Because of my POTA activity, I’ve been able to keep track of my current consumption as I run my IC-7000 in SSB. It is a fairly typical 100-watt rig, pulling about 1.4 Amps in RX at listening volume, and specified at 22 amps in TX. What that translates into actual consumption requires measuring the consumption over time.
In a pile-up or contest mode, which means about 1 contact per minute, my rig used 9.1 AH over 74 minutes, which is 7.4 AH per hour of operation.
In a casual operation mode, about 1 contact per 5 minutes, my rig used 7.1 AH over 74 minutes, which is 5.8 AH per hour of operation.
So I should expect about 4 hours of pile-up capability out of my 30 AH batter, or just over 5 hours of more casual operation.
Given my POTA operation time durations, I would think a 15 AH LiFePO4 battery would be more than sufficient for a single park activation. Something like the ABS-encased Bioenno BLF-1215AS, which can withstand some knocking around, and weighs 4.3 pounds.
By the way, my 30 AH Bioenno Battery was purchased back in April of 2014 and has been in heavy use for more than six years. It still meets its nameplate capacity.
