Category: Power Options
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How Long Will Your Comms Kit Actually Run When the Grid Is Down
Power budgeting for a real grid-down comms plan, not just a general battery buying guide.
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Building a Solar-Powered Meshtastic Repeater Node
A permanently sited, solar-powered Meshtastic node on a hilltop can do more for your mesh network’s coverage than every other node combined. Here’s how to build one that survives outdoors year-round.
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Solar Charging for Your Ham Shack: Panels, Charge Controllers, and Realistic Expectations
Solar can genuinely keep a ham station running, but sizing it wrong is the most common mistake. Here’s how to actually size panels, controllers, and batteries for real-world shack use.
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LiFePO4 vs. SLA: Choosing a Battery for Portable Power
Both chemistries will run your radio. They just do it very differently in weight, lifespan, and cost. Here is how to decide which one belongs in your go bag.
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Building a Ham Radio 100Ah Battery Box
A simple, roughly 30-minute build that costs way less than buying one pre-made, and doubles as a solid first electrical project if you haven’t done one before.
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External Battery Setup for the FT-891 in the Field
The FT-891 has no internal battery, so here’s how I power it in the field off the LiFePO4 box and what current draw actually looks like.
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Power Supply Considerations for the IC-7300 Mark II Shack Setup
What actually matters when picking a power supply for the IC-7300 Mark II, from current headroom to noise on receive.
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The Astron RS-50M: A Linear Power Supply Workhorse, and How It Stacks Up Against the Alternatives
Heavy, simple, and about as clean as DC power gets. Here’s what the RS-50M actually offers, and the real tradeoffs between linear and switching supplies for HF.
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