Re: Solar Generator for portable power
As long as you understand that a modified sine wave is really just another form of a square wave. I've put them on an oscilloscope a number of times.?
On Mon, Sep 23, 2024 at 10:10 AM, Bill Laird Jr. <Bill.Laird113@...> wrote: Thanks to all those who replied on this subject.? ?Lots of good advice from practical experience.? ?Yes, Greg the HOWEASY has a modified sine wave inverter.? Based on what I have learned I am abandoning the idea of using a small, cheap solar generator.? ?I already have a folding 60 watt solar panel with MPPT controller and a suitable small 12 volt battery charger.? ?I will simply but a small LifePo4 battery in the 10 amp hour range and call it done.
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Re: Solar Generator for portable power
Bill, as we say in Boston, you are "wicked smaaaahhhttt"?
Mike WA1MAD
On Mon, Sep 23, 2024, 10:10 AM Bill Laird Jr. via <Bill.Laird113= [email protected]> wrote: Thanks to all those who replied on this subject.? ?Lots of good advice from practical experience.? ?Yes, Greg the HOWEASY has a modified sine wave inverter.? Based on what I have learned I am abandoning the idea of using a small, cheap solar generator.? ?I already have a folding 60 watt solar panel with MPPT controller and a suitable small 12 volt battery charger.? ?I will simply but a small LifePo4 battery in the 10 amp hour range and call it done.
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Re: Power output instable
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Re: Power output instable
Which Display? Power, SWR or?
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I2OIM
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Re: Solar Generator for portable power
Thanks to all those who replied on this subject.? ?Lots of good advice from practical experience.? ?Yes, Greg the HOWEASY has a modified sine wave inverter.? Based on what I have learned I am abandoning the idea of using a small, cheap solar generator.? ?I already have a folding 60 watt solar panel with MPPT controller and a suitable small 12 volt battery charger.? ?I will simply but a small LifePo4 battery in the 10 amp hour range and call it done.
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Re: Solar Generator for portable power
I’m using a 5ah expert power lifepo4 battery. I am yet to have any difficulty doing a pota activation with it. I’m guessing the longest has been about four hours. I have not felt the urge to tag my solar setup in on it at any point.? When I am running QRO with an FT-891 I have a Chins brand 12ah lifepo4 battery. I run the radio at 40w most of the time and the battery lasts longer than I do. I used to run it at 100w most of the time and the battery was good for 3.5-4 hours. Adding a Bioenno 60w folding panel to the equation, it’s pretty much an all day situation. I have been doing jamboree on the air for the local scouts for the past few years and for that I have been running 100w. Last year we kicked off at 0830 and shut down at about 1830 with no difficulties with power at all. That 60w panel keeps the battery topped off well. I have, so far, not felt the need to go out and get one of the “solar generator” setups. They don’t fit in my backpack and are too heavy and bulky to carry in my hand.?
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On Sep 22, 2024, at 16:07, steve.betza via groups.io <steve.betza@...> wrote:
? Bill -
?
I also use a Bioenno LiFePO4 battery (20 Ah) for portable use. ?I top it off with the supplied AC charger at home, and I’m good to go for hours and hours with my FT-818. ?Probably 5 lbs which is fine for picnic table operations at parks.
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This works for me, as I do not need the AC inverter provided by “all-in-one” power packs. Bioenno also sells portable solar panels and charge controllers that may be cascaded in the field.
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Best of luck in your search…
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Steve. KK2CW?
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Re: Solar Generator for portable power
Bill -
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I also use a Bioenno LiFePO4 battery (20 Ah) for portable use. ?I top it off with the supplied AC charger at home, and I’m good to go for hours and hours with my FT-818. ?Probably 5 lbs which is fine for picnic table operations at parks.
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This works for me, as I do not need the AC inverter provided by “all-in-one” power packs. Bioenno also sells portable solar panels and charge controllers that may be cascaded in the field.
?
Best of luck in your search…
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Steve. KK2CW?
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Re: Solar Generator for portable power
I'd state it more strongly.? If the unit advertises their 12v
outlets as capable of 10 amps, and it can only deliver 10.1v at even
a couple of amps, I'd be very concerned about the entire unit's
overall quality.? I'm guessing that what you're seeing is a stack of
3 of the Lithium Ion (not Lithium Iron Phosphate) cells, without a
voltage regulator.? This is supported by claiming only 1,000
recharge cycles; a modern LiFePO4 battery would typically be 10x
that.? Also, what sort of AC inverter does it have?? No information
about it being pure sine wave, so likely a cheap "modified sine
wave" one, which could be an absolutely horrific RF noise maker if
you were to use it.? This thing screams "Cheap" in every dimension.?
