OH8STN Ham Radio
Вставка
- Опубліковано 20 січ 2022
- Hello operators
In this episode of OH8STN ham Radio, we are taking a look back at the lessons learned during 2021. We will discuss the benefits of operating QRP. How to make better use of our solar power systems. How an efficient station helps us reduce the size and weight of our go kit. We'll also discuss more efficient ways of operating HF while man portable. It should be an interesting review of the most value lessons in off grid ham radio from home or from thefield.
73
Julian #oh8stn #hamradio
Share video URL: • OH8STN Ham Radio
______________________________________________________________________________-
Want something interesting to dive in to while waiting for the next video? Visit my blog and website: oh8stn.org
If you found this post useful, entertaining, inspiring, or educational, consider becoming a channel member, joining my patreon community, dropping a buck in the tip jar, or getting yourself some Anderson Powerpole gear on eBay. It also helps if you simply share this video with someone who will appreciate it.
Add a few coins to the kitty with Monero: 492odpZZjbi5caSXc9FAAVKqrE4yRWNgoXvEipS4D8EcDw85b5viZjcf6vdiGkmLwVQT8TbpRUAzx7oV46i5fgkh7B5Dx5y
Become a UA-cam channel member or join the patreon community, to get bonus videos and content before everyone else.
Join the OH8STN Patreon community: / oh8stn
Become a UA-cam channel member: oh8stn.net/3G8LaQl
Add a few bucks to the kitty with PayPal: oh8stn.net/2ZGAEjy
Support the channel while shopping on eBay: oh8stn.net/32DGxPB Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
Over the past year I’ve watched the evolution on your channel and am anxious to make changes for portable. With time of course. I have some new goals as a result. Thank you for the enormous amount of work you put in to make it very clear how all of us will benefit from this approach.
Thanks for this comment. Sometimes it's slow going, testing & validating then wondering if it's all for nothing. The receive current consumption was a huge epiphany. It was almost incomprehensible to think the station was burning through energy reserves when the radio sat on receive. A few days ago I realized the answer had been given to us decades ago. The military doesn't use insanely powerful radios. They use moderate power for output, and extremely low current consumption on RX. When we match this with higher-density lithium-based batteries, are operating time increases while stations size decreases.
Hopefully we can start seeing other operators proving or disproving the methodology. It would also be nice if manufacturer start creating low current consumption qro radios
73
Julian oh8stn
Thank you for another great video.
Why go to a smaller battery pack. I would think that is one place not to down size on. With a few days of little or no sun you would what that extra power.
You are such an asset to the community. Thank you for your passion and great work. Your videos are not only useful but a joy to watch! 73s
Julian, I was wondering what the weight is of a typical load out for you. What could you carry on your back for a certain distance. It would be interesting to hear how you calculate a load out for a mission concerning climate, terrain, etc.. Absolutely great work man. Much thanks for your field work.
This is too complex a question for a short comment. Since loadouts are "mission specific" definitely requires a mb explainer video. I'm happy to do it but we need to break it down with various scenarios. For example the time of year, the mission, Logistics available or not,... Add some context and I'm happy to put a video together 👍
73
Julian oh8stn
It was awesome watching your journey to qrp with external amp and the options that opened for you and the emergency comms community. Looking forward to 2022!!!
I think I agree on all the points. We’ll thought out as always. 👍
Thanks Josh
I'm trying to match your style in terms of power consumption and portability (though I lack the technical skills). Assembled my Qrp-Labs QDX and put it on the air tonight for the first time. JS8Call from Wisconsin, USA to Puerto Rico my first time out. Roughly 1A input(Buddipole Power Mini from SLA 18AH), 15 inch LED monitor, RPi4 and Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. You've been a great mentor in my reaching this point in my journey. Who knew that 5.8W could get me so far?? Julian did...thanks Brother!
I would love for you to do a breakdown on your bike setup. What models you have tried, what bags you use, your successes and failures. As well as any other means and methods you use to get the places you go! Have you considered trying an ebike setup?
You have a gift sir! Thank you for what you do.
Hi Julian,
Thanks for the Videos, i stated last year with my old IC705Mkg2 in a big box and and ended in 2021 with a xeiguG90 and a diy599 amp with 16Ah Lifepos as portable configuration as a result of your Videos. Keep on going
73 de Gerold DD4SG
Totally agree with the use of a windows surface over a pi, pi’s are great but I have yet to have a reliable build that I know will work every time.
