Date: Wed, 10 Nov 93 16:30:16 PST
From: Info-Hams Mailing List and Newsgroup <info-hams@ucsd.edu>
Errors-To: Info-Hams-Errors@UCSD.Edu
Reply-To: Info-Hams@UCSD.Edu
Precedence: Bulk
Subject: Info-Hams Digest V93 #1333
To: Info-Hams
Info-Hams Digest Wed, 10 Nov 93 Volume 93 : Issue 1333
Today's Topics:
80m on 20m dipole
Amateur Radio Newsline #847
Falicy of poor generalization. (Was 'Vanity' Call Signs, now paying fo
Kenwood address - info needed
Looking for Hammarlund manual (mine has 3 pages missing!)
MACINTOSH, HAM,
Modify a TV antenna?
need qsl route for ZL2K (cq WW)
Observations on Kenwood TH-78
Poor audio fix for HTs
Questions about Yaesu FT-411E
Readership Report for the Radio-Related Usenet Newsgroups
RS Preferred Customer (Re: Fun with Radio Shack)
This Week On Spectrum
Send Replies or notes for publication to: <Info-Hams@UCSD.Edu>
Send subscription requests to: <Info-Hams-REQUEST@UCSD.Edu>
Problems you can't solve otherwise to brian@ucsd.edu.
Archives of past issues of the Info-Hams Digest are available
(by FTP only) from UCSD.Edu in directory "mailarchives/info-hams".
We trust that readers are intelligent enough to realize that all text
herein consists of personal comments and does not represent the official
policies or positions of any party. Your mileage may vary. So there.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 10 Nov 93 19:18:12 GMT
From: news.cs.indiana.edu!usenet.ucs.indiana.edu!master.cs.rose-hulman.edu!news@rutgers.rutgers.edu
Subject: 80m on 20m dipole
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
Previously on rec.radio.amateur. misc we heard...
> You are correct. The only case that wire feeders in the shack are when
> ^^^^^^^^^
the antena presents a high impeadence load and the the feeders are an
> half wave or a
> multiple half wave length long.
============================
High line currents don't necessarily give "rf in the shack". It depends
on how far from the line the electromagnetic waves are significantly
strong. You think that if ur using coax, there's no problem. Not if the
coax sees a load which causes external fields on the OUTSIDE of the braid.
A low impedance load will do what the above suggests too.
73 de Jack, K9CUN
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1993 15:00:17 GMT
From: spsgate!mogate!newsgate!news@uunet.uu.net
Subject: Amateur Radio Newsline #847
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
In article <2bnrvv$jn1@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>
wvanhorn@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (William E Van Horne) writes:
> M.Willis@ee.surrey.ac.uk (Mike Willis) writes:
>
> >> NEWSLINE RADIO - CBBS EDITION #97 - POSTED 11/05/93
>
> >What 11th May ! This is old stuff, why post it now in November?
>
> >Mike
>
> Columbus, Ohio 11\09\93
>
> I believe it was Shaw who said something like: "Britain and the
> U.S. are two countries separated by a common language".
>
> They are also separated by the fact that Brits always write
> their dates backwards! :-)
>
> 73, Van - W8UOF
> wvanhorn@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
And they don't drive on the right side of the road! :-)
73... Mark AA7TA
------------------------------
Date: 10 Nov 93 01:28:35 GMT
From: spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!cyber2.cyberstore.ca!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!alberta!atha!aupair.cs.athabascau.ca!rwa@decwrl.dec.com
Subject: Falicy of poor generalization. (Was 'Vanity' Call Signs, now paying fo
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
dadams@cray.com (David Adams) writes:
>[sorry, botched the attrib; Ross] writes:
>|things, this argument is absurd. To say that kids would not be able to
>|afford a cost roughly equivalent to the cost of a CD makes me laugh. Go to
>|N3OXM
>This is like saying that given the millions that all these OMs spend on
>Yaesu, ICOM, and Kenwood equipment, it is absurd to think that all hams
>can not afford new TS-50s.
Is it? This is a leap of rather a large order. If $15 is keeping
someone (even a child) out of the hobby, they have much worse problems
which they should deal with ASAP, and get their lives into order.
>Think.
