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#1
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Not homebrew -- but can u recommend a rig for Peace Corps volunteer
conditions are probably going to be hot, dusty, humid, full of critters --
and battery operation essential -- |
#2
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John Walton wrote:
conditions are probably going to be hot, dusty, humid, full of critters -- and battery operation essential -- A few more details might be necessary, like 'how much rig?', 'how much battery available?' and the eternal 'how much money?'. There are some nice, multiband rigs that do HF, VHF and UHF. If the Corps is sending the volunteer someplace where VHF and UHF aren't used there's not much point in getting that capability, but in some places having VHF/UHF used by the local gov't UHF/VHF capability, even 'bootlegged,' could save someone's life. Yaesu has a HF/VHF/UHF rig designed for low power use, The FT-817 http://tinyurl.com/wsat Icom has an HF low power rig: Icom IC-703 http://www.icom.co.jp/world/info/ic-703/index.html Low power could be hard to get through with, if there is power from a vehicle battery or similar a 100 watt rig could be used, http://www.icomamerica.com/products/amateur/706mkIIg/ I have a Yaesu FT-857D in my vehilce, http://tinyurl.com/vkp3 and these are all backpack/mobile radios, a little more rugged than normal. There are other manufacturers, these I have experience with. I said 'bootlegged' meaning that there are ways to remove the amateur band transmit frequency limits on pretty much all these radios, a radio sold in America has the American limits, German radios have German limits, if you're out in the jungle or in some small, remote village the laws and their enforcement may be different and the local authority might actually appreciate another communiucation point in their jurisdiction (spoken from personal experience) but be certain. A good antenna is essential, even the best radio is junk without a good antenna. Good antennas don't have to be expensive, they can be made from wire, it would be very valuable to check in to that as well. That's all I can say right now, supper's waiting, Galen, W8LNA |
#3
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John Walton wrote:
conditions are probably going to be hot, dusty, humid, full of critters -- and battery operation essential -- Oh yeah, dusty. Take a few plastic bags big enough to keep the radio in when you're not using it. The radio will need ventilation when being used, especially in hot places. I've used large Tupperware type containers in snowy and rainy places to keep rigs dry, it'd work for dust and critters. Humid: If it's too wet, it's too wet. Sometimes letting the radio warm up will drive out moisture, unless it's really hot and humid. Ok, gotta eat, Galen, W8LNA |
#4
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John Walton wrote:
conditions are probably going to be hot, dusty, humid, full of critters -- and battery operation essential -- Oh yeah, dusty. Take a few plastic bags big enough to keep the radio in when you're not using it. The radio will need ventilation when being used, especially in hot places. I've used large Tupperware type containers in snowy and rainy places to keep rigs dry, it'd work for dust and critters. Humid: If it's too wet, it's too wet. Sometimes letting the radio warm up will drive out moisture, unless it's really hot and humid. Ok, posted from the right account this time, Galen, W8LNA |
#5
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John,
May I suggest a few points of prudence for you to consider? 1) Are you transmitting or simply intending to receive? The former will most definitely require both a General Class license or higher in this country, and either a reciprocal license, local license, government permit, or a joint recognition treaty with the host country that gives you the equivalent of General priviledges over there. Keep in mind also that you will be limited to the priviledges of the host country which extends these priviledges to you. Even the possession of a receiver may require a license in the host country. There could be several reasons for this: authoritarian state where individual rights are far from paramount in the eyes of thier law, free state (UK) that takes revenue from receiver licenses, or a state where all communications are nationalized and thus even receivers are considered government property. 2) Assuming you are transceiving, for what purpose do you intend to use the transceiver for? If you are intending to contact relatives and home office stateside as third parties, you cannot use the amateur bands for this purposes, as this is considered a business communication. There are countries having even stricter third party restrictions than we have, and you would of course need to consider the laws of both countries prior to originating or handling such traffic. You would be well advised to invest in a satellite phone instead. 3) If you are being sent to a place where the politics are at best volatile and at worst violent, the possession of amateur gear could be misconstrued by anyone from government paramilitaries to insurgent terrorists in the host country as equipment in support of espionage. The discovery of such gear in your possession could place your life in even worse danger than your status as a US Peace Corp Volunteer normally would. This is another extremely good reason to consider a satellite phone instead. 