Another trick is to replace the alternator with one from the same kind of
car made for A/C if it doesnt already have it. My van had a 60 amp
unit,replaced with a 110 amp unit made for the A/C model.Actually,my van had
A/C and somebody cheaped out and got the small one-those fools!
----- Original Message -----
From: Neil McKie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2004 9:57 PM
Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: OT - DC charger with auto cutoff
>
> Oh boy !!!
>
> Batteries and generators / later replaced by an alternator ...
>
> My first vehicle with a ham radio in it was a 1948 Cadillac ...
> 6 volts and a generator. Of course the radio was a Gonset
> Communicator IIB (if you remember those AM rigs)
>
> The next was a 1951 Ford ... also had a 6 volt system but I
> quickly got tired of that and replaced it with a 100 amp
> Leece-Neville Alternator mounted on top of that flat-head V8.
>
> Somewhere alone the line of somewhat strange cars, there was a
> 1951 Packard, a 1949 Packard (looked like a Hudson Hornet ... or
> an inverted bathtub), a 1953 Ford; each had the 6 volt
> Leece-Neville Alternator installation.
>
>
> Finally I gor my first 12 volt car, a 1961 Dodge Seneca, an
> ex-police car. It came with a 12 volt, 60 amp Leece-Neville
> Alternator. The battery was electrically, the largest that
> would fit in the holder.
>
> That car had the following installed:
>
> Motorola 140D, 60 watts, three frequency, 2 meter band radio;
> Motorola 140D, 60 watts, three frequency, 6 meter band radio;
> Motorola 80D, 30 watts out, 2 frequency, lo-band mobile telephone;
> Motorola 80D, 30 watts out, 148 MHz range for Navy Mars;
> All these radios had dynamotors for the transmitter power supply.
>
> Motorola UHF Business band T-power (for work.)
> GE Mastr-Pro 440 band radio
> and a 2 meter band Gonset Communicator IV in the back seat.
>
> I never had a weak battery or alternator system in that car.
>
>
> The next car was a 1969 Dodge Polara, an ex-police car too. Came
> from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) with the Dodge 440 CI
> engine. (With the big engine, it would pass anything except a gas
> station...) It also came with a 65 amp Leece-Neville Alternator.
> The battery was electrically, the largest that would fit the
> holder.
>
> I didn't have quite as many radios in it but it had a few.
>
>
> The next car was a 1973 Dodge Coronet Custom, this time had the
> Chrysler Corp. factory alternator. This car had a few radios in
> it too. The UHF GE Mastr-Pro, a 110 watt Motorola Motrac on the
> 2 meter band, a Motorola Motrac on the 440 MHz band (that was the
> car that had the two 4 freq UHF duplexed radios and the 16 buttom
> Touch-Tone pad installed.)
>
>
> A 1970 Plymouth Wagon came next ... I didn't install much in it.
> Since I couldn't sit up on the rear deck of the Plymouth Wagon,
> this gave me an idea:
>
> Next vehicle was a 1968 GMC Suburban, which I bought in 1982.
> Was the first time I ever had plenty of room for sufficient
> antennas to support everything I wanted to install. It had the
> requisite GE Mastr-Pro, the 2 meter Motrac and a 12 channel 110
> watt Motorola Syntor on various public-safety channels. It came
> with the factory alternator and a too-small battery which I got
> changed early on.
>
>
> The next vehicle is the 1976 Checy Suburban, which I bought in
> 1990. That came with an alternator ... but by then I bought a
> Kenwood TM741 and installed the third module on the 6 meter band.
> I still have the Suburban.
>
>
> I bought the next vehicle in 1998 when I retired. When you are
> retired, every day is a holiday.
>
> This vehicle is a 1990 Chevy Suburban, with 328,000 miles on it,
> original engine and transmission, it has a Kenwood TM742 in it, and
> two antennas on top - holes have been drilled for the antennas.
>
>
> From my experiences with vehicular electrical systems, get the
> largest alternator you can comfortably install. Ditto with the
> battery.
>
> I know, the yo-yo's at the local battery sales store will brag
> their current sales thrust has X number of cold cranking amperes
> which means nothing to me. Their sales literature specifies the
> tiny battery fits my vehicle ..... My reply is if you don't sell
> me what I want, I **will** go elsewhere.
>
> I always get the electrically largest battery that will still
> physically fit in my vehicle ... Period !!! (Also, I am 6'6" tall,
> weigh 245# and the usual sales turkey won't argue with me.)
>
>
> My philosophy is ... if you are an active amateur radio operator
> (if you are not, why?) your vehicle should support your daily
> activities without a worry. If you can't do that, go get it fixed.
>
> In other words, for my various vehicles, been there / done that.
>
>
> I have an interesting experience on trouble-shooting a customers
> electrical problem - but is another story at another time.
>
> 73,
>
> Neil McKie - WA6KLA
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