I am. Hell, I made $20/week back in the 60's, as a 12 year old. I
had a good sized newspaper route. Has the economy collapsed utterly?
Why do I see so many kids wearing $100 sneakers?
Americans talk a wonderful line about self-determination, go-getting,
and the wonders of the free market. Then they turn around and moan
about paying pocket change for a license. Wake up you WANKs, the rest
of the world thinks of you as whiners.
regards,
Ross ve6pdq
--
Ross Alexander,rwa@cs.athabascau.ca,(403) 675 6311,ve6pdq@nebulus.ampr.ab.ca
"Arguably worse, the compiler can produce any result it deems fit, up
to and including the start of World War III (assuming the right
optional hardware has been installed)." -- Fortran FAQ
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1993 06:44:25 GMT
From: saimiri.primate.wisc.edu!hp9000.csc.cuhk.hk!hkuxb.hku.hk!hkuxa.hku.hk!pckwong@ames.arpa
Subject: Kenwood address - info needed
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
Jonathan Bucki (buckij@mari.acc.stolaf.edu) wrote:
: Greetings,
:
: I haven't used my HT for about a year and a half. When I dug it out of the
: box I found that I didn't have the manual. Could someone either post
: or send me Kenwood's USA address? Or if there is an electronic version of
: the TH-26AT manual somewhere, where can I find it?
:
: jonathan bucki
: n9mks
:
: p.s. if you own one of these, and are feeling a bit kind, please send me
: a few instructions, I'm completely lost and I don't know anyone who has
: a TH-26AT in this area.
:
It's that simple, go to a HAM shop, check from some later KENWOOD models,
find out the address from the manual, or tell the story and seek for help.
It's that simple. Good luck!
73, VS6XVI
------------------------------
Date: 8 Nov 93 23:21:28 GMT
From: sdd.hp.com!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!noc.near.net!ceylon!bunny!jp07@decwrl.dec.com
Subject: Looking for Hammarlund manual (mine has 3 pages missing!)
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
I'm looking for someone with the "Instruction and Service Information" manual
for a Hammarlund HX-500 Transmitter. My copy is missing pages 13, 14, &
37 (a schematic). If you can help out, via fax or mail, I'll pre-pay the
phone call or postage.
Thanks for any help. -Jim.
------------------------------
Date: 7 Nov 93 17:30:53 GMT
From: psinntp!wlnntp.psi.com!usenet@uunet.uu.net
Subject: MACINTOSH, HAM,
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
Or... feel free to e-mail direct and I'll forward you my latest version
that I am working on.
I am updating the list mentioned by Scott... and will have the latest
version out to the net real soon. I am only posting the list to the net
when there are significant changes. There are a couple of new entries
this month... stay tuned.
>DATE: Sun, 31 Oct 1993 13:52:23 GMT
>FROM: Scott Ehrlich <wy1z@chopin.coe.northeastern.edu>
>
>In article <1993Oct28.204450.11696@krk.fi> tofi@krk.fi (Kristoffer H{ggstr|m) writes:
>
> Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
> Path: lynx!noc.near.net!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uunet!pipex!sunic!trane.uninett.no!news.eunet.no!nuug!news.eunet.fi!fuug!krk!krksun.krk.fi!tofi
> From: tofi@krk.fi (Kristoffer H{ggstr|m)
> Sender: usenet@krk.fi
> Nntp-Posting-Host: krksun.krk.fi
> Organization: Radio Club of Kauniainen (OH2NRG)
> X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL9]
> Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1993 20:44:50 GMT
> Lines: 12
>
> Hi there!!
>
> I would like to know if there is any programs on the Macintosh
> to help HAMs to keep their log?????
>
> ----
>
> Kristoffer H{ggstr|m
> tofi@krk.fi
>
> PS. please reply to my personal address.
>
>Sorry, but I have opted to post to Usenet for the benefit of everyone
>else.
>
>I'm not sure where logging programs for the Macintosh might reside, but
>the ARRL has a nice listing of s/w available for the Mac.
>
>You can get the info via e-mail from: info@arrl.org, with the body of the
>message containing: send software-mac
>
>or you could FTP into: world.std.com, in the directory:
>/pub/hamradio/arrl/Server-files
>
>The ARRL files on World are updated as often as the ARRL sends me the
>updated versions of what they put on their server.
