Availability of the digipeater
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Operation of an petrol operated DC-generator helps to make system available during rainy season.		  

The year 1996 (quite average weather conditions) showed that at the following days the battery had to be boosted by a generator to continue the service of the digipeater (January-April pure solar operation!):

Date: Charging duration in hours: kWh charged into the battery:
14-4-96 3 0.72
28-4-96 3 0.72
28-4-96 3 1.08
5-5-96 4 0.90
19-5-96 5 0.72
1-6-96 4.5 0.90
8-6-96 2.5 0.48
15-6-96 total system break down because of generator breakdown
22-6-96 8 1.92
28-6-96 8 1.92
6-7-96 6 1.20
13-7-96 6 1.80
20-7-96 6 1.8
27-7-96 5 1.8
3-8-96 4 1.2
10-8-96 2 0.6
16-8-96 6 1.8
21-8-96 5 1.44

During September the whole system was shut down, because of holiday .

October 96-March 97 everything run well again on solar-power again only!

As we can see, about half the battery capacity had to be charged additionally to the power coming from the sun. This had been absolute essential :

- to prevent the battery to get a hard to remove Sulfur layer

- not to shorten the life of the battery by too deep discharges

- to keep the operation going

To reduce travel- an labour costs the generator had to do the work within a working day (8 hours) once a week:

In this study a generator was used delivering 0.3kWh at that altitude.

Experience:

After three months the DC-generator had a short on the armature and had to be replaced. We think it happend due to the very humid climate in this region. There are many hours each day with rel. humidity  of 100% !

To run a petrol generator for this long time, itīs noise and fumes get pretty annoying.  After all it needs to be supervised and refilled all the times as well.