Issues with dual port solar battery pack

[WSBQ643]

I am not a battery expert by any means so if someone can explain what is going on I would appreciate it. I am running an SR-112 simplex repeater with a baofeng UV-5G plus radio. I had the SR-112 plugged into a usb charger plugged into the wall and the same for the UV-5G plus. Everything worked perfect. 

The I took a dual port solar battery pack that I use to charge my phone when outdoors and plugged the SR-112 into one port and the UV-5G into the other. This is when I had a SHTF moment. I could transmit on my other radio and see the UV-5G open on receive but the SR-112 would not pass anything. I tried this a couple time and still the same thing. So I unplugged the SR-112 from the batter pack and suddenly my radio lit up and I started getting all three test messages I had sent and then it hung on transmit for several seconds before going back to receive mode. I plugged them back into the wall separately and they started working perfect again. Sore, thinking I had lost my mind I plugged them both back in the the battery pack and got the same results. Nothing! When I unplugged the SR-112 i got all my test messages like before and the same squeal and transmit stuck for several seconds. 

Any ideas would certainly be appreciate. 

[BoxCar]

What's the output amperage of the solar charger? it may not put out enough current to power the SR-112.

[WSBQ643]

I don't have any idea. It's one of the big solar panel ones from Amazon and not a name on it anywhere. Did not think of that. I guess it's back to the drawing board and see if I can find one for this. I guess I figured as big as it is and with two ports and supposedly would charge a laptop it was big enough. I saw these used on making bug out boxes to set in the woods and people were using phone charging battery packs. I guess I need to see what the SR-112 calls for as far as amperage as well. Thanks. Still confused but that's not really abnormal. HA!

 

[WRHS218]

I think BoxCar is right, probably not enough current to run both at the same time. You might try some simple and quick troubleshooting using the battery pack for the radio and leave the SR-112 plugged into the wall. If that works reverse that and try with just the SR-112 running off of the battery pack and the radio plugged into the wall. If the system works both ways it would tend to confirm that there isn't enough current for both pieces of equipment at once. If one or the other won't work powered by the battery pack it could mean there isn't enough capable of powering that piece of equipment by it's self. 

[SteveShannon]

Before sending it back, are you trying to run from the USB charging ports?  They might not be rated for enough current. Ideally you’d hook directly to the rechargeable battery. 

[warthog74]

I suspect the same. Battery not beefy enough to handle the load. If you want some ideas, here is the link to my simplex ammo can repeater that also uses an sr-112. I have no issue powering a 10w mobile radio, the sr-112, and a charge controller with a 6ah lifepo4 battery and a 10w solar panel.

[BoxCar]

12 hours ago, WSBQ643 said:

I don't have any idea. It's one of the big solar panel ones from Amazon and not a name on it anywhere. Did not think of that. I guess it's back to the drawing board and see if I can find one for this. I guess I figured as big as it is and with two ports and supposedly would charge a laptop it was big enough. I saw these used on making bug out boxes to set in the woods and people were using phone charging battery packs. I guess I need to see what the SR-112 calls for as far as amperage as well. Thanks. Still confused but that's not really abnormal. HA!

 

There's a few tools you will need to troubleshoot the issue. The one to start with will be a multimeter to measure voltage and current. The second is Ohm's Law, knowing how voltage, current and resistance interact. Dividing power (watts) by voltage tells you the current (amps) available.