Will it work?? You'll probably get away with it, but I wouldn't risk
it.
The battery is the key component here.? Much better to just get a 10
amp-hour LiFePO4 battery, and a small charger.?? Wire them up in one
of the plastic field boxes with some switches, connectors, and a
monitor/display.? You don't need the 120vac inverter, though that
could be added later.? Add a 50 - 100 watt solar panel, and a small
solar charge controller if you need it (note the solar panel is
extra for the HOWEASY unit).? If you work at it, I bet you could get
close to the same price point, get a better (RF quiet, higher
capacity) unit, and by building it yourself you'll have a much
better chance of having it deliver when you need it, and be able to
fix it (or upgrade it) if it doesn't.?
Greg? KO6TH
Bill Laird Jr. via groups.io wrote:
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Thanks Ken for the reply and link to the article
on maximizing power when running the FT-817 on battery power,
good information.? ?My concern with the HOWEASY 120 solar
generator is, as Joe points out in his reply, that if 10.1 volts
is the maximum available at full charge, how quickly will it
drop off in use to an unacceptable level.?
Bill
KN5RPN in the heart of the Texas Hill Country?
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Re: Recent final board price / availability?
Did you install it? Easy?
Mike WA1MAD
Yaesu said they were no longer available as of early September 2024. I ordered a board from a place in Germany called funktechnik.
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Re: Recent final board price / availability?
Yes I have replied a ft817 with the ft817nd board,? it was very easy to do, there was bios current adjustment to do, I have also changed 1 of the transistors on the final board in a ft817, as most of the time only one of the two go bad, I used a slow cooker as a hot plate for this, Dave 2E0DMB?
Ok, so there are 2 boards, one ending in 004 another ending 005. Has anyone actually replaced the board on an 817, an 817nd or an 818? If so, was it difficult?? Were there many adjustments to do? I watched, on YouTube, a guy replace the mosfets on the board. He was very talented in the process and had all the right tools. Way beyond me.?
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Re: Recent final board price / availability?
Ok, so there are 2 boards, one ending in 004 another ending 005. Has anyone actually replaced the board on an 817, an 817nd or an 818? If so, was it difficult? ?Were there many adjustments to do? I watched, on YouTube, a guy replace the mosfets on the board. He was very talented in the process and had all the right tools. Way beyond me.?
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Re: Solar Generator for portable power
Bill,
My set up
Is a little larger/heavier. I use a 12 AH Bioenno battery, Budipole power mini and small solar panel.?
It works great and you can size the battery to your needs.?
73
W4DBL?
Doug Lynch
President?
Aries International, LLC
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D: +1-321-415-2191
M:?+1-478-318-2655
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E: Doug@...?
Port Orange, FL
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On Sep 21, 2024, at 09:19, Bill Laird Jr. via groups.io <Bill.Laird113@...> wrote:
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Thanks Ken for the reply and link to the article on maximizing power when running the FT-817 on battery power, good information.? ?My concern with the HOWEASY 120 solar generator is, as Joe points out in his reply, that if 10.1 volts is the
maximum available at full charge, how quickly will it drop off in use to an unacceptable level.?
Bill
KN5RPN in the heart of the Texas Hill Country?
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Re: Solar Generator for portable power
Thanks Ken for the reply and link to the article on maximizing power when running the FT-817 on battery power, good information.? ?My concern with the HOWEASY 120 solar generator is, as Joe points out in his reply, that if 10.1 volts is the maximum available at full charge, how quickly will it drop off in use to an unacceptable level.?
Bill KN5RPN in the heart of the Texas Hill Country?
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Re: Recent final board price / availability?
I got CB1333004
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Mike KA2JAI
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Re: Solar Generator for portable power
What does the power supply voltage drop to when current limiting?
On Fri, Sep 20, 2024 at 5:18 PM, Clyde Lambert <clyde.lambert@...> wrote: Hi Kin,
Please disregard the email I posted to you, I sent you the wrong reply. That was supposed to go to my brother in law.
The one to you was supposed to say I have run My 817 at 10 volts with no problem. However I did notice a drop in output due to the current limitation of my supply.
My lithium battery runs, under load, between 11.7 volts full charge and 8 volts before the radio starts to drop off. So 10 volts at 2 amps should be OK. At least in my experience.
Hope this helps.
Clyde KC7BJE?
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Re: Solar Generator for portable power
Clyde,
Thanks, no problem - I figured it was something simple like that.
