OAUSA NET - 10-13-2022 Portable Operation

[toms]

Portable Amateur Radio operating gives us an opportunity to really get to know the pleasure of making great contacts. Often when we try to operate from home, we are plagued by noise, interference, rules, and safety problems.

By setting up a portable operation you have the chance to experience the wonder of low noise floor operating. Short antenna feed line runs that maximize the signal you can put on the air. Experience specialized operating programs like ARRL Field Day, Parks on the Air, or Summits On The Air to name a few.

With a modest station it is possible you can make some amazing contacts.

By operating portable you can prepare to fulfill one of the tenets of Amateur Radio, emergency communications.


We will discuss the basics of operating, and give some examples of equipment you may like to try.

[Hmfigueroa]

https://dakotalithium.com/product-categ ... batteries/

Lithium Battery

https://portableuniversalpower.com/stor ... p268399335

Solar Controller

http://www.arrowantennas.com

Arrow Antenna

https://elkantennas.com

Elk Antenna

Tent setup

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A full Power Station like the FT991 alpha and the next DM 400, can be the perfect portable station. Some of the problems however, is the need for a robust power system. For portable operations with this type of station a lot of battery storage is required, a portable generator, or a fairly large solar system would be required for any significant duration.

If you look under the table, you can see the tops of two large AGM batteries. This was backed up by a Honda 1000 cc generator.

Yagi Antenna on portable mast

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Getting your signal over to the intended recipients requires a good quality antenna. For a good directional antenna a Yagi is a good choice. This antenna is mounted on a 15 foot portable mast. This will get your signal out above local obstructions and I forward you the opportunity to direct your signal where you need to.

Adapter cable for larger antenna

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Here is a good option for a minimal station. This is a standard HT that has been fitted with a cable to provide two functions. One is to provide strain relief to avoid damaging your HT the second Is to allow the connection to an antenna such as the Yagi pictured above or the ground plane pictured below.

Portable base station antenna

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Most prolonged activations would require a good logging solution. A portable solution such as a laptop computer, tablet, or even a Smart telephone can fit your needs.

Logging options

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Here is an absolute minimal station using an 8 Watt HF transceiver and a paper notebook can allow you to make analog contacts effectively. In this photo you can see several contacts I made from Anza Borrego Desert State Park on 20 m meters using 8 Watts or less. With the help of a resonant dipole antenna.

Extremely portable station

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If you have a short operation. Say less than 3 to 4 hours you can use small lightweight lithium batteries to power your station. You can use a small solar panel and a solar controller to help extend your operating time with this type of set up.

Speaker stand a low cost option

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100 watt station

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Power management options.

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There are many different different activities that you can enjoy on the air with even a modest station. It is always nice to consider the weather and the location to ensure operating comfort to avoid fatigue. Having simple awning or tarp may be all you need. Finding a nice location with some height above local terrain can help immensely. Finding a location with a nice breeze helps a lot as well.

Shelter and location location location

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[lrsrngr]

KK6CTT for the online check-in please (10/13/22).

Not wanting to miss out on an outing or an important net that I was coined to conduct as the net controller I decided to bring the gear that would get me into Keller that would still provide the communication link I needed to be net control for the 10/23/21 Great ShakeOut D+48 hours.

Did you know? Military designation of days and hours (interesting for military buffs) = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_ ... _and_hours

This form of communication is common when groups like OAUSA go out and conduct activities in austere environments where overlanding expeditions need some form of sound communications plan whether it is in the form of LOS (VHF/UHF) or HF COMMs. This example is the use of LOS to get the job done. When you have several elements of the group moving on day runs and a base station; the desire to provide the safest operating environment is to consider local repeaters, simplex frequencies and the use of APRS tracking if it is available. It is also a good plan to update base control with scheduled check-ins driven by time hacks or when the "most likely" communication will be possible or a mixture of one or more techniques.

If you have the chance to look at the "problem" before the event...graphics and learned techniques can help to better prepare for the event. This was a 57 mile shot with at least one major concern with respect to LOS issues.

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Sometimes you have to setup a temporary station before you go full blown so that you get a sense of whether or not your location facilitates the COMM Plan. No sense setting up the final camp location and later finding you need a better location. Sometimes a quick test with an HT will give you the information you need to settle in with confidence.

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Location, Location, Location out of the way, how about the right antenna to get the job done? Omni-directional, Yagi/Log Periodic for directional? The better suited the antenna for the job, the less power needed to get the job done...less battery required, the smaller the "power" support platform. This example called for a 2m Yagi about 25' of coax a 14ah LifePO4 Miady battery (with another battery box for backup) and a 30 watt solar "array" for continuous operation. Of course, the radio and watt output is also a consideration and for this trip an FT-2900 was used but I never had to go above 10 watts to get the job done well and 5 watts was the default most of the time. Not seen here is the compass and the setup needed to correctly direct the yagi to its distant station, Keller Peak and the NanoVNA used to tune the portable Yagi.

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Once it was all setup the exercise and participation in the Red-Eye Net went without a hitch. Solid COMMs into Keller with the radio and battery pretty much "idling" to get the job done. Should the system fail, I was prepared to drive the "go-box on wheels" to a hilltop and conduct operations from the vehicle. "One is none, two is one, three or more evens the score!"

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You never know who is listening and it was a big surprise to see the efforts of the weekend recognized. I was simply having fun testing my abilities to setup a remote site and conduct "business" and it paid off in several ways. Test yourself, your gear and have fun with it while doing it!

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[Diesel4x]

please check in Randy KF6KOC and Becky KF6RGR

thanks

[KA9WDX]

Check in please - Thanks - Bernie

[K9Nigel]

check in please
KC6JGZ - Russ

[H380]

Please check me in: WY6R -- Bob

[H380]

Please check me in: WY6R -- Bob

[Geoff]

Please check me in.

[mudman]

Please check me in, KI7SDI