Tag: portable
-
Portable JS8Call Saturday 12 OCT 2019
Hello Operators. On Saturday October 12 2019, I’ll be operating JS8Call portable, on 40m, during daylight hours. I’ll be operating /P as oh8stn/p with the Yaesu FT-817ND, QRPVer 10w amp, and raspberry pi. Portable power for todays op is the 20Ah LiFePO4 Generator, augmented by 2x 28 watt PowerFilm Solar, solar panels. Even without the…
-
Mountain Radio F4WBY 4WD & Long Range VHF 2m
Hello Operators Today I’m sharing my buddy Gil F4WBY, high up in the mountain trails near the French Italian border. Gil puts his Land Cruiser and his VHF radio, to the test. The merger of amateur radio field communications and Overland operating is one I enjoy very much. Last year I also began to merge…
-
5 Reasons I don’t use Gasoline or diesel generators yet
Hello Operators Today I’ve got some pushback on the solar generator projects from a very annoying EMCOMM Commando. Some things need to be put on the table. First I need to say I’ve got nothing against gasoline or diesel generators in fact I think they’re magnificent for short-term grid down. I don’t see them as…
-
The Real cost of a Solar Generator
Hello everyone. Recently I published a build video for a 576 watt hour solar generator. The community has nicknamed it the STN576. People have also asked about the cost. I didn’t want to publish the costs without an explanation and breakdown comparison, between the Goal Zero Yeti 400 lithium, and Yeti 400 lead acid as…
-
Solar Generator Project Update 06JAN2019
Hello Operators. Here are few new pictures from the DIY solar generator project. Today I got the Headway pack put together. 4S3P 45,000mah. This solar generator is going to be a portable monster. I know it won’t look as pretty as a Goal Zero Yeti 400 lithium, but it definitely has more features, more capability,…
-
The Lead Acid Battery Deception
Hello Operators. Today I’m going to put forth a very simple question, about Lead Acid Batteries. Here’s the scenario: We’re building a solar generator, battery box or some other sort of portable power system. We decided on lead acid batteries for that system. After some measurements and calculations we’ve decided on 100 amp hours for…
-
DIY Portable Solar Generator update
Hello Operators Small update for the solar generator project. All the Headway LiFePO4 cells have arrived. That makes 12x, 15ah 40152s LiFePO4 cells. This gives us a total of 45 amp hours or 576 Watt hours, through 12 cells in 4S3P configuration It’s actually quite astonishing, to fit all 12 of these cells inside the…
-
Why Bespoke Build Portable Power?
Hello Operators Question keeps coming up, “Why bespoke build portable power when we can buy “off the shelf” saving ourselves the trouble?”. It’s very good question, with very clear reasons for doing so. The most obvious reason is understanding what’s inside your battery pack or solar generator. I mean literally what’s inside. Unless the battery…
-
Portable Solar Generator DIY 12.8v LiFePO4
Hello OperatorsFrom December 2018 through February 2019, I researched, designed, documented, and built a 12 volt, 576wh DC Solar Generator, using LiFePO4 batteries. In some ways, this solar generator will be a radical departure from traditional diy battery boxes found previously on YouTube, and in the amateur radio community. Main features 576 watt hours, 45amp…
-
The Cost of Portable Off Grid Solar Power
Hello Operators. The first image you see in this post was taken in Lapland back in August 2018. It’s one of the scenes from The X days off grid series. It may come as a surprise, but much of the pushback I get on the channel and blog come from people, preppers or other operators,…
