couple of
years.  They sell "blemished" panels that are used as panels in tents for
power that would work perfectly for the KX3.  I've got two of them and use
them to charge my cell phone and run an electric cooler while out in
backwoods.  Forget the name of the company but they set up close to the M2,
Green Herron rotor control, Array solutions booths.


Dr. William J. Schmidt - K9HZ / J68HZ/ 8P6HK/ ZF2HZ
 
Owner - Operator
Big Signal Ranch
Staunton, Illinois
 
email:  [hidden email]

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Re: Solar Power for KX3

Edward R Cole
In reply to this post by Jimk8mr
Up here in Alaska I had a few experiences using solar powered remote
communication systems.  I worked a couple years for the BLM Wildfire
Center (Fairbanks) radio shop and we had some 5w GE repeaters
installed in big fiberglass boxes with a square solar panel attached
to the cover.  We would just take them out to a location (usually a
hill or mountain top) and set them on the tundra with the panel
facing straight up.  The panels never got direct sun but averaged
about 70% of peak all thru the long arctic summer (20+ hours).  I'm
guessing the panel was about 20-30w.

One summer/fall I worked for a bush PBS TV station (KYUK Bethel, AK)
maintaining remote TV translators.  Many ran on solar panels which
were installed vertical on the side of plywood sheds that housed the
equipment.  The theory was the max solar power was needed in winter
with short daylight near the horizon;' during the summer the sun was
high but days were long so average power was much more.  These were
2-3 30w panels for running 10w TV translators 100% transmitting an AM
video carrier.

My last work involved remote repeater sites only accessible by air
*helo*.  They ran on huge alkaline battery banks (10,800 AH) but had
200AH batteries with 60w panels recharging them in summer.  Automatic
voltage sensed switching changed over from solar to the alkaline
plant.  These panel were faced south at the optimum solar angle
between noon and sunrise/sunset.

For a portable "backpack" system one will have to rely on frequent
repointing to keep the panel in optimum sun.  Interestingly an
overcast summer day has 70% of the sun's power on a clear day.  A
flexible solar panel can be rolled and carried in a tube.

73, Ed - KL7UW

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