‰  NOW 30 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM AUGUST 2012 QST  PAGE 42‰

BATTERY BASED SYSTEMS ARE VERY INEFFICIENT DUE TO 30 LOSSES DURING CHARGING
AND 100 LOSSES ON ANY DAY THE BATTERIES ARE FULLY CHARGED AND EXCESS ENERGY
IS LOST.  IF YOU HAVE NOT LOOKED INTO SOLAR RECENTLY, DO NOT MAKE THE
MISTAKE THIS HAM DID BY THINKING IN TERMS OF BATTERY SYSTEMS.  BATTERIES
HAVE NO PART TO PLAY IN COST EFFECTIVE RENEWABLE ENERGY IF YOU HAVE ACCESS
TO THE GRID.  IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO SEPARATE THE ECONOMICS OF YOUR 99R9
ROUTINE GRID TIE ENERGY MAINTENANCE FREE SYSTEM, FROM YOUR EXTREMELY RARE
0R1 POWER OUTAGE NEEDS.  FOR EMERGENCY POWER, FORGET WHOLE HOUSE BATTERIES.
INSTEAD, USE A GENERATOR OR YOUR VEHICLE ENERGY SYSTEM SEE FIGURE 3.  THE
LEAD PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS AN EXAMPLE OF SERIOUS POWER TO GO.  THE SOLAR PANELS
ON THE CAR PROVIDE 200 W WHILE THOSE ON THE TRAILER SHOWN OPEN PROVIDE 300
W.  TOGETHER THEY PROVIDE A CLEAN NOISE FREE POWER SOURCE AT ARRL FIELD DAY
OR ON A SOCCER FIELD.  THE SOLAR PANELS COMBINED WITH 12 V BATTERIES AND
INVERTERS PROVIDE 2 KW OF 115 V AC POWER PEAK AND 500 W AVERAGE, WHILE THE
SUN SHINES.  TWO DOLLARS PER WATT RECENTLY, SOLAR GRID TIE SYSTEMS HAVE
BECOME VERY COST EFFECTIVE, AS LOW AS 1/W ON INTERNET SPECIALS.  IN JUST
‰  END OF 30 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