Solar Field Day or Emergency Response Emergency Power

Solar, Field Day, or Emergency Response: Emergency Power Options George Ure AC 7 X

Agenda Outage Scenarios: When could the power fail? Power demands are band mode dependent On-the-fly power Introduction to Generators Battery Basics – Charge and Discharge Parameters • Battery-powered Options • • • – Inverters – Inverter/Chargers – Grid-Interactive Systems • Wind Machines

Where’d I Learn About Batteries?

Power-Outage Scenarios • Drunk driver hits a power pole – (1 -12 hours) • Earthquake (New Madrid? ) – 1 Day – 1 month • Terrible weather event (Sandy-class) – 1 -day to 2 -months • EMP/Regional Nuclear Event/Bio war – ? ? ? • Field Day: Till the beer runs out?

Emergency? What to Plan Power For… • “Crisis Lite” 1 -4 Days – Almost ALL hams with a handheld are set! • “Regular Crisis” 5 Days to 5 weeks – 30% of hams are ready? 1 -5 recharge periods • Major Crisis 5+ Weeks – 5% or less are ready: Ongoing recharge requirement is harder to meet

KEY PLANNING POINTS • Emergency Power requirements depend on: – Expected duration of emergency – Bands which will be used in response – Role of ham using equipment • Net control talks more, needs more energy • Traffic handlers need more, too! – Antennas, transmitter power, various losses

Example Emergencies • Semi/Local: (Ike passing through, Joplin) – Mostly VHF/UHF – scattered HF – Quick recovery period – external aid coming quick • Regional: (’ 64 Alaska quake, supply lines disrupted, regional coms down) – V/UHF for impact areas – HF Health, Welfare, and News from ‘outside’ Phone patch? • EMP/Nuke War/Massive Solar Flares: (still ahead? ) – Mainly HF – most repeaters/grid would be down long-term due to the grid impacts, most repeaters gone in a week.

Reacting to the Disaster

On the Fly Power • Alligator Clips are your friend: – Some open 1” wide • http: //www. caltestelectronics. com/ctitem/143 -fully-insulated/CT 3251 Don’t forget the cable to connect to the radio!

Language of Power A “Cell” is a single chemical reaction device. – C cells, D cells – AA cells, etc. A “Battery” is a collection of cells “Cells” are measured in volts/per cell “Batteries” are measured by terminal voltage

A Cell vs. Battery • A single cell is just like a polarized capacitor: EXCEPT instead of a dielectric there is a chemical reaction which delivers or absorbs energy!

Batteries (Collections of Cells) Key Terminology to be aware of: • Energy Density: The “work to weight” ratio. • Cycle Life: How many discharge/charge cycles will a given battery deliver? • Discharge Rate: How many hours will a battery deliver how many amp? Typically 20 min. , 1 -hour, and 20 hour rates are cited. • Depth of Discharge: What is the recommended level of discharge beyond which cycle life rapidly declines? • Peukert Exponent: Effective shrink rate of a battery at high rates of discharge.

Dry Cell Basics Dry Cells: 1. Metal cap 2. Plastic Seal 3. Expansion Space 4. Porous Cardboard 5. Zinc Can 6. Carbon Rod (center) 7. Chemical “Goo” Major difference between cells is the chemistry of the “goo” and whether the chemical reaction is reversible!

Where Lead-Acid Battery Electricity comes from during Discharge…

What a Completely Discharged Battery Looks Like

Batteries Don’t “Die” – They Are Murdered!

EQUALIZING Restores Capacity

How to EQUALIZE Never attempt to equalized SLA – sealed lead/acid batteries!!!!!! They tend to blow up. • Use plenty of ventilation (outside!) because Brown’s Gas is HIGHLY EXPLOSIVE • Usually Charging Voltage is increased to drive 25% of the battery’s 20 -hour rate (in amps) into the battery. So a 100 AMP-Hour battery would equalize at the 2 -5 AMP rate for 1 hour. • Monitor closely to prevent thermal runaway! • Safety timer! Safety Glasses! Do NOT overfill batteries (with distilled water only) if Equalizing!