A really well presented and considered approach Julian. TY.
I appreciate that you are focusing on portable power with a systems approach. Sort of "a penny saved is a penny earned" ;-)
I would love to know more about non-traditional power sources for field use such as wind, hydro, Pelletier, etc. I realize that they are often vastly inferior to solar panels which seem t be the current raining champ for most deployments. It is just that it is worthwhile to keep an eye on possible alternatives.
For example, if you were to do a week-long deployment above the arctic circle in winter (admittedly not a common use case for most hams) sunlight availability for solar panels would be a major issue.
Thanks for the comments and questions. I completely agree with you! Peltier elements are too heavy to be practical but do offer a source of power. What I'm quietly working on in the background is a wind turbine which would be portable enough, yet provide about an amp for recharging our batteries. For example a couple of months ago when deployed out on the island during the storm. A wind turbine would have been the perfect option. Another idea is a small DC diesel generator. Doesn't have to be a big monster machine. Just a small hobby diesel motor for charging batteries. Couple of amps of full output would do the trick. Anyway I'm right there with you. Perhaps we can focus on the small diesel generator and portable wind turbine this year.
73
Julian oh8stn
I love it, makes a lot of sense!
Simply a big thank for this comprehensive lesson on portable communication
Thank you for the great video. Lots to think about.
You're very welcome Tristan.
73
Julian oh8stn
Its been a great year of lessons - thanks for all the hard work
Hi julian Oh8stn,
I have seen your video report last year where you told us that you replace the raspberry pi for the lark with windows.
That was not nice to hear, i just bought a Raspberry Pi 2 days before that.
Now that I see the new video and explanation and goals fore 2022.
I can empathize with the idea.
And somewhere down the line, reuse the Raspberry Pi👍🏻👍🏻
I understand the goal with the power consumption standing by ..
Lower power small battery.
Power that we use at night and batteries that will be loaded during the day time through the solar panels ...
I can see your goal with the power consumption and less weight to care.
It's give you a think about what we use and not use but still carry around🤔🤔🤔
Thanks for letting us think what we really need
Regards,
Ron,Pd3ron
Thanks Ron.
This comment really made my day.
73
Julian oh8stn
Great 👍🏼 video Julian! You helped me rethink my QRP EDC project build for preparedness. Looking forward to more minimalist and proper low power consumption ideas 💡 in the near future! Keep the videos coming.
De N1UFO 73
You're very welcome Gabriel. Hey quick question, why is your call sign so familiar? Anyway thanks for the kindness and comment, it's very much appreciated.
73
Julian oh8stn
I think you're headed down the right path, Julian. You have moved toward a more simple deployment of gear, but have increased your capabilities at the same time. That is an amazing accomplishment. It turns field radio into a fun part of going to the outdoors, instead of having to be the focal point of the whole trip. Keep up the good work. I am enjoying watching you teach us all what you have learned, and am emulating your ideas as I go.
Julian, I'll send this link out to the club I belong to knowing there'll be some interested in your channel. I'm going to stick with my 891 because at my age backpacking is probably the greatest risk on any radio adventure. Nevertheless, you disperse very useful information to anyone whether they are on foot or in their vehicle. Your efforts to enlighten the rest of us is certainly appreciated!
Thank you for the comment Glen. That's a section which could have been covered better. There are those times when we can utilize qro rigs especially where weight is not a concern or we have an abundance of power. The receiver on the 891 is unimaginably awesome for its price. I certainly would have held on to it if a larger solar array existed at my home. Anyway thanks for watching and for sharing, both are very much appreciated.
73
Julian oh8stn
I've often viewed receive current drain as a field operator's version of a "phantom load." It's sneaky and unless one is carefully monitoring the situation, it'll rob needed capacity from a battery. In a "typical" (meaning before-times!) year, I spend 60-90 days in an off-grid cabin (in the summer) with my family in Canada and must keep all radio gear charged via solar. My first year out there (2005?) I realized how quickly my IC-735 could drain a large SLA battery in RX. These days, I'm using radios like the TX-500, KX2, and MTR-3B (especially at 17ma) that seem to feed from a much smaller battery for orders of magnitude longer! That's meaningful in an off-grid situation. Thanks for the great video! -Thomas
This was outstanding. Thus my KX3 and Lab599 TX500...1.9aH Nano Phosphate battery and 60w solar. Low listening power draw makes this all work.
