ALLCON,
We had a number of PCB production issues with the prototype MT-AIO V4.1 tracker.? This is improved version of our old MT-AIO tracker ( The one in the yellow Pelican case) A bunch of parts for the old AIO either became obsolete, enormously expensive, or only unpredictably available. The ubiquitous Pelican 1030 case we used for years was also dropped, and Pelican is migrating ( See what I did there?) to clear boxes with colored inserts. These are basically little solar-powered ovens. After an interim redesign, to use the Flambeau "Black Ribbon" case, Flambeau dropped these too. Something about a flu that was going around they said.
After finding a new and suitable case ( the S3, T-2000 cases) we redesigned the AIO around this case.? These cases are smaller, stronger and don't chip like the Pelican Cases, They are O-Ring gasketed, and I expect that the new AIO will be submersible ( Well, I guess any thing can be submerged, but the new AIO should survive the experience. It may float, depending on the battery weight, but no promises. They will fit neatly in an IFAK case.?
The new unit is intended to be powered by 4 X 18650, unprotected batteries. You can use protected batteries too, but you will need to turn the power down to about ten Watts or the batteries will give out too quickly. With this power source, the unit will start out with about 20 Watts output, and drop to about 17 Watts after an hour of run-time, where i levels off. With several of the 18650 batteries I have tried, the prototype seems to run for about 50 hours with two minute transmission intervals. Batteries vary dramatically, and while it may be a shocking and slanderous assertion, I believe that many of the Distributors, Dealers, and Manufacturers may not be telling the complete truth about their products specifications! Shocking. At any rate the standard antenna we used with the AIO, a Nagoya quarter wave whip, seems to handle 20 Watt transmissions. I think it would be better served to use one the AAbree "tape measure" style antennas? ( Yes, they work!) to get the most out of the higher power transmitter, and to keep it away from your head.?
I was reluctant to make the unit dependent on LiPo batteries. Primarily because I thought that LiPo's would freeze to death in High Altitude Balloons. One of our clients disabused me of that notion, they seem to work fine in older AIO's, and clock their power up to about 12 Watts output. We will probably produce all of the new units with high-altitude ( Above 60,000 feet) GPS receivers.?
I will post photos as soon as I have something that is not just a mess of parts splattered on a workbench!
73,
Allen AF6OF
