PORTABLE RADIO OPERATIONS

Scott Honaker, N7SS

HT Applications

An "HT" makes perfectly good sense for:

• Anyone who doesn't drive
• Commuters who use public transportation
• Controlling a mobile radio as a cross-band repeater
• As a spare, a backup or loaner
• Ultra-portable field unit

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Scott Honaker, N7SS

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HT Issues

• Severely compromised antenna systems
• Limited battery life
• Limited power
• Increasing power to overcome poor antenna systems reduces battery life
• Poor transmit and receive audio
• Accessories create cabling mess
• Small display size

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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Pick the right radio

• For emergency use, it needs to be easy to use
• During an event is no time to get out the manual
• Features are cool but master the basics
• Change frequency, duplex shift, tone encode, tone decode and program a memory channel
• Can you operate the buttons and read the display
• Good battery life
• Can you turn off unwanted features (scan, priority, weather alert, etc.)?

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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Narrow-band FM

• FCC currently mandates switch to narrow-band
• After January 1, 2011 -
• No wide-band commercial radio can be certified
• No more wide-band frequency allocations will be issued
• This means commercial radios will not interoperate with amateur wide-band gear
• Consider narrow-band capability in future radios
• Should be easily selectable
• Should be storable in memory

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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Portable APRS

• Kenwood TH-D7A/G included TNC with APRS
• Required external GPS input
• Had data jack for PC connection
• Discontinued but new TH-D72 now available
• Yaesu VX-8R includes TNC and APRS software
• Yaesu GPS can mount on radio or speaker/mike
• Bluetooth headset support
• No PC interface

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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Newer Digital Modes

• D-STAR
• Icom offers full line of DSTAR HTs and mobiles
• All offer backward compatibility to FM
• All offer data jack for PC connection
• Supports routable voice calls via Internet
• APCO Project 25 (P25)
• Radios available from most manufacturers
• Very robust voice
• Virtually no data support and cannot route voice

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Scott Honaker, N7SS

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“Rubber ducks”

• Some rubber ducks are as much as -20dBd
• That’s 100 fold or only 50mW ERP with 5W in
• Most are -8dBd to -10dBd – still nearly a 10 fold loss
• Adding a counterpoise is a simple improvement
• A piece of stranded wire (19.5” @ 2m and 6.5” @ 70cm) crimped and soldered to a lug around the antenna mount. A little heat shrink adds strain relief
• Creates vertical dipole
• Counterpoise can be pointed to provide directionality

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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HT Antennas

• Bigger is almost always better
• Aftermarket 19” whips are full ¼ wave on 2m
• Telescoping ½ wave antennas are VERY effective
• ½ wave with no ground plane has similar �performance to ¼ wave with a ground plane
• ½ wave antennas are often used for marine
• Almost anything OUTSIDE a vehicle is better

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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Portable Antennas

• Twin lead J-poles provide gain and can be hung or tacked to a wall or window (MFJ-1730)
• Magnetic mount antennas can be used with any metal surface large enough for ground plane
• Larsen makes a “BSAKIT” to provide a ground plane and mount for an NMO base antenna
• Telescoping 2m and dual-band whips are compact and very effective with ground plane

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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Directional Antennas

• Tape measure yagi provides portability and gain
• http://home.att.net/~jleggio/projects/rdf/tape_bm.htm
• Arrow Antennas
• http://www.arrowantennas.com/
• Window Quad
• http://www.wimo.com/framesetp_e.html
• Wimo offers other portable designs

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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When gain isn’t gain

• Gain is often advertised
• Gain is expressed in decibels (dB)
• Gain must be referenced to something
• dBi – Gain vs. isotropic resonator
• dBd – Gain vs. reference dipole
• dBi is often used because it’s larger
• dBi is a calculated – not real world figure
• Each 3dB is a 2-fold increase, 10dB is a 10-fold increase

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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Comet SMA- 501

0 dBi at ¼ wave

Not!

Battery Technologies

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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* Adjusted for difference in voltage

Battery self–discharge rates

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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Enough is never enough

• Most NiCd or NiMH packs are about 800mAh
• High transmit power quickly drains power
• A busy 8 hour shift could easily drain two packs
• Newer LiIon batteries run 1200-1600 mAh
• Keep an extra rechargable pack and/or AA pack
• AA alkaline packs generally provide lower output
• Recharge regularly and store in cool/dry place

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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More power!

• Small sealed lead acid (SLA)/gel cell batteries are easy to find in UPSes, medical equipment, etc.
• A small case or backpack with a battery, connectors and charging system could provide power for many days
• AC outlets are never located conveniently
• A pair of batteries would allow one to be used while the other is charged

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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Verify battery integrity

• Batteries deteriorate over time
• Verify battery capacity with smart �charger or tester
• Maha offers chargers that will discharge/recharge , show capacity and condition batteries (MH-C777PLUS-II)
• West Mountain Radio offers a �Computerized Battery Analyzer (CBA)
• Operate the radio on receive and record the run time

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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Maximize battery life

• Use minimum necessary transmit power
• An improved antenna system can help substantially
• Keep radio squelched
• Use minimum required volume setting
• Disable backlighting when not in use
• Enable any power saver feature
• Disable scanning and second VFOs