This is a Masterclass on Off-Grid Communications, Julian. Thanks so much for your empirical approach. Another MASSIVE benefit of the tablet over Pi is the wealth of important reference info you can download to the tablet and have with you: Medical emergency skills, bushcraft skills, repair manuals, survival information, maps, plant foraging, camera, GPS, books, and so on.... It's a "no brainer" which is more useful! ( Pi fanboys, suck it up! )
Keep crushing it in 2022. I'm waiting to see your Xiegu 6100/Lab 599/Icom 705 shoot out. (Hint-hint)
Cheers, Phil
Good and well explained video. 👌🏻
Little radios like the QDX digi trx make much more sense in this scenario. With an 50watt amp.
I’m not sure if there is a 400watt amp for the base stations. In case of power outage and relying on solar/generator power. Butt for a quick grab and go. That makes much more sense. It can be quite, even without headphones. To keep surroundings in check.
You are SO right about high RX current being the dominant factor on battery power. Handhelds are about the only radios where RX current reduction is a design goal. My battery rig uses a Yaesu VX-5 for 50mhz, 146mhz and 440 mhz with 5 watts. RX current (squelched) is 45ma, but in power save mode it's about 30ma. I use six 26650 cells providing 7.4 volts at 15 aH. This provides several 24 hour days of operation. There is no good reason why SSB reception can't be as efficient, if you can live without all the bells & whistles. But the manufacturers know that many hams are attracted to shiny objects, so they add all the glitz.
I've never been a QRP guy but I've been watching your channel for awhile now and I really like how you go at things and you really caught my interests when you added the amp in the one segment keep it up and I'm really thinking about a 705 now and would of never even would of gave it a second thought but now 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️ have a good one W9US
This was a terrific watch, and well worth my time. Thanks for putting this together. K7KS, Arizona USA
Low power consumption on RX and plug-n-play systems are just around the corner. I’ve watched your configurations get smaller and smaller and still continue to perform better each time and that is always a solid sign of success.
Thanks for this comment. When we can bring the prices down for these configurations, then we'll know we're moving forward. I'm hoping my work triggers manufacturers to implement these low consumption strategies into qro radio that's well. Thanks for the comment kindness and for watching.
7e
Julian oh8stn
The 2021 episodes were excellent. Here is one recommendation for a topic to include in an upcoming 2022 episode. Specifically, though you've discussed it in the past, I believe that viewers should be reminded concerning the importance of a well made battery management systems (BMS) board to incorporate into their own Lithium Ion Phosphate battery packs. I took your recommenda.tion seriously when you suggested the BMS boards manufactured by LI Tech. I have never regretted this decision. The importance of a well made BMS for the health and safery of batteries cannot be overstated--and occasionally it is worthwhile to be reminded again concerning it.
Have been working on recreating the qrp ultra pack! Tired of carrying the Bioenno for a short comms session, gonna keep it in reserve for longer trips.... can’t wait to see what 2022 has in store thanks brother 73
I put a small battery pack project incoming just for this reason. Perhaps it's time we get back to portable power projects on the Channel.
73
Julian oh8stn
Great video. I am currently using the tx-500 with a 9ah battery. Pour voice communication but digital is fine. I use a mini laptop with windows 10. Winter field day coming up I will be bringing a propane generator to power my yeasu 857 to generate my power.
Julian, I appreciate you sharing your lessons learned. Thank you.
For operators working portable that haven't set up cozy little tents with a fireplace inside, do you have any lessons learned for solar charging lithium packs safely in sub-zero temperatures?
Your setup reminds me of a commercial with Quarterback Steve Young from the 49er football team, when he got "away from it all" with his Toyota Tundra pickup truck loaded up with basically his whole house. He was glamping out of his pickup, including his huge TV (check it out on UA-cam, I think you'd get a chuckle). It strikes me that although you've been discussing a leaner approach to battery and radio equipment, your setup is still quite elaborate and does not fall in the camp of backpacker portable. Perhaps, a different approach to pick up for your 2022 lessons learned video 😜.
