Questions tagged [dc-power]
Questions about DC power supplied to equipment (typically 12/13.8 volts), power distribution, wiring, connectors.
27
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3
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Power connector for a HPA
I've got two Kuhne's HPAs rated at 12V, 10Amps. The HPAs have power connectors circled in blue. Is there a specific jumper with a compatible head that I could plug directly into this connector? I'm ...
5
votes
4
answers
2k
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Are there any cons of running shack on battery?
I'm building a low-power shack to operate on non-licensed bands (UHF PMR 0.5W + HF CB 4W). I don't have any "RF-grade" sources of 12(-ish) volts and don't want to buy a specialised power ...
- 321
2
votes
5
answers
316
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Does 3 W vs 5 W TX power make a huge difference in QRP CW operation?
I've bought the QCX+ 40 m band radio. I will be powering this off a 12 V battery. I read on the manual the RF power at 12 V is just 3 W whereas on 15 V it is 5 W. Should I buy a boost converter for ...
- 257
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3
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Wiring Cobra 29LTD CB for home use?
I'm a beginner trying to use one of my two CB radios as a "base station." The problem is that the power cable is just two wires (no connectors/12v car plug) and a 2A fuse along one. Is it ...
- 199
3
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1
answer
660
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Bias Tee for HF: noise and losses?
I have a homebrew remote antenna switch. It uses relays and it has a nRF24L01-based wireless link to the band selector (Arduino, taps into CAT and switches antennas accordingly).
I would like to ...
- 1,199
4
votes
3
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606
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Need batteries for backpack operation
I am building an HF backpack rig using an Icom IC-706MkIIG with a Opek HVT-400B antenna. The specifications on the radio say 20 A draw at high power, so what size and type batteries would be suitable ...
4
votes
3
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206
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Coax braid acting as power supply ground between radio and amplifier connected to the same supply, is this a problem?
I have a Kenwood TH-D72 and I just got an old Radio Shack HTA-20 2m amplifier to use with it. They're both powered from a sizeable 3S2P Li-Ion battery pack and they work great together for the most ...
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0
votes
2
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296
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measures for quantifying non-linearity of a HF linear power amplifier
I am DIYing a class-AB HF Linear Power amplifier. How to quantify the non-linearity of this amplifier. What are the common measures of non-linearity as applicable to RF power amplifiers? How to ...
- 113
1
vote
1
answer
126
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Power supply for shortwave portables
I have the Tecsun PL-310ET and PL-660 SW portables which are spec’d for 5V and 6V power sources respectively. Would it damage them if I tried to power them with a 9V Bioenno battery (actual steady ...
- 111
1
vote
3
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458
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How to make simple AM detector using an LED?
I'm new to amateur radio, and as a beginner project, I wanted to use some of the basic components I have to create an AM receiver.
Anyway, what I'm trying to do is create a simple AM receiver that ...
- 111
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0
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222
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Troubleshooting ICOM PS15 Power Supply
I got a power-supply gifted by my friend. When I powered ON, the main (120V) FUSE blows up. I started by disconnecting the transformer from the control circuit and powered ON. This time the fuse is ...
- 109
10
votes
4
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877
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Understanding power supply requirements
I have a basic question about power supply requirements for typical transceivers. I'm looking at the specs for a Kenwood TM-V71A, which is a 50W mobile transceiver.
I figured that a 50W transceiver ...
- 598
6
votes
3
answers
5k
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Practical differences between switching and linear power supplies?
Power supplies for ham radio equipment (and other equipment of course) seem to come in two flavours: switching and linear. The switching gear tends to be cheaper and smaller as well as more ...
1
vote
1
answer
971
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DC connector type for Baofeng UV5R base charger
What type is the DC jack on the Baofeng UV5R base charger? I want to buy a splitter so that I can charge multiple radios with the same car/wall charger.
- 113
3
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Is it possible to power your ham radio station by solar power? If so, how?
The very first New York Times article announcing the invention of the solar cell by Bell Labs in 1954 shows a man holding a brick-shaped device in the sun in one hand and a microphone in the other ...
- 2,079
1
vote
1
answer
116
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Power supply for small radio board
I need a powersupply for a radio board (I will shield it), and have experienced bad interference from step-down converters. I have been told to use linear regulators (LM317 or LM350) with caps to trim ...
- 125
1
vote
1
answer
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Using coax for DC, good idea?
I know that it is best to twist the wires that supply DC power to a device, as to decrease the "loop" surface area. This diminishes the amount of RF that gets coupled in the wires as well as the ...
1
vote
2
answers
1k
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Regulated Power Supply vs Class 2 AC/DC Adapters
I'm wondering if it would be more efficient for me to replace several AC/DC adapters (linear, non-switching) with a regulated power supply? Two of the adapters get very warm and are rated 9 watts ...
- 155
5
votes
1
answer
685
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How can I counter DC-DC inverter noise / ground noise in an electric-vehicle mobile setup?
So, I'm relatively new to all this; and I've gotten an ICOM IC-7100 on sale, which looks like an excellent transceiver … unfortunately, this very specific line shows up in the manual:
The ...
- 224
4
votes
1
answer
3k
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why do some radios have two fuses in the power leads
On a number of fairly modern rigs I've seen that both power leads are fused:
Why is this still so?
Does this have something to do with some vehicles having a ground-positive system or is this simply ...
- 1,094
1
vote
1
answer
183
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Connecting radio in parallel with inverter in mobile set up
I've just added a leisure battery, split relay and circuit swap loom to a newly acquired Mazda Bongo. Also added was a 1000W pure sine wave inverter, hooked up directly to the leisure battery. That's ...
- 95
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7
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3k
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How do I separate dovetailed PowerPole housings?
Anderson PowerPole connector housings can be joined side-to-side using dovetail joints molded into the plastic to make a multi-conductor connector, as seen in the conventional amateur radio 12V power ...
- 24.4k
7
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On Anderson Powerpoles, does the red on go on the left or right?
When attaching a red and black pair of Powerpoles together, which way should I do it to ensure that it will plug into the most number of other people's gear?
When looking from the top of the ...
- 329
2
votes
2
answers
339
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Ham Variable Lab Power Supply
I'm looking into purchasing a mobile radio (TYT TH-9800) for my Jeep Wrangler. I am hoping to be able to use it in my apartment as well.
Since I'm going to need a power supply for this, I think it ...
- 31
11
votes
5
answers
32k
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Should I ground my radio to the chassis or battery for a mobile install?
From what I've seen, there are generally two ways to power a mobile radio:
Positive lead to battery, negative lead grounded to chassis
Both positive and negative leads to battery
I know that ...
- 213
3
votes
1
answer
124
views
Are the Icom 2300 h and Ftm 400dr DC cables interchangable?
I would like to swap out my 2300h to a 400dr. Would rather not swap out dc power cable. Are the cables the same or is there an adapter for make it possible?
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4
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355
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What sources of power are useful in emergency situations?
Situations that call for emergency operating usually have some hams working in field conditions.
Relying on the mains grid could be problematic. A lead-acid battery would probably be heavy to lug ...
- 2,834