Deep Cycle VS Starting Batteries Plate depth versus toal plate area determines it:

Battery Spec Sheet Example Typical good quality deep cycle battery is a Trojan T-105 which is a 6 -volt standard.

Amp-Hours VS Kilowatt-Hours • Amperes of current for X number of hours • BUT Battery voltage declines over time • SO Ending energy is different than starting energy: – 13 V times 10 AMPS = 130 WATTS – 11 V times 10 AMPS = 110 WATTS • A Watt-Hour integrating meter is what measured actual ENERGY (work done) • 1, 000 Watt-Hours = 1 Kilowatt-Hour

Battery Rules for Hams • Terms like “cold cranking AMPs” is only marginally useful as comparison information. • Most ham gear will operate to 10. 5 Volts • Operating to 10. 5 V was required for marine SSB type acceptance • 10. 5 V is when a 12 V battery is “dead”

Peukert: Shrinking Battery Effect • Batteries deliver less total energy on their way to 10. 5 V “dead” if discharged FAST Where Cp is Peukert Capacity and both i and t are time and currents of two different discharges such as 10 amps for 20 hours (20 -hour rate) vs. 20 amps for 1 hour (1 -hour rate). The n is the exponent value.

Typical Exponent Values for 100 AHr

Ideal Charge Curve (Proctor et al)

Battery Temp Compensation

Sample Cycle Life – T-105

Percent of Capacity Drops When Cold!

One More Rule Here’s what a T-105 weighs: If you are down to two batteries in your shopping, pick the heavier battery if you’re after long cycle life – heavier means more plate material is being used!

Feed Battery Banks Correctly!

How to Charge Batteries Multiple Choices: • From a gen-set: Simplest is a chain saw motor on a piece of plywood connected via a drive belt to an alternator. Add voltmeter and whatever if more control is needed. • From Solar • From Wind

Why Wind is a POOR Choice In Texas! • Works good on a sailboat – such as the one we lived on. • BUT no significant power below 10 Knots/ 12 MPH • Generates some noise, besides PWR • Depends on swept area – bigger is better on wind gens.

Main Problem with Wind is?

Solar is GREAT HERE!

4. 5 -6. 5 k. WHr’s / M 2 Per Day Solar is not initially cheap, but over the long term is does have good payback – breakeven at between 10 -18 years depending on how much you do yourself.

Solar Has Many Pieces • The Panels • Charge Controller • Battery bank • Grid-Interactive inverter

Kinds of Mounts • Simple (fixed) • Single-Axis (panels are mounted on hinges so from March 21 to Sept 21 they are at 20° tilt otherwise (wintertime) they are at 45° • Highest priced: Full tracking systems Which track E/W I chose T-Post and Rebar for ours…

Small Scale Solar Example • Components are: Panel, Battery, Charge Controller. This plus an old ATV winch raises and lowers my tower. • Low NO maintenance!

Projects You Can “Bury” Solar In… HOW TO SELL SOLAR TO A SKEPTICAL XYL: • Solar-power driveway and outdoor lighting! • Battery “topper-upper” for RV or other battery use which gets infrequent use: – Tractor, ATV, Go Karts, Motorcycles, Lawn tractor… • “Helping the environment!” “Global Warming!”

Generators • Basic choices: – Gas (get avgas? ) or Diesel (works in tractor) • Ham favorite is the Honda 2 k. W with inverter mode which varies engine speed to load • Conventional generators are much cheaper. • In gas generators, consider a good oil additive like Av. Blend which is FAA Approved: Av. Blend. com or Aircraft. Spruce. com

Operating Highlights • Pop for electric start if over 2 k. W! • If using for your home, have electrician put in a transfer switch • Best quality choices: – 2 k. W & Under: Honda – 2 -6 k. W – Onan or other RV type are good – 6 k. W up: Tractor PTO Type - – 6 k. W+ Isuzu diesel

Basic Rules & Axioms for Gens • RUN-TIME EQUALS FUEL AVAILABLE • Natural gas gens require lots of fuel but are a very long-life option. • Bad choice though if concerned about earthquakes or infrastructure damaged.

