wrote:
T o d d P a t t i s t writes:

Other advantages are that you can run the battery longer before it
gets too low, and for any switchmode DC-DC downconverters, such as I
use for my IPAQ's 5 volt requirements, you get less current draw and
the battery lasts longer (which it should since you've got more
stored energy). For me, the advantages of 14 volts outweigh the
disadvantages on my primary battery (it fits into the space
available), but not for my backup battery (the larger 14 volt
battery won't fit there.)

Switch mode converters have a gotcha built in; they are a constant
POWER device. When the voltage drops, they pull more current. If the
wiring resistance being too high is the cause of the low voltage, it
can get ugly very fast, and blow fuses.


That would take some grossly defective wiring. Perhaps a blown fuse would
be the wakeup call needed to fix the problem.

A more credible problem is a weak battery getting deep discharged because
of that. If a radio manufacturer were to actually build one of these
things in, they'd likely turn off the unit at some voltage, rather than
just letting it drag the battery down. But since they're concentrating
on the power market, that's not going to happen.

-Dave