Take care,
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On Sep 20, 2024, at 16:18, Clyde Lambert <clyde.lambert@...> wrote:
? Hi Kin,
Please disregard the email I posted to you, I sent you the wrong reply. That was supposed to go to my brother in law.
The one to you was supposed to say I have run My 817 at 10 volts with no problem. However I did notice a drop in output due to the current limitation of my supply.
My lithium battery runs, under load, between 11.7 volts full charge and 8 volts before the radio starts to drop off. So 10 volts at 2 amps should be OK. At least in my experience.
Hope this helps.
Clyde KC7BJE?
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Re: Solar Generator for portable power
Hi Kin,
Please disregard the email I posted to you, I sent you the wrong reply. That was supposed to go to my brother in law.
The one to you was supposed to say I have run My 817 at 10 volts with no problem. However I did notice a drop in output due to the current limitation of my supply.
My lithium battery runs, under load, between 11.7 volts full charge and 8 volts before the radio starts to drop off. So 10 volts at 2 amps should be OK. At least in my experience.
Hope this helps.
Clyde KC7BJE?
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Thanks Jim,
The size looks like something between 1206 or 0805, perhaps 2512 metric according to a datasheet I've found. Tiny yes, but workable under a desk magnifier or microscope. I've worked on 6 pin devices about half the size so the real challenge for me will be finding suitable replacements.
Where to get an HSU277??
I have never had good luck contacting Yaesu support.? I was calling during COVID, so that might have been the issue. They might have some.
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The HSU277 is very tiny, and I suspect that most people without SMD equipment and experience need two or three to finally do it correctly. In the case of D3003, the PA board needs to be removed to get at it, so the service person can position it under a magnifier. The advantage of a component replacement is that no alignment of a new board should be needed (with very careful handling). Good practice indicates a realignment when an RF board with tunable components is removed and replaced.?
There are a few suppliers that are reputable, like LittleDiode, that want about 12 Euro each for individual items. There might be reasonably equivalent PIN diodes that aren't SMD, or a different SMD form factor with similar specs, that could be retrofitted.? It's VHF, so the signal path needs to be short. I haven't looked into it. I have a couple 30-year-old VHF amps that use standard PIN diodes, so they're around.?
I have ordered a package of HSU277s from AliExpress for about $10, hoping that they are real--or real enough. EBay has some "refurbished" items for about $10 each. I think "refurbished" means scavenged from boards. I have not had good luck in general with parts from these sources. There are lots of counterfeits that will test OK and operate well enough if they are not pushed very hard. In this case, you're putting 5 watts through the part, so you're at the edge of its capability.?
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Jim
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Re: Recent final board price / availability?
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Re: Recent final board price / availability?
Hi Mike
Did you ask for the PA Board, this is the Wrong Board, it is called a final unit/Board, p/n? CB1333005
Dave 2E0DMB
Well, the plot thickens. I’ve been in contact with both a parts specialist and tech support at Yaesu USA. The parts person, Beatriz, said the parts, (PA board) are available, but she wasn’t sure on compatibility between 817 non ND, ND and 818. She suggested I call tech support to verify. I mis-dialed but got a tech that was blunt…”It’s a non-supported product” or no longer supported. I’ve also watched a skilled smd guy replace the PAs on YouTube…yikes!!!. My 817 non ND, is working just fine. I’ll attempt to be extra careful with loads and always use the LDG tuner. I also don’t use an internal battery, based on problems they can create. No Windcamp battery kit either, although it looks tempting. So the questions still remain. Is the PA board available or do you just get the 2 devices? Is it compatible with all 3 radio iterations? And can it be done relatively easy? If you actually get the board, the answers will be appreciated. Mike Davis WA1MAD On Sep 19, 2024, at 6:05?PM, davebb123456 via <davidbrowne76=[email protected]> wrote:
? Hi I don't think it is the correct board you neen the final board,
Radio world in the united kingdom have stock, have you called yaesu UK,
Dave 2E0DMB
I contacted the company CSY & Son, responsible for Yaesu spare parts in Italy. Currently, only the PA board CB1152005 is available, which is compatible with all 817-818 models.
They told me that the one I purchased is the last one they have, but they expect more to arrive from Japan.
They could not tell me how long the parts for these radios will be available, but for now, there are no issues. It is possible that the situation may change in the near future.
A sore point is the price. The PA board costs 146.40 Euros in Italy.
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Pietro Molina
Kevin - K5KTM
Steve Betza KK2CW
Michael Davis
Doug Lynch NNJ4EM
Clyde Lambert