Powering QRP Ham Radio with USB Battery Banks

[@braunwm]

You're the most useful Ham channel on the youtube's. Thanks for putting this out there!!!

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Thank you!

[@DonaldBarnett2014]

Just passed my test here in Spain and once i get my call sign I'm going to get a usdx hf transceiver. Due to European laws it wont come with a battery so this is a fantastic idea . Ive been looking at the lipo 11.1volt packs you can get from amazon but then you need a charger or the added messing around of opening up the rig and adapting it to fit whatever battery pack you buy. Ill definitely be trying out this idea in a week or so. Great video

[@kevinguenthner8812]

Those are not buck converters and are not normally referred to as an "up-converter". The correct term is a boost converter (because it boosts the input to a higher voltage). A buck converter takes a input voltage and outputs at a lower voltage. Another term for these are step-up or step-down. (Note you can also get buck/boost converters which can do both functions) Understood the overall concept and it's a fun little project! I wanted to throw that out there in case people are going to look for their own.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

I appreciate the correction. I myself am not a EE, so while I think my concept is correct, being accurate in terms is appreciated.

[@kevinguenthner8812]

Concept is totally correct! You are carrying the energy with you... might as well convert it to something the radio can use!

[@Wonder-2525]

Hey I just wanted to thank you for your technician video series. I just passed my test with a 100% and paid the FCC this morning. Now I am just waiting for my call sign! On to general :D!

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Congrats!! Im glad the videos helped!

[@TheDark0rb]

You can get the PD triggers in 9, 12, 15 and 20v so there are options for non-12V devices as well. I use a 9V one with a USB-C Power Bank for my QDX :)

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Good point and good idea.

[@LukasDzunko]

I was about to say same. With PD you can select distinct voltages (5, 9, 12, 15, 20). QC and recent PD can deliver voltage with precision to 0.01 V, so it is possible to select any voltage between 5 and 20 V ... I have USB-C to barrel plug cable for my IC-705. It is working fine ... It is also possible to pull more power from power bank via USB-C PD ... for example my power bank have limitation 3 A / port. That's 15 W for 5 V and 36 W for 12 V output. There is one drawback for this method. PD trigger cable just request correct voltage and it is generated by power bank. Not all power-banks are equal and some have significant voltage ripple. That may interfere with SBB/CW/AM operation ... with boost circuit it is possible to select "low noise" one, but there will be significantly less power available in watts ...

[@pcfreak1992]

Keep in mind that the newer USB-C PD standard dropped support for 12V in favor of 9V and 15V. This means that you might not get 12V with certain power supplies or battery banks.

[@mlindholm]

@@pcfreak1992 good point, but counterpoint: the Icom IC-705 will run from 12v input, but not charge. The DC input has tolerance for 15V, so that'll let you charge the internal battery, but more importantly run with 10w RF output if you use a 15v PD trigger device.

[@LukasDzunko]

@@pcfreak1992 12 V was optional from beginning of PD. Most manufactures keep it as it is preferred voltage by phones, tablets and other similarly sized devices ... but point is right. There is no grantee that it is present there. It is there only if it is explicitly listed in specification.

[@NathanMazanec]

Josh, ya did it again. Making me spend more money. Thank you for making it cheap. I appreciate it! Sounds very simple, and effective. There is a reason people keep coming back, you prove a reliable and trusted source!

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Thanks Nathan!

[@MarkDemarest]

That's a great look, man. Blue and red over the top of an orange background with yellow accents. And a couple gray black and Brown elements as well. Try to replicate this more often & see how it feels

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Thanks! I thought the colors really popped too.

[@jameskc3oxn976]

T.O. had a great video on this type of thing. I followed his setup exactly and it worked great for my 705.

[@DaveW6OOD]

I already went through all the power bank to 12v (or other dc voltage) search and testing to power my Jankasaurs last year. It’s lots of fun to play with and implement.

[@marcusjenkins]

Have you looked at the ripple / noise on the output of those DC-DC converters on a 'scope? If there is big noise, can that degrade the cleanliness of your transmissions or impair your reception? If so, what are the mitigation options? Filtering?

