Emergency Power Considerations for Portable Operations

Many disasters and emergencies involve the loss of commercial power. Emergency communicators obviously need power to communicate. The following information should be considered by all ARES® members to provide possible power options and solutions.
In considering emergency power for portable operations, it is important to consider the various types of "portable operations."

Large outdoor operations like "Field Day," are generally required only during major disasters. These events require large generator capacity (generators 3.5 KW to 5 KW or larger)
Operating a portable station inside a facility such as a fire station, Red Cross shelter, hospital, etc.
Operating "portable" for a prolonged period of time from a stationary vehicle.
Operating using an HT away from support vehicles and facilities.
What are some types of emergency power which radio operators can utilize and what accessories are required?

Generators (recommend small 750-2000 watt capacity for individual stations)

Long heavy duty power cords (recommend 2, 12 gauge wire)
NOTE: Most extension cords are 14 or 16 gauge. These are too light for many emergency communications applications. Look for 12 gauge cords used in construction applications.

Multiple outlet strips

Power supply & appropriate cables for 12 VDC equipment

Lighting equipment - small desk lamp or drop light

Full gas can & pour spout
Use a gas stabilizer additive for generators and gas cans if they are going to be stored for a prolonged period.

Extra Oil

Fire Extinguisher

Ground rod and ground cable
Battery Power

Spare automotive-style 12 VDC battery
Sealed lead acid or gel cell highly recommended
CAUTION: Conventional non-sealed automotive batteries can leak sulfuric acid (danger of injury from burns) and give off explosive hydrogen gas during charging.
Deep-cycle/Marine-type battery highly recommended
Keep battery fully-charged at all times
Keep a trickle charger or battery maintainer on the battery when not in use.
Appropriate cables to adapt battery to radio equipment
Some type of 12 VDC light

Utilize your vehicle's battery & charging system
Power cables to extend DC from your vehicle to a portable station.
TIP: Adapter plugs can be made so 120 VAC extension cords (the ones used for AC generator power) also can be used for extending DC power.

Make sure you use 3-prong, 12 gauge AC cords, and reverse the cord polarity to prevent anyone from unplugging the DC adapter and trying to plug in an AC appliance.

Use electrical or gray tape to tape the adapter to the cord plug so no one tries unplugging the DC adapter and plugging in an AC appliance.

Vehicle Adapter - use a three prong male AC plug and wire 12 gauge red and black wires from the plug to charging clips to attach to the battery.

Station End Adapter - use a three prong female AC socket and use 12 gauge red and black wires and appropriate connectors for your station.
NOTE: The ground prong/wire is not used for DC, but will prevent the DC adapters from being plugged into the extension cord with the wrong pos/neg polarity.

Run vehicle periodically to keep battery charged
Keep a spare vehicle door key in your wallet so you can lock the vehicle while it is charging if you have to leave the vehicle unattended.

Most newer model generators have a 12 VDC battery charger incorporated. Using the generator to charge the vehicle battery can save on gas consumption over running the vehicle engine. Make sure you have the appropriate 12 VDC charging cable for your generator.

Solar charging
Large, high capacity solar panel systems can be mounted on larger vehicles & RVs.
Dashboard solar panels are available for cars & trucks.
HT Emergency Power

Carry extra charged battery packs (12 hour capacity min. recommended)
Constantly rotate charging your spare battery packs so they are always fully charged.
If you have an AA alkaline battery pack for your HT, carry spare alkaline batteries (they are also generally available almost anywhere).

Many battery specialty stores carry high capacity rechargeable gel cell, sealed lead acid, NiCad or NiMH batteries, which can be adapted to run your HT. Many of these batteries have adequate capacity to run an HT for days if necessary.

Many HT battery chargers use 12 VDC to power the charger. If so, carry your charger with you and a cigarette lighter adapter so battery packs can be recharged from a vehicle's 12 VDC power system.

During cold weather events, be sure to keep your battery packs warm. Most rechargeable battery packs die when they get cold and don't necessarily recover when they warm back up.
Conserve the Limited Power You Have

When transmitting, use the lowest effective output power available.

Keep your traffic (transmissions) as short and concise as possible.

Keep station accessories (lights, etc.) turned off to conserve power unless immediately needed.