20100203 small portable hf station (final)k6sa.net/media/20100203 small portable hf station...
TRANSCRIPT
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Small Portable HF Station
SARA Monthly Meeting2/3/2009
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Why a “small portable HF station”?
l Lower-cost first stationMore basic, less frills, fewer bands, less power
l Portable second station– Emergency HF station– Vacation travel (incl. RV or vacation home)
l Contesting or DXpeditionl Fun camping or hiking station
– HF from mountaintops
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What do such stations look like?
l Can be anything that meets the ham’s interests or purpose
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Typical tradeoffs
l Packaging– Hard case, soft case, backpack
l Output Power– QRO vs QRP tradeoffs (emergency use vs “fun”)
l No “excuses” in an emergency, go QROl Some hams think “life is too short for QRP” even in a non-emergency,
other hams think of it like hunting as a past-time (miles/watt records)!– Power Supply (external vs internal sources)
l Weight– mobile, portable, briefcase/backpack
l Just “portable” or self-contained “go-kit”
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What’s in the kit?
l Power source– batteries or power supply
l Radio– Size, weight, features, bands
l Accessories– Mike, headphones, speakers, cables, SWR meters,
connectors, cables, toolsl Antennas (almost limitless subject)l Manuals and referencesl Computer (laptop or netbook, optional)
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Power Sources
l Most ham equipment is designed to operate from 13.8VDC (car battery) internally
– Anderson power pole connector system now “standard” amongst hams
– NiMH/LiH packs may also be available, but usually less than 13.8VDCl Obtain AA battery case/pack for easier
replacement when HRO isn’t handyl Reduced power operation
– Gel cells are lighter weight (and less operating duration) than lead-acid batteries
– Lead-acid batteries commonly availablel Built-in or external AC power supply
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Radio
l Compact QRO Transceiver– Typically 100 watts– Usually all HF bands (160-10M/6M)
l May or may not have VHF/UHF bandsl Usually do not have the best receiver sectionsl May not have a built-in antenna tuner
– May not have AC power supply option– More limited features versus “base station” or “contest”
transceivers– Weight 5-7 lbs– Cost range $500-1000
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Radio (cont)
l QRP Transceiver– Typically 2-10 watts– May be band limited or multi-band (160-10M/6M)
l Often does not have VHF/UHF bandsl A select few actually have “contest” quality receiver sectionsl Usually does not have a built-in antenna tuner
– Rarely has AC power supply option (though “wall wart” can suffice)– More limited features versus “base station” or “contest” transceivers– Weight 1-3 lbs– Cost range $300-700
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Radio (cont)
l QRO– System weight: 10-25lbs– Power: lead acid/AC
supply– TX signal strength: 10-
13dB (2 S-units) better– Higher current means
bad SWR/failure can result in greater damage
l QRP– System weight: 3-10lbs– Power: Alkaline/Gel cells– Longer operating time for
given power– Cables and antennas
can also be lighter weight
2 S-units here, usually less critical than 2 S-units here
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Antennas
l Good antennas are required for satisfactory communications whether QRO or QRP
– The only difference is that wire gauge can be less with QRP
– Choices depend on cost, power, band(s) of operation, topography/locale, ease of setup
l Good antennas will be discussed another time; here are a few examples that have greater/fewer compromises:
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Show & tell
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Station Diagram
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Equipment Checklist
l 13.8VDC/20A Power Supply (120/240AC input)
l AC Cord & Plug Adapters (by locale)l DC Output Cable to Distribution Boxl 100W 13.8VDC Radiol Radio Power Cord (Powerpole)l Microphonel Headsetl SWR Meterl SWR Meter Power Cord (Powerpole)l RF Cable (Radio-SWR Meter)l Antenna Tunerl RF Cable (SWR Meter-Tuner)l Tuner Power Cord (Powerpole)l Vertical Antenna Assembly (9’ whip ¼-20
mount, insul. support, extra wire)l Counterpoise Assembly (30-50’ x 4 legs)
l Waterproof case for Tunerl Keyerl Keyer Power Cord (Powerpole)l Keyl Key-Keyer Cablel Keyer-Radio Cablel Manuals for all equipmentl Logbook and penl Computer with logging SW (optional)l Containers for all abovel Dipole antenna & supports, balun,
feedline, antenna switch (optional)l GMT Clockl Tools (screwdrivers, Swiss Army Knife)l US/Foreign License, Passport, Gov’t
papersl Copy of contest rules (if applicable)