What do you run your OA sublimator off?

[BugsInABox]

Any alternatives to lugging a car battery? Particularly thinking about home apiaries.

BIAB

 

[Newbeeneil]

Gas

 

[pargyle]

Any alternatives to lugging a car battery? Particularly thinking about home apiaries.

BIAB

Depends how many colonies you have to treat and how accessible your apiary is .... if you can get a power lead to the hives then a 12volt transformer is going to be the easiest route.

If not can you get a vehicle close enough and use a lead from your vehicle.

If you want a 12volt battery that is going to last the you will need a deep cycle leisure battery and they are heavy ... I have an old granny shopping bag on wheels chassis which takes a 12 v battery and allows me to wheel it about.

Or .. a suitcase generator ?

Pays yer money and takes yer choice ... your situation will dictate what is best.

Alternatively ,,, have a look at the Gasvap ...

 

[BugsInABox]

Depends how many colonies you have to treat and how accessible your apiary is .... if you can get a power lead to the hives then a 12volt transformer is going to be the easiest route.

The cheep ones look so flimsy I worry they wont mange the current for long. Was thinkign about a powerpack.

https://www.screwfix.com/jsp/trolley/trolleyPage.jsp?_requestid=708496
Overkill?

 

[pargyle]

This one ?

https://www.screwfix.com/p/streetwize-500a-promo-power-pack-12v/5256r
I don't know ... the member who will tell you is Rab .,,, Oliver90owner ...it will depend upon how many colonies you have to treat and what the amp/hr ratio is on the powerpack ...

 

[frankenstine]

I’ve not used it in anger yet but a makita 6ah cordless drill battery. They are dumb battery’s so need a battery protection module ect. I used the guts out a burnt out drill

 

[ericbeaumont]

Any alternatives to lugging a car battery? Particularly thinking about home apiaries.

How far from home?
This is quiet, light and does the job: IMPAX IM800I 700W Inverter Generator 230V

 

[hemo]

Are we talking Sublimox or a cheap pan device ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

When I had a varrox I ran it off the either the car or later invested in a 600A Peak Current 1800mAh Car Jump Starter (plenty on Amazon) which fitted in my pocket and did six hives at a time.
I run the Sublimox off a leisure battery and an inverter

 

[polymath]

I went through several batteries until I got it explained to me. Car batteries are no good for this, they are built to have a small steady trickle charge and thus stay nicely strong. What you need -they weigh a ton sorry - is a leisure battery. These are fitted to caravans etc and are designed to in effect store current and then to be run down before being charged i.e. what we need. So i invested in one, heavy but works a dream, run two OA sublimators off it at a time to do all my hives.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I should clarify that when I used the car battery I left the engine running

 

[Frizzaldo]

I've used the smaller ride on mower 12v battery with no problems, its about a third of the size of a car battery. May not work for dozens of hives but should be enough for a single apiary and can be recharged between uses.

 

[domino]

I use a leisure battery and a nice long extension cord. Take the battery out of the car, rig it up to my nice long extension cord and off I go. A lot less lugging around.

I did try a generator but that was a lot more bother than the batter, with petrol etc.

 

[BugsInABox]

Are we talking Sublimox or a cheap pan device ?

Cheep pan device.

 

[BugsInABox]

This one ?

https://www.screwfix.com/p/streetwize-500a-promo-power-pack-12v/5256r
I don't know ... the member who will tell you is Rab .,,, Oliver90owner ...it will depend upon how many colonies you have to treat and what the amp/hr ratio is on the powerpack ...

Yes, that’s the one I was looking at. There are some pocketable lithium versions too.

 

[Amari]

As Dani above: car jump starter if I cannot get my car and jump leads close enough.

 

[BugsInABox]

As Dani above: car jump starter if I cannot get my car and jump leads close enough.

Is that a lithium battery. Does about £60 on screwfix sound about right?

 

[TonyH100]

Depends how many colonies you have to treat and how accessible your apiary is .... if you can get a power lead to the hives then a 12volt transformer is going to be the easiest route.

If not can you get a vehicle close enough and use a lead from your vehicle.

If you want a 12volt battery that is going to last the you will need a deep cycle leisure battery and they are heavy ... I have an old granny shopping bag on wheels chassis which takes a 12 v battery and allows me to wheel it about.

Or .. a suitcase generator ?

Pays yer money and takes yer choice ... your situation will dictate what is best.

Alternatively ,,, have a look at the Gasvap ...

Hi do you have an example for the 12volt transformer you’ve mentioned? Cheers

 

[madasafish]

12v battery in a wheel barrow.

 

[Amari]

Is that a lithium battery. Does about £60 on screwfix sound about right?

Sorry, I don't know and no longer have the instructions. On the item it reads; 'Battery type; Lipolymer Battery, 1000A'. Maybe Li = lithium? Can't remember the cost but I'm sure <£100.