Building a Solar Powered Ham Radio Station

December 21, 2023 Julian OH8STN 6

The Off-Grid Ham Shack series discusses creating a self-sufficient ham radio station or ‘Ham Shack’ capable of operating on solar power during any grid down scenario, emphasizing the importance of an energy strategy for off-grid communications. This system includes solar panels, a charge controller, battery, and power distribution system. Key elements are the use of photovoltaic (PV) panels to harness solar energy, a solar charge controller to regulate energy flow and prevent battery overcharging or damage, and a battery to store energy for later. As well, power distribution ensures the allocation of power to multiple devices simultaneously. A grid-down energy strategy is crucial to any communication-related emergency, be it CB, FRS, GMRS, MURS or PMR radio, UHF CB, DMR, DStar, Meshtastic or LoRa communications.

Retevis RA79, RA89 & HD1 GPS

November 17, 2023 Julian OH8STN 0

Retevis, a renowned radio brand, has introduced budget-friendly and feature-rich dual-band HTs, the Retevis RA89 and the RA79. The RA89 is IP68 waterproof and dustproof, boasts a USB-C charging port with an optional dock, and provides clean clear audio. The RA79 offers wide reception from 50Mhz to 600Mhz and a unique functionality to swap batteries without powering down the radio due to its USB port placement on the radio case. These radios are on sale during the Retevis’s Black Friday event ending on 24 November.

Power Queen LiFePO4 Black Friday sale

November 16, 2023 Julian OH8STN 3

Power Queen, a supplier of LiFePO4 battery packs, is having a Black Friday sale from November 14th to 24th, offering discounts on their North American and European websites. The author, who has had a positive personal experience with the product, endorses the batteries for off-grid use cases such as ham radio stations. The promotions also include giveaways on social media (Instagram and Facebook).

Networking

August 24, 2023 Julian OH8STN 2

Hello Operators. As I sit here enjoying the last week of my summer holiday, the disaster in Maui is an important reminder of maintaining our network […]