by AA5IT » Mon Dec 15, 2014 4:08 am
Paul,
I would be curious to know what that supply's putting out under no -load conditions. If it's still 14.1 VDC then it's functioning properly. The fact it's still able to maintain 14.1 VDC under full load is a little suspect. As you are likely aware the electrical system in the car is a 13.8 VDC nominal system. Nominal means nominal, not maximum. The radios are designed to operate there, are aligned there, and spec'd there and survive surges all over the place in that automotive electrical system. Incidentally, I ran my Peaberry for a week at 15 VDC, 24 hours a day, transmitting on it every day. Nothing on it had any trouble with overheating anywhere near the manufacturer's specifications. I always try things like this at the extremes because I need to know how much abuse it can take before I start toting it around the world and powering it with whatever I can come up with in a pinch if a primary supply fails. As a design engineer in the medical industry, I must do this as a course of design to ensure the customer won't come back to me complaining the instrument is a piece of garbage and breaks at the first line surge from switching to and from the generator. David's design is pretty robust so you wouldn't need to worry about 14.1 VDC. Still wonder what that voltage is on that supply unloaded.
73
Frank