Camping and ham radio

[KC9ECI]

Spent the weekend at the KOA with a bunch of my friends. I set up some ham radio gear so Jim and I could play radio for a while and this is what resulted:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR3M13sDLqI

Jordon is the son of a guy I work with.

[WX7P]

Very cool.

Camping and radio does rule.

When my wife and I first went to the Lava Beds National Monument in 2000, we set up a 40 foot mast with a center feed zepp. Worked everyone everywhere on phone. My favorite was the 59+ sig report from Thailand.

Not that much trouble to set up if you have trees!

[KG4CGC]

Cool trip :) Radios and nature, what a country!

[NQ6U]

That's a SignaLink USB on the top of the rig, isn't it?

[KJ4FEL]

Excellent Job!!!

Nice set-up for a camping trip.

[KC9ECI]

Yep, signalinkusb. I've been doing a lot of JT65 recently and was going to show Jim how it worked. I also enjoy a little psk, rtty, sstv, etc. The radio is an Icom 703+ and the antenna was a prowhips vertical ( http://www.prowhipantennas.co.uk/page10.html ) that I picked up at a rally in the UK just about a year ago. I lashed it to the awning supports on the camper. The laptop is an Acer Aspire One netbook that I use for portable ops like that.

[KC9ECI]

Oh, and if you want to check and see if I'm on the bands running JT65... http://pskreporter.info/pskmap.html?preset&callsign=kc9eci&mode=JT65&band=12000000-16000000&timerange=1800&hideunrec=1&txtype=le

Often I'll leave the rig on and stay connected to the reporter page so you can see what I'm hearing as well.

[W1GUH]

Hamming and camping go together so welll. Love to pull the radio out of the car leaving it attached to the battery & antenna, putting it on the picnic table, pull out the folding easy chair and enjoying!!!

Have played around with different antennas while doing that and the conclusion is that to do significantly better than the mobile antenna would be difficult in a normal campsite. Haven't run any numbers, but it seems reasonable that what I would gain from a "not high enough" dipole would be used up in the higher angle of radiation. I've tried a full size vertical with a couple of radials* and couldn't hear any significant difference. Maybe with a better radial field or something I'd see more advantage, but at the dis-advantage of losing "mobile" status. Whatever the case, the mobile antenna works just fine AND gives me the extra 10dB one gains from saying "mobile" after one's call. Plus, I avoid the hairy-eyeball stares that throwing weights up into trees can attract!

*I know, I know - not enough. But better than the car body the mobile antenna uses for a ground plane.

[N7YA]

I think ham radio and camping were created to use together. Looks like a blast. So much room, so little white noise....maybe even a good boost in elevation too! Gotta love it.

[w0aew]

Yep, signalinkusb. I've been doing a lot of JT65 recently and was going to show Jim how it worked. I also enjoy a little psk, rtty, sstv, etc. The radio is an Icom 703+ and the antenna was a prowhips vertical ( http://www.prowhipantennas.co.uk/page10.html ) that I picked up at a rally in the UK just about a year ago. I lashed it to the awning supports on the camper. The laptop is an Acer Aspire One netbook that I use for portable ops like that.

What do you use to power the laptop? My ancient Acer Aspire 3620's battery is about pooped...provides maybe 30 minutes of power at the most. I've looked at some inverters but kind of turned off by the inefficiency of converting 12v DC-->115v AC-->laptop DC pwr requirements.

[KC9ECI]

I have a 12V lighter plug that will power it. I want to say it's converting the 12V DC to 19V AC but I'd have to go look at it to be sure. The campsite also had 120 VAC on tap for us. If I'm camping with the camper where there is no electric service, I have a powerpole connector that I can fish out of the battery compartment that I can draw power off for the radio, etc. I can recharge with a 2500 watt portable generator. I also have a large solar panel that I can plug in.

[W1GUH]

What do you use to power the laptop? My ancient Acer Aspire 3620's battery is about pooped...provides maybe 30 minutes of power at the most. I've looked at some inverters but kind of turned off by the inefficiency of converting 12v DC-->115v AC-->laptop DC pwr requirements.

Yea, but when you need it, it'll do in a pinch. But ya gotta go direct to the battery. That kind of load will pull the voltage at the cigarette lighter plug down far enough that the inverter kick out.

Speaking of this....anyone an expert on whether or not a transformer-operated PS (Like for a boat anchor) likes "modified sine wave" AC? Or does that really require a true sine wave inverter?

[NQ6U]

Yea, but when you need it, it'll do in a pinch. But ya gotta go direct to the battery. That kind of load will pull the voltage at the cigarette lighter plug down far enough that the inverter kick out.

Speaking of this....anyone an expert on whether or not a transformer-operated PS (Like for a boat anchor) likes "modified sine wave" AC? Or does that really require a true sine wave inverter?

My understanding—and I could be wrong—is that a true sine wave converter is only necessary for motors, which don't like the modified square wave of most inverters. As far as computer manufacturers go, Apple says modified square wave is okay.

[W1GUH]

My understanding—and I could be wrong—is that a true sine wave converter is only necessary for motors, which don't like the modified square wave of most inverters. As far as computer manufacturers go, Apple says modified square wave is okay.

Thanks. I might go ahead and try it. But here's the hang-up about "Apple says modified square wave is okay." (I mean, besides my intense dislike for that company ;) ).

Don't computers use mainly switchers? I can see that a switcher wouldn't care -- the transformer doesn't really see the input waveform. But in a BA supply, the input is applied directly to the transformer. I worry about inefficiency causing excessive heating in the xformer -- but maybe that's not a problem?

[NQ6U]

Thanks. I might go ahead and try it. But here's the hang-up about "Apple says modified square wave is okay." (I mean, besides my intense dislike for that company ;) ).

Don't computers use mainly switchers? I can see that a switcher wouldn't care -- the transformer doesn't really see the input waveform. But in a BA supply, the input is applied directly to the transformer. I worry about inefficiency causing excessive heating in the xformer -- but maybe that's not a problem?

You're right about switching power supplies but I'm not sure about linear power supplies. I don't think a transformer would care one way or another but I'm not an expert on this stuff.

[W1GUH]

It's been difficult trying to get a definitive answer about this. Guess the only thing left to do is try it, keeping a close finger on the transformer. Or....maybe use a hefty isolation transformer as a filter -- it'll present the PS with a good sine wave & will be easier to replace if the modified waveform zeuses it.

[n2ize]

i wouldn't mind trying some outdoor ham radio. First thing I'd do is load up a van or truck with some heavy boatanchors, take it out into the middle of nowhere and run some AM. A beach would be great place too. String a 160 meter antenna's worth of wire suspended from a kite some winter night and run some 160 meter AM.

[KC9ECI]

You want boat anchors from the campsite?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTfv5oyjjS8

This is Jim using my FT-101 from a campsite on Goose Island the night before the start of the W/VE US Islands QSO Party.

[NQ6U]

You want boat anchors from the campsite?

John hauls his portable nuclear power plant with him when he goes camping so not only does he run his iron chassis boat anchors, he powers the entire camp site too.

[KC9ECI]

Is it a backpack nuke?