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Re: Go-Bag / Go-Box / Shack-in-a-Box

 

Personally I like the "all in one" approach. Grab and go.?

I have two (if you will..) go boxes both based on the Yaesu FT-857D. I will start with the first go box, or in my case, go-frame. The Ft-857D operates all modes from 160 through 70cm. Additionally, its receive current draw is aprox. 0.5 amp - as opposed to 2 amps for most other rigs. Believe it or not, for off-grid comms this is huge.

My go-frame also has an LDG autotuner, SignalLink, WinKeyer, and yes, a Raspberry Pi with KM4ACK's BAP. All I need is a battery?and a wire and I am on the air. Just for fun, once upon a time, I actually loaded up a firetower at a park - as in the firetower WAS the antenna. (No, nobody was on the firetower at the time..) This shows the versatility of using a tuner.

Here is a link for more details of my go-frame:

My second "go box" weighs approximately?4600 pounds. As it is permanently?built into my Jeep Grand Cherokee. I have almost identical equipment but I also carry a 40 ft. spiderbeam mast and a 60 watt foldable solar panel. This is primarily for POTA, but the goal here is to be able to setup?and operate at any time when I am not at home.

Like you, I also set up for the eclipse. But in my case I was with friends and also wanted to hang out with them. No problem. I also have a portable router that I put on my dashboard that the Raspi wifi connects to. This router gives me MUCH greater wifi range than just using the wifi in the?Pi. Then my iPad uses that wifi to run FT8 while I hang with my friends and enjoy the eclipse.

Hope this helps.
?
-- Mike WB8ERJ

Geeze! What is he up to now?



On Wed, Apr 17, 2024 at 8:01?AM Ed Bloom, KD9FRQ via <ewbloom=[email protected]> wrote:
Greetings One and All,

After a recent "field deployment" for the Ecplise and teaching the Radio
Merit Badge to a large group of BSA Scouts....I realized that while I
was prepared, I may have over prepared in some areas and under prepared
in others.

1) Do you prefer an All-in-One Go-Box that is Radio, tuner (if needed),
computing device for digital, antenna and feed line?

2) Do you prefer Radio & Tuner (if needed) then select antenna & feed
line and add computing device if needed?

3) Do you like a Shack-in-the-Box rig?

What your Pros and Cons in general and for the "field deployments" you do?

My next is this weekend for a large 80 mile, cross state relay. 2m and
my vehicle antenna is all I need. I can actually use an HT as my station
is close to the repeater. External 157aH LiFePO4 battery will be used to
save the vehicle battery.

Just wondering as I try to improve my functional skills.

Ed, KD9FRQ
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