KX3 Solar backpacking power advice

[joemoffatt]

Hey guys...

I tried to search through the list to find what I wanted, but I can't find exactly the info I think I need.

Anyhow, I am trying to figure out what to use for portable solar rechargeable power while backpacking in the mountains.   My typical trip will be 2-3 days, a few hours a day operating primarily CW.   5 watts is fine for CW....

Anyhow, I am curious for recommendations.

Thanks,

Joe
AB5OR
Tupelo, MS

______________________________________________________________
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
Message delivered to [hidden email]

[Jim Brown-10]

Joe,

I'm not sure how exact you need info to be, but there's been a lot of it
here, some of it from me. I and others have recommended LiFePO4
batteries from Bioenno Power for this application. They had a booth at
the Visalia hamfest last month.

https://www.bioennopower.com/collections/12v-series-lifepo4-batteries

This company is also a known good source.

http://www.batteryspace.com/128vlifepo4batterypacks.aspx

Both are small companies located in California, both are easy to talk to
via email and land line, both are good to deal with. Both sell battery
packs assembled from a Chinese factory with whom they have a direct
relationship, in many sizes and shapes to fit all sorts of replacement
applications.

I bought a 20Ah battery and charger from Bioenno Power.

73, Jim K9YC

On Mon,5/2/2016 7:53 AM, Joe Moffatt wrote:
> Hey guys...
>
> I tried to search through the list to find what I wanted, but I can't find exactly the info I think I need.
>
> Anyhow, I am trying to figure out what to use for portable solar rechargeable power while backpacking in the mountains.   My typical trip will be 2-3 days, a few hours a day operating primarily CW.   5 watts is fine for CW....
>
> Anyhow, I am curious for recommendations.
>
>

______________________________________________________________
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
Message delivered to [hidden email]

[Ignacy]

Probably the weight is a concern.

You may use a foldable panel (e.g., 5W) and either charge internal rechargables or external Lithium.I was frustrated with foldable panels because of low output under less than perfect sun and poor reliability.

The other option is to take enough Li-Ion batteries.  I prefer Li-ion instead of LiFe-PO3 because of lower weight.   A 11.1V (12.6V peak) 5A battery weights 300g (10oz) and should last a few days. Note that KX3 uses almost half current at 5W if supplied with > 11V.

Ignacy, NO9E

[Todd]

I've done this. For a 2 - 3 day trip, you'll be fine with some of the
batteries that K9YC mentioned.
Bioenno is/was giving a discount to the active SOTA group.  In the past,
on short trips I've found
that if you're not going to stay put in one area, then you wont need
solar at all.  The LiFePO4's
will be plenty.  Until I started using the LiFePO4's, I used an
Energizer XP8000, roll up thin film
panels (2 @10Watts), and the solar charger that the Buddipole guys
sell.  It's what I had from
days of playing out in the hills.  The Energizer is slick in that it
will take 19V from the panels
and charge, while also providing several outputs for laptop, cell
phones, radios, etc. Kinda
pricey though.

I stay with the 12.6V LiFePO4's. When not playing radio, can be used for
other camp
chores/duties like LED lighting, cell phone, camera, etc etc....

Have fun.

73, Todd KH2TJ


Joe Moffatt wrote:
> Anyhow, I am trying to figure out what to use for portable solar rechargeable power while backpacking in the mountains.   My typical trip will be 2-3 days, a few hours a day operating primarily CW.   5 watts is fine for CW....
>
>
>    
______________________________________________________________
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
Message delivered to [hidden email]

[Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT]

It's been a while since I've been backpacking, but this got me to
thinking....

If you're actively hiking, you can't really hang a panel on your pack
and plan on it being pointed at the sun.  That means either staying put
to charge batteries, or bigger panels for faster charging, or bigger
batteries for the days you can't effectively charge, or something like that.

Is solar charging in this case even practical?  The bigger the panel,
the heavier the load.

A quick and dirty, conservative calculation suggests that the lithiums
would be good for a couple of days of "a few hours" at 5 watts.  
Probably twice that at "an hour or so."

