It has been some time since our last maintenance cycle on the club repeater, and the recent storm highlighted an important need. During the outage, the repeater switched to its battery backup as designed — but the existing system is aging and relies on older technology.
Our current setup uses a standard car battery paired with a trickle charger, with automatic switchover handled by the repeater itself. While this has served us well, it’s time for a modern, more reliable solution.
The club is planning to upgrade to a LiPo battery system supported by a dedicated charge controller and solar panel. This will provide cleaner power, longer service life, and improved resilience during extended outages.
To ensure the new system meets our operational needs, we will install a test platform to measure real‑world current draw, recharge rates, and overall performance. These results will guide the final design and help us maintain always‑available service for the community.