Thank you for doing this video , there was some great points in teh video about the smaller sized batteries and the solar panels. Keep up the great work Julian , have a great day 73
If you could do a video or have one for someone who is a beginner looking to get into ham radio and emergency communication that would be awesome and much appreciated 🙏🏼
Julian, I think the most valuable in your video is the reasoning, not just a conclusion that is stated. It gives us the viewers an opportunity to think along and agree or disagree. That makes it so good, it gives a way to form an opinion instead of a feeling. Maybe an avenue of thought, way not go old school and split transmitter and receiver in 2 devices with for instance a sdr dongle. Downside would be increased complexity but a good use for a raspberry. Keep up your excellent work
I used so many of your suggestions during 2021 and they all work just as you tested them. I have QRP capability with my G90, battery back, solar panel (not roll up yet) and a lightweight Windows laptop using an Emcomm III EFHW portable. Since this is a relatively heavy load right now (and I an no longer young) I have considered building a cart using bicycle wheels, as light a wire frame as possible and only bungee cords holding the load on. That might also be an operating point without offloading much of the equipment. It would work well in the environment I operate in (hills and valleys with lots of trees but few rocks or cliffs) but might not be right for rocky or extremely rough terrain. Thank you for educating and entertaining at the same time.
Hello Jack. G90 is an excellent platform with a balance of reasonable current consumption and output power. I also like you are trailer idea. Have a similar setup used for camping. It allows a person to carry much more than what's possible with a backpack alone. Take a look at this video. ua-cam.com/video/OPEkUHAMY5Y/v-deo.html
Thanks for this very thoughtful content.
Julian, again congratulations on an impecable and very information rich videos. Your unique perspective and real world experience on qrp/portable/em comms are second to none!! Happy New Year! De HI8ESF
Hi Julian Great vid and I totally agree with all you said thanks for another fantastic video!
I see a lot of people opting for the Surface. I decided on the Panasonic Toughpad and as a backup, a CF-U1 Toughbook. Both have built in GPS and hot swappable batteries. Great videos. 73 de WA5YXS
Toughbook is an excellent Solution. Please tell us how you charge them in the field away from grid power?
73
Julian oh8stn
I 100% agree with you. If we only deploy when it's warm and easy we aren't really preparing for a disaster. I would have never thought of this if I hadn't done WFD. My first WFD was a few weeks after donating bone marrow to a guy with leukemia, so I was pretty anemic and tired to start with. Having literally less blood than others made my all the problems with my deployment really stick out.
Julian, Good video, I need to look at everything else I carry. connectors, spare coax and spare antenna. Power is not an issue as I operate from my Jeep.
This is so good great information
Excellent video Julian ! Thanks for sharing !
Thanks Brett. Hopefully operators can make use of it.
Your videos are always what I want.
No pressure Julian 😂👍
73
Julian oh8stn
I've come to some of the same conclusions but haven't made exactly the same choices. My 891 rarely gets used while my G90 with its superior receive current specs and amazing internal tuner get used almost exclusively. The x5105 and 818 get some use too.
I've considered the 705 but in my opinion it's pricey, not very rugged, and it doesn't have an internal tuner like the g90. I really thought I had found the solution to the shortcomings of the 705 with the QR-20 (HS-2) but the promised specs don't match the equipment realities (and I don't think any amount of firmware updates are going to fix it). I sent mine back as it is not reliable and has too many issues. A real shame as the radio promised so much but failed to deliver. I'm still looking for the perfect rig but haven't found it yet. ;)
For solar power, I have 2 foldable 100 watt units that I parallel and they've been great. I'd like to get into a bit of wind power options but haven't pursued that one yet.
For computers, I've considered the Surface but I continue to stick with my Pi's and my Larkboxes. For the time being, the Pi is my go to for low power consumption work but if I need Winlink I'll use the Larkbox as VARA is more reliable and you'll end up using less power with it than trying ARDOP endlessly in poor conditions. I run all of the computers headless,with either phone or tablet as my screen. I prefer this setup as I don't like being attached with wires at the operating.point and this plus cost is why I've stayed away from the Surface.
For antennas I usually carry two with me. The Superantenna MP-1 and one of my EFHWs. Between the two of them, I can do whatever I need to do. My next project is to experiment with some 2m beam antennas (homemade tape measure and portable Arrow as well) as the closest VHF Winlink gateway to me is 100km away. I'd also like to try some VHF SSB.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Julian! You've confirmed some of the same conclusions I've come to and given me some things to think about.
Thank you for producing such amazing content!