[@Logrythmic.C47]

I am going to get the QRPLabs QMX+ to go QRP and ultra portable. They'll add SSB on it soon and it does Digital and CW just fine. This video is just wonderful. Will you do a build video for the QMX+???

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

I will indeed. I already have the kit waiting for me.

[@Logrythmic.C47]

@@HamRadioCrashCourse ooohhh!! I am excited to see it!! I plan to buy it for the Turkey YOTA event for the next month. We'll be on the air with i believe around 10 Youth operators for the entire month. I do have an IC 718 but i dont have a proper way of powering it. Though would you reccomend i should get the QMX + or figure out a Power Supply solution for the IC 718 to work Portably? If i go Portable what would you reccomend to power it? I have a 12V 7Ah battery that's gone flat. So im thinking if i should get a way to power that battery or get the QMX +... Sorry if it's too out of topic with the video, i just thought i should ask. 73 DE TA1YEP

[@Iridium242]

Awesome idea, thanks! Gonna try this for my FT-818

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Thanks! And keep up the good work on your channel!

[@morphshag]

So I made a cable up to run my 817 with the radio set to 2.5W output it all seems to work. If I see the radio to 5W the boost converter gets quite hot. Can I run 2 boost converters in parallel so each converter is running half as hard?

[@TK4619]

Been using one of those for years, Great for charging my handheld baofengs and anytones

[@KS0JD]

Love the idea! Anything to make the bag lighter and still maintain the functionality. 73

[@joeg305]

Awesome video. Just started studying for my Technician license…maybe General. And I want to go into QRP and SSB.

[@FITFO]

Another option to look into is the shargeek storm 2, has 100w USB-c pd and a 12v DC barrel connector IN/OUT.

[@HammockRadio]

I've had great success using a USB-C PD>DC cable and an OmniCharge 20+ to power my IC-05 in the field.

[@andy2314]

is that anderson plug what everyone uses for ham radio, i have a bunch of xt60 plugs for my RC stuff im sure those will work . or is the plug type just preference

[@Sagart999]

For your IC-705 specifically - I haven't tried it yet, but the manual points out a microUSB power connector next to the regular power port.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Yes indeed. The issue there is that only really charges the battery pack. It won't let you run off the 12v source.

[@BRYDN_NATHAN]

thank you for the qr i havent watched all the way through an general signal youtube in a while.. you can get amps with a bike lite generator . .

[@phildurall7466]

Great info for the Power charging. I like how you displayed a soldering technique that is important to know. Solder will always flow toward the heat! In plumbing, it is even more important to know when you are trying to solder a joint that is upside down and you want the solder to go all the way into where you need the solder to flow. Nice job Sir! 73 - KF6IF

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

I find soldering pipe also meditative. Love to see it flow! Thanks for the kind words.

[@JonathanKayne]

One issue you can potentially run into is that the radio might draw more current than your battery can handle. I have a USB C to 12v adapter and when i try to run 10 watts CW on my 705 the output power flutters. It handles just fine if i reduce it to 9 watts though

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

This is possible. I said 5 watts due to that reason for most QRP radios.

[@JonathanKayne]

@@HamRadioCrashCourse I guess so. The 705 isn't necessarily a good example since it has a battery and can be charged with a micro USB connection

[@TaylorLaub]

PSA for USB-C PD: not all chargers are the same. Make sure the one you want to use has the output voltage you need. For example, most (all?) Anker AC wall bricks will output 9v and 15v, not 12v. I believe 15v is *technically within spec for the 705 but my USB-C to barrel jack converter will use 9v if it can't get 12v. I don't know if that will hurt the 705. I'm not going to test it myself, and I'd prefer 12v anyway. There are chargers that can output 12v. I have 2: one puts out noise on HF, the other puts out noise on VHF, so I keep both in the 705 bag. When in doubt, the PD chargers will default to 5v when they don't detect any PD circuitry, which is in spec for the 705's micro USB port. It could then probably also be used with this converter chip too. TLDR: check the voltage, your mileage may vary.

