Yup here had two batteries when I reinstalled the ISS. I know one was older than the other but the voltages were identical on the two batteries.
My console is using the AC adapter and batteries. I don't attention as it is always running. I am guessing if there is no juice to the console it will not chat with CumulusMX. The draw of the console is minimal though. I do not look at them right now (have two set up). I am considering putting one in the attic. I am testing an RPi2 running a bunch of stuff in the attic POE powered. Really only concern right now is wondering if the microSD card will melt.
I have one GPS / PPS board (for play) and the power mini USB fell off of it a few years back. It has been up there for almost 8 years now and functioning just fine and hitting some 10-12 satellites which works for me. I have other antennas in the attic that work just fine these days.
antenna.gif
Today using an RTC clock in the RPi2 talking to my NTP server. You can just connect a GPS with PPS to the RPi2 such that it has it's own time base very easily today.
ntpq -c clockvar
associd=0 status=00d2 13 events, clk_bad_format,
device="NMEA GPS Clock",
timecode="$GPRMC,145743.000,A,4134.4402,N,08800.6305,W,0.03,0.00,310715,,,D*7B",
poll=10857, noreply=1, badformat=12, baddata=0, fudgetime2=400.000,
stratum=0, refid=GPS, flags=5
GPS-NTP.gif
I am though doing a bunch of POE stuff here with backup power such that the RPi2 / CumulusMX / Davis Console will be installed using POE with backup.
On the ISS side of things looking to build a box of sorts with a couple of wireless cams (today just use wired cams), power, big battery and solar charger such that the ISS can take care of itself.