by Toepopper » 10 Aug 2012 08:56
The conventional automotive type 40 channel CB radio operates on 12 volt DC electrical current. They can operate from 12 to 16 volts and any more voltage will blow the fuse out or melt some transistors, leaving you without communications. Any 12 volt battery will power a CB, you could use a motorcycle battery, a riding lawnmower battery, car battery or connect 2 - 6 volt flashlight batteries together to jump them up to 12 volts. To do this you would connect the positive terminal of one 6 volt battery to the negative post on the second battery with a short jumper wire, this gives you 12 volts, and then hook the CB positive wire (red) to the other positive post on one battery and the black negative wire to the unused negative post on the second battery. This will power your CB radio for a short time. I have also used the 12 volt battery from my Makita screw gun. The Makita uses a 12 volt 1.3 amp hour nickel cadmium battery and will power the CB for short broadcasts.
Another possibility is to use a 12 volt solar panel and wire it to a charge controller and then wire the charge controller to the CB radio. The charge controller will control the amount of electricity going into the CB so it won't fry. I have done this before with no damage to the radio.
A 12 volt mini wind generator like the ones used on sailboats will also provide enough power to run a CB.
The conventional automotive type 40 channel CB radio operates on 12 volt DC electrical current. They can operate from 12 to 16 volts and any more voltage will blow the fuse out or melt some transistors, leaving you without communications. Any 12 volt battery will power a CB, you could use a motorcycle battery, a riding lawnmower battery, car battery or connect 2 - 6 volt flashlight batteries together to jump them up to 12 volts. To do this you would connect the positive terminal of one 6 volt battery to the negative post on the second battery with a short jumper wire, this gives you 12 volts, and then hook the CB positive wire (red) to the other positive post on one battery and the black negative wire to the unused negative post on the second battery. This will power your CB radio for a short time. I have also used the 12 volt battery from my Makita screw gun. The Makita uses a 12 volt 1.3 amp hour nickel cadmium battery and will power the CB for short broadcasts.
Another possibility is to use a 12 volt solar panel and wire it to a charge controller and then wire the charge controller to the CB radio. The charge controller will control the amount of electricity going into the CB so it won't fry. I have done this before with no damage to the radio.
A 12 volt mini wind generator like the ones used on sailboats will also provide enough power to run a CB.