[@MattBlank0]

PD 3.0 PPS is pretty cool. The voltage is adjustable within a range, for instance the Anker 713 outputs "PPS: 3.3V-16.0V=3.0A Max (45W Max), 3.3V-21.0V=2.25A Max (45W Max)"

[@TaylorLaub]

@@MattBlank0 yes, but I have an Anker 711 which should be able to do 12v within “3.3-16.0V=2.0A Max”. My 705 reports 9v, so I’m guessing my adapter is on the older standard. Good to know though.

[@KB0OTY]

The smear of white paint is a nice touch. KB0OTY approved.

[@billgrant6175]

Great video and timely. I am looking at portable power solutions. Want the 12v output but cool the up converters take care of that so my options for a power pack are plentiful.

[@SMB_SpeedTwin]

Thanks for the informative video. I literally just sent you a DM asking your advice on this topic.

[@00Klingon]

Even a small solar panel like a Goal Zero or BioLite could be used to charge the i705 when it's off and not take up much space in a bag. That way you could be more sustainable on the go in case you found yourself away from power sources while traveling. Unfortunately, I don't think either would be able to run the upconverter, but they could charge your other USB battery banks.

[@NickDoddTV]

At 9:42 you missed the opportunity for the perfect pun 😂 Go ham instead of go nuts 😂😂

[@B.Murphy]

Surprised your not getting any hits on your scan in Heber. There is constant traffic on Utah repeaters. Also, great video! 😅

[@Howard_Roark]

Heck ya!!! Mike Glover is awesome!

[@MarkDemarest]

If #odds between any 2 choices are 50/50, how do I get the USB insert wrong 80% of the time? 🤦🏻‍♂️🤬

[@hzgl]

The same technique can also be used to power a truSDX transceiver with a battery holder of 3 x AA batteries. Mine puts out ~1.5 watts of CW (as measured by truSDX software) using rechargable AA batteries.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

I love it. truSDX is a great radio for this type of setup.

[@kd5smf]

Have you tried this with a 4patriots solar battery Bank ? It's similar to the Ankor 2000 but had a solar charging panel+ flash light.

[@andrerobitaille559]

Wire stripping a short wire with flush cutters. Brave man. There’s no way I’d have got that right twice in a row.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

It’s all I use.

[@pthithic]

Hey Josh, do you tin the stripped wires before you solder or do you just solder them ?

[@richardtwyning]

So are these able to handle the 705 transmitting at 10 Watts? Can they handle the extra current?

[@m_a_s6069]

To Future/Past Josh: Not all USB-C chargers can deliver 12VDC. Most USB power supplies have the voltages they support written (in incredibly small text) on the case.

[@craigpalmer9196]

what is on your watch band?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

It's the QuirkyQRP watchband. Check them out on Etsy. Video coming soon.

[@craigpalmer9196]

@@HamRadioCrashCourse looks like a lot of cool stuff

[@loraz0]

Hey Josh! Do you think one of these will run the evolve III craputer? The internal battery does not like cold temperatures and runs down very fast,

[@DaveW6OOD]

Is that what the 705 screen looks like when it’s scanning vhf?? Looks freaky at a distance.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Yeah. It hauls ass on scan. I was running though all the local repeaters in Heber UT.

[@jeffhark5239]

Unfortunately the 5pcs JacobsParts DC-DC Micro-USB Step Up Boost Module are out of stock and may not be back in stock...

[@norm_sueb122]

Looking forward to this video.

[@timsmith4970]

Hi great demo Could this possibly work with retevis rt95 ?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Likely no. Too high power draw on the radio.

[@W0JMR]

What is printed on your watch band?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

It’s the QuirkyQRP watch band.

[@dovetomarc]

Josh, I clicked on your link but didn’t see 5.5 x 2.5 for the 705. Only see 2.1. 73

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

They sold out. I’ll try and find another. Or you can search Amazon for them.

[@dovetomarc]

@@HamRadioCrashCourse Thanks

[@FactionOfRed]

Would this concept work for a yaesu FT5DR? Being able to charge it in field with a battery and usb cable would solve problems I’m having.