73 -- Lynn

On 5/2/2016 9:02 AM, Walter Underwood wrote:
> If you don’t mind non-rechargeable batteries, AA lithium primary cells are the lightest option. They are about 0.5 ounce each, so a 3000 mAh set weighs 4 ounces. Carrying a spare set of those will be lighter than a solar panel. They are also 1.5 V, so you get 36 Wh from a set instead of 25 Wh from a set of 2500 mAh NiMh cell.
>
> On May 2, 2016, at 7:53 AM, Joe Moffatt <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> Anyhow, I am trying to figure out what to use for portable solar rechargeable power while backpacking in the mountains.   My typical trip will be 2-3 days, a few hours a day operating primarily CW.   5 watts is fine for CW....
>

______________________________________________________________
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
Message delivered to [hidden email]

[Doug Plunkett]

Lynn,

I haven't tried it with my KX3 but I'm an avid Appalachian Trail hiker and have run into several hikers with solar panels on top of their backpacks charging iPhones and weather radios as they hike. Not sure if the output is sufficient for us hams but it's probably getting there.

Sent from my iPhone

> On May 2, 2016, at 2:15 PM, Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> It's been a while since I've been backpacking, but this got me to thinking....
>
> If you're actively hiking, you can't really hang a panel on your pack and plan on it being pointed at the sun.  That means either staying put to charge batteries, or bigger panels for faster charging, or bigger batteries for the days you can't effectively charge, or something like that.
>
> Is solar charging in this case even practical?  The bigger the panel, the heavier the load.
>
> A quick and dirty, conservative calculation suggests that the lithiums would be good for a couple of days of "a few hours" at 5 watts.  Probably twice that at "an hour or so."
>
> 73 -- Lynn
>
>> On 5/2/2016 9:02 AM, Walter Underwood wrote:
>> If you don’t mind non-rechargeable batteries, AA lithium primary cells are the lightest option. They are about 0.5 ounce each, so a 3000 mAh set weighs 4 ounces. Carrying a spare set of those will be lighter than a solar panel. They are also 1.5 V, so you get 36 Wh from a set instead of 25 Wh from a set of 2500 mAh NiMh cell.
>>
>> On May 2, 2016, at 7:53 AM, Joe Moffatt <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>
>> Anyhow, I am trying to figure out what to use for portable solar rechargeable power while backpacking in the mountains.   My typical trip will be 2-3 days, a few hours a day operating primarily CW.   5 watts is fine for CW....
>>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
> Message delivered to [hidden email]

______________________________________________________________
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
Message delivered to [hidden email]

[Erlend Grimseid]

I did some research and calculations on this subject for an trip last
summer.
If I remember correctly I found that an adequate solar panel weighs about
the same as an weeks worth of lifepo4. So I just brought an bigger battery.
And I'm glad I did as there where no sun the entire week.

La4tta
Erlend
3. mai 2016 00:38 skrev "H Doug Plunkett" <[hidden email]>:

> Lynn,
>
> I haven't tried it with my KX3 but I'm an avid Appalachian Trail hiker and
> have run into several hikers with solar panels on top of their backpacks
> charging iPhones and weather radios as they hike. Not sure if the output is
> sufficient for us hams but it's probably getting there.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On May 2, 2016, at 2:15 PM, Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT
> <[hidden email]> wrote:
> >
> > It's been a while since I've been backpacking, but this got me to
> thinking....
> >
> > If you're actively hiking, you can't really hang a panel on your pack
> and plan on it being pointed at the sun.  That means either staying put to
> charge batteries, or bigger panels for faster charging, or bigger batteries
> for the days you can't effectively charge, or something like that.
> >
> > Is solar charging in this case even practical?  The bigger the panel,
> the heavier the load.
> >
> > A quick and dirty, conservative calculation suggests that the lithiums
> would be good for a couple of days of "a few hours" at 5 watts.  Probably
> twice that at "an hour or so."
> >
> > 73 -- Lynn
> >
> >> On 5/2/2016 9:02 AM, Walter Underwood wrote:
> >> If you don’t mind non-rechargeable batteries, AA lithium primary cells
> are the lightest option. They are about 0.5 ounce each, so a 3000 mAh set
> weighs 4 ounces. Carrying a spare set of those will be lighter than a solar
> panel. They are also 1.5 V, so you get 36 Wh from a set instead of 25 Wh
> from a set of 2500 mAh NiMh cell.
> >>
> >> On May 2, 2016, at 7:53 AM, Joe Moffatt <[hidden email]> wrote:
> >>
> >> Anyhow, I am trying to figure out what to use for portable solar
> rechargeable power while backpacking in the mountains.   My typical trip
> will be 2-3 days, a few hours a day operating primarily CW.   5 watts is
> fine for CW....
> >>
> >
> > ______________________________________________________________
> > 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
> > Message delivered to [hidden email]
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
> Message delivered to [hidden email]

______________________________________________________________
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
Message delivered to [hidden email]