Want to use a Microsoft Surface for portable ham radio data modes? Let me show you what I came up with.
These videos, posts and links support much of the work which has already been done on this blog. Since that work is often difficult to find, I thought it a good idea to write the post to help get your eyes on the information you’re looking for.
Enjoy.
GPS Setup
Want to access and share the internal GPS on the Surface Go LTE with other apps. Well, here you go. Microsoft has done an incredibly shortsided job in its GPS implementation on the Surface Go LTE. I´ll avoid annoying myself again and just say it this way. “Microsoft made it more difficult than it needs to be to access and share the GPS data with other apps”.
Here’s my tutorial on how to set it up. https://oh8stn.org/blog/2023/11/02/microsoft-surface-go-lte-gps-for-ham-radio/
Charging directly with a solar panel
Someone asked if we can charge our Microsoft Surface tablets directly with a solar panel. This is a no-go!
We need to step down the voltage from our solar panels to something more manageable for the Surface tablet. This usually required a DC/DC converter. I use a 12/24 volt to USB-C PD adapter to convert voltage and current from the solar panel, to something the surface can use.
It is possible to directly power the adapter from the solar panel, provided we have enough current coming in.
Scroll down to see the options I use.
Charging a Microsoft Surface off-grid
There are two ways of charging the Microsoft Surface Go series. We can use the USB-C PD port, or we can use the Microsoft Surface connect port. I prefer the USB-C PD port, but that is only possible when your radio is not connected to it. In any event, when we are charging in the field, we need a way to interface the our portable 12v batteries, to USB-C PD which both charging ports can use.
Normally we would connect these adapters to a 12 volt source like our car battery, or other ~12v source. If we have enough current coming from the solar panel, we can also power these adapter directly, then connect then to the Surface tablets. The caveat is the solar panel cannot exceed the maximum voltage of the USB-C PD adapter.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an Amazon affiliate or eBay Partner commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
12 volt DC to 65-watt USB-C PD with on/off switch (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/49O63OX
100-watt USb-C PD cigarette lighter adapter (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/49UgmRI
12-volt DC to 65-watt USB-C PD with voltage display (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3Qfz6nN
Microsoft Surface Rugged case
A case by itself will not protect the screen of the Microsoft Surface Go if impacted by a sharp or narrow object, directly to the display. A case will absorb the impacts of drops on the back and edges of the device.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an Amazon affiliate or eBay Partner commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
Kensington Blackbelt Rugged Case for Microsoft Surface Go:
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an Amazon affiliate or eBay Partner commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
Military-grade rugged certifications, including MIL-STD-810G drop-testing, and MIL-STD-810H Method 504.3 Contamination by Fluids, this case is ready for anything.
Integrated silicone hand strap for easier, worry-free sharing and collaborating.
Microsoft Surface Go Signature type cover
As mentioned in the video, I use a keyboard to protect the screen while on the go. The Microsoft Signature Type cover is costly, but uses very little power, doesn’t require Bluetooth, and attaches magnetically to the Surface Go. Mechanical connections are made using waterproof pogo pins, located on the underside of the Surface Go.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an Amazon affiliate or eBay Partner commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
Microsoft Signature Go Type Cover (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/49NhyGE
USB-C Hub
There are times when we need to connect a radio or other peripheral, while simultaneously charging the Microsoft Surface Go or things attached to it. For this we use a USB-C PD hub. The type of USB-C hub we need should have USB-C PD 3.x ports and supply more than 45-watts to each port. My favorite is the 100-watt model, but it shares that 100-watts across all ports. This means regardless of how many devices are attached, there must be a minimum of 45-watts left over to charge the Surface.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an Amazon affiliate or eBay Partner commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
- USB-C Hub,10Gbps USB-C 4x USB-C 3.1, 100W PD Ports,
(Affiiate link): https://amzn.to/3xLZD5M
Microsoft Surface Go Pen
The Microsoft Surface Go Pen is a very nice tool. When operating man-portable is extreme cold, the Pen allows me to keep my gloves on, while interacting with the tablet. This is critical for winter ops.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an Amazon affiliate or eBay Partner commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
Here’s a direct Affiliate link for the Surface Pen. https://amzn.to/3W9GdBS
Digirig audio interface
If you are using a radio with your Microsoft Surface which does not have an integrated audio and CAT control interface, you may need a Digirig. The Digirig is a lightweight audio and CAT control interface which is smaller and easier to use than a traditional SIgnalink. It is designed to be a man-portable option, where size, weight and ease of use are critical to your data modes mission.
