KE0OSI
Portable High Frequency Rig
Goals (20180905)
My goals going into this project were to build a portable but full functioning High-Frequency radio setup for single side band and digital operations. Portable may be a bit particular to me, I'm not talking about a manpack radio. Rather, I'm looking for a luggable or vehicle portable setup with quick setup and tear down from operations. As such, space and to some extent weight are secondary drivers.
I like to camp and play radio while camping. This is usually car camping or overlanding, so I need to be able to setup and then clear off of table tops quickly so I'm not interfering with meals and other social activities.
My goals going into this project were to build a portable but full functioning High-Frequency radio setup for single side band and digital operations. Portable may be a bit particular to me, I'm not talking about a manpack radio. Rather, I'm looking for a luggable or vehicle portable setup with quick setup and tear down from operations. As such, space and to some extent weight are secondary drivers.
I like to camp and play radio while camping. This is usually car camping or overlanding, so I need to be able to setup and then clear off of table tops quickly so I'm not interfering with meals and other social activities.
Articles
● Goals
● Radio
● Rails
● Tuner
● Meter
● AFSK Soundcard
● SCS Tracker
● RadioPi
● LiFePO4 Battery
● Power Distribution
● More to come.
● Goals
● Radio
● Rails
● Tuner
● Meter
● AFSK Soundcard
● SCS Tracker
● RadioPi
● LiFePO4 Battery
● Power Distribution
● More to come.
The Radio (20180905)
The radio is a Yaesu FT-857d. Like every radio it is a mix of personal preferences, needs, and cost. For me, the 857 does what I need in a portable radio. It's less of a QRP radio than the FT-817, but it's nice to be able to use the extra power on transmit and without the DNR turned on, the power draw for monitoring isn't insane.
The radio is a Yaesu FT-857d. Like every radio it is a mix of personal preferences, needs, and cost. For me, the 857 does what I need in a portable radio. It's less of a QRP radio than the FT-817, but it's nice to be able to use the extra power on transmit and without the DNR turned on, the power draw for monitoring isn't insane.
Rails (20180905)
Putting a radio, even one designed for mobile or portable operations in a bag or case can still lead to some damage. Knobs get banged into and torqued, cables and ports have pressures applied at weird angles, etc. Adding rails to your radio can protect the radio from damage in transport and use.
There are a couple of options out there on the market, and I went with Portable Zero's Escort rails. They bolt directly int the mounting holes on the radio, with some rubber buffer pads in the mix. Protection is provided for the knobs (including the 857's giant tuning knob) and some protection is provided for connections on the rear of the radio (you may want to seriously consider some right angle connectors for antennas).
Putting a radio, even one designed for mobile or portable operations in a bag or case can still lead to some damage. Knobs get banged into and torqued, cables and ports have pressures applied at weird angles, etc. Adding rails to your radio can protect the radio from damage in transport and use.
There are a couple of options out there on the market, and I went with Portable Zero's Escort rails. They bolt directly int the mounting holes on the radio, with some rubber buffer pads in the mix. Protection is provided for the knobs (including the 857's giant tuning knob) and some protection is provided for connections on the rear of the radio (you may want to seriously consider some right angle connectors for antennas).
The Tuner (20180905)
I'll mention the tuner, but won't go into a lot of details. It's the ubiquitous LDG YT-100 for the FT-857d. It's got one button, one LED, and it's powered off the 857's CAT/Tuner port (no extra batteries or connections to your power distribution).
I do want to mention that if you are going to attach a USB CAT cable between the tuner and and your computer, you will have to have the computer turned on or disconnect the cable. The USB to serial converter on most of these cables is powered from the computer (USB) side and if not energized, the tuner is not happy. Please also note that the YT-100 limits your CAT connection to 4800 baud, which shouldn't be a problem, but the radio does need to be configured for this (and it's covered clearly in the YT-100 manual).
I'll mention the tuner, but won't go into a lot of details. It's the ubiquitous LDG YT-100 for the FT-857d. It's got one button, one LED, and it's powered off the 857's CAT/Tuner port (no extra batteries or connections to your power distribution).
I do want to mention that if you are going to attach a USB CAT cable between the tuner and and your computer, you will have to have the computer turned on or disconnect the cable. The USB to serial converter on most of these cables is powered from the computer (USB) side and if not energized, the tuner is not happy. Please also note that the YT-100 limits your CAT connection to 4800 baud, which shouldn't be a problem, but the radio does need to be configured for this (and it's covered clearly in the YT-100 manual).
External Meter (20180905)
The FT-857 has a 3.5mm port on the bottom of the radio face for an external monitor. There are some really nice LCD and analog meters out there that you can find on the Internet. There are also a bunch of cheap meters on Amazon. They are potentially less durable, and less accurate, but are almost disposable based on their low cost. They also tend to be smaller that the more costly meters and I did them easier to tuck into an empty space in the bag. This is the one I ended up getting:
She-love External S Meter SWR Power Meter For Yaesu FT-857 FT-897
Why an external meter? The FT-857 has a small LDC meter on one side of the display. It's handy, but lacks some fidelity as it's only got about 5-8 bars possible. Having a second meter, will allow you to monitor a second value at the same time, like TX power and SWR together. The 857 can be configured to have the meter display one value while monitoring and another while transmitting. Be aware that on an analog meter, if you use a value that tends to be high (signal/noise level) and one that should be low (SWR) the needle will need to swing back and forth and settle a bit before you get accurate levels.
