[OT] Any good experience/recommendations with boost regulators with K3?

[WB4SON]

Hey,

Sort of off topic, but I was wondering if anyone has any positive
experience using boost regulators fed from a lead acid battery to drive
their K3?  Specifically I'm wondering which models might be relatively free
of emitted noise, are fairly efficient, and haven't messed up in a typical
RF environment.

I use solar panels to keep a flooded lead acid battery array charged, then
run my ham stuff from that - but the battery voltage does sag lower than
I'd like under transmit, dropping down to about 12.0 VDC, so I'd like to
get it closer to 13.8 under load by using a boost regulator.

Appreciate the bandwidth, and thanks in advance.

73, Bob, WB4SON
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[mzilmer]

http://stores.tgelectronics.org/Detail.bok?no=10 works quite well.  I have two 50W Seimens PV modules feeding a charge controller, then to an Optima 75AH AGM.  The Optima is the shack supply.

Matt Zilmer
Consultant - Product Management Dept.
Magellan Navigation / MiTAC Digital Corp.
Tel: [phone]
Cell: [phone]
Si fractum non sit, noli id reficere


-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Bob
Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2012 9:10 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] [OT] Any good experience/recommendations with boost regulators with K3?

Hey,

Sort of off topic, but I was wondering if anyone has any positive experience using boost regulators fed from a lead acid battery to drive their K3?  Specifically I'm wondering which models might be relatively free of emitted noise, are fairly efficient, and haven't messed up in a typical RF environment.

I use solar panels to keep a flooded lead acid battery array charged, then run my ham stuff from that - but the battery voltage does sag lower than I'd like under transmit, dropping down to about 12.0 VDC, so I'd like to get it closer to 13.8 under load by using a boost regulator.

Appreciate the bandwidth, and thanks in advance.

73, Bob, WB4SON
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[zeke7237]

I use a pair of Jacobs Accuvolts .. and they're pretty noisy on 6M
(the lowest frequency in the rover). One of them is on all the time
and lives in an RF-tight box with industrial filtered feedthroughs,
the other is keyed by the sequencer for the low-band station so it's
only enabled during transmit ..

de w1rt/john

On Thu, Aug 9, 2012 at 12:10 PM, Bob <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Hey,
>
> Sort of off topic, but I was wondering if anyone has any positive
> experience using boost regulators fed from a lead acid battery to drive
> their K3?  Specifically I'm wondering which models might be relatively free
> of emitted noise, are fairly efficient, and haven't messed up in a typical
> RF environment.
>
> I use solar panels to keep a flooded lead acid battery array charged, then
> run my ham stuff from that - but the battery voltage does sag lower than
> I'd like under transmit, dropping down to about 12.0 VDC, so I'd like to
> get it closer to 13.8 under load by using a boost regulator.
>
> Appreciate the bandwidth, and thanks in advance.
>
> 73, Bob, WB4SON
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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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[Chip Stratton]

I have one of the tgelectronics boosters. It does what it says, but there
is still a small amount of RFI that will get into a nearby antenna. The
solution is to use the transmit sensing feature of the boost regulator, so
that it is only active on transmit, and shuts off on receive - during which
you don't need full voltage anyway.

Chip
AE5KA
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[Oscar, WB5GCX]

Bob,
  Not sure why you'd need a boost regulator.  The K3 is one of the very few
HF transceivers that specifies it will work fine down to 11v.  I've used
mine for years from a 12v SLA with no problems at all.  Use 100AH
SLA(wheelchair battery) at home (use Powergate to charge/control voltage),
so most of the time K3 supply is sitting at 13.8v.  However, I often unplug
AC when storms are near.  I often forget to plug AC back in and the K3 runs
on 12v for weeks of daily nets before I notice low input voltage.  (Couple
of hours a day at 100 watts tx, SSB).
  When camping with Boy Scouts, I usually use a 26AH SLA.  Never had a
problem with that either.  However, I usually run around 40 watts power to
help conserve energy.  That's usually just a weekend.
  If you want to be able to run another brand transceiver from battery
power, then, yes, you do need the boost regulator.  Elecraft rocks!
Oscar, WB5GCX

On Thu, Aug 9, 2012 at 11:18 AM, Matthew Zilmer <[hidden email]>wrote:

> http://stores.tgelectronics.org/Detail.bok?no=10 works quite well.  I
> have two 50W Seimens PV modules feeding a charge controller, then to an
> Optima 75AH AGM.  The Optima is the shack supply.
>
> Matt Zilmer
> Consultant - Product Management Dept.
> Magellan Navigation / MiTAC Digital Corp.
> Tel: [phone]
> Cell: [phone]
> Si fractum non sit, noli id reficere
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [hidden email] [mailto:
> [hidden email]] On Behalf Of Bob
> Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2012 9:10 AM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: [Elecraft] [OT] Any good experience/recommendations with boost
> regulators with K3?
>
> Hey,
>
> Sort of off topic, but I was wondering if anyone has any positive
> experience using boost regulators fed from a lead acid battery to drive
> their K3?  Specifically I'm wondering which models might be relatively free
> of emitted noise, are fairly efficient, and haven't messed up in a typical
> RF environment.
>
> I use solar panels to keep a flooded lead acid battery array charged, then
> run my ham stuff from that - but the battery voltage does sag lower than
> I'd like under transmit, dropping down to about 12.0 VDC, so I'd like to
> get it closer to 13.8 under load by using a boost regulator.
>
> Appreciate the bandwidth, and thanks in advance.
>
> 73, Bob, WB4SON
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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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[Chip Stratton]

I don't have a K3, I've used the TGE booster for an ICOM IC-7000 on the
boat, and it wants the higher voltage for near full power transmit.  As for
the transmit sensing, yes the TGE I have has a BNC connector on it, and you
would put a T in your coax to the antenna, and the boost regulator senses
the RF voltage.

Chip
AE5KA
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[Jim Bennett]

Bob,

I have a 75w GE solar panel outside, feeding a Morningstar Prostar 15M charge controller, and that feeds three 108ah AGM batteries in parallel. For several years I did not have any sort of boost regulator. Things worked pretty well, but the winters in northern California can bring days on end w/o enough sunshine to get the batteries up to full speed. Doing a lot of 100w QSO'ing will eventually run the battery voltage dow almost to the "danger zone" as far as the K3 is concerned. Two years ago the XYL bought me one of the TGE units: the N8XJK Boost Regulator, with the optional meter panel. Very, very cool.

I run the output of the boost regulator into a West Mountain Radio Rig Runner 4008. Everything in the shack (K3, MFJ-259B, operating light) is powered through that distribution box. And with the addition of the Boost Regulator, I ALWAYS have 13.8 V going to each unit.

When I first got the Boost Regulator, I noticed birdies all over many of the HF bands. I'd turn off the regulator and the birdies went away. I called TGE (can't remember the fellow's name, but he was very cordial) and explained the situation to him. He worked with me on the issue and the problem has been resolved. He replaced my Boost Regulator with one having much longer leads and supplied me with a handful of rather large ferrite cores. I wrapped the wires from the Boost Regulator through the ferrites several times and the birdies have disappeared.

That was two years ago. I don't know if they've had any design changes in the mean time that deal with the birdies, or if one must still use the ferrites they supply. It would be worth a call to them to see what their current situation is regarding the birdie issue. You can use my name and call if that helps joggle his mind!

If you opt to go with another vendor's booster (MFJ also sells one), check with other hams to see if they are having HF birdie issues.

Anyway, I've been running my 100w station with solar panel / battery power for quite a few years - now that I've had a boost regulator, I would not want to be without one. After all, why make the K3 draw more current than necessary to have xxx amount of output power? :-)


On   Thursday, Aug 9, 2012, at  Thursday, 9:10 AM, Bob wrote:

> Hey,
>
> Sort of off topic, but I was wondering if anyone has any positive
> experience using boost regulators fed from a lead acid battery to drive
> their K3?  Specifically I'm wondering which models might be relatively free
> of emitted noise, are fairly efficient, and haven't messed up in a typical
> RF environment.
>
> I use solar panels to keep a flooded lead acid battery array charged, then
> run my ham stuff from that - but the battery voltage does sag lower than
> I'd like under transmit, dropping down to about 12.0 VDC, so I'd like to
> get it closer to 13.8 under load by using a boost regulator.
>
> Appreciate the bandwidth, and thanks in advance.
>
> 73, Bob, WB4SON
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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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