Everyone knows that a HAM radio is designed for use when something major is going on. It may be a natural disaster that takes out traditional stations or any other situation that may affect your community. However, one thing that you have to keep in mind is that your HAM components are only good if you have a power supply available to use during those tough times. For that reason, you should take a look at the available power supply options for your HAM and learn about the pros and cons of each.
Solar Power
Solar power is ideal for many situations. It is a renewable energy source that takes advantage of what is available to it; the sunshine. Depending on the solar power option that you use, you may be able to take a little bit of sun and turn it into hours of power. The downside of solar power is the fact that during severe weather you may not get enough sun light to power a solar panel power supply. There are solar panels that can make use of any type of sunlight, even that which may be somewhat hidden by the clouds, but there are others that require direct sunlight to gain a full charge. You should double check to make sure that you are choosing the right option for your HAM radio if this is the source that you want to use.
Battery Power
When you want power, batteries are an obvious choice. They are great when the power goes out and you need to power up a radio or flashlights. The downside is that batteries lose power. Even those that are designed for a deep discharge can go down. In the event that your main power goes down during a severe storm; do you want to have to worry that you cannot recharge?
Generators
Generators are extremely popular when it comes to backup power. Most of them can run off regular gasoline, which is usually easy to find. Others may use natural gas, propane, or diesel, which are harder to find, but promise to last longer and provide more power. A great resource to learn more about generator availability and options is Generator Power Source. They can generally run for hours at a time on a tank of fuel and they are very dependable in tough times.
Wind Power
Wind generators are great for providing power. The downside is, that you need the wind to produce the power. This can be easy to achieve in severe weather, but as a backup supply of power during calm weather; you may not have the wind that you will need to produce enough power to keep your HAM Radio running. They are best suited for wide open spaces that have a steady wind or in a marine environment where the boat’s power can create wind.
Electricity
Electricity is a power supply that most HAMs run off of. It is reliable and always available in most cases. However, there are times when it is not reliable. When you have access to power, it is ideal to use, but you should always have a backup supply available for times when heavy rains, high winds, storms, and other things take down power lines.
HAM radios are necessary during troubled times. For that reason, you will always want to have a backup power source. Which one is best for you? Only you will know the one that fits your needs best. The only important thing is, knowing that it has enough power to provide energy to all of your HAMs components.