Something else to note is that a lot of the less expensive meters will not come with a right angle connector, which can be a problem with a straight connector sticking straight out of the bottom of the face. A 90' 3.5 mm audio adapter works fie to fix this problem.
Calibration: There is a small hole in the back of the meter, mine was badly misaligned with the hole so look carefully, with a potentiometer (AKA pot) you can adjust with a small screw driver. Go into menu mode #60 (MTR ARX SEL) and select "FS" on the radio, this will peg the meter at 100%, adjust the pot so the needle reads at the max and you should be good to go. (Don't forget to change menu mode 60 back to your desired setting.)
The FT-857 has a 3.5mm port on the bottom of the radio face for an external monitor. There are some really nice LCD and analog meters out there that you can find on the Internet. There are also a bunch of cheap meters on Amazon. They are potentially less durable, and less accurate, but are almost disposable based on their low cost. They also tend to be smaller that the more costly meters and I did them easier to tuck into an empty space in the bag. This is the one I ended up getting:
She-love External S Meter SWR Power Meter For Yaesu FT-857 FT-897
Why an external meter? The FT-857 has a small LDC meter on one side of the display. It's handy, but lacks some fidelity as it's only got about 5-8 bars possible. Having a second meter, will allow you to monitor a second value at the same time, like TX power and SWR together. The 857 can be configured to have the meter display one value while monitoring and another while transmitting. Be aware that on an analog meter, if you use a value that tends to be high (signal/noise level) and one that should be low (SWR) the needle will need to swing back and forth and settle a bit before you get accurate levels.
Something else to note is that a lot of the less expensive meters will not come with a right angle connector, which can be a problem with a straight connector sticking straight out of the bottom of the face. A 90' 3.5 mm audio adapter works fie to fix this problem.
Calibration: There is a small hole in the back of the meter, mine was badly misaligned with the hole so look carefully, with a potentiometer (AKA pot) you can adjust with a small screw driver. Go into menu mode #60 (MTR ARX SEL) and select "FS" on the radio, this will peg the meter at 100%, adjust the pot so the needle reads at the max and you should be good to go. (Don't forget to change menu mode 60 back to your desired setting.)
DigiMaster MiniProSC (20180906)
DigiMaster's MiniProSC , a reliable, durable USB sound card AFSK (Audio Frequency Shift Keying) modes. Simple to use and easy to setup under Linux. Connects directly to the data port on the FT-857d using the data port and is powered via the USB port. Use Alsa Mixer to adjust levels (don't max them out as it will over drive the signal). Good, simple reliable kit.
The mother of all tips: This was driving me nuts trying to figure out why I wasn't transmitting in AFSK modes. For the FT-857d to transmit using the data port, you need to be in digital mode and configure the data port to use SSB/USB (which is what FT8/FT8Call uses no matter the band). You do this by going into the radio memory and setting Menu Mode Number 38 to "USER-U".
If you are using CAT control, you can set the mode to digital in the WSJT-X (or FT8Call) configuration dialogs. Alternately, you can use the mode buttons on the top of the radio face.
DigiMaster's MiniProSC , a reliable, durable USB sound card AFSK (Audio Frequency Shift Keying) modes. Simple to use and easy to setup under Linux. Connects directly to the data port on the FT-857d using the data port and is powered via the USB port. Use Alsa Mixer to adjust levels (don't max them out as it will over drive the signal). Good, simple reliable kit.
The mother of all tips: This was driving me nuts trying to figure out why I wasn't transmitting in AFSK modes. For the FT-857d to transmit using the data port, you need to be in digital mode and configure the data port to use SSB/USB (which is what FT8/FT8Call uses no matter the band). You do this by going into the radio memory and setting Menu Mode Number 38 to "USER-U".
If you are using CAT control, you can set the mode to digital in the WSJT-X (or FT8Call) configuration dialogs. Alternately, you can use the mode buttons on the top of the radio face.
SCS Tracker/DSP TNC (20180906)
This really intrigued me. The SCS Tracker is a Terminal Node Controller (TNC) that supports UFH/VHF and HF APRS rates, including robust packet modes. It can also act as an APRS beacon without a computer connected (feeding GPS coordinates via a NEMA serial connection). It's been solid, but I haven;t gotten a lot of use out of it -- virtually all of the software that directly supports the features of the TNC are Windows based.
I will admit that it works quite well with the Windows version of WinLink Express, a helpful tool for emergency communications, in robust packet mode -- at times when ADOP and Winmor could not get through. Unfortunately, it isn't supported under PAT on Raspian yet.
This really intrigued me. The SCS Tracker is a Terminal Node Controller (TNC) that supports UFH/VHF and HF APRS rates, including robust packet modes. It can also act as an APRS beacon without a computer connected (feeding GPS coordinates via a NEMA serial connection). It's been solid, but I haven;t gotten a lot of use out of it -- virtually all of the software that directly supports the features of the TNC are Windows based.
