Linux-Hams archive - May 1998: RE: Watchdog

RE: Watchdog

Charles Greene (elt@serveur.com)
Wed, 06 May 1998 16:11:10 -0400


At 12:16 PM 5/6/98 -0400, Patrick Ouellette wrote:
>I've thought of a similar setup. Diodes to handle the current can
>be hard to find/expensive,
Not true. Radio Shack, # 276-1181, $2.69. 25 Amp, 50piv full wave bridge rectifier (use one leg). Any electronics parts store has a single diode, for less. Don't forget a heat sink and mounting hardware, if needed.

> so I thought of using a spdt relay with
>the coil connected to the AC that would connect the battery when
>the ac drops out. The advantage I see here is the circuit that
>connects the batteries uses no power and has no voltage drop
>while you are on batteries.

There are problems connecting batteries in parallel. See my previous posting.
>
>I have been working on a similar system to keep my rig powered when
>I loose AC. I use the relay to connect the battery to the charger
>while the AC is on (actually while my 12v power supply is on since the
>relays I am using have 12v DC coils), and to the rig when the AC drops.
>The radio doesn't seem to mind the momentary power glitch when the
>relay drops.

The computer might not like it, if directly connected, but the UPS should take out the glitch, if I understand correctly that you are using the UPS and just using the other battery to extend its life.

-------------------
Be nice. It doesn't take any longer.
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Charles Greene
Internet=anyibmg@n8it.org
Internet to Amprnet=slfhd@micro-link.net
115 Aaron Avenue
Bristol, RI (On the shore of beautiful Narragansett Bay)