N5FDL Amateur Radio/EMCOMM

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Are Your Batteries Charged?

Posted: 24 Dec 2015 05:48 PM PST
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/n5fdl...medium=emai l


Imagine this: Youre in the middle of your daily routine when suddenly the
ground starts shaking hard. You recognize it as an earthquake, but you have
never felt one with this intensity. The lights go out and you realize there
is a total power outage. After what seems like an eternity, the shaking
subsides and you notice an eerie silence all around you as all lights,
machinery and electronics are no longer operating. "How bad was it?", you
wonder. Turning on your AM/FM radio, you discover this was a major quake
felt all over the region. But youre a ham, right. All you have to do is
grab your handheld radio and tune in to the local repeater. That is, if
your batteries are charged.

Even the most active of us in the hobby sometimes go long periods of time
without using our talkies. If yours is powered by a lithium-ion (Li-ion)
battery, you might be lucky as these batteries tend to hold a charge when
not in use. Nickle-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, however, self-discharge
over time; a real problem if you dont stay on top of them. What to do?

The most obvious solution is making a routine of charging your batteries.
Another is to purchase an alkaline battery pack (AA or AAA size) for your
handheld. Some alkaline batteries now claim a shelf-life of 10 years,
providing a high degree of dependability, although its still a good idea to
periodically check your go-kit for missing or expired items. Note that some
cheaper brands of alkaline batteries can leak with age, damaging your
equipment. Search for Dave N5FDLs earlier (April 21, 2013) blog
titled, "Switching to Duracell" for more information.

Another way of insuring your batteries are charged and your radio is
functioning: get on-the-air and check-in to your clubs weekly net. Most all
ham radio clubs have a net, and no better way to insure all is working
properly with your radio than to use it regularly.