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Does anyone use a directly connected battery for short term power out protection?

Dan Wheeler
Dan Wheeler Member ✭✭
edited March 2023 in Peripherals & Station Integration
Looking for protection from the dreaded SD card failure, thinking an unexpected power outage may exacerbate that possibility. Looking for just enough time for generator to take over.

Thanks! 73s

Answers

  • AA1SS
    AA1SS Member ✭✭✭
    edited March 2023

    You can use this . . . Works great

    https://powerwerx.com/west-mountain-radio-pg40s-super-pwrgate


    Or even a computer UPS connected to your 12v supply will work good

  • VE7ATJ_Don
    VE7ATJ_Don Member ✭✭✭✭

    HI Dan... I'm not sure that having the rig attached to battery will necessarily prevent the SD card failure. Most times, the failure occurs during the 'check SD card' portion of the radio startup.

    So, I guess if you keep the radio on 24x7x365, with infinite battery backup, it may be possible, but...

    If the SD card is 'flaky' (as mine was after about 8 years), I'd rather get a replacement, rather than risk having the radio conk out when I REALLY need it!. When mine failed, Flex had a new card out to me (in Canada) within 2 days.

    I was fortunate to have an older 'knob' radio I could use in the meantime, but as I say, it was only two days....

    Having battery backup for the rig in case of power outage is not a bad thing -- especially if you want it available in times of a bigger emergency. :-)

  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin

    @Dan Wheeler

    The SD Card failure really isn't related to power outages. It is a problem that surfaced due to a few unique issues. One was an actual media / hardware / manufacturing issue from the vendor (we now use a new vendor). The other was from the card being 'stressed' due to a mistake we made years ago.

    Since we don't write much data to the card, the odds of having power failing exactly when a critical file is being written is extremely low.

    You can do a battery backup if you like, but you must follow the correct procedures to 'float' a battery and make sure you don't boil it dry. The challenge is that radio like a higher voltage of up to 15VDC but if you have a battery at the same time, you will cook the battery eventually.

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