When one is none. Have you ever encountered a huge radio-related hassle over one small equipment failure? Your entire radio station can be kicked off the air because of one flakey connector or a blown fuse. If you don’t have a solution, you’re done. Equipment failures may be a mere… Read more »
Nothing is sacred, including batteries. Do you have concerns about technology intruding on your life and privacy? We have reached a point where even batteries —yes, batteries— are documented and recorded. What am I talking about? You may have never heard of a digital battery passport (DBP), but pay attention… Read more »
A classic never goes out of style. Way back in 2016 I posted the Off Grid Ham 100 Watts for $300 Solar Plant. Even today, that article is still hugely popular and one of the most viewed posts on this website. In a 2020 update, the $300 threshold not only… Read more »
The unloved child. Lots of hams are very successful with solar. It seems to be the “go to” off grid power source. I don’t have firm numbers, but anecdotally it appears solar is more popular than even gas generators. Of course, solar is not the only game in town. Wind… Read more »
Exponential market growth! Lithium battery technology has made exponential market penetration in the last decade or so. Once an exotic and expensive platform, today nearly every battery-powered device uses lithium. Along with increased market acceptance comes attention, both good and bad. Most of the bad news circulating about lithium batteries… Read more »
It’s better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. It’s been quite a summer! Flooding, extreme heat, wild fires, and (at this writing) a hurricane just tore up the Western USA and another storm is churning in the Gulf of Mexico. Every time… Read more »
The “holy grail” of solar energy? It’s been over six years since Off Grid Ham first covered perovskite solar. For the unfamiliar, perovskite solar is a new type of photovoltaic technology that is based on perovskite-structure crystals. There are several advantages. First, is efficiency. Perovskite solar is far more efficient… Read more »
When you want to expand your battery capacity. Off grid ham radio has an addictive quality about it. You tell yourself, “I’ll get a modest battery and solar panel and just fool around a little bit. I’m not too serious about this,” thinking that’s as far as you’ll ever go…. Read more »
Radio philosophy. If you see amateur radio as being greater than the sum of its parts, then you already understand where I’m about to go and will find affirmation in this article. If you value amateur radio solely for its utilitarian (communication) purposes, then you’re missing out. There is personal… Read more »
Wish list. Most off grid hams are off grid only for portable operations. Many of them would like a larger, permanent home system but don’t know where to start or what such a project involves. If having an off grid home solar power system has been a longtime wish, this… Read more »
Graduation time. A lot of if not most off grid hams have only one battery in their system. Connecting a single battery is more or less self-explanatory. What should you do when you expand your system to include multiple batteries? Should they be in series? In parallel? Is one way… Read more »
It cannot be avoided… Batteries are arguably the weakest link in the off grid radio chain. Solar panels, controllers, connecting cables, and almost everything else can last years, even decades. But batteries are a consumable product and no matter how good yours are, it’s almost certain they will not last… Read more »