Portable Operations

If you're thinking about a WRC, reach out to me and also check out these videos from KB9VBR on Youtube!

The next phase of my portable operations was purchasing a (tr)uSDX QRP radio for some real portability.  I was thinking about how I could bring a radio on an airplane when travelling for work or being able to easily take a radio no a hike.  I also added an MFJ 1899T Portable Telescopic HF Antenna (it breaks down to 11") and an Emtech ZM-2 ATU manual tuner for use with my end-fed antenna.  I did several tests with this unit and it works really well for the price.  I can run it off of a cell phone battery back for 3.5W of power and with a AA adapter for 5.5W of power output.  The last thing I did was buy an inexpensive hard case and custom carve some foam to store and protect the radio when travelling.

From here, I decided to purchase another inexpensive hard case to transport my FT-891 and it's accessories.  I had recently purchased a Yaesu FTdx10 for my home shack, which freed up the FT-891 to become my full-time portable rig.  I also purchased some Polyethylene Foam (I had previously used leftover packing foam, but none of my stock was big enough for the larger case) and custom cut it to fit all of the equipment.  The case is two layers deep to accommodate all of the equipment with a piece of ABS plastic glued to the top foam portion.

I wanted the kit to be reasonably self-sufficient and purchased an 8 AH LiFePO4 battery.  I added a Battery Tender Junior 12v Battery Charger and the needed cables to connect everything and I was all set!  I chose not to include the antenna in the case for two reasons.  First, I wanted to keep the size and weight of the case down and ensure I had flexible antenna choices when I travel.

I took the radio in this card case (along with the Wolf River Coil) to Arizona at Christmas 2022.  There were no issues with TSA and the pressure relieve valve worked well to keep things equalized. 

Now that my portable setup is to a usable and sustainable point, I've spent some limited time with POTA activations.  Unfortunately, to this point, it's been winter in Minnesota and my activity has been limited.  That said, I activated 3 parks in Arizona this winter and my wife found she likes to come with and paint while I'm on the radio!

Quite a difference in the scenery between the two states!

Portal Setup Update, Spring 2023

So, I stumbled across a larger hard sided case at the Grand Forks ham fest and made the purchase.  I've been thinking about using a larger case and placing my Wolf Rive Coil antenna into the case, along with the radio and all of it's equipment, to make an easier "grab and go" setup.  Essentially, I wanted to be able to grab the case and just go and know that I had everything.

Now, due to the size of the two whips and the bulk of the RG-8X coax, those two items ended up separate from the case but everything else fit in great!  I, again, purchased some Polyethylene Foam and ABS plastic to set up the case with all of the necessary compartments and two layers for storage.  After some radio Tetris, I figured out the right configuration and starting cutting.  This time I got smarter and purchase a "hot knife" to cut the foam and WOW! did that make life easier!

Portable Setup Update, Late 2023!

This fall, I decided to rebuild my portable setup (again...) to move it back into the original case due to the size and bulkiness of my updated configuration from this spring.  Additionally, I decided taking that big case on the airplane was a non-starter for me.  This time, however, I took a slightly different approach.  I had some scraps left from my previous purchase of polyethylene foam and I purchased some thicker ABS plastic from Menards for the new project.  My goal this time was to create an "open and transmit" type of configuration with far less setup time.

Since the previous configurations, I purchased the Yaesu FC-50 External Antenna Tuner for my Yaesu FT-891.  This is the tune designed for the rig and ties into the integrated controls (not to mention that it physically connects to the radio.  I also used a band-saw to cut the plastic this time and used the hot-knife to cut a foam compartment for the battery and a separate one for the detached head of the FT-891.  To mount the head, I used a Lido Edge Mount for HTs and adapted it to support my remote head.  This gives me the ability to attach it to the case, a picnic bench, a computer, or whatever I need to make the configuration work.  Last, I purchased a few misc. connectors to allow me to just connect antenna and power to start operating.   See below for a few build pictures.