Some Notes on the Honda EU 2000 i Very good unit reports WA 7 BRI – he uses the Econo Mode with Icom 7000 and now voltage sag problems from key down to listening. ‘BRI meticulously runs every month and uses STABIL in his gas, however! Runs 8 -12 hours on a single fill in contest setting, 100 watt xmt class, no RFI issues

How Big a Genset? • From Onan manual good list of watts. • Applies whether your are planning an inverter off batteries (sep. charger), solar (big or small) or buying a genset. • Add up peak loads and that’s your sizing. • More loads = More $$$

Other Goodies from the Onan Manual

2. 8 k. W Onan Generator Fuel Consumption Typical 24 -hour contest time: 6. 7 gallons at 50% load. Full Power 24 -hours = 11 Gallons per day Full load uses almost 3 times fuel of no load.

Generalized Fuel Consumption • Ballpark: 50% load is 60% of max fuel use

Generator Time to Charge Batteries 85% of charge in Battery size divided by generator/alternator output. Example: 100 AHr battery will be 85% full in one hour on 100+ Amp alternator or generator-run source such as charger. Last 15% of charge takes about 2 ½ Hrs. regardless of size – “absorption charge rate” also called “finishing” charge.

If on PURE Battery Source • Operate initially from 100% full to 60% depth of discharge. • Recharge to 85% of charge level • Resume ops to 60% depth of discharge The 85% down to 40% of capacity is the “sweet spot” where batteries give up – and accept charge most readily.

Don’t Get Fooled by an Ammeter • When charging begins, battery may not begin charging right away. • Reason: Takes time for the battery chemistry to “change directions” • Delay in discharge to charging reaction is called ‘Coup de Fouet’ by battery gurus. (“crack of the whip”) • Read current after 5 -minutes of charging, or so • Coup de Fouet is why active (charging braking) on electric vehicles is so problematic – energy can’t just “reverse and save” – takes time!

Real Example of Coup de Fouet

Operating Style • Plan on 10% transmit and 90% receive unless you are net control. • Turns off dial lights is available. • Use power output at minimum level to get the job done. V/UHF 1 watt often sufficient. HF use 100 to establish coms, then reduce to path requirements. • Keep mental picture of fluid situations, make notes if possible. • Keep Radiogram pads on hand if regional emergency – doing public service traffic – be sure to get delivery phone number and confirm them.

Power and S-Units One S-unit is a change of 6 d. B in signal strength, which corresponds to double the VOLTAGE or four times the POWER at the receiver input. Example: If a 100 -watt station is S-9 and drops to 25 watts the result is S-8. From 25 watts down to 6 Watts is about S-6 2 W about S-4 etc. 100 W increased to 2 k. W ≈ 1½ S-Units

On HF Horizontal Antennas are Quieter With S-6 Signals, Antenna Noise becomes a major factor in good communications… Max Signal Is 6 DB over Noise Floor Max Signal Is 18 DB over Noise Floor

For HF Emergency Use Easiest to Install Quickly • Buddy-Pole ™ • Mobile Whip • Vertical into a tree Best Performance • Random Long Wire (Horizontal or “L”) • Inverted VEE • Flat-Top Dipole • Delta Loop • Horizontal Loop, 1λ overall length and at least 1/2λ high

My Dream Emergency Antenna to Minimize Power Requirements 160 Meter 1 λ Loop at 25’ or higher Used on 20 Meters where it has some gain… NVIS low bands, 160/80 some gain on 40 -& 20 Meters. Quiet (it’s a loop!). Only problem is size and height and needs a tuner and open wire!

For Antennas that are Ground. Dependent Verticals, Mobile Whips, and Long-wires need grounds Signals Depend on Grounds IMPROVISE! • Metal Roofs • Metal gutters • Chain link fences (noisy in certain wind conditions) • Sprinkler Systems (copper), fire stand pipes, hydrants • (My favorite!)….

RAILROAD TRACKS!

Lifesavers • Keep all generators 50 -100 feet or more – and preferably downwind - from humans. Carbon monoxide is carried as easily as oxygen in the bloodstream. • Never work circuits hot even if they are 12 V 12 V is enough to kill! It’s the current (less than 5 ma. ) that kills! • When wiring wear rubber-soled shoes and trust no one.

Thank You! Questions?