>
>Hope this helps.
>
>73,
>Scott
>
>--
>===============================================================================
>| Scott Ehrlich Internet: wy1z@neu.edu |
>| Amateur Radio: wy1z AX.25: wy1z@wa1phy.#ema.ma.usa.na |
>|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
>| Maintainer of the Boston Amateur Radio Club hamradio FTP area on |
>| the World - world.std.com /pub/hamradio |
>===============================================================================
Terry M. Stader, KA8SCP, America Online (AOL) Ham Radio Club Host
Macintosh Amateur Radio Software List Maintainer
Internet: tstader@aol.com or p00489@psilink.com
Packet: KA8SCP@WA1PHY.#EMA.MA.USA.NOAM
------------------------------
Date: 10 Nov 93 16:21:01 GMT
From: ogicse!emory!darwin.sura.net!fconvx.ncifcrf.gov!fcs260c!mack@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: Modify a TV antenna?
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
In article <CGA8n6.4q0@ryn.mro4.dec.com> randolph@est.enet.dec.com (Tom Randolph) writes:
>
>In article <jbruni.1103292162C@156.151.254.10>, jbruni@sfe.com (John R. Bruni) writes...
>>Is it possible to modify a standard TV antenna (coax) to handle 2 meter
>>xmit/rcv? I assume this would require a balun at the least...
>
>Yup, I'm in the process of doing this now. I'm not sure what exactly you mean
>when you say "standard TV antenna", but I'm doing this to a rooftop-type TV
>beam, which started life as a log-periodic. It's now a Yagi.
>
>The problems occur when you decide to transmit through what is a receive-only
>antenna. If you feed it with coax, you'll need to somehow match the 50-ohm coax
>to the ??-ohm antenna to get a decent SWR, and you'll need to figure out how to
>do a balun. The TV balun will probably fry if you put any kind of wattage into
>it, and it's for 75 ohm coax with F-connectors.
>
>2m would probably work ok on a full-size TV log periodic, once all of the above
>is taken care of, since the VHF TV bands straddle the 2m band, and
>log-periodics have continuous coverage from their highest to lowest freq.
>
>I decided to rebuild mine entirely, as I said it's now a 5-element Yagi. I'm
>working on the balun/matching device now. I'm going with a 1/2-wave coax
>balun and a hairpin match, after playing for several days with a gamma match
>without much success. See the antenna handbook for details of these.
>-Tom R. N1OOQ randolph@est.enet.dec.com
Assuming the point is to have a 2m antenna, rather than the object being
to modify an existing antenna, why not get a design (somewhere, ARRL handbook
if nowhere else), by the boom feedthroughs and brackets from say Rutland
Arrays (advertise in QST, Tom says he sells the hardware if you want it),
buy some 6061 Al tubing and rod from your local metal tubing supply
store (big cities only)and then you're at the point ofthe proevious writer
above and put the hairpin on it. It's not trivial, but I imagine
it's no harder than doing major surgery on an existing antenna.
Joe MAck (NA3T)
mack@ncifcrf.gov
------------------------------
Date: 10 Nov 93 16:31:02 GMT
From: ogicse!uwm.edu!spool.mu.edu!sdd.hp.com!hpscit.sc.hp.com!cupnews0.cup.hp.com!jholly@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: need qsl route for ZL2K (cq WW)
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
eric.s.hellman (hellman@cbnewsm.cb.att.com) wrote:
: He's not in the 93 callbook (ZL2K)
: tnx 73 Shel WA2UBK dara@physics.att.com
For the simple reason its a contest call. QSL via bureau to ZL2IR.
Jim Hollenback, WA6SDM
jholly@cup.hp.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1993 06:34:56 GMT
From: saimiri.primate.wisc.edu!hp9000.csc.cuhk.hk!hkuxb.hku.hk!hkuxa.hku.hk!pckwong@ames.arpa
Subject: Observations on Kenwood TH-78
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
FORRELL (FORRELL@130.187.198.34) wrote:
: In <CFvzJ8.KDt@kaiwan.com> andrew@kaiwan.com writes:
:
: > dissappointed............ the disgustingly poor intermod rejection,
: > the battery life was nil, even though it was a fresh battery that
: > had been fully charged the day before. I think it died on me within
: > about 4 hours, and I wasn't talking all that much.
