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Crazy! A man portable RPi Powered HF Rig in an ammo can go box

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by OH8STN, May 26, 2018.

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  1. OH8STN

    OH8STN Ham Member QRZ Page

    Hello Operators.
    Topic of the day is the Raspberry Pi 3B+, and how I'm using it for amateur field communications. During May 18-21, I spent some days near the Arctic Circle, trying to answer a few important questions. Some of those questions were:
    - Can the Raspberry Pi power a digital Field Station running wsjt-x and fldigi?
    - Can we fit an entire HF station in an ammo can?
    - Is it possible to carry that QRO station along with our hiking gear to the backcountry?

    You must remember, we're not talking about casual ham radio (although it very well could be). One of the goals is to find out how practical it truly is to deploy a QRO field station, based on the Yaesu ft-891, and Raspberry Pi 3B+.

    This trip was relatively easy. In fact, it was easier than I thought it would be. The trip also validated the concept of a man portable, Rapid Deployment, QRO Field Station, from a utilitarian perspective.

    Finally, before some of you start ripping me a new one ;), if I'm going on a casual thru-hike, carrying all my gear for days or weeks at a time, I'm certainly not going to carry an ammo can based rig. Whatever rig I do carry, it may very well be powered by Raspberry Pi.

    73
    Julian oh8stn

    video:
     
    K9CTB, DS2BXI, VE3HJL and 7 others like this.
  2. KA9JLM

    KA9JLM Ham Member QRZ Page

    That is cool.

    A friend of mine wants the ammo to fit too. :D
     
    W5AJO, AG7LR and OH8STN like this.
  3. OH8STN

    OH8STN Ham Member QRZ Page

    It's a tight fit without the correct tools, but it will fit and there is enough room inside for ventilation (in Finland). I have to reconfigure my battery, and remove the enclosures from the Raspberry Pi and audio interface so I can mount them directly on their own shelf inside the can. No bells and whistles, just function. :D
    73
    Julian oh8stn
     
    KA9JLM likes this.
  4. W3TTT

    W3TTT Ham Member QRZ Page

    Julian
    Thanks for your youtube video I also have a FT-891 in a go bag. My go bag is a former laptop computer bag. It has enough room for the rig, a 7 AH battery, mike, key, and a small swr meter. The antenna is a 16 foot vertical, with four 16 foot radials, and a loading coil wrapped around a one liter soda bottle. The loading coil tunes the ant to 40 meters, and a jumper clip bypasses the coil for tuneup on 20.
    Joe W3TTT
     
    KA2GEH and OH8STN like this.
  5. NI9Y

    NI9Y XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    I got a green Army ammo box and was going to use it then figured it was not a good idea in today's climate. I figured that someone might call the authorities seeing me in a park brandishing the ammo can go-box. Now I just use a small aluminum suitcase containing the HB1-A and KX3, battery, key and end-fed wires. Too bad we might look suspicious these days. I also have a small sign explaining what I am doing whenever I go QRP to the field. I use a 16' homebrew multi-band vertical with 4-above ground radials.
     
    KC8VWM, KA9JLM, OH8STN and 1 other person like this.
  6. OH8STN

    OH8STN Ham Member QRZ Page

    Outstanding! I love reading comments like this. A few days ago and operator commented on one of my videos saying it was ridiculous to take the 891 portable.
    Thanks for sharing.
    73
    Julian oh8stn
     
  7. OH8STN

    OH8STN Ham Member QRZ Page

    I don't think the bears, reindeer or moose mind me too much. I try to add some humor to this, but it is a touchy subject. I thought about painting the ammo can safety orange, then screening my call sign in big letters. I've slowly started transitioning away from gear with a "tactical" look, over to gear which looks more like emergency services.

    The cool thing about Finland is people are willing to walk up to ask what the heck you doing. The conversation usually moves on to "oh you're one of those Nokia guys" or "my uncle was a ham radio operator back in the day".
    Thanks for sharing your setup. You need to keep getting out there, being ambassadors for amateur radio.
    73
    Julian oh8stn
     
    US7IGN likes this.
  8. VE3JEC

    VE3JEC Ham Member QRZ Page

    Very interesting indeed, I never considered running a Pi headless in that application.

    Cheers,
    Joe
     
    OH8STN likes this.
  9. OH8STN

    OH8STN Ham Member QRZ Page

    Hello Joe
    I suppose the most practical advantage is not being tethered to the radio. Another smight be placing the display in a comfortable position.
    Definitely gives us a little bit more freedom to operate.
    73
    Julian oh8stn
     
  10. NU4R

    NU4R XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    Nice job Julian and Dan!
     
    OH8STN likes this.
  11. K7LZR

    K7LZR Ham Member QRZ Page

    Very well done but can you not do same more simply with a good, rugged Windows laptop or tablet without need for the Raspberry Pi? Using a soundcard & CAT interface?
     
  12. OH8STN

    OH8STN Ham Member QRZ Page

    Certainly we could use a Windows laptop or tablet, and I'm doing that from time to time.
    The ultimate goal of this project is to integrate the Raspberry Pi inside the ammo can with the rig, audio interface, and portable power. Even if we use the Windows machine, we would still need an audio interface or sound card, and portable power. Also the Raspberry Pi frees us from the inconvenient background processes and privacy issues we have with Windows.

    I'm always carrying the rugged tablet anyway. So, using it as the screen for the Raspberry Pi, reduces the amount of weight I carry, and makes a completely wireless configuration.

    73
    Julian oh8stn
     
    K7LZR likes this.
  13. US7IGN

    US7IGN Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    Just compare their cost and size
     
    K7LZR likes this.
  14. N7MUT

    N7MUT Ham Member QRZ Page

    I have been doing the same thing and was thinking about doing my first video this summer but you beat me to it. I have an Icon 703+ powered with a motorcycle battery in parallel with a 27W Brunton solar panel and charger and can run most all day if the sun it out. My RPi 3B is connected to the radio with a CIV cable and an audio technical USB audio adaptor and is setup as a non-routing access point with WSJT-X, fldigi, flrig and a number of other ham apps. I set the radio to VOX because I havent rigged another way of keying it but I am toying with the idea of keying it from the GPIO. I am constrained by neighborhood covenants so I can only play in the park in the warmer half of the year.
     
  15. K0PIR

    K0PIR Ham Member QRZ Page

    Nice work Julian and I like the wireless communication between the Tab and the Pi. Best 73 de K0PIR
     

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