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Ham Radio Articles

Emergency Communications, Alternative Communications, Radio Wave Propagation, Electronics Engineering, Antennas, Field Operations, & More.

smartphone with rtl-sdr dongle & magnetic loop antenna

Lost In The Forest

The story of a man lost deep in the forest at night facing imminent danger. He embarks on a new journey in advanced radio direction finding (fox hunting) & hacking new ways to find his way to safety.

DoD Crossband Test

A comprehensive guide to the equipment used in a remote location for military communications during the annual DoD crossband test.

Solar Cart

A solar power station for emergency power. This cart powered the entire radio station as well as lighting for 48 hours during a remote field expedition. Directly after the event it was used to jump start a vehicle.

Slingshot Horizontal Dipole Antenna

A dipole antenna that deploys by slingshot between two tall trees.

An interesting project that just kind of came together out of necessity. For this build, there was nothing that had to be purchased. That was a huge plus to the build, but in all reality, the cost of the components that were used would have been well worth the small investment anyway (big bang for a small monetary input).

The cart itself is one that is used in greenhouses to move flats of potted plants. We had a couple extra carts that were set aside due to one issue or another with their functionality as a greenhouse cart.

The panel is a 245 watt, 37 volt monocrystaline that was among a large batch that was removed from a residence because the system had a problem that was not easily resolved without replacing the entire array. This panel, like most of them, had no issues.

The battery bank consist of two 12 volt 195 amp hour AGM's from a crane that were replaced prematurely as routine maintenance before being put into service on a long job. A friend was kind enough to give them to us. The batteries are linked in series for 24 volts nominal.

Charging is regulated by a simple buck converter that was put together from components we already had. An "in use" outdoor plastic electrical box with a rain tight cover was used to house the components. These regulators (rated at 20 amps) are available on amazon (assembled board only) for less than $20usd if one were to be purchased. An led voltage display is also contained within the enclosure. An LB plastic electrical box is used as the housing for a toggle switch that connects & disconnects the solar panel from the regulator. The output of the converter is easily adjusted (from 0 volts up to as high as the panels 37 volts) by a potentiometer that is soldered to the board. A 15 amp ATC fuse is housed in a waterproof pigtail to protect the battery side of the regulator. The input side of the regulator is protected by a fuse in a socket that is soldered to the board.

Finally, an Anderson pole winch connector is linked to the battery bank with 2/0 welding lead. Jumper cables, or any other cable can be fitted with a corresponding connector for use with just about anything.

This cart was used to power a two day (& night) ham radio contest in the field with high amperage draws without any issue. It ran computers, transmitters, lighting, & all other sorts of electronic devices during the entirety of the contest. It later jump started a vehicle at the end of the contest.

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