[@lucidnx]

I am not sure if it's going to keep up with IC-705, which can take 3A@13.8V max. That's 41.4W max and USB A ports are all 5V, mostly 2.5A max, some of them are 3A max . That's 12.5-15W.. good for charging internal battery and listen, but TX is another story. I already have 30Ah powerbank with PD3.0, which can output 65W to charge my laptop, so I'v just bought simple USB C cable with 15V PD decoy > 5.5x2.5mm jack. PD standard says that at 15V, it can give you max 3A, that is exactly what you need, 45W output. Only I am concerned about noise... but that's issue for another day

[@KU9L]

My Penntek TR-35 says thanks!!!! Cheers es 72, Davey - KU9L

[@dovetomarc]

Josh, Thanks. Great Video. Question Re Powerpoles. Do you ever double the wire back over itself when dealing with thin wire like this to get a better crimp? Good idea? Bad idea?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

I think even if I did that I’d still solder and use a good strain relief.

[@dovetomarc]

@@HamRadioCrashCourse Thanks

[@johnellison6021]

So why not use milwaukee m12 system

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Does m12 provide Power Delivery standard?

[@robertmeyer4744]

That awesome video ! was hopping you would do a video on this. I have been doing this for many years now. I use the same converters and many more. some make noise in HF receive. found a coil or ferrite on in and out does help some times or try a different one. it is hit and miss with them switch more converter. I use 10V as well. some Baofeng HT's are 10V input. yes USB C PD is the ticked now. can do 20V 100 watts on some. I have Anker power banks and stuff and never had a let down. I got USB C PD to 20V/19V for HP laptop one has blue tip for HP. that how I run my 17in HP windows laptop . works super. I put USB C PD in my ammo can battery. runs my laptop for days ! just get right USB C PD cable . I got the Anker one with PD chip in cable. the bast part with USB C is just plug in cable. no upside down ! I solder my power pole as well. best connector for Ham radio stuff I found. I also use the big ones . PP175 and SB ones. True Anderson . rated 600V AC and DC has UL . on the big ones. 73;s you are a HAPPY HAM !

[@joyhamradio]

Where's SW-3B?

[@pthithic]

The Naz looks like he's lost some weight. 👑

[@hehe3301]

Boost & Buck converter...

[@BroderickPedder-z9k]

Williamson Square

[@LevyCarneiro]

TalentCell has a battery that looks like a beefier battery bank and it's LifePo4. Model = TalentCell 12V LiFePO4 Battery Pack LF4100. It's pretty small. I use this even with the G90 and worked fine!

[@jampskan5690]

To eliminate confusion for the newbies, and\or my drunk WI brain, the term "coaxial" shall and or should be used with only antenna connector stuff, and thus, the term "barrel jack connector" is preferred for such power things, But I suffer from a mild case of dyslexia. ( The ex girlfriend was named alexa..) ( no relation to the amazon super being.)(I might be drinking whiskey...I still liked the vijao anywhos.

[@scottforbes0]

This might not seem like a genuine question, but here I go anyway. Have you ever been stopped in an airport for unusual looking equipment?

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

All the time, but it's never considered nefarious. They are just really interested in what the heck it all is. Sometimes they ask to rescan the device alone in a tray so they can record it and keep it int the system so if they see one again, it'll be already acountted for.

[@EthanYost-c2o]

Bioenno is a little triggering to hear considering they are double the price of competitors for the same performance and capacity. It would be awesome if you acknowledged that and led folks to more reasonable alternatives.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

I’ve used them for years with no issues. I support their products. If you want cheap and good, go watch my video with Dennis AD6DM on building your own.

[@d3w4yn3]

Why? Why oh why did you have to start singing "Let it flow"? Foiled again!

[@Moselblues]

Using a 10.000mAh USB-C Powerbank with a PD DC/DC convert to power my truSDX on travel for approx one year now. Works ufb. 73 de DG1JAN

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Good combo there.

[@glenmartin2437]

Thanks. N0QFT