Recently I began
experimenting with
solar
produced energy to power my
ham
radio station.
There are several
reasons why I
decided to power
at least a portion of my ham
radio
equipment with
solar produced energy.
I have been planning
to do this
for a few years but
the cost was prohibitive.
The last
couple of years have
brought price reductions not
only
for solar panels but
other equipment required for
a
solar energy system.
The power blackout
of a few weeks
ago spurred me to
finally start somwhere, even
if
at a very modest level.
In case of emergency
I want to be
able to power as a
minimum some of my low power
ham
radio equipment.
Another goal is a limited
amount
of power for my home
in case of natural disaster
or
other emergency.
Currently I have
only one small
15 watt solar panel, a
charge controller and one
small
battery for storage. Though
this is very little power I
am
already amazed.
It is possible for me to do the following with this tiny system;
1. Power my Radio
Shack HTX-10 transceiver
for several
hours, transmitting about 20
percent
of the time.
2. Power my computer for a few hours.
3. Power some lights
in my home
for several hours or
intermittently for several
days.
What did this cost?
Under $200!