# Portable power source for a yeasu 857D Ham radio



## 6811 (Jan 2, 2013)

Greetings folks,

I need help regarding powering my yaesu 857 D. It's for field work, portable or mobile. Basically I want to be able to run the radio while camping. It has to be able to run 24x7 if possible. Any suggestions


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

Small Honda inverter generator with a m'cycle battery in parallel to take the load.


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## SGT E (Feb 25, 2015)

Or if you don't want to spend 1000$ on a Honda inverter Generator you can always spend a lot less on an Inverter Generator...Forget the Motorcycle battery...Get a battery charger to plug into it and a good sized marine deep cycle. The 857 will drain a motorcycle battery in less than an hour on low power. On high you won't be able to transmit. HF rigs pull power like Trolling motors....20 amps on transmit for 100 watts output is about right. You will have to charge the battery every 24 hours to a month depending on how much you transmit and at what power levels.

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Outdoor...t-Generators-Inverter-Generators/N-5yc1vZcbpx


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## 6811 (Jan 2, 2013)

I see there are gasoline generators and I saw a propane. Which would you suggest?


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

Gas for field use, propane stations are not as plentiful as gasoline stations.


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## 6811 (Jan 2, 2013)

SOCOM42 said:


> Gas for field use, propane stations are not as plentiful as gasoline stations.


Very true


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Must be a powerful radio to need a generator to run it. Maybe what the FBI was using to talk to the Ruskies when compiling the fake dossier on Trump.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

Naw, right propagation, and burst xmission, all set. 100 to 200 watts is all that is needed with a yag on the embassy..


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Does it take more power to get to Pooty Poots house?


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

SOCOM42 said:


> Gas for field use, propane stations are not as plentiful as gasoline stations.


So what, Your a prepper right? How long do you need to run the generator every day? Buy a few 20lb cans of
propane and take what you will need with you. The stuff last forever so what you don't use won't go to wast 
and it's safer to transport. Propane stations don't need to be plentiful get some tanks and have them filled.
When it hits the fan your going to need them anyways.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

budgetprepp-n said:


> So what, Your a prepper right? How long do you need to run the generator every day? Buy a few 20lb cans of
> propane and take what you will need with you. The stuff last forever so what you don't use won't go to wast
> and it's safer to transport. Propane stations don't need to be plentiful get some tanks and have them filled.
> When it hits the fan your going to need them anyways.


If you read the post, you will see this has nothing to do with SHTF.

This has all to do with him running a HF transceiver 24 hours a day in the field while camping.

Why haul 20 pound tanks when a few gallons will do?

I don't think you even live around where we do. Filling stations are few and about 30% more per gallon than gas.

On the economics side, both fuel and generator are cheaper.

The small Honda inverter generator does not burn propane either, just gas.

I have a dual fuel generator, mine is hooked up to two 100 pound propane tanks with four in reserve just for the generator.

Six others for either the kitchen stove or a backup heater.

I think @6811 can think this out and make a choice for himself.


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## Chiefster23 (Feb 5, 2016)

There are conversion kits available that enable the Honda inverter/generators to run on either gas or propane. I have one and it works great and makes the genny very flexible. Just be aware that propane has slightly less energy than gas so that 2kw gas genny will only put out about 1.6kw on propane.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

SOCOM42 said:


> If you read the post, you will see this has nothing to do with SHTF.
> 
> "This has all to do with him running a HF transceiver 24 hours a day in the field while camping.
> 
> ...


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

Something to consider the yeasu 857Dt only takes 1 amp to listen and 22 amps to talk.

It may seem like a lot to take but 
It is a 12 volt radio. If you had a deep cycle battery and a small generator you would only need to run the generator
once in a while to keep the battery up.

Or hook to your car or truck once in a while to keep it charged. A cord that plugs into the lighter or power outlet? 
If your only listening using 1 amp it would run a very long time before the battery would need charged.
just a thought
https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/1857spec.html


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## 6811 (Jan 2, 2013)

bigwheel said:


> Must be a powerful radio to need a generator to run it. Maybe what the FBI was using to talk to the Ruskies when compiling the fake dossier on Trump.


I don't know if it's that powerful. But I hope it's powerful enough where I can talk to somebody and compile a dossier on Denton and sasquatch.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

budgetprepp-n said:


> Something to consider the yeasu 857Dt only takes 1 amp to listen and 22 amps to talk.
> 
> It may seem like a lot to take but
> It is a 12 volt radio. If you had a deep cycle battery and a small generator you would only need to run the generator
> ...


This is exactly what I said to him. with very little difference in wording.


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## Jon_Garfio (Oct 3, 2018)

Hi,
I use for my radio shack the following setup:

50w monocristaline pannel
12v 26ah AGM battery
20a PWM regulator

I power my ICOM 2200H 65w VHF, Elecraft K2 15w HF and leds of the shack.






























Enviado desde mi Redmi Note 4 mediante Tapatalk


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

You didn't mention if this is for a day or a week or a moths of camping.
When you say 24/7, I assume you men you want to monitor the frequency 24/7, not transmit 24/7. Or am i wrong? 
If only monitoring 24/7 the radio draws about 550 ma/hour or just over 13 amps per 24 hour period when no signal is received. 
Even when the squelch is broken, the radio drays 1 amp or 24 amps per 24 hour period. Using a generator for that sounds kind 
of like severe over kill. You need to put together a realistic idea of needed available amps for a 24 hour period and then look 
into a deep cycle or RV/Marine battery system that can deliver what you need. And have some way of charging the battery, be it
solar or a hi amp output charger off a small generator.


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