:
:
: I agree with your front end intermod observations, however, in my area
: its not much of a problem. What is unusual is the poor battery performance.
: I find it hard to run mine down! I have the 1100 ma extended battery pack
: and it never seems to go down. I have owned several HT's and the TH-78
: has the best battery life of anything I've owned.
:
: My only complaint with the thing is I can't remember how to do all the
: features unless I have a manual with me.
Why? Mine is completely different! The intermod rejection is between
satisfy and good, you know, the VHF band from 138-174 (except 144-6 for
HAMs) is fully utilized for commercial, so congest. I think HK is a good
"test field" for HTs. About the battery discharge life, I use a 700mAH
battery pack and it lasts 10 hr. of Rx and 4-5 hrs of operation on a mix
of Tx/Rx. What's wrong on your TH-78A? Or the battery?
Philips Wong, 73, VS6XVI
:
: Fred Orrell
: WB5NOE
:
------------------------------
Date: 10 Nov 93 22:08:49 GMT
From: news-mail-gateway@ucsd.edu
Subject: Poor audio fix for HTs
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
Hello everyone:
A common complaint about the newer micro handhelds is the low volume audio.
There is a fix to that problem, which I have applied to my Kenwood TH-78A.
I use a CD Player-to-Cassette adapter (Radio Shack 12-1951), it plugs into
the headphone jack of the HT and the adapter loads like a cassette into the
car stereo system. With this setup one hears the HT audio amplified by the
car stereo, so there is plenty of power available. Also it is possible to
modify audio tone with the stereo controls.
73 de XE1RGL
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 16:52:26 GMT
From: munnari.oz.au!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!hpscit.sc.hp.com!hplextra!hpfcso!ajs@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: Questions about Yaesu FT-411E
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
> ...the 411E has the Tone Encode/Decode board built-in, where it is
> extra for the 411.
My 411, at least, came with it already built in. I'm pretty sure the
411E addressed the poor (for the US anyway) choice of IF, by raising it
and thereby reducing intermod.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1993 17:44:23 GMT
From: library.ucla.edu!agate!spool.mu.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!news.unomaha.edu!news@network.ucsd.edu
Subject: Readership Report for the Radio-Related Usenet Newsgroups
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
The following is reprinted from news.lists, with only the radio-related
newsgroups (and the first newsgroup for comparison) included.
>From: reid@decwrl.DEC.COM (Brian Reid)
>Newsgroups: news.lists
>Subject: USENET Readership report for Oct 93
>Date: 8 Nov 1993 15:26:14 GMT
>Organization: DEC Network Systems Laboratory
>Summary: data for all groups
>Keywords: arbitron, statistics, full
This is the full set of data from the USENET readership report for Oct 93.
Explanations of the figures are in a companion posting.
+-- Estimated total number of people who read the group, worldwide.
| +-- Actual number of readers in sampled population
| | +-- Propagation: how many sites receive this group at all
| | | +-- Recent traffic (messages per month)
| | | | +-- Recent traffic (kilobytes per month)
| | | | | +-- Crossposting percentage
| | | | | | +-- Cost ratio: $US/month/rdr
| | | | | | | +-- Share: % of newsrders
| | | | | | | | who read this group.