Thank you for saying it's so amazing. There's always room for improvement but I'll gladly take the kindness. 👍
73
Julian oh8stn
I found your analysis of equipment and what the critical needs of field opps require to be on the mark. My QRO rig is part of a go package that is only good for organized EmComms working out of a mobile shelter but as for my QRP ops I am using an older SGC2020 in an old Uniden cellphone nylon carry case. Fits fine, carry weight, not too bad but I will need to check specs as to Rx current draw and test this individual radio if it is different than factory specs. Still have not decided what computer to purchase for field use. The tough book is nice but way too expensive, have not looked into the MS Surface or similar yet. Not too many choices here in SV land.
Again thanks for all of the research into what will work best for the field! 73!
Hello Julian, very nice video summing up the state of the art in field emergency communication. I will definitely try to start my own setup based on my qrpver Minion Mini transceiver. For the power, I use Bosch 18V drill batteries with the adhoc Bosch converter (converts to 12V and 5V). I just need to find a way to charge the Bosch batteries from my solar panels. BTW Julian, I am and have always been a Microsoft fan 😜. 73 de Boubker CN8BSB.
Great video, a lot of food for thought. I love qrp, being disabled I don’t go out into the field like I used to. Usually once a month with my 705, the 705 loop and a 7 amp/hr 12 volt battery.
I have a Surface Pro 3 I’m trying to figure how to get ft8 to work on both my 705 & my 7300. Hopefully I get it figured out soon, just now have the pieces I needed. Gotta figure out the configuration on my surface pro with the program for ft8. Look forward to other videos.
When sun light is at a loss, have you considered a peltier junctions on the sides of your wood burning stove? At QRP levels they might provide some recharge power when the sun is down? Great video.
Yes I have thought about peltiers. The reason I haven't implemented them yet is their weight versus the amount of energy we get out of them. If I could build one which could generate for example 0.5A for charging while staying under 1kg, it would be a solid solution.
This would be a practical solution for the three months out of the year I have almost no sunlight. Unfortunately I haven't found a good commercial solution yet. So I think we would definitely have to build one.
73
Julian oh8stn
I'm new to the arena but appreciate your focus. After watching fellow Hams have issues in the field with Ras pi I'm going the tablet route. As you say, if things are sketchy to start with the last thing I want to do is babysit a temper mental set-up.K.I.S.S. Thanks very much for all you do Julian.
You have come a long way brother! "Charlie Mike!"
Thank you 👍
Thanks, I completely agree.
Great points
As always great content 73 de N1AD
Thank you Steven. Much appreciated.
73
Julian oh8stn
Wow, that’s a lot of radios
As always, the content is spot on! I am surprised to see you call your small headway battery not man portable. With the capacity of it, it could keep you going for a couple of days in foul weather. I did read through the other comments, I would like to see you try to make a small man portable wind turbine. After getting caught in the storm in October, that would have been a perfect alternative to solar. With that said, I have found you portable power projects inspiring and have a small battery pack in the works. Thanks for the excellent videos, looking forward to more!
You humble me.
It's becoming increasingly more apparent that portable power projects of all kinds are in great demand. I'll have to fo something about that.
The 10ah headway pack is brilliant and also man portable. It would power my low power station for about a week of conservative operating. When you see the newest pack I'm working on, you'll understand why we'll relegate the Headway packs to solar generator operation. Lots of new and interesting portable power options incoming.
Thanks for watching and for the kindness. Comments like these are keeping me on course.
73
Julian oh8stn
A great recap of your 2021 insights. Thanks for taking the time to do this great work. I'm also interested on the kit and weight of an emcomm pack you might suggest for inclement weather, off-grid operations. 73. WN6NW
Ok, here's a hypotherical question. One or the other. PF Solar max and $400 worth of another Lipo battery... or TWO PF solarmaxes. ;) im mostly kidding. I Do love my Powerfilm though. Glad you did the videos on it.
If you have the daylight to fulfill your usage... get the extra storage. 'Save for a rainy day'... so to speak. Just my 2 cents.
I noticed the high receive current and heat on my Yaesu 857D, though not portable. Someone mentioned that grounding the wee brown wire dropped that significantly. Now I am curious to try that and see how much of a difference it makes. I don't know if that also exists on the 991.
Interesting videos and setup. Some future ideas for sure.
