While digging in the garbage looking for blackmail material, I found this:
It seems, on 05 Aug 96  17:27:13, that Rich Willbanks and Glenn Fetty
were talking about alt power for base scanne.
Now I have them!
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>That shouldn't be much of a problem but I wouldn't
>won't to do it that way.  Knowing my luck the power
>would go off while I was out and by the time I got home
>the battery would be dead.
With gelcells it doesn't matter. They are MADE to be discharged/rechanged.
Same with a marine battery. DO NOT do this with a regular car battery though.
Perhaps motorcycle batteries should not be 100% discharged also. I dunno.
That's why I love gelcells! 
KG9EV
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