Introduction

From electrical storms to hurricanes to tornadoes to earthquakes and even to the most chaotic of ham radio activities, Field Day, emergency power and the amateur radio service are bound together. However gasoline generators, windmills and solar panels, although impressive, are no more essential than the lowly battery. Deep cycle and gel-cell batteries are usually indispensable when putting together an effective emergency power system.

The article, "Lab Notes -- Emergency Power" points out some methods for Field Day use -- the practice session for the aforementioned disasters. See also the list of other articles about battery and alternative power.

Additional resources

The ARRL Handbook for Radio Amateurs

Articles

Note: Some of the following articles are in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files. To view and print these files, you'll need a copy of Adobe's Acrobat Reader program. (Version 3.0 or later required). More information here.

• Lab Notes - Emergency Power
  It's nearly time for the most popular operating event of the year-Field Day!
• Practical Battery Back-Up Power for Amateur Radio Stations - Part 1 (1,179,648 bytes, PDF file)
  QST March 1990, pp. 34-37
  Many radio amateurs use batteries only in low-power, portable/mobile applications. This three part series covers how to use batteries to keep a ham station going when commercial ac power fails.
• Practical Battery Back-Up Power for Amateur Radio Stations - Part 2 (1,540,096 bytes, PDF file)
  QST April 1990, pp. 32-35
  Feedback: (8,323 bytes, PDF file)
  QST May 1990, p.39
• Practical Battery Back-Up Power for Amateur Radio Stations - Part 3 (1,048,576 bytes, PDF file)
  QST May 1990, pp. 25-27
• Solar Power for Your Ham Station-It's Easier than You Think (196,608 bytes, PDF file)
  QST April 1996, pp. 33-37
  Everything you need to know to operate your 100 watt station exclusively by solar/battery power.
• A Solar-Powered Field Day (124,330 bytes, PDF file)
  QST May 1995, pp. 60-63
  Run a whole station off a small gel-cell battery replenished by a solar panel.
• Watts From Wind (1,736,704 bytes, PDF file)
  QST July 1977, pp. 15-19
  Put together a wind powered generator.
• Alternative Energy--An Overview of Options and Requirements--Part 1 (1,935,169 bytes, PDF file)
  QST September 1987, pp. 17-21
  A view for using sun, water and wind energy to power your station.
• Alternative Energy--An Overview of Options and Requirements--Part 2 (1,307,889 bytes, PDF file)
  QST October 1987, pp. 19-23
• How to Choose and Use a Portable Power Generator (189,376 bytes, PDF file)
  QST June 1999, pp. 59-61
• The 12 Volt Pup: A DC Generator You Can Build (334,364 bytes, PDF file)
  QST June 1997, pp.45-48
  50 AMP generator from a lawn-mower and an alternator

Note:

Contact information for suppliers mentioned in the above articles should first be confirmed using TIS Address Database Search.

Web Links:

• Insoltech Solar
• AESCO is your PowerSource Connection for Solar Power Wind Power Inverter Power.
• Ham Contact Portable Power Station
  Product Review
  QST October 2000, p. 67
• Cook Up Your Own Emergency Power Pack, by Alex KR1ST, describes an Emergency Power Pack using an Everstart hybrid battery and float charger. This is a simple project and the description is illustrated with pictures.

Bibliography (Members Only)

ARRL Periodicals Index Search - This database contains the QST index from 1915 to the present and the QEX index from 1981 to the present. For QST issues from 1970 to the present, and some selected articles back to 1922 (when construction articles featuring tubes began in earnest), identifying keywords have been added to the technical articles. By entering keywords (ANTENNA) or combinations of keywords (CONSTRUCTION ANTENNA VERTICAL HF) into the Title words: field, you may create dynamic bibliographies.
Technical article KEYWORD list. Hints for more successful searching

Suggested keywords for more articles like the ones on this page are: ALTERNATIVE; SOLAR

Article Reprints:

You can get a photocopy of any ARRL published article for $3 ($5 for nonmembers) for each article requested. Contact the ARRL Technical Department (reprints@arrl.org ), 1-860-594-0390) if you wish to get photocopies.

This information was prepared as a membership service by the American Radio Relay League, Inc., Technical Information Service, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111 (860) 594-0214. Email: tis@arrl.org (Internet). ARRL HQ is glad to provide this information on the Web free of charge as a service to League members and affiliated clubs.

If you have any questions concerning the reproduction or distribution of this material, please contact:

TIS Coordinator
American Radio Relay League
225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111
Tel: 860-594-0214 Fax: 860-594-0259
(email: tis@arrl.org)