West Mountain Radio
Connecting your equipment
Recognizing that RIGrunner comes standard with
Powerpoles, updating your cables that supply or use 12
volts DC with Powerpoles will improve the convenience of
quick connections and use of your equipment. Remember,
Powerpoles are genderless and the same connector
arrangement works for both supply and load. Powerpoles
can be used to charge or power batteries, all using the
same connectors.
Powerpoles can be installed by soldering or crimping. Be
sure to make good connections. For detailed Powerpole
connector installation tips see RIGrunner support pages
at http://www.westmountainradio.com/supportrr.
IMPORTANT!!
It is essential that assembly of the pairs is
correct. Follow the amateur radio standard used by the
RIGrunner.
DO NOT PLUG IN
without verifying that
RED + PLUS
and
BLACK – MINUS
is correct.
The far left connector is labeled DCIN with a 25 amp
fuse, and is normally used to connect to the battery; but,
any output may be used as the input with an appropriate
fuse. Plug in your equipment starting with the highest
power connections to the left and the lower power drain
units to the right, notice the supplied fuse ratings next
to the connector chosen. Typically you should connect
higher current devices like transceivers first and smaller
accessories last.
Multiple amplifiers and/or transceivers may be connected
to the RIGrunner. The RIGrunner itself is capable of
handling 40A maximum current but with a U1 size battery
you should plan on using significantly less current to
maximize operating time. For this reason the supplied
DCIN fuse is rated at 25A. Most QRP and HT radios draw
less than 1 amp in receive but may require up to 3 amps in
transmit. Therefore, the limiting factor is total current draw
while transmitting. To determine how many radios may be
used to transmit at one time, consult the radio manual for
power consumption specifications. In the event that the
total current goes over the 25 amp maximum, a fuse will
blow. The RIGrunner and any equipment plugged into the
RIGrunner should go unharmed.
Using the proper fuses
The RIGrunner comes supplied with a range of fuses
installed. This assortment should be suitable for most
stations, but can be changed easily. Every RIGrunner
output is safe up to 40 amps, but the total allowable is also
40 amps.
