I think it would be somewhat helpful to gather some realworld input from ppl who use large cell batteries and inverters to setup test links / ups backup ect..

i guess just list discription of battery and equpiment:
ill start:

rb 112 + 1 NMP 8602 running at 26dB
18v block transformer
cheap inverter that does have a small fan to cool it.

battery: 12V Lawnmower battery 360 CCA (on sticker) - 4mo. old battery
Time: ran fine 43 minutes before i pulled the plug to leave.

For battery powered applications, you are probably best to power the RB straight from battery instead of mess with inverters and power packs.

I have some non-RB radio equipment at a solar powered island site with 4 batteries with 700AH total capacity and I visit it every couple years. Lots of fog in the summer and gloomy winter weather, so it should be able to go two weeks without power.

wow,

so i guess i could expect AT leaste 12 hours from a car /truck type battery and using DC...using the above MT setup

that sound about right? any instructions how to properly hook it up?

thanks

I think it would be somewhat helpful to gather some realworld input from ppl who use large cell batteries and inverters to setup test links / ups backup ect..

i guess just list discription of battery and equpiment:
ill start:

rb 112 + 1 NMP 8602 running at 26dB
18v block transformer
cheap inverter that does have a small fan to cool it.

battery: 12V Lawnmower battery 360 CCA (on sticker) - 4mo. old battery
Time: ran fine 43 minutes before i pulled the plug to leave.

I don't have problem with the inverters, I have been using one for 8 months

Yes, I'd expect at least 12 hours from a car battery. Just set the MT jumpers for the 12-25v range, and hook its power input straight to the battery terminals.

Skip the inverters. Lossy. Check the 12V current with and without the inverter.

Big battery? Fuse it! Power supply cap shorts and that battery will melt the board, wires and the building.

well this would just be for a quick, out door set up with like a tri-pod or pole..

I don't see where to plug in the dc input on the RB...do i get an adapter for the circular DC input? or soder something?

For quick temp setup? Different story! Use the inverter. I use an 600 watt el-cheapo on my trailer tower for test sites and weekend events. It'll run a backhaul and AP for 48+ hours on a large gell-cell.

I missed the word "test" in your first post...

If you are powering directly from a battery , you need a low-voltage-disconnect if you're using atheros cards. If the voltage goes really low , they will lockup permanently ( heard of it on a windpowered node )

Currently running a test with a 225 AH Deep Cycle battery, 12v running a RB532 with a single CM9 doing bandwith tests over the wireless interface.

Currently up for 10 days so far, running directly connected to the battery via the DC header. Voltage has dropped from 13.6v to 12.93v - Our test is to see how long it will run before it hits 12.00v

JP , we are using two car-type 150Ah batteries and a 750 inverter , i have different story than the others , i'm running the following equipments:
1- Satellite internet modem
2- 24 port switcher.
3- MT router os on PC.
4- D-link 2100 AP + 24 dbi grid.
5- Alcon 250 mW outdoor AP + omni
6- Amplifire 1 Watt.
the max time i can reach is 5 - 4.5 hours !!!!!!!
now i'm thinking of using solar systems to increase the time , we dont have anything more than the sun here , so can you give me more details on your solar system like brand , size , any details can help .

is the amp really nessisary? im sure thats is where alot of your energy is being wasted..

edit:

oh crap, its actually that PC that is burning all your energy..what does that thing use? by comparison i have an install that pulls 83watts and its 20 wrap 2c boards EACH WITH 2 nmp 8602's all running at 400mw(26db).....if you are running a real pc with a Hard drive then you are probabbly pulling more than my 40 radio setup...that is where your large draw is..


edit2;

oh sam and btw; try to get a marine deep cycle battery as someone above suggested, car batteries are made to deliver a quick surge/draw (starting of a car) and not a sustained pull (marine electronics)..but with the load your a trying to pull nothing will last too long..i dont even think you can power/help that with solar

JP , we are using two car-type 150Ah batteries and a 750 inverter , i have different story than the others , i'm running the following equipments:
1- Satellite internet modem
2- 24 port switcher.
3- MT router os on PC.
4- D-link 2100 AP + 24 dbi grid.
5- Alcon 250 mW outdoor AP + omni
6- Amplifire 1 Watt.
the max time i can reach is 5 - 4.5 hours !!!!!!!
now i'm thinking of using solar systems to increase the time , we dont have anything more than the sun here , so can you give me more details on your solar system like brand , size , any details can help .

If you can use a small and cheap 5-8 port switch, that would use a lot less power than a 24 port. An rb532 would draw a magnitude less than a PC, unless it's a little via c3 miniitx sort of thing which are good on power.

These are the style of battery I use on my island repeaters:
http://store.altenergystore.com/Batteri ... cid/p1768/

Here is one of the repeaters I visit about once a year:
http://www.f64.nu/gallery/view_album.ph ... e=album175

Hi JP,

just a quick question. Looks like the environment you have your solar
repeater in has quite some time withe temperatures well below zero celsius.

How do the batteries get along with it. I thought below zero they are destroyed.

Thanks
Ekkehard

tha total power out of the inverter is about .6 Amp which i dont think its too much .

JP , thats what i want , can you tell me where can i find somthing like that ??

If you can use a small and cheap 5-8 port switch, that would use a lot less power than a 24 port. An rb532 would draw a magnitude less than a PC, unless it's a little via c3 miniitx sort of thing which are good on power.

These are the style of battery I use on my island repeaters:
http://store.altenergystore.com/Batteri ... cid/p1768/

Here is one of the repeaters I visit about once a year:
http://www.f64.nu/gallery/view_album.ph ... e=album175

Can you tell me where you got that solar panel and charger etc? I'm looking at building a Solar repearted in my area..

As long as the batteries are charged, they are fine below freezing. We get -20f temperatures in the winter at times.

My box contains the two batteries, a morningstar sunsaver 12v 10A charge controller, a circuit breaker. Pictured is a 75watt panel, but you can get 100 watt panels for not much more now and I use a 100 at the site there now as the battery is about 5 years old and not as efficient. I have used siemens and kyocera panels and both are very good. This site has an Alvarion AU-i and AP10d on 12vdc-5vdc voltage converters. Total load is a constant 10w which is more than an rb532 would be with 2 low power cards.

As long as the batteries are charged, they are fine below freezing. We get -20f temperatures in the winter at times.

My box contains the two batteries, a morningstar sunsaver 12v 10A charge controller, a circuit breaker. Pictured is a 75watt panel, but you can get 100 watt panels for not much more now and I use a 100 at the site there now as the battery is about 5 years old and not as efficient. I have used siemens and kyocera panels and both are very good. This site has an Alvarion AU-i and AP10d on 12vdc-5vdc voltage converters. Total load is a constant 10w which is more than an rb532 would be with 2 low power cards.

I'm new to solar systems. I've asked some supplier of Island-Solutions
here in Germany how to do it. To power a RB with 2 cards I need 6,6W
all the time. According to formulas they gave me,
I would need 210W Panels to keep it alive in December.
So I'm wondering how you can live with a 100W Panel. Is it your
big batteries?

Stefan

Probably they are building in more of a overrating safety factor than what I have, as they don't want to be proven wrong and have to go fix it. If you can put 2 100w panels up, it would be good for sleeping better at night and might give you some extra power for future needs. I've never run it for too long without panels, but it has gone 2 weeks in the winter or spring with no sunny days without problem. gray days you do get some charging, but not as much.