Base Battery

The LiFePO4 batteries can be charged by the standard charging circuits in motorcycles and automobiles so a standard charger should get the job done but a specialty charger might give a stronger charge and more cycles. More info here: https://www.powerstream.com/LLLF.htm

I use a standard SLA motorcycle battery. It's still going strong at 8 years.
I think it's about 30AH. I use Pacific Crest 35 watt radio and its never let me down. I charge it after every 3 or 4 day usage.
Heavy, but never have to lug it far.
They sold me a tiny charger that supposedly does better than run of the mill car battery charger. Had no idea so take their word for it.

I currently use 2 Sears jump start batteries at about $50. Just need an extension cord as the charger is built in, has a handle to ease carry, has a lighter receptacle as well as the jumper cables, depending on what particular power adaptor I have with me.

Paul in PA

I've always used deep cycle marine batteries. I forget the brand name but they are grey with a yellow or blue top and look like a six-pack (also pricey but worth it, no special charger needed and they stay good for a very long time). Never had any problems running it for at least a full work day at 35 watts, sometimes maybe 2 days on a charge. Your 1 watt radio should easily run multiple days with a good battery I would think. I can't believe it would go dead so quick.

I've posted it here before but we use batteries that are made for Hoveround chairs. They're made for the type of long discharge / daily recharge cycle we put our batteries through. If you have a Batteries+ type store available they can hook you up for a lot less than $175.

We hook up a small solar panel to our batteries. Never had a problem.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-Volt-12V-50-Amp-50Ah-VRLA-AGM-Sealed-Lead-Acid-Battery-50-AMPS-HIGH-CAP-/141206981871?hash=item20e0978cef:g:DQgAAOSwax5YnPVx

Here Is My base using LiFo battery and repeater at one watt on base and repeater have got 30 km

http://www.batteryspace.com/custom-lfp-26650-battery-12-8v-6-6ah-84wh-7-0a-rate-in-aluminum-box-with-pcb-and-barrel-connector-7-92.aspx

Spec's say battery good for 2000 cycles then still has 90% capacity left so goes about 10 years

If the base is going to be months in one spot i use a solar panel and the charge controller on the attached PDF

use a white bag if its a sunny day to stop the Leica GS 14 from getting a tan.

I use a mag mount 90% of time and nail a electrical plate to a fence post or whatever.

Have not set up over a point using tripod and legs in 10 years.

Pete

Does anybody know how many amp hrs I need to run a 1 watt radio all day? That would be helpful in deciding what to get.

Watt=VI
1=14.4*I
1/14.4=0.07 amps use .2 amps for some head room RF amplifiers are not very efficient from what i know
6.6 AH/0.2=33 hours +-

lots of time in a 6.6 AH LiFe battery and it will run your one watt base for 16Hrs
so get Two 6.6 ah LiFe and a basic LiFe Charger

Pete

Hi

Here is a photo of a satel 3Asd 1 watt UHF operating as a repeater
The satel in the GS14 is the same as Satel 3asd but a much More compact version for integrated applications.

I set the Agilent multi meter to average current as the Leica GS14 base system does not transmit continuously my take anyways.

So average current at 14.4 volts LiFe is 0.11 amps

So 6.6 amp hr/.11= 60.0 hours just for repeater

Pete

For a 1 watt radio, I'd think any kind of car, motorcycle battery would last all day. We have 2 large heavy marine deep cycle batteries but we use a 35 watt external radio as well as the internal 1 watt radios at different times.

I've tried the gell cell wheel chair type batteries, in my opinion they aren't any better than off the shelf marine batteries. They are smaller and lighter though but not worth the extra cost unless you can't get your truck near where you set your base.

Here is the Agilent multi meter set to average current with the
GS 14 working as a base at 1 watt
So
The
Math
Is
6.0 Ah /0.3 Ah = 20 h and the units work out

We bought a Kendrick battery from Canada. 12v with cigarette adapter for charging and use. Comes on a nice manpurse.

spledeus, post: 434591, member: 3579 wrote: .....Comes on a nice manpurse.

It's European!

https://www.bioennopower.com/collections/12v-series-lifepo4-batteries/products/12v-20ah-lfp-battery-abs-blf-1220as&apos ;">I am using this battery, just ran my base for 30 hours for the GNSS receiver, NINE hours of which I also ran an Intuicom bridge at 1W, about 40% usable still remained in the battery. This battery is also very light in weight too at about SEVEN pounds and has about the same usable energy as the old 35Ah batteries supplied with Pacific Crest radios and I suspect most others. Sure it costs more, but running multiple days in remote field locations with no dead base battery is priceless!

SHG

Nice

LiFePo Is the way to Go

Big power + Safe + Lite + Last battery you will Need

what more can be said

I run them in all my gps, Moto bikes and quads

No Old School lead acid garbage

@peter-kozub

Hi Peter,

I've just obtained a Geomax Zenith40 base and trying to work out how big my base battery needs to be for a 12 hour day on RTK.  From the specs it appears the chip and the radio are similar draw to the GS14/GS16.  From experience the 2.6ah 7.4v seems to give 5 hours when running the internal radio when I demo'd it.

Most of the deep cycle LifePO4 batteries I can find in NZ are 16ah/22ah ones to run golf carts but think they'll be a bit overkill?  I'm wondering what life you are seeing from the realworld use of your batteries.  I'm hoping a 7.5ah one such as https://www.mrpositive.co.nz/12.8v-7.5ahr-lifepo4-deep-cycle-battery will be enough.

@peter-kozub

Unfortunately you still can not put one on a commercial airliner.  They freak out at the word lithium.