@oh8stn With the diy599 pa500 having a 2 year wait list before the war even started and the price doubling to $1000-$1100ish I would love to see you review some other tuner/amp combos or recommend some sort of other option. I've been eyeing the xiegu xpa125b but mixed reviews and the weight alone gives me pause.
Honestly, for a portable operator there are no other options with these features. There is the Xiegu, Elecraft and Hardrock 50. Also a few Chinese ebay amps but none come in with the features, weight and low current consumption of the PA500. It really is the benchmark for a portable amplifier. This is the reason other amplifiers haven't been reviewed.
Another great video Julian
Questions - efficient and/or beam antennas can lower power consumption by boosting gain - what antennas are you using
Surface - what's the power consumption of the surface? How many hours of activity on a charge? My current outdoor operation is POTA - run continuous until sometimes something runs out of power, I've got sufficient uptime perhaps at the expense of weight ( MBP M1 laptop)
Cost - those solar panels aren't cheap , $500 per vs $100 for a 12v 12aH battery - I get that you aim to power your station indefinitely on extended trips. That said - it'd be interesting to see the cost of your kit and experiment with max uptime for minimum cost
Great work again!
Marc - KC9WIB
Over the last few years I have been transitioning off of Windows systems as much as possible.
Unfortunately, I came to the same conclusion that the Linux based utilities are still a little bit too fiddly to rely upon.
The closest I have found so far would be the excellent utilities packaged in KM4ACK's Build-a-Pi. They go a long way towards automating the heavier configuration steps needed to get things like Winlink operational.
I ended up getting a Lenovo Yoga 11e 6th gen. This thing is very low power and quite comparable to a surface tablet, but still has a full keyboard so no stylus required.
Great insights on power consumption. I'm definitely rethinking my portable set up. Besides power, I'm looking at weight reduction. I see in some of your set ups you appear to be using RG-316? Do you only use that for QRP? I'm only using short, 12 inch or so jumpers but I'm having the hardest time trying to find the power rating for 2-30mhz (HF) on RG-316. Do you have any info on that? I wouldn't mind replacing my RG8X coax feed lines with lighter weight (although more fragile) RG-316. Thanks for all the great videos. 73/K7KWW
Awesome video. Have you thought about wire stabilizers for your stove flue? Just a little concerned for your safety in high winds.
Julian, Thank you for your 2021 in review. I absolutely agree with you regarding asynchronous communications but that's only valid when you're able connect with a RMS gateway on a regular basis. The scenario I would ask you to explore is a pile up during a crisis situation. During such a scenario, everyone will be on the air. How will you ensure your slot needed to make contact and stay connected throughout the duration of your Winlink session?
This is an awesome question and comment. I've thought about this previously and done some testing. The thing is we can't rely on a single mode of communication. We need to have a diverse group of tools to use in case one or the other is inundated. For this reason JS8Call is ideal. It allows Multiple stations to operate Simultaneously within the same bandwidth. It also allows stations to leave a message on the network for one or more stations. We also have tools like ION2G aka ALE/SELCAL, VarAC and Winlink. Ultimately though none of these are good without some skills and experience from the operator. The operator also needs to understand the pros and cons of each mode for a given situation.
Perhaps we need to more on this topic poster!?
Excellent topic!
73
Julian oh8stn
Thumbs-up
Thank you Dennis.
73
Julian oh8stn
I'd like to learn how to set up my 705 wireless like you have !
I definitely need a foldable solar panel and a QRP radio.
I agree that the pi is fragile for a back pack carry device and you still need another electrical thing to host a screen. One thing that you did with the pi is the gps stick to set the system time from the gps data. How are you doing no internet time sync with the surface?
Great video. I've been really "out of the game" lately because of life and work. Hoping to get back into more ham radio activities in 2022, which is probably a New Year's Resolution I can actually keep! I sent you a message a while back via Patreon regarding some issues I've been having with the MP1 Super Antenna. Is this the best way to contact you, or do you prefer another method?
Julian, I think you should look into using insulated Ice Fishing Shelters.
Just get a starlink dish 😆
Awesome video Julian. I am curious as to what amp you are using?
Thanks, it's the PA500. ua-cam.com/video/p8lRY8QL8eI/v-deo.html
What do you use to protect your surface go 2? I'm putting together my first sota setup as I can finally go backpacking again. I'm wondering if I can get away with something simple like a neoprene sleeve or if I should had one of the waterproof hard sided cases that add a pound to my pack (and staying light is really important.) Secondly, same question for the 705. Do you protect the screen with something? What case do you use/like?
