Solar Powered Ham Station Presented by Jim Erickson KB0DBJ

Reasons to run Solar Power Self Sufficiency Save Money on electric bill Don’t need expensive power supply Clean, Quiet Power Equipment lasts longer, runs cooler Challenge Ideal for remote locations Since power is at a premium, teaches efficient use of antennas

Negatives of a Solar Station Not practical for high power or heavy duty cycle Equipment can be expensive Requires a large storage system Voltage drops at night & cloudy days

Components of a Solar Station: Solar Panel Controller Storage system (battery or batteries)

Types of Panels: Monosilicon Polysilicon Amorphous

Most efficient Works well in low light Most expensive Hardest to find Take most room Long Life Monosilicon:

Polysilicon: Fairly common Affordable Still very efficient Works well in low light Long Life (25 yrs) Take Less room

Amorphous: Cheap Easy to find Can be flexible Don’t last long Not efficient Have grayish appearance

Types of Batteries: Lithium based AGM/gel Auto starting Marine

Lithium based Very expensive Not tolerant to abuse, such as: overcharging, extreme temps & mishandling Excellent power density (weight to power ratio) Excellent power curve Extreme drop off  Don’t recommend unless you need to be VERY portable.

AGM/Gell Good float voltage Good power curve Moderately tolerant of abuse. Can use inside. Easy to obtain, especially surplus. Deep cycle models available.  Heavy

Auto Starting Decent float voltage (13v) Easy to get Should not use inside (vents hydrogen gas) Tolerant to abuse Cannot deep cycle  Decent power curve, do not discharge past 90%

Marine Battery Lower float voltage Deep cycle Can be abused Easy to get Shouldn’t use inside Steep power curve, voltage drops rapidly  Really designed for resistive loads

Controller: Prevents overcharging Uses full potential of panel Provides pulse charge when fully charged to prevent sulfating

Other thoughts It’s a good idea to have a voltmeter to monitor voltage Start you system small & enlarge as you go An inverter can be added to power small 110v items

How big of a system do I need ? The simple answer is: enough to cover you needs. You will find that as you use your system, you will want to grow it to cover other power needs. Mine started out as 10 watt panel with a18 ah battery. Now it’s a 20 watt panel with a 90 ah battery, powering 3 VHF/UHF radios & a Kenwood TS-50 HF rig.

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