Category: General

Why I Buy Yaesu Radios

Those that know me are quite aware I prefer Yaesu radios. Let me tell you why. (I own a FT-991A, FT-891, FT-450D, FT-817ND, 3 – VX-6’s, and a FT-60).

I recently purchased the FT-450D at the Big Bear HamEscape swap meet. The radio appeared to be in prime shape – but you never know. The seller told me the radio was gently used and spent most if its life in an EOC, in a drawer.

When I got home, I determined the radio worked just great. Really nice unit. The only thing I noticed, was the headphone jack volume appeared to be a little low.

The Yaesu North America repair center is in Orange County (Cypress), CA where I live. Since the FT-450D was such a bargain, I dropped the radio off at the repair facility for a “Health-Check.”

About a week later, I got a call from the Yaesu technician. He told me he analyzed the radio and confirmed it was in fine shape. He said the radio was within factory specs, including both the speaker and headphone jack volumes.

I told him I would pick the unit up at “Will-Call”, and asked him how much I owed him. He said, “There is no charge mate, if we do not have to repair it.” He also said he would be glad to ship the unit to the house at no charge to save me the trip back to Cypress.

Wow!

I had a similar experience about three years ago. At a local club swap meet, I purchased a VX-6 H/T. It looked “well-used” and the battery was dead. I could not power it on to test it. The seller told me the unit worked fine.

When I got home and plugged the H/T in to a charger, to my horror, I discovered the LCD display was scrambled eggs. Buyer beware.

I took the H/T to Yaesu to get a repair estimate. The H/T has a manufacture date of 2015 – so it is pretty old. Yaesu replaced the LCD, updated the firmware, and ensured the unit was operating within factory specs. Repair cost? Less than $40 USD. I installed a new battery, and added the H/T to my EmComm inventory. It works great.

This level of service is mighty rare in our modern world. Especially in the tech industry. It is important to note, however, this commitment to customer service pays off in customer loyalty.

After the above two experiences, do you think the next time I decide to purchase a radio I would consider any other?

Cheers to you Yaesu!

73,
N1SPW

Baker To Vegas Communications

In a previous post, I talked about the experience of being on a comms support team for the Orange PD in the 2025 Baker-To-Vegas (B2V) Challenge Cup Relay. In this post, let’s take a look at how we implemented a new comms methodology.

A B2V support team provides the following functions:
1) Communications command center – Usually a hotel room in Pahrump or Las Vegas.
2) Follow vehicle (FV) – This vehicle follows the runners across the desert.
3) Leap-Frog (LF) vehicle – This vehicle supports the runner transition at each checkpoint.
4) Catcher – This is an individual in the LF vehicle that manages the runner transition at each checkpoint.
5) Shuttle vehicles (SV) – Vehicles that move support personnel around the race course.

One of the great challenges in the B2V race is meeting the communications requirements of each support function. There are seven comm requirements:
1) Communications base to all support personnel.
2) FV to LF and command center.
3) LF to FV and catcher.
4) Catcher to LF.
5) SV to FV, LF, and command center.
6) Internet access for everyone.
7) Mobile phone comms for everyone.

Continue reading “Baker To Vegas Communications”

Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay

Every year in late April, law enforcement officers run a relay race (B2V) from Baker, CA to Las Vegas, NV. 20 legs. 120miles.

Lots of cops. (This is a friendly term in the B2V vocabulary).

241 teams x 20 legs = 4,820 cops.

Hosted and operated by the Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club (LAPRAAC), the B2V race dates back to the early 1980’s.

The race route starts 24 miles North of Baker High School, runs North on Hwy 127 to Shoshone,CA. It then winds NE to Pahrump,NV on Hwy 178/372. It then rolls through the mountains SE on Hwy 160 into Las Vegas. The finish line is inside the Rio Hotel.

In one sentence: The cops run across the Mojave desert, up over a mountain, and finsih at the Rio Hotel in Vegas. Brutal.
Continue reading “Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay”

Field Computers

I am often asked: “What kind of computer(s) do you take in the field for digital work?” Here I share what I take in the field – and why.

Over the last several years, I have tried many different field computer configurations. This includes:

    • Cheap laptops
    • Expensive laptops
    • Raspberry Pi’s (3 & 4)
    • Chromebooks
    • Ipad tablet
    • Samsumg tablet
    • Micro computers

Some setups worked better than others.  For field use, Here are my 6 requirements for a viable field computing solution (No particular order).

    1.  Power efficiency and battery life
    2.  Size & weight
    3.  Ruggedness
    4.  Screen visibility in bright sunlight
    5.  Ability to tolerate high ambiant temperatures
    6.  Networking options (Wifi Access Point)

Of course, as always, I had to deal with the age-old choice of having to choose between Windows and Linux OS’s. Bluntly – I am not a Windows fan. Closed-source, predatory marketing behavior, ridiculous pricing, and privacy issues, made me switch to Linux as my everyday computing platform in 2016.

