Portable Power Stations for Ham Radio

Portable power stations are the smaller, lesser-known cousin of generators and in Ham Radio power is everything. But when considering a portable power station you need to considered factors such as battery life, wattage, power output, the type of charging port (at least one USB port was a must!) the power station offered and more. A portable power station is the best option if you need to power common personal electronics and small appliances while spending long periods of time away from household AC outlets, or if you want to have backup power ready to go in case of an emergency. They are a critical tool for a successful SOTA or POTA activation. But more commonly used during field day each June.

For amateur radio operators the New Bioenno Power 160 Watt Hour Renewable Power Pack, Model BPP-160, is exciting news. It replaces the legacy BPP-120 Power Pack with expanded watt-hour capacity, with increased run-time, 2 x AC outlets, all in a portable configuration.

The BPP-160 continues where the BPP-120 left off, with some great enhancements!   Users include Ham Radio operators, corporate customers using it for OEM purposes and government agencies actively using it in the field. This ultra light, compact power system offers fully integrated features including not only DC output and 2 AC outputs but standard charging and in-built solar compatibility. This when combined with our unique intelligent micro-computer control system (PCM), 2000+ charge cycles at 5-10+ years and up to 90% discharge capability this make an unbeatable product. Putting out more power than a 12V 30Ah SLA battery which can only output DC and weighs in at an incredible 23 pounds, the BPP-160 weighs only 3.5 pounds outputs DC, AC and is chargeable through not only the grid but also the sun! Not only that, the BPP-160 features an at-a-glance LCD display showing capacity and usage and features our advanced computer control system. This is a global solution tried and trusted by professionals made available to you.

A typical portable power station can last anywhere from three hours to 13 hours on a fully charged battery. The lifespan depends on the battery’s age, type of battery, size, and the number of electronics used with the power station. With the BPP you can get 160 Watt Hours of charging time, which means you can charge your Laptop (50 Watt-Hours) 3 to 4 Charges. 

The lithium-ion (LiFePO4 – Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery solutions provided by Bioenno are more expensive than the typical lead-acid batteries, but they will last many times longer than those same lead-acid batteries and if you compare how many lead-acid batteries you will need to buy over the lifetime of a lithium battery, it becomes a no brainer decision to purchase a lithium battery as in the end it weighs less, performs better, takes up much less room, and is more cost-effective over the lifetime of the product. I am sure others who have purchased Bioenno power products echo my sentiments that you will not go back to any other power solution when given a choice.