Posted: 2/18/2015 2:02:58 PM EDT
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First, hello to all of you!
Have been licensed for a couple of years, and just upgraded to General. I've been guilty of lurking and learning here for some time. There is a wealth of great info in the archive, and somehow it's more in tune with my personal interests than the usual QRZ forum, so thanks! Here's my question: I run an FT-857 in my mobile (Jeep Wrangler). I noticed recently that I can't turn on the radio with the engine off. If the radio is on when I switch the engine off, it will continue to operate, but I notice the voltage reading is lower than normal, about 12.3 volts. I'm sure I've been guilty of a little too much voltage drop while operating engine off, and that I now have an unhealthy cell in this 3-year old stock battery. So what's the consensus on the best replacement battery for a mobile ham station? Deep cycle? Fancy sealed cell unit like the Optima? If such a thing were available, I'd like to have a battery which idled at 13.8 to 14.1 volts just as it does under charge, but I've not heard of such a thing. I know a battery booster is another possibility, but I'm going to start by upgrading the stock battery. Any suggestions would be welcomed! Lastly, since this is an introductory post, I'll add that I run a KX3 and an FT-897 in addition to the FT-857. All the good info I found here on the KX3 is what pushed me over the top on that acquisition! Cheers... Jim W6ELH |
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I had an Optima battery in my Jeep. It lasted about 8 years. I've heard a lot of people saying that Optima's quality has been a lot worse lately. I ended up replacing it with a regular Gold Legend battery from NAPA.
Factory OEM battery in my 2010 Tacoma died after 2 years. The fill plugs were leaking badly too. I replaced it with a sealed AGM, 710 CCA battery from Advanced Auto - Autocraft Platinum AGM battery. It's been a great battery. I've ran my IC-7000 for 3-4 hours with about 50/50 RX/TX time and the truck started just fine. The battery has very low self discharge when compared to regular batteries. It was over $200 but I'm very happy with it. FT-857 should operate at 11.5V or higher. Most of the other mobile rigs require at least 12.5V. I would suspect the wiring. It's always a good idea to keep power wiring as short as possible. Use 12Ga (or larger) MTH wires. Make sure both power leads are connected directly to the battery. Don't forget to use 30A fuses on both positive and negative leads. Install the fuses as close as possible to the battery. Don't forget to put some Vaseline or bearing grease on the battery terminals to prevent corrosion. |
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I run a Diehard Platinum which is AGM in my Jeep '03 Wrangler. I wanted a AGM with a decent reputation that had extra power connections when replacing my old wet cell which made it 9 years on the OEM.
The 857 has an adjustable APO (auto power off) you could set it 1 - 6 hours. That way once you turn it on the timer starts and it powers itself off in one to six hours later. |
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Why have none of you mentioned running two batteries? Run a starting battery and a second deep cycle for operating the radio? I'm sure you can find a location to place another battery tray then wire it to the alternator with a battery isolator.
I have a second battery on my Focus that I just plug into the power outlet when the engine is running to keep it charged. Bill |
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Thanks for all the great feedback...
Yes, I learned to use the auto power off feature after inadvertently leaving my FT-7900 running all night. Power is being drawn straight from the battery, with heavy fused leads. My cable run is longer than it used to be, as the FT-7900 was mounted above the rear-view mirror (where the FT-857 control head is now), but the FT-857 is positioned on the bulkhead behind the driver's seat. This problem only surfaced after a year of use, and given the lower voltage reading, I think I've cooked the battery. I'll try to quell my usual cheap nature and pony up for a premium AGM battery, but will avoid the Optima. Again, I'm grateful for all the help! Jim... W6ELH |