Solar power for the Zaon MRX collision avoidance system

[Soartech]

I know they stopped making the Zaon MRX but I think it is a great little device. I'm sure there are lots of us out there that use one. However it eats up a pair of AA batteries fairly quickly. I didn't want to connect it to my 12 V battery as that is just one more load on the system. Because the Zaon is on the glare shield and always in the sun I got the idea of using a mini solar panel attatched to it. I made an Instructable on how I did this:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Solar-power-for-Zaon-MRX-PCAS-and-similar-small-el/
It works! Total cost is about $10.

[6PK]

On Wednesday, September 2, 2015 at 6:26:00 PM UTC-7, Soartech wrote:
> I know they stopped making the Zaon MRX but I think it is a great little device. I'm sure there are lots of us out there that use one. However it eats up a pair of AA batteries fairly quickly. I didn't want to connect it to my 12 V battery as that is just one more load on the system. Because the Zaon is on the glare shield and always in the sun I got the idea of using a mini solar panel attatched to it. I made an Instructable on how I did this:
> http://www.instructables.com/id/Solar-power-for-Zaon-MRX-PCAS-and-similar-small-el/
> It works! Total cost is about $10.

Had mine connected to the main without any issues for a few years. Than one day it would not power up. Next I installed the AA dry cells and it worked again a few times, after that it totally crapped out . Now it is paperweight. I wish there was somebody available to service them trough.

[Dan Marotta]

EXCELLENT!

Mine is already connected to ship's power but it would clean up the
wiring up a bit to implement your solution. Thanks!

On 9/2/2015 7:25 PM, Soartech wrote:
> I know they stopped making the Zaon MRX but I think it is a great little device. I'm sure there are lots of us out there that use one. However it eats up a pair of AA batteries fairly quickly. I didn't want to connect it to my 12 V battery as that is just one more load on the system. Because the Zaon is on the glare shield and always in the sun I got the idea of using a mini solar panel attatched to it. I made an Instructable on how I did this:
> http://www.instructables.com/id/Solar-power-for-Zaon-MRX-PCAS-and-similar-small-el/
> It works! Total cost is about $10.

--
Dan Marotta

[[email protected]]

On Thursday, September 3, 2015 at 11:55:20 AM UTC-4, Dan Marotta wrote:
> EXCELLENT!
>
>
>
> Mine is already connected to ship's power but it would clean up the
> wiring up a bit to implement your solution.* Thanks!
>
>
>
>
> On 9/2/2015 7:25 PM, Soartech wrote:
>
>
>
> I know they stopped making the Zaon MRX but I think it is a great little device. I'm sure there are lots of us out there that use one. However it eats up a pair of AA batteries fairly quickly. I didn't want to connect it to my 12 V battery as that is just one more load on the system. Because the Zaon is on the glare shield and always in the sun I got the idea of using a mini solar panel attatched to it. I made an Instructable on how I did this:
> http://www.instructables.com/id/Solar-power-for-Zaon-MRX-PCAS-and-similar-small-el/
> It works! Total cost is about $10.
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Dan Marotta

I use a solar powered battery pack to power an android device; search Amazon.com, typically can find them for less than $20.

[glidergreg]

On Wednesday, September 2, 2015 at 8:26:00 PM UTC-5, Soartech wrote:
> I know they stopped making the Zaon MRX but I think it is a great little device. I'm sure there are lots of us out there that use one. However it eats up a pair of AA batteries fairly quickly. I didn't want to connect it to my 12 V battery as that is just one more load on the system. Because the Zaon is on the glare shield and always in the sun I got the idea of using a mini solar panel attatched to it. I made an Instructable on how I did this:
> http://www.instructables.com/id/Solar-power-for-Zaon-MRX-PCAS-and-similar-small-el/
> It works! Total cost is about $10.

Had mine wired to ship power for years and never had a problem. Not using it anymore after installing FLARM with a LX Flarm display.

[Bastoune]

I had a problem with static in my radio with the Zaon connected to the ship's battery (squelch would go off). As a result, I went back to feeding AA batteries to the Zaon. Are those reporting not having problems with the Zaon connect to the 12v bus use some type of EMI filter? Thanks. B

[Darryl Ramm]

On Friday, September 4, 2015 at 6:35:19 PM UTC-7, Bastoune wrote:
> I had a problem with static in my radio with the Zaon connected to the ship's battery (squelch would go off). As a result, I went back to feeding AA batteries to the Zaon. Are those reporting not having problems with the Zaon connect to the 12v bus use some type of EMI filter? Thanks. B

A few wraps of the power supply wire around a ferrite toroid and you should be fine. This was not an unusual issue to see with the MRX. Just grab a ferrite toroid from an electronics component supplier, or anywhere else you can, say something roughly like 3/8" OD x 3/8" to long 1/2" OD x 1/2" long.

Just sold my MRX and included the power supply cable with ferrite toroid on it for the new owner.

[John Carlyle]

The 2007 Zaon I had wired to my ASW-19 battery did not produce static on my Becker radio. The 2009 Zaon I wired into my LS-8 battery did make static on another Becker radio. As a sanity check I tried the 2007 Zaon in my LS-8 and found there was no static. For what it's worth...

-John, Q3

On Friday, September 4, 2015 at 9:35:19 PM UTC-4, Bastoune wrote:
> I had a problem with static in my radio with the Zaon connected to the ship's battery (squelch would go off). As a result, I went back to feeding AA batteries to the Zaon. Are those reporting not having problems with the Zaon connect to the 12v bus use some type of EMI filter? Thanks. B