Like it or not, there are very important Ham applications that only run on Windows. Winlink Express and Vara come to mind, along with several very popular logging apps.

At the end of the day, I figured out a way to take both platforms in the field. Here is a photo of my field computing kit.

Here is a diagram of how it all fits together.

As you can see in the above diagram, the system is straighforward. Power is provided by one of my power boxes. It powers the radio with 12V dc, the MiniPC with 12V dc, and the Mini WiFi router with 5V dc via a USB cable.

The MiniPC connects to the WiFi router via Ethernet. This ensures there are no issues getting an IP address at boot time. The mini WiFi router provides a WAP for remote computers that want to connect to the MiniPC.

The Digirig connects to the MiniPC and your radio via the required cable. Once configured, you can run any of the digital mode apps you desire.

The important components in the above diagram are the MiniPC, the Digirig, and the portable WiFi router.

    1. MiniPC
      I take in the field two (2) GMKtec MiniPC’s. One running Windows and the other running Linux (Ubuntu 24.04).
    2. Digirig
      Every Han should own a Digirig. This is a sound card on steroids.
    3. Mini WiFi Router
      The MiniPC connects to a mini WiFi router via Ethernet, where it gets an IP address via DHCP. I like the GL.inet. My kit has two of these. I use both if I need both computers up and running. Computers that want to connect to the MiniPC, do so via this WAP.

MiniPC
I used a RaspberryPi in the field for quite some time. It meets all of the criteria for a good field computer. What I did not like about it was, 1) It’s slow, and 2) the SDCard limitations. I also ditched using a laptop because of battery life and versatility.

  1. During the Covid Pi shortage, I found the GMKtec miniPc’s, and          immediately bought one. They are terrific. Small, rugged, fan-cooled,             and plenty of power. They also run on 12V dc, which is a Ham                                 requirement for field work.

Digirig
Not much to say here. I own two,  and the cables for all my radios. As an experiment, I set out to send Winlink messages via 2M on every UHF radio I own. This includes a Yaesu FTM-300D, two Yaesu HT’s (Vx6, FT-60), an AnyTone D878UV Plus, and two Baofeng’s (TP-5, BF-F8HP).  I was able to send Winlink messages with all of them. If you do not own one – get one.

Mini WiFi Router
I has some trouble keeping the Linux MiniPC consistently running as a WiFi access point after reboots. On the Windows side, this was a nightmare. Windows allows you to create a “Hotspot”, but it is nearly impossible to configure it to run the hotspot at boot time.  (The PowerShell scripts touted on the Internet did not work for me).

I have found it much easier to use an inexpensive, lightweight, and low-power mini Wifi router. The MiniPC connects to the router via an Ethernet cable where it gets its IP address. This is super reliable. The remote connecting computer simply connects to the WiFi access point and then remotes to the MiniPC.  Elegant, affordable, and reliable.

Remote Connections
In order to use the MiniPC, you have to connect to it. I ditched VNC and all the other remote connection apps and highly prefer an application called No Machine.  It runs on anything (Pi included), is fast, reliable, versatile, and free for personal use.

You can connect to the MiniPC with any device that NoMachine runs on. I have used it on desktops, laptops, Chromebooks, Pi’s, and Ipad’s. This gives you a lot of flexibility when choosing field equipment.

Summary
If I need a computer in the field, my refined field kit has served me well. I can carry both Linux and Windows machines with me, plus a reliable WiFi access point setup, all in a small zipper pouch bag.

Footnote
If your eagle-eye noticed the two thing sticking out of the MiniPC’s in the photo above, those are HDMI dongles. Many computers will not provide a display to remotely connected computers if they do not have a monitor attached.  You can find them here. They are @$3 each and will save you a lot of hassles with display issues.

My Favorite Antenna

Talking about antenna’s is always risky. This is one aspect of the Ham radio community where passions run high. Ham’s have strong opinions about antenna’s; most are biased towards antenna’s that meet their specific needs.

My POTA antenna needs are simple. I want an antenna that is easy to deploy, does not require a tuner, and does not cost a lot. It also must be a good performer.

Without a doubt, my favorite POTA antenna is the TennTennas made by NE4TN (Walt). The TennTenna is an EF 1/2 wave with a 49:1 transformer using a quality FT-240-43 toroid. You can find them on eBay. Walt hand makes each antenna, and they are of superb quality.

I prefer 20M when doing POTA activations, so I grabbed @33′ length of 14 gauge yellow  antenna wire (DXEngineering) from my parts box, and cut it to resonance using an antenna analyzer.

I get the wire in the air using a TN07 fiberglass mast supported by my custom flag-pole trailer hitch mount. I mount the TennTenna to the base of the pole using a velcro strap, run coax to my radio, and I am on the air.

To give you an idea of what the TennTenna can do, check out the below map of contacts I made during a recent POTA activation (US-3559).