I decided to use a Snap-On keyboard for the surface. That protects the screen. With the screen protected by put it inside a sleeve inside my pack. Nothing else required. That's worked out pretty well for me so far. If you want to protect you from rain, put it inside a Ziploc bag. Just don't forget to protect the screen somehow.
Great video as always ! How do you power your Microsoft surface ? I just sprang for a surface go 3 and it’s a great little machine but of course - no Anderson power pole or mfj 12 volt plug input . Any special adapter out there ? What I wouldn’t give for a compact laptop or surface with Anderson power pole …..
Wrote a post with all details about the Microsoft Surface Go on the blog.
73
Julian oh8stn
oh8stn.org/blog/2021/10/10/microsoft-surface-go-2-faq-ham-radio-laptop/
Just a thought as I haven't done this field operation yet.
Could the Raspberry pi use a gpio pin for a single RGB LED to illuminate or flash certain colors for status updates like a message received. Could this single LED use less power than all the screens running?
Great video and content on your channel. Do you think it would be possible to run this (or a) setup from Android. Not utilising Windows? Atb Si
Thanks for the kindness and the question. There are some apps for Android but they're pretty much outdated. The only up-and-coming one we have is for winlink. It doesn't have all the features of a full winlink, but it's a start.
For some reason developers don't see the value in an Android operating system. In fact Android would be my operating system of choice. Perhaps I should make a video to try and Trigger the community.
73
Julian oh8stn
This is exactly why I love QRP radios. But your have to take out a mortgage and sell a liver in order to get one.
Julian, why not use a small sdr receiver like Airspy hf discovery to receive and then use a more powerful rig for Tx?
In principle why not. It does become complicated when using multiple radios. However, this could be done with a single SDR like the HackRF and amplifier.
I noticed that some of your MPAS deployments, the transformer seems to be in the middle, but it's still a vertical antenna - I'm assuming. What advantage does that have and do you still need an ATU for 40 meters? thx.
Hi Frank. I always use an ATU with the MPAS in vertical configuration. For those times the balun was elevated, it was probably testing if elevating the balun provided better performance. It's also possible I was operating on a higher band than 40m.
If you can show me a specific video, I can explain the configuration for that video.
73
Julian oh8stn
Hi Julian, can you recommend a good place to buy those A123 batteries you use?
How did you get w output from your battery? My12Ah LiFePO4 battery will only let my Yaesu FT-891 go up to about 60w on a good day. Thx! SV0SGS
Hello - new subscriber from the Dominican Republic here and interested in your QRP experience. May I ask why Microsoft Surface vs say a Android phone? I know it’s smaller etc. but if it’s programmed and set up at home - wouldn’t it use way less power than the surface?
Excellent question in yes you are absolutely right. The problem we have with android smartphones and tablets is a lack of Ham radio software for Android. I am a huge android fan but find the lack of tools for amateur radio very frustrating.
Thanks for the awesome question and welcome to the channel.
73
Julian oh8stn
Julian, have you got the x6100 to work with Winlink? If so, what are your settings? Thanks, IU3JNT
It hasn't arrived yet 😒
@@OH8STN Just got mine today. Trying to get all the digital modes to work. At least there is only one cable for control and audio. I need to upgrade the firmware to see if there are some fixes.
Please do share your experience
@@OH8STN Still working an issue with VARA. I am using the ICOM 7100 settings and everything seems to function, but the send receive handshake cycle goes too fast. When the other station responds to my signal, the X6100 radio transmits back too fast to allow a handshake. It seems a software issue with VARA.
Do you have a instruction videos how to set up
How to set up ..?
:-)
"Xiegu G90 replacing 5V LDO with SMPS" by YO3HJV
Before: 650 mA on RX
After: 369 mA w/ATU, 286 mA no ATU
The 23% difference with ATU off looks useful to remember, and it also reduces noise. There's a nicer looking mod in his comment section (PDF).
SIR CAN WE COMMUNICATE IN CASE OF WAR OCCUR.... POWER GRIDLINES, ANTENA DESTROYED...WHAT SHOULD WE DO IF RUSSIA AND CHINA INVADE WITHOUT BEING DETECTED BY THE CHINESE....