Re: [digitalradio] Emergency power digital station options for Field Day ?
Antenna. Install low for NVIS, high for low angle on the low bands. Have fun guys and 73 from Bill - WD8ARZ http://hflink.net/qso/ - Original Message - From: Andrew O'Brien [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: digitalradio@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 6:56 PM Subject: [digitalradio] Emergency power digital station options for Field Day ? I am usually attend regional Field Day efforts with serious operations, I'm often the digital guy that gets invited so the organization can get digital-related bonus points. This year, the combination of needing to remain close to home due to family health issues and my past views that I miss out on all the operating fun by giving lectures/demos, has caused be to think about doing Field Day at home. I figure that I really need to find some way of not depending on my mains power supply for all my amateur radio operating. So, Field Day looks like a good target date for trying to find some emergency power. I am not going to buy a generator, too much of a hassle and too much noise for my neighbors. I thought about battery power, still thinking about it, but recharging a battery has to be thought about since the ARRL has some limits on how they are recharged. Wind power and Solar panels are appealing but they looked to expensive to me. Seems to me that true emergency communications preparation ought to be simple and cheap so that many stations would be activated , if needed. So, assuming a battery powered laptop computer is part of the stations (and thus is not a problem) what inexpensive options are there to power a modern HF rig using digital modes at 5 watts or less ? Perhaps something that can be used to xmit and receive for 2-3 hours and then be re-charged without mains power in a reasonably quick manner ? I did think of pedal power , good exercise too, but that may be too difficult.
[digitalradio] Emergency power digital station options for Field Day ?
I am usually attend regional Field Day efforts with serious operations, I'm often the digital guy that gets invited so the organization can get digital-related bonus points. This year, the combination of needing to remain close to home due to family health issues and my past views that I miss out on all the operating fun by giving lectures/demos, has caused be to think about doing Field Day at home. I figure that I really need to find some way of not depending on my mains power supply for all my amateur radio operating. So, Field Day looks like a good target date for trying to find some emergency power. I am not going to buy a generator, too much of a hassle and too much noise for my neighbours. I thought about battery power, still thinking about it, but recharging a battery has to be thought about since the ARRL has some limits on how they are recharged. Wind power and Solar panels are appealing but they looked to expensive to me. Seems to me that true emergency communications preparation ought to be simple and cheap so that many stations would be activated , if needed. So, assuming a battery powered laptop computer is part of the stations (and thus is not a problem) what inexpensive options are there to power a modern HF rig using digital modes at 5 watts or less ? Perhaps something that can be used to xmit and receive for 2-3 hours and then be re-charged without mains power in a reasonably quick manner ? I did think of pedal power , good exercise too, but that may be too difficult.
Re: [digitalradio] Emergency power digital station options for Field Day ?
The North Ottawa Amateur Radio Club (W8CSO) has been doing Field Day the last 2 years using solar power exclusively. Each station gets a 15 watt panel, and a big kilowatt array is laid out in the middle of the park to charge depleted batteries. We have been able to run 100 watts SSB/CW and 20 watts digital without any trouble. Of course, we're fortunate enough to have two members in the energy field who can get good-sized panels for next to nothing; you're probably not in the same situation. I would suggest you just use your car. The radio will obviously run off the battery directly. If the laptop's battery voltage is close to 14V you can probably wire up a power cable to go directly to the car battery, otherwise use the AC charger and a properly grounded, shielded inverter. Run the engine for a while every so often to recharge. That won't give you the alternative energy bonus but at least it isn't grid power... -Joe, N8FQ On Mon, 19 May 2008 22:56:30 - Andrew O'Brien [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: So, assuming a battery powered laptop computer is part of the stations (and thus is not a problem) what inexpensive options are there to power a modern HF rig using digital modes at 5 watts or less ? Perhaps something that can be used to xmit and receive for 2-3 hours and then be re-charged without mains power in a reasonably quick manner ? I did think of pedal power , good exercise too, but that may be too difficult.
Re: [digitalradio] Emergency power digital station options for Field Day ?
Andy if you don't mind a little leg power you could try the Freeplay Weza: http://store.sundancesolar.com/frfrwe.html I bought one a while back and I can run the FT-897 on it for quite sometime before needing to recharge. I limit the power to around 10-15W out on the rig. If you use a CW QRP rig you could probably operate for 24hrs without needing a recharge... Oh, and in order not to look too foolish and save some strain on the leg muscles - get the kids to pedal it! 73, Sholto KE7HPV. Andrew O'Brien wrote: I am usually attend regional Field Day efforts with serious operations, I'm often the digital guy that gets invited so the organization can get digital-related bonus points. This year, the combination of needing to remain close to home due to family health issues and my past views that I miss out on all the operating fun by giving lectures/demos, has caused be to think about doing Field Day at home. I figure that I really need to find some way of not depending on my mains power supply for all my amateur radio operating. So, Field Day looks like a good target date for trying to find some emergency power. I am not going to buy a generator, too much of a hassle and too much noise for my neighbours. I thought about battery power, still thinking about it, but recharging a battery has to be thought about since the ARRL has some limits on how they are recharged. Wind power and Solar panels are appealing but they looked to expensive to me. Seems to me that true emergency communications preparation ought to be simple and cheap so that many stations would be activated , if needed. So, assuming a battery powered laptop computer is part of the stations (and thus is not a problem) what inexpensive options are there to power a modern HF rig using digital modes at 5 watts or less ? Perhaps something that can be used to xmit and receive for 2-3 hours and then be re-charged without mains power in a reasonably quick manner ? I did think of pedal power , good exercise too, but that may be too difficult.