V V V V V V V V
1 470000 6439 90% 17 163.1 100% 0.00 12.6% news.announce.newusers
277 68000 927 77% 1594 3977.4 7% 0.07 1.8% rec.radio.amateur.misc
296 65000 888 77% 812 2035.3 9% 0.04 1.7% rec.radio.shortwave
393 59000 804 75% 488 534.3 5% 0.01 1.6% rec.radio.swap
657 45000 610 75% 585 1045.6 0% 0.03 1.2% rec.radio.amateur.policy
696 43000 589 60% 247 307.4 12% 0.01 1.1% alt.radio.scanner
864 38000 523 64% 151 897.1 4% 0.02 1.0% rec.radio.info
867 38000 522 76% 67 127.5 10% 0.00 1.0% rec.radio.noncomm
1018 34000 468 57% - - - - 0.9% rec.radio.amateur.packet
1024 34000 466 55% 158 251.8 11% 0.01 0.9% rec.radio.amateur.homebrew
1034 34000 462 73% 140 315.4 13% 0.01 0.9% rec.radio.cb
1048 33000 457 48% 532 911.3 17% 0.02 0.9% rec.radio.scanner
1082 32000 443 56% 376 796.4 8% 0.02 0.9% rec.radio.amateur.digital.misc
1113 31000 430 54% 312 525.5 1% 0.01 0.8% rec.radio.amateur.antenna
1125 31000 426 54% 98 209.7 1% 0.01 0.8% alt.radio.pirate
1164 30000 414 67% 414 947.3 1% 0.03 0.8% rec.radio.broadcasting
1194 30000 404 54% 207 296.6 6% 0.01 0.8% rec.radio.amateur.equipment
1202 29000 402 54% 139 590.5 49% 0.02 0.8% rec.radio.amateur.space
2025 15000 200 30% 121 153.0 0% 0.00 0.4% alt.radio.networks.npr
2111 13000 179 31% 9 6.2 22% 0.00 0.3% rec.ham-radio.swap
2128 13000 175 32% 4 4.3 0% 0.00 0.3% rec.ham-radio
2205 11000 155 28% 11 11.5 9% 0.00 0.3% rec.ham-radio.packet
Several positive trends continue this month. Readership is up
dramatically in all active newsgroups (closely following Usenet's
predicted exponential growth patterns). The two top newsgroups,
rec.radio.amateur.misc and rec.radio.shortwave, are roughly tied, as
as they were last month. Other newsgroups with extremely strong
showings are rec.radio.swap and rec.radio.amateur.policy (meeting their
respective goals of keeping for-sale messages and extended legal
debate out of the main discussion newsgroup). Currently,
rec.radio.amateur.homebrew leads the other new rec.radio.amateur
newsgroups by a significant margin. The recently-created
rec.radio.scanner is slowly gaining in readership as well, and should
eventually overtake alt.radio.scanner, which it supersedes. It is
expected that the newly-created newsgroups will continue to grow in
readership like previously-created newsgroups such as rec.radio.info
and settle out at about 60-70% propagation. If these new radio-related
newsgroups still haven't reached your site, please ask your news
administrator to create them (refer him/her to the new newsgroup
announcements by Dave Lawrence in news.announce.newgroups or the
messages posted to the new newsgroups piling up in "junk" :-). Especially
point out to him/her that cost/per-reader/per-month is significantly
down in all newsgroups.
The defunct newsgroup rec.radio.amateur.packet has been rmgrouped as of
September 21st, 1993, and is no longer connected to the PACKET-RADIO
mailing list. Netters interested in packet-radio discussion should use
rec.radio.amateur.digital.misc and the HAM-DIGITAL mailing list.
Propagation has started to gradually drop in the old newsgroup, down
2 points from last month. There is a Usenet Request for Discussion
(RFD) tentatively scheduled for January 1994, to either reconsider the
rec.radio.amateur.digital.tcp-ip vote, merge all digital interests into
rec.radio.amateur.digital, or possibly even revert back to
rec.radio.amateur.packet. Watch news.announce.newsgroups (or subscribe
to the rec.radio.amateur Working Group mailing list at
rra-wg-request@amdahl.com) for further developments.
Note also that the defunct rec.ham-radio hierarchy reappears this month.
If the newsgroups are still active at your site, please try to persuade your
your news administrators to delete them as these groups have been rendered
obsolete (for almost 3 years now) by the rec.radio.amateur hierarchy.
--
73, Paul W. Schleck, KD3FU
pschleck@unomaha.edu
------------------------------
Date: 10 Nov 93 16:16:25 GMT
From: dziuxsolim.rutgers.edu!gandalf.rutgers.edu!troch@uunet.uu.net
Subject: RS Preferred Customer (Re: Fun with Radio Shack)
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
>>>>> "Thomas" == Thomas Collins WI3P <collinst@esvx19.es.dupont.com> writes:
Thomas> I would not pay the $3.00. Instead I spent .29 on a
Thomas> letter of complaint to RS at Fort Worth, TX and about
Thomas> 3 weeks later what came in the mail. A RS catalog and
Thomas> a letter of apology for the "shabby treatment" I
Thomas> received in the store. It was sort of funny, I never
I didn't pay for my catalog either. I didn't have to resort to writing
to Radio Shack (albeit it does sound like a good idea any way) instead
I used the free catalog coupon that came enclosed in the mail with
my Radio Shack Preferred Customer Discount Card. (whew!)
