We use deep cycle marine batteries to power our RTK Base and our units when we do static observations. I was in Batteries Plus today to get a light bulb and noticed some Skyrich Lithiumion Batteries about the size of the small battery that came with our RTK system. This battery has 2/3 of the power of the big batteries that will power a receiver for 9 days of static observations and the say that it is good for 2000 charge cycles compared to 700 for a lead acid. They cost about $270 but the biggest one weighed under 5 pounds.
Thanks Steve. It seems the base battery never lasts forever. I used the orange one, from Odyssey. Lasted maybe 3-4 yrs. then, one from Optima. It did not last as long. Then, I got a SLA battery, and it is on it's last leg. I like 100% reliable base batteries... (what's that?)
N
We use the deep cycle batteries as well, but recently we've been looking at the portable solar panels that you can buy for RV camping etc. It looks like one of them would be able to charge the battery and keep the unit running during the day, then it would run on battery only through the night.
Has anyone else tried this sort of solution?
Thought about it. Never did anything with it. Even thought about adding a fan to the base radio.
I have a static base that I run like a CORS station, no radio, an OPUS X90, that we have hooked to a deep cycle marine battery. We have electricity at the site that is on the circuit with the night lights on a times, 10 hours of power per day. We tried it with a 1 amp trickle charger but after 23 days in the winter, the battery died. We got a 10 amp onboard charger that is waterproof and it seems to be keeping up with our power needs. I downloaded it the other day and it had been running for 62 days without a hitch. I am looking for something for the sites that you can't drive the truck to. A 5 pound battery is easier to carry than that 40 pound lead acid battery.
If you go Lithium, be sure you have the appropriate charger. They are more particular than other chemistries, and as the early laptop Li batteries proved, can be dangerous.
I run a base station trailer with roof mounted solar and antennas for phone and radio, runs pretty much indefinitely, the gear is somewhat more secure and protected too.
SHG