4) Unless you can arrange for the item to be conveyed via "diplomatic pouch", be prepared to pay a heavy customs duty to the host country. The US State Department is usually quite cooperative with arranging diplomatic immunity for conveyance of items necessary to the mission of the US Peace Corp, though this is usually more along the category of medications for humanitarian purposes. Consult with your superior for more details. 5) If you are still determined, you should next consider tradeoffs in reliability, portability, and rugged construction: a) In terms of reliability, well constructed all-tube SSB/morse gear is the gold standard for taking both physical and electrical abuse in unknown situations, and can invariably run off of 50 or 60 hertz mains across a wide range of input AC voltage level - 117 volts gear can generally operate from 90 Volts minimum to 130 maximum. Collins gear circa 1950-1970 would be eminently suitable for semipermanent stations, and you can still see complete Collins transcievers in working condition for under $1000. US military surplus all-band SSB transcievers of similar construction to Collins may also prove suitable. The main disadvantages of this approach a (1) you would need access to a dedicate power grid or at the very least, or at least 3 watts of power inverted from several paralled car batteries for every watt of power you intend to transmit. A 1000 Watt power inverter would be suitable for 300 Watts transmitter output. (2) due to the relative fragility of vaccum tubes, you should take at least 2 spares of every tube used by your transciever, and at least 3 extra sets of final amplifier tubes. b) Well constructed hybrid transistor/tube gear is the next best with respect to physical abuse, but it is generally restricted in terms of the variety of power supplies which can be adapted to it. It is much more sensitive to power supply frequency, and a sag or surge much outside 10% of the 117 volts input could even damage your gear. The later model Heathkits, Yaesus, and Galaxies (I cut my teeth on a Galaxy V Mark II during childhood), are all very good examples. c) All-semiconductor gear such as from Icom, has the advantage of being miniature, highly sensitive with outstanding selectivity for weak signal work, quite flexible to operate, and can be run directly off of a car battery, generator, or solar panels without need of inversion. The main disadvantage is the exquisite sensitivity of modern semiconductors to dirty power, I recommend very much against running any all-semiconductor gear from a third-world power grid. Another major disadvantage is the lack of user-servicable parts... if you intend to go this route, bring TWO of them with you. 6) Don't forget other important station accessories, such as low pass filter output, output balun, transmatch, and SWR meter. Old style wraparound headphones are especially important for operator comfort. Expect to spend another $1000 to $1500 on the accessories allow, if you want rugged and top of the line accessories from the best names. 7) Paralleled inverted vee antennas cut for the bands you desire to operate will give you the most flexible compromise between bandswitching, local, and intercontinental operation. Consult the ARRL Antenna Book for details. Good luck, The Eternal Squire gwatts wrote: John Walton wrote: conditions are probably going to be hot, dusty, humid, full of critters -- and battery operation essential -- Oh yeah, dusty. Take a few plastic bags big enough to keep the radio in when you're not using it. The radio will need ventilation when being used, especially in hot places. I've used large Tupperware type containers in snowy and rainy places to keep rigs dry, it'd work for dust and critters. Humid: If it's too wet, it's too wet. Sometimes letting the radio warm up will drive out moisture, unless it's really hot and humid. Ok, posted from the right account this time, Galen, W8LNA |
#6
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I'd stay away from tube gear. The switches and tube sockets may be
intermittend after all these years and it's impossible finding some of the replacement tubes. In addition, the analog local oscillators will drift in the heat and humidity. I'd recommend the latest generation of transceivers that emplou DDS/PLL synthesizers. If you require 100watt transmit power, I'd look at the Yaesu FT-897 or FT-857. They have moderate receive current consumption and the 897 will run from internal batteries (with 20 watts output). In addition, they operate 6 M, 2M and 70 cM. If 10 watts will suffice. I'd look at the ICOM IC-703. Put them through their paces before you travel with them. The 703 has problems with the driver stages failing; get the bugs fixed under warranty before traveling. These are Amateur radio transceivers and I'm assuming you have a license and will get a reciprocal license for the country you intend to operate from. Which country will you be working in? Good luck. Regard's Mike N2MS |
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