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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Generate your power

• The Honda EU1000i is only 30lbs - with fuel!
• It does generate some noise on HF SSB but for VHF and FM work, it’s fine
• The FreeCharge Weza is a �treadle generator with internal�7Ah battery and can generate �25-40 watts (and burn calories)
• Solar panels are easy and silent

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Scott Honaker, N7SS

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Improve audio

• Speaker mikes place speaker closer to ear
• HT transmit audio notoriously “boxy”
• Headsets provide better audio in high noise environments
• Keep radio safely out of �the weather or attached �to power and antenna

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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Program and go

• Get repeater and simplex frequencies
• Use alpha memories when possible
• Don’t forget FRS/GMRS, weather, TV, aircraft, marine, itinerant (red dot, blue dot, etc.), public service, etc.
• Programming software makes this much simpler
• If the radio can transmit out of band, use odd splits to transmit in ham band when keyed

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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More power!

• Mount a mobile in a box with a battery, small charger and portable antenna
• Pick a model with low standby current drain
• 15-25 watts can be used (50+w off car battery)
• Better audio from larger speaker and mike
• Front firing speakers are helpful
• Generally easier to use (big buttons and display)
• HT with amplifier has limited duty cycle

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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Design your portable station

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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Define the objectives

• Capabilities vs. size and weight
• Ease of deployment and use
• Robust design
• Will it withstand rough handling/weather
• Clever/fun features
• Professional appearance and layout

Scott Honaker, N7SS

Let’s look at the elements

• Radios and accessories
• Cases/enclosures
• Power supply and distribution
• Antenna systems

Scott Honaker, N7SS

Radios and accessories

• VHF/UHF
• HF + antenna tuner
• TNC or sound card adapter
• D-STAR capability
• Laptop/netbook
• Coaxes, adapters, headset, pens/pencils, notepads, forms, manuals

Scott Honaker, N7SS

Cases and enclosure options

• Pelican/Stormcases
• Portable music rack-style cases
• Ammo cans/ANVIS case
• Dry boxes
• Plastic tubs
• Toolboxes
• Video game cases

Scott Honaker, N7SS

Pelican/StormCase

• Rugged Plastic
• Expensive
• Locking, Watertight
• Open on top

Scott Honaker, N7SS

Portable music rack cases

• From SKB, Gator, GRC, Eurolite, TKL, etc.
• 19” wide x ~2 inch “Rack Units”
• Rugged – Vinyl over wood or ABS
• Moderate price
• Available with shock mounting
• Rack rails available separately

Scott Honaker, N7SS

Music cases

Scott Honaker, N7SS

Ammo can/ANVIS case

• Ammo cans are limited in size, heavy with uncomfortable handles
• Both are metal, rugged and gasketed

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Scott Honaker, N7SS

Drybox

• Gasketed plastic ammo can style
• Only a couple sizes
• Lightweight, rugged, �limited mounting �options

Scott Honaker, N7SS

Plastic tubs

• Unlimited varieties/sizes
• Generally not as rugged �or weatherproof
• Inexpensive
• Complicated mounting

Scott Honaker, N7SS

Toolboxes

• Plastic boxes are tapered
• Metal provides simpler �mounting

Scott Honaker, N7SS

More Toolboxes

Scott Honaker, N7SS

Video game cases

• Storage for game and controllers
• Most are top-opening
• Softcases available

Scott Honaker, N7SS

More Cases

Scott Honaker, N7SS

Power supplies

• Switching supplies are compact
• Available from Astron, Samlex, Alinco, Jetstream, Gamma Research and MFJ
• Can be noisy on HF
• Extras include meters, additional power outlets, adjustable voltage

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Scott Honaker, N7SS

Switching Power Supplies

Scott Honaker, N7SS

Power distribution

• West Mountain Radio Rigrunners are ideal
• Other Anderson Powerpole options
• Fuse blocks available (marine versions are best)
• Barrier strips can also be used (be aware of inadvertent contact – no insulation)

Scott Honaker, N7SS

Anderson Powerpoles

• Powerpoles are polarized and genderless
• They are the ARES/RACES standard connector
• Run power to the battery in every car and leave the end available under the dash for quick hookup of any radio (don’t forget fuses)
• Easily create adapters for any �application

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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Powerpole adapters

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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VHF/UHF Antennas

• Mag mount verticals
• Larsen BSA kit
• Small yagis/quads
• Mast material, �guys, tripod, �shims, bungee cords

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Scott Honaker, N7SS

HF Antennas

• Wire dipoles, windom or G5RV
• Buddipole with tripod, mast, guys
• Verticals - Superantennas MP-1, hamstick or screwdriver with ground radials

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Scott Honaker, N7SS

Don’t forget…

• Pens/pencils
• Paper
• Message forms
• Antenna adapters
• Extension cords
• Manuals
• Etc…

Scott Honaker, N7SS

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References/Sources

• http://www.radialllarsen.com
• http://www.cometantenna.com
• http://www.mfjenterprises.com
• http://www.pryme.com
• http://www.powerwerx.com
• http://shop.mahaenergy.com
• http://www.westmountainradio.com
• http://www.freeplayenergy.com

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Scott Honaker, N7SS

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