What makes me a "Preferred Customer" I don't know. Maybe that I pay
for the things I buy! :-)
gig'em,
Rod
--
--PGP 2.3 Public Key Available (finger me or ask for it)
If you yell try : Rod Troch | Zeta Beta Tau
internet : troch@gandalf.rutgers.edu |
bitnet : troch@zodiac | happyHappy joyJoy
Rutgers University - Faculty of Arts and Sciences / History Dept.
- Microcomputer Analyst (Network Admin)
------------------------------
Date: 10 Nov 93 03:53:05 GMT
From: starcomm!spectrum@uunet.uu.net
Subject: This Week On Spectrum
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
Spectrum is going "Down Below".
This week on Spectrum we will feature an interview with Dave Curry. Dave is
an expert on longwave communications and is active on the experimenters band,
(160 through 190KHZ). We are going to talk about the frequency spectrum
below the broadcast band and how you can build your own vlf experimental
station.
--
Spectrum, "The Communications Magazine You Read With Your Ears."
WWCR, Nashville, TN, USA, 5810 KHz.
Lets Talk Radio Network, Spacenet III, Transponder 21, 5.8 MHz Wide Band Audio
03:00 UTC Sunday, 22:00 EST Saturday.
Box 722, Holmdel, NJ, 07733-0722, USA
spectrum@overleaf.com, askspectrum@attmail.com, spectrumshow@genie.geis.com
+1 800-787-SPECTRUM, +1 908-671-4209
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 09 Nov 1993 15:49:48 GMT
From: yuma!galen@purdue.edu
To: info-hams@ucsd.edu
References <2blvfq$6m6@pith.uoregon.edu>, <8NOV199313080974@zeus.tamu.edu>, <931108.79382.GREGL@delphi.com>usenet.i
Subject : Re: Care and Feeding LARGE Gel-Cells?
In article <931108.79382.GREGL@delphi.com> Greg Law <GREGL@delphi.com> writes:
>Somewhat along the same lines. . .
>
>I purchase two Panasonic LCR12V2.2P lead-acid batteries for use with the
>HTX-202. These are fairly nice 2.2 amp/hour batteries that are about the same
A little editing (he's using an automobile batt charger)
>this charger seems to be working well but it's a manual type and I'm not
>sure how long I should charge the batteries. What I've been doing is letting
>the battery drop to about 10 to 10.5 volts then throwing it on the charger
>and checking it every 30 minutes to an hour with a DMM. When the battery
>voltage increases to about 12 volts, I remove them from the charger and
>put them back in the carrying case.
>
>One thing is absolutely accurate: I could use some tips on charging lead-acid
>batteries. The particular ones I have are stamped "Constant Voltage Charge"
>with the ratings "cycle use: 14.6-15.0V and standby use: 13.6-13.8V." Inital
>charge current is rated at 0.88A.
> -- Greg KE4DPX
According to some info I have from PowerSonic(TM), a lead-acid battery is
at 100% charge when the battery 'relaxes' to 12.75 volts. By 'relaxing', the
voltage on the battery will drop after a charger is disconnected, leveling
off at a certain voltage after some time. This level value is the 'relaxed'
value.
They have a small chart that lists 12.75 volts as 100%, going down to 12.2
volts as 45%, each 0.05 volts corresponding to 5%. This would lead you to
believe that any voltage below 11.75 volts as a dead battery. The literature
goes on to say that the batteries should not have a large current draw when
the voltage drops below 11.90 volts. It also says to get the longest life,
keep the battery voltage at least 12.45 volts or 70% charge.
See the article in the ARRL handbook (I have the 87 edition handy) titled
"Controlled Battery Charger for Emergency Power Supplies". It has a charger
circuit that controlls the charging voltage for deep cycle batteries.
I charge mine with solar panels and a charge controller from SCI.
I would not use a battery that's below 12.0 volts under load. Sometimes
they don't come all the way back up.
Fun is the operative concept here,
Galen, KF0YJ
------------------------------
End of Info-Hams Digest V93 #1333
******************************
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