I made 101 contacts, including two in Alaska, and two in Canada. You must admit, this is very impressive!

Walt charges $45 for his antenna + shipping.  This is the best 50 bucks I ever spent. Thank you Walt!

73,
N1SPW

Trailer Hitch Antenna Mast Mount

My heavy duty, “Drive-On”, mast mount is universal. It can be used with any type of vehicle. Those of you that own a vehicle with a trailer hitch, maybe interested in my hack of a trailer hitch flag-pole mount.

I ordered a trailer hitch flag-pole mount from Amazon. These devices are designed to hold a flag-pole. This particular unit has a 2.3″ diameter. I had  a requirement that the size of the pipe had to be larger that 2.25″, due to the large rubber caps on my TN07 telescoping mast.

Without an insert, the flag-pole mount pipe is too large for both my TN07 and DX Commander masts. I discovered a 2″ PVC pipe fits into the flag-pole mount perfectly. The outside diameter of the pipe is 2.3″ (@60 mm). The inside diameter is 2″ (@50 mm).

I cut a length of the 2″ PVC pipe to 36″.  I painted it with Rustoleum paint from a rattle can.

Continue reading “Trailer Hitch Antenna Mast Mount”

Custom Built Drive-On Mast Support

I am a big fan of vertical antennas – especially for POTA activations. Recently, I decided to deploy “Tennessee Walt’s” world-famous EFHW TennTenna (Search Ebay for ‘TennTenna’) on 20M.

The antenna driven element for 20M is about 33′, trimmed to the lowest SWR. This requires a 10M mast to get the wire fully extended.

I own two 10M fiberglass telescoping antenna masts. One from TN07 , and the other from DX Commander in the UK. The TN07 is super heavy-duty and virtually indestructable. The DX Commander is lighter, thinner, but also quite rugged.

One drawback of the TN07 is its use of large rubber caps on each end. The diameter of the caps are 5.5cm (2.2″). This means when the bottom cap is in place, the mast will not fit into a 2″ pipe. The DX Commander uses a threaded cap on the bottom, which does not increase the overall diameter of the mast. It fits into a 2″ pipe.

When I went looking for a “drive-on” flagpole mount to hold my masts, I was surprised at how flimsy most of them are. They were also too short (length-wise), most being about 15″.  This puts the mast dangerously close to the vehicle, which can cause problems in high-wind conditions.

So, I set out to build my own.

Continue reading “Custom Built Drive-On Mast Support”

RigExpert Stick Hard Case

One of my favorite activities is repurposing a gadget for a purpose it was not designed for. In high-tech, we call this ‘Hacking.’

Jason (KM4ACK) of YouTube fame, suggested a great hack in an Email a while back.

Someone figured out an electric toothbrush travel case is an ideal case for a RigExpert Stick antenna analyzer.

The Stick Pro analyzer I own did not come with a case. I purchased this toothbrush case from Amazon for $10.95 USD.

You would never know this case was not designed for the Stick.

Thanks Jason for a great hack!

N1SPW

Introducing the XT-60

In my previous Post – I went on a rant about PowerPoles (PP). It’s true, I do not use them anymore. What am I using instead? The connector that is used in the radio controlled aircraft universe – the XT60.

Electric RC aircraft gobble up huge amounts of current. Andthe con-nection between the motors and the power source must be reliable.

Similar to the universal use of Power Poles in Ham radio, XT60’s are THE connector used in RC models.

There are 3 reasons for this:

    1.  They can handle huge amounts of current
      Although they are rated for 30 amps. These connectors can easily handle twice that amount. In fact, I have seen YouTube videos that show these connectors can handle well over 100 amps for 10 seconds or more.
    2. They are highly resistant to vibration
      This may not be an important requirement for Hams, but it is good to know these connectors are not going to come loose.
    3.  They are more resistant to weather.
       Nobody is going to claim the XT60’s are waterproof. But they have more protection against the elements than a fully exposed PP.

Continue reading “Introducing the XT-60”

I Ditched PowerPole Connectors

A “Golden Rule” of Ham radio operations is the premise that all electrical connections are made with PowerPole (PP) connectors. This makes all our equipment so-called “interoperable”.

It is considered blaphemous to question their use in the Ham culture. Well, I gotta tell ya’ll, I have ditched the use of PP’s.

Just to be clear. I have no beef with PowerWerx, the leading retailer in the PP universe. I have ordered lots of stuff from them over the years. Their customer service, packaging, shipping, and product quality is first class. They are a great company.

There are 6 reasons I no longer use them:

    1. You must be properly trained on how to wire them up.
    2. Getting consistent, and robust connections is challenging.
    3. They are not weather-resistant.
    4. They get loose/sloppy after lots of use.
    5.  The market is overrun with cheap Chinese knock-offs that are horrible.
    6.  They are way too expensive.

Continue reading “I Ditched PowerPole Connectors”