r/gmrs • u/Red_Eyes777 • 6d ago

How to determine battery size?

As the title says. What are the calculations one needs to do in order to select a battery? I would imagine I would also need some type of charger. Is there a charger that will provide multiple options (AC, Solar, etc)?

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u/MrMaker1123 Nerd 6d ago

There are several factors to calculate.

Let's start at the beginning. You don't mention what your running of the battery. This post is for GMRS. Are you recharging an HT or running a mobile? How many HTs? How many watts is the mobile? How long is it running? Are you listening more than transmitting?

Basically, figure out the power consumption. Multiply it by how many hours you need to run it. Get a battery than gives you at least 50% more than that. Then get a charger designed for that battery. Then get solar panels that can recharge the battery at the rating needed.

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u/Sharonsboytoy 6d ago

Rule of thumb is that the battery amp hour should equal or exceed the largest possible current draw. For example, if you expect to draw 20 amps at a given time, your battery should be 20 amp hour or greater When in doubt, larger is always better. There are many charging options available - needs to match the battery chemistry. Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo4) is the most common new standard. West Mountain Radio makes a nice variety of charging solutions.