TO: ALL WOOD COUNTY ARES MEMBERS (OFFICIAL)
ALL ARES AND NON-ARES AMATEURS ANYWHERE (INFORMATION)
FROM: KEN HARRIS WA8LLM ARRL DISTRICT 3 EMERGENCY COORDINATOR
WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INC.
WOOD COUNTY BULLETIN NR 16.32 DATE: August 7, 2016
SUBJECT: DEAD CAR BATTERY
Have you ever went to start your car, but the battery doesn't have enough juice to let it roll over. It may be that you left something like the lights or your radio on, and now you have a problem. If you are lucky you may have another vehicle that you can jump from, but what if you don't.
Do you have a base radio transceiver? Does it have a back-up battery in case the power goes off. Car batteries aren't usually used as a back-up battery for your base radio transceiver, but they can be used. If you get a car battery and connect it to base radio system, it should be charged and available if you need it to start your car.
If you get a battery that is designed for you car, then you will have a spare battery in case you need to change it out. If connected up right the power supply for your base will keep your back-up battery charged and ready for about any emergency. The back-up battery will allow you to be on the air if the power goes off, and it can be used to start your car, your riding mower, or it may be used to start you snow blower, or 4 wheeler.
There are a couple of things you should do before hooking up your back-up battery to your base radio system. Since the power supply for your base radio is usually set to put out 13.8 volts, you may have to set it a little lower. Most batteries put out about 12.5 volts, and don't like being charged with much more than that. If your power supply can have the regulated voltage adjusted, then you will want to reduce the voltage.
To figure out what the power supply voltage needs to be adjusted to, make sure the battery is fully charged. If it has been on charge, disconnect it from the charger and let it set a couple of days. After it has set awhile, measure the voltage with a digital voltmeter. If the power supply voltage can be adjusted, adjust to voltage, on the power supply, to about .5 or 1/2 volt above what the battery voltage is.
By adjusting the power supply voltage this way, it will keep from over charging the battery, and causing it to go bad. Now you should have a fully charged back-up battery to start your vehicle if you need it. Another thing to remember is to keep the battery in some kind of box or pan to keep it from leaking onto the floor.
Ken Harris WA8LLM
WCEC
Wood County WV