6.1.1 Power Supply
RRL Stations come standard with six (6) 3.6V AA lithium batteries. The batteries must be installed for proper operation, even if you use an additional external power source. The life of the battery varies depending on the frequency of your Sample and Report Rates. The following are estimates based on the standard lithium batteries, with the Radio Power setting at 1 Watt. With the Radio Power set at 100 mW, the battery life increases by about 10% of the estimates below. RRL Stations can also be powered by six (6) user-supplied 1.5V AA alkaline batteries. With alkaline batteries, the battery life will be about 40% of the estimates below.
| Sample Rate | Report Rate | Battery Life |
|---|---|---|
| Every 5 Minutes | Every Hour | 114 Days |
| Every 15 Minutes | Every 6 Hours | 425 Days |
| Every Hour | Every 12 Hours | 680 Days |
| Every 12 Hours | Every Day | 895 Days |
| Every 15 Minutes | Every 3 Days | 810 days |
| Every Hour | Every 7 Days | 1078 Days |
| Every 12 Hours | Every 14 Days | 1200 Days |
Table 6-1 Battery Life Estimates (6 AA lithium batteries at 1 Watt setting)
Note:
Where possible, use lower Radio Power settings and/or longer Report intervals to conserve Remote Station Battery life
Note:
If your Reporting Rate is less than 3 hours, an external power source is recommended.
Note:
It is recommended to replace the batteries when the Remote Station Battery indicator reaches 30% in the STS/ RRL Administrator. See Section 4.1.
RRL Home Stations and Relay Stations require an external power supply. Remote Stations may also require an external power supply, depending on your Sample and Report Rates and site needs. Solinst supplies a cable for connecting to an AC power source and a cable to connect to a user-supplied 12V battery or solar panel. Cables are connected to the RRL Station beside the antenna connection (see Figure 6-2).
Note:
Rechargeable batteries can not be used inside any RRL Units (Home, Relay, Remote), as the voltage would be to low.
Figure 6-2 External Power Cable Connection
RRL Stations can be powered by:
- External AC (mains) power. Simply use the Solinst supplied adaptor cable (pt#109720 - North American) shown in Figure 6-3 to connect the RRL to an AC power source. The adaptor has input from 90 - 246VAC. See connection diagram in Figure 6-4.
Note:
The six (6) 3.6V AA batteries must be installed for proper operation, even if using an additional external power source.
Figure 6-3 AC Battery Charger Assembly (pt# 109720)
Figure 6-4 Direct AC (mains) Connection