The Digirig has a single USB-C port for connectivity between itself, and your Microsoft Surface Go. This makes it the perfect solution for rigs lacking an integrated audio and CAT control interface. It also does a decent job of wire management, with its “single wire” connection.
The Digirig can handle VARA or VARA FM wide on VHF/UHF without issues.
You’ll need to order the Digirig itself, along with cables for your specific radio. If you can’t find what you need from the Amazon link, go directly to digirig.net to search there.
- – Digirig interface and cables on Amazon (Affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3UysjIx
- – Digirig: Reducing the cable mess blog by Julian OH8STN: https://oh8stn.org/blog/2021/10/30/reducing-the-cable-mess-digirig-mobile/
High contrast screen
An operator asked how I set up my Microsoft Surface screen to display a higher contrast. Before we begin, lets’s talk about the problem with many developers today. Simple fact, they don’t give a rats ass about the UI (user interface). The functionality is there, but the interface is almost always an afterthought. Two excellent examples are FLDigi, and PAT Winlink.Every application published today should have a high contrast mode with white text, and a black or very dark background. No grey on grey UI. No black text on white backgrounds. Please go easy on our eyes!
To get a nice high contrast theme on Windows 10/11 there are a couple of different things we need to do.
The first part of solving the low contrast problem with Windows 11 is installing the GreyEve High Contrast Dark theme from Github (https://github.com/nitschis/GreyEveTheme). The GreyEve High Contrast Dark theme is a minimal Dark Grey Windows 10 / 11 Theme. It has none of the multi-media effects or blinding visualizations of the standard or high contrast themes of Windows 10 or 11. It also requires no system modifications, and is completely free.
Next we need to do something about Winlink Express.
in the Settings menu of Winlink Express, select “Set Color Theme”. Here I have set white text and black background. You can experiment with the text and background colors to make them comfortable for you. I personally beleive any developer giving us grey on grey text/background should be tarred and feathered.
For other apps like WSJTX. JTDX, or JS8Call, text, highlighted and background colors can be selected in the settings menu.
Related blog posts
Some thoughts
Even after adding all the accessories, the Microsoft Surface Go is lighter, easier to carry, and more energy efficient than a traditional laptop or Toughbook. We do give up the ruggedness by not going with a Panasonic Tough-something or Getac rugged tablet, but we still end of with something which is much more portable ham radio friendly.
Ultimately, the Microsoft Surface Go X LTE with built-in GPS and M3 processor is the way to go. It is not a gaming PC, but is a very capable machine for any ham radio data modes: FT8, JS8, RTTY, Winlink, Packet, …
When combined with the wireless capabilities of the Icom IC-705, there is no better option for portable ham radio data modes!
If there is something I missed, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment on the video or here on the blog to let me know. I’ll update this blog post as needed.
73
Julian oh8stn
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Isn’t the surface port expecting 15v? I don’t see that the outlets you linked supply more than 12. Will the surface port accept 12v and just charge slower?
The surface ports (Surface Connect & USB-C PD port) expect USB-C Power Delivery. USB-C PD supports charging up to 20v 3A from a 12v supply. Either of the 12v to USB-C PD adapters shown on this page will charge the Microsoft Surface Go as shown in my video.