I will admit that it works quite well with the Windows version of WinLink Express, a helpful tool for emergency communications, in robust packet mode -- at times when ADOP and Winmor could not get through. Unfortunately, it isn't supported under PAT on Raspian yet.
RadioPi (20180906)
The Raspberry Pi that I use as part of this rig actually has its own page, here .
The Raspberry Pi that I use as part of this rig actually has its own page, here .
LiFePO4 Battery (20180906)
All of this is powered via a Bioenno 12v 12 Amp Hour battery, model BLF-1212A . This battery fits nicely in the AMP-3 bag's dock-in battery bag. There is actually some leftover space,and it would be great to see a larger (meaning longer) version of this battery.
If you are used to the older sealed lead gel batteries, or even the older Lithium Ion batteries, do yourself a favor and take a look at these. They are lighter than the lead-acid batteries and provide more consistent power output (less voltage drop) across the discharge curve of the battery. Compared to the older Lithium Ion batteries, they have a much lower risk of fire from overcharging or physical damage and the batteries have built in management circuits to balance the cells without needing to periodically use a wall charger.
12AH seems to be a decent size for my operating style. I can operate for a good chunk of the night and still have power, and as soon as the sun comes up, solar will begin recharging the batteries and eventually I'll be running at float levels for most of the day.
Note: Bioenno Engineering has stated that the maximum charging amperage is 1/2 the rated amp hours for the battery, so the max input amperage for this battery is 6 amps -- something to keep in mind when planning your solar panels and charge controller.
All of this is powered via a Bioenno 12v 12 Amp Hour battery, model BLF-1212A . This battery fits nicely in the AMP-3 bag's dock-in battery bag. There is actually some leftover space,and it would be great to see a larger (meaning longer) version of this battery.
If you are used to the older sealed lead gel batteries, or even the older Lithium Ion batteries, do yourself a favor and take a look at these. They are lighter than the lead-acid batteries and provide more consistent power output (less voltage drop) across the discharge curve of the battery. Compared to the older Lithium Ion batteries, they have a much lower risk of fire from overcharging or physical damage and the batteries have built in management circuits to balance the cells without needing to periodically use a wall charger.
12AH seems to be a decent size for my operating style. I can operate for a good chunk of the night and still have power, and as soon as the sun comes up, solar will begin recharging the batteries and eventually I'll be running at float levels for most of the day.
Note: Bioenno Engineering has stated that the maximum charging amperage is 1/2 the rated amp hours for the battery, so the max input amperage for this battery is 6 amps -- something to keep in mind when planning your solar panels and charge controller.
Power Distribution (20180906)
So you have your equipment all together and have a battery to power it. How do you get the power from the battery out to the various components (sure a fan-tail of Anderson power poles from the connector on the battery would do the job), but you will also want to:
1. Integrate a solar charge controller that can understand your battery chemistry, min/max charge levels, and warn you when the battery is getting low.
2. Show you the power consumed (both spot and over time) as well as any charge provided by solar.
3. Provide power distribution, including a USB port or two (to power the Raspberry Pi!).
Looking around for something that met these needs, I found the Buddipole PowerMini+USB . On the input side, it supports: the battery and solar panels up to 11 amps. On the output side, it provides: two Anderson power poles and a USB port (I could use one more of each, but splitters takes care of that). The PowerMini can be configured for either Lithium (including LiFePo4) or lead-acid batteries, with set points and alarms. Maximum power handling is 35A. The unit also tracks spot power conditions as well as from application of power.
Tip: The Bioenno LiFePoO4 batteries discharge at 12.8v across the majority of their power curve. The default configuration for LiFePO4 batteries in the PowerMini is to sound the low power alarm at 13v -- making you think there is a real problem with your battery life! Set that down to about 12.0v.
So you have your equipment all together and have a battery to power it. How do you get the power from the battery out to the various components (sure a fan-tail of Anderson power poles from the connector on the battery would do the job), but you will also want to:
1. Integrate a solar charge controller that can understand your battery chemistry, min/max charge levels, and warn you when the battery is getting low.
2. Show you the power consumed (both spot and over time) as well as any charge provided by solar.
3. Provide power distribution, including a USB port or two (to power the Raspberry Pi!).
Looking around for something that met these needs, I found the Buddipole PowerMini+USB . On the input side, it supports: the battery and solar panels up to 11 amps. On the output side, it provides: two Anderson power poles and a USB port (I could use one more of each, but splitters takes care of that). The PowerMini can be configured for either Lithium (including LiFePo4) or lead-acid batteries, with set points and alarms. Maximum power handling is 35A. The unit also tracks spot power conditions as well as from application of power.
Tip: The Bioenno LiFePoO4 batteries discharge at 12.8v across the majority of their power curve. The default configuration for LiFePO4 batteries in the PowerMini is to sound the low power alarm at 13v -- making you think there is a real problem with your battery life! Set that down to about 12.0v.
Placeholder (2018xxxx)
More to come
More to come
© 2018