Re: K2 battery source in UK
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I agree Stephen! I only bought the KBT2-X (that's the kit w/o the
battery) and used a 2.3 AH battery as that was the largest capacity I could find in the UK that would fit (Yuasa from memory, although I am now on my 2nd battery and can't recall the typle). What ruins these batteries is being completely discharged, keeping them fully charged shouldn't be a problem. Just don't expect too much from the battery and replace it from time to time. 73 Dave, G4AON ---------------------- To buy a replacement from Elecraft and then pay for the 1kg battery to be shipped from CA to the UK is crazy. I'd be grateful for any pointers from UK readers! Thanks and 73 Stephen G4SJP ______________________________________________________________ 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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Hi Dave
There are some Yuasa batteries on eBay at the moment specified as deep cycle, but I agree that most of these batteries are only designed for standby use and in most applications will only ever sit on float charge throughout their working life. I was just hoping for one with greater capacity than the current offerings! 73 Stephen G4SJP On 31/01/2009 19:19, "Dave G4AON" <[hidden email]> wrote: > > I agree Stephen! I only bought the KBT2-X (that's the kit w/o the > battery) and used a 2.3 AH battery as that was the largest capacity I > could find in the UK that would fit (Yuasa from memory, although I am > now on my 2nd battery and can't recall the typle). > > What ruins these batteries is being completely discharged, keeping them > fully charged shouldn't be a problem. Just don't expect too much from > the battery and replace it from time to time. > > 73 Dave, G4AON > ---------------------- > To buy a replacement from Elecraft and then pay for the 1kg battery to be > shipped from CA to the UK is crazy. I'd be grateful for any pointers from > UK readers! > > Thanks and 73 > > Stephen G4SJP > ______________________________________________________________ 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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In reply to this post by Dave, G4AON
Stephen, I can find two other sources of 2.3 AH, see below.
RS Components (http://rswww.com/), part number 537-5450 http://shop.eurobatteries.com/batteries-sealed-lead-acid-c-25_62.html 73 Dave, G4AON ______________________________________________________________ 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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In reply to this post by Dave, G4AON
One thing I have found is that 13.8 to the rear connector does not provide
13.8 to the battery, and it would NOT charge fully. Some of that is diode drop and some is drop in the connectors. I now run that power supply at 14.4 for the K2, K3 and everything else. That puts about 13.9/14.0 on the battery and that does apparently charge it fully. 73, Guy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave G4AON" <[hidden email]> To: <[hidden email]> Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2009 2:19 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] [K2] K2 battery source in UK >I agree Stephen! I only bought the KBT2-X (that's the kit w/o the > battery) and used a 2.3 AH battery as that was the largest capacity I > could find in the UK that would fit (Yuasa from memory, although I am > now on my 2nd battery and can't recall the typle). > > What ruins these batteries is being completely discharged, keeping them > fully charged shouldn't be a problem. Just don't expect too much from > the battery and replace it from time to time. > > 73 Dave, G4AON > ---------------------- > To buy a replacement from Elecraft and then pay for the 1kg battery to be > shipped from CA to the UK is crazy. I'd be grateful for any pointers from > UK readers! > > Thanks and 73 > > Stephen G4SJP > ______________________________________________________________ > 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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Hello Guy
Yes, I had the same issue and that's what killed the battery for me. By the time I had realised and had increased my psu output voltage to 14.5V, unfortunately the damage had been done. Don W3FPR has some info on his website and has provided a separate charging input socket for his K2 and I might do just that. Thanks for the reply 73 Stephen On 31/01/2009 19:48, "Guy Olinger, K2AV" <[hidden email]> wrote: > > One thing I have found is that 13.8 to the rear connector does not provide > 13.8 to the battery, and it would NOT charge fully. Some of that is diode > drop and some is drop in the connectors. I now run that power supply at > 14.4 for the K2, K3 and everything else. That puts about 13.9/14.0 on the > battery and that does apparently charge it fully. > > 73, Guy > ______________________________________________________________ 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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I bought my battery from Maplin.co.uk. They specify the dimensions so it should be easy enough to work out which one will fit. Incidentally my battery is still the original one that I fitted in 1999. I don't know how to test it's condition, but it holds at 11.8V on receive for longer than I could be bothered waiting.
Julian, G4ILO. K2 #392 K3 #222 KX3 #110
* G4ILO's Shack - http://www.g4ilo.com * KComm - http://www.g4ilo.com/kcomm.html * KTune - http://www.g4ilo.com/ktune.html |
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I think several suppliers do suitable batteries. It is important they don't leak.
I find my K2 battery to be quite heavy for packing on trips abroad. Since the time the K2 battery was designed, possibly better options have become available. Lithium Ion (with appropriate charging) NiMH. It should not be too hard to fit a 2AH NiMH pack for example, but Lithium Ion notebook packs might be the way forward. It is something I intend to look into doing some time. Mike
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In reply to this post by Julian, G4ILO
Well of course it's a question of convenience. It's neater and more
compact to have the battery inside the K2. Also a major advantage of the battery for me is that it weights the K2 down on the desktop so it doesn't slide away when I push a button. However the main use it has had is when I forgot to turn the power supply on! I like the idea of operating /P but I dislike cold, wind and rain and that's what the weather is like most of the time here, so I have never taken advantage of the K2's portability. :( Although an external battery could provide more capacity, the K2's battery has greater capacity than the one in an FT-817 and the K2 draws much less power than an 817, especially on receive. It has more than enough capacity for a couple of hours operating. One should just take care not to run it down below a certain voltage, that's all. I made no special charging arrangements for mine, just connected the radio to a PSU adjusted to 14.2V. Julian, G4ILO G4ILO's Shack: www.g4ilo.com 2009/2/1 KBG Luxford <[hidden email]>: > I put a battery into one of the K2s that I assembled. I would not do it > again for the reason that, as far as I am aware, these batteries are not > designed for deep cycle operation. I think that to get the best life from > SLA batteries, one should use a smart charger. With the use of an external > battery, one can have a higher amp hour capacity for little more money - > especially if one wants to be able to use modes in addition to CW. With a > higher capacity external battery, the same amount of usage will not result > in a lower degree of discharge - assuming you do not have recharge > facilities or a solar panel in the field. > > Borrowing a philosophy from software engineering, " let each module do but > one task and do it well." > > FWIW > > 73 > Kevin > VK3DAP / ZL2DAP > > Julian, G4ILO wrote: > > Stephen Prior wrote: > > > Hello Guy > > Yes, I had the same issue and that's what killed the battery for me. By > the > time I had realised and had increased my psu output voltage to 14.5V, > unfortunately the damage had been done. Don W3FPR has some info on his > website and has provided a separate charging input socket for his K2 and I > might do just that. > > > > > I bought my battery from Maplin.co.uk. They specify the dimensions so it > should be easy enough to work out which one will fit. > > Incidentally my battery is still the original one that I fitted in 1999. I > don't know how to test it's condition, but it holds at 11.8V on receive for > longer than I could be bothered waiting. > > ----- > Julian, G4ILO. K2 #392 K3 #222. > http://www.g4ilo.com/ G4ILO's Shack http://www.ham-directory.com/ Ham > Directory http://www.g4ilo.com/kcomm.html KComm for Elecraft K2 and K3 > 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
Julian, G4ILO. K2 #392 K3 #222 KX3 #110
* G4ILO's Shack - http://www.g4ilo.com * KComm - http://www.g4ilo.com/kcomm.html * KTune - http://www.g4ilo.com/ktune.html |
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