West Mountain Radio Epic PWRgate
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| Frequency | n/a (12 V battery-backup power manager and charger) |
| Bands | n/a (DC power management) |
| Power | Not a power source itself - it manages 12 V power: it passes up to 40 A continuous from a power supply or battery and instantly switches the load to battery if the supply fails, while smart-charging the battery at up to 10 A. |
| Modes | 12 V battery-backup (UPS-style) switch and smart charger with solar input |
| Weight | 160 g (5.6 oz) - Tiny: about 0.35 lb (~160 g); 4.5 x 3.375 x 1.25 in. |
| inputs | Anderson Powerpole inputs from a 13.8 V power supply (up to 16 V) and from a battery; a separate direct solar-panel input (up to 30 V) |
| output | Anderson Powerpole output to the station (45 A-rated Powerpoles throughout) |
| data | USB port to monitor the system and set charge parameters/battery chemistry |
| power req | Fed from a 12 V power supply and a backup battery; no separate power needed. Programmable for lead-acid or lithium batteries. |
A compact, capable ham UPS: it keeps your station on the air through a blackout by switching directly to a battery, charges that battery intelligently (lead-acid or lithium, up to 10 A), accepts a solar panel for off-grid use, and passes a full 40 A with almost no voltage drop. USB monitoring and Powerpole connectors make it easy to integrate, and it is tiny and light.
It is a power manager, not a power source - you supply the 13.8 V supply and the battery. The 10 A charge rate is modest for very large batteries, charging and load both flow through it (so it must be sized into the system), and getting the most from it (chemistry settings, solar) takes a little setup. It is 12 V only.
The West Mountain Radio Epic PWRgate is an excellent compact battery-backup and smart-charger for a 12 V station: smooth switchover to battery on power loss, 40 A pass-through, programmable lead-acid/lithium charging and solar input - effectively a ham-radio UPS. It is ideal for EMCOMM and always-on stations; remember you still supply the power supply and battery.
The West Mountain Radio Epic PWRgate is, in effect, a ham-radio uninterruptible power supply. It sits between your station, your power supply and a backup battery, and normally runs everything from the supply while keeping the battery charged. If the AC power - or the power supply itself - fails, it switches the load to the battery instantly and directly, so your radio never drops out. That makes it valuable for emergency-communications stations, repeaters and any setup that must stay on the air through a blackout.
It passes up to 40 amps continuously from either source with a very small 0.05-volt drop, so it does not starve a transmitting radio. Built in is a smart charger that tops up the backup battery at up to 10 amps and can be programmed for either lead-acid or lithium (Li-Ion/LiFePO4) chemistries - important, because the two need different charging. There is also a direct solar-panel input (accepting up to 30 volts) for off-grid charging, and a USB port that lets you monitor the system and set charge parameters. Everything connects through 45-amp Anderson Powerpoles, the ham standard, and the unit is tiny - about a third of a pound.
The key thing to understand is that it is a power manager, not a power source: you still provide the 13.8-volt supply and the battery. The 10-amp charge rate is modest for very large battery banks, and because both charging and the station load flow through it, it must be sized properly into the system. It is 12-volt only. It sells for around $170-200.
It pairs naturally with a DC distribution panel like the West Mountain RIGrunner 4005 and a backup battery such as a Bioenno LiFePO4.