[OZAPRS] Packable Tracker

Wed May 7 09:44:19 EST 2008

Guys,
I have done this! not quite as portable as you want perhaps but good
enough for motorcycle/pushbike
 Briefly...
Quansheng handheld, tinytrack III, SLA battery and Battery charge
regulator are in a METAL suitcase (from Dick Smith) on the carrier rack.
1/4 wave whip sits on case lid, Garmin GPS 12 on handlebars/ fairing.

Maybe try a metal box rather than a plastic lunchbox...

Norm VK3XCI

> Hi Rob
> It's good to know I'm not the only one with an RF feedback problem!  I've
> changed my concept and now have the Puxing PX777 and TT3+ in a
> "rehydration"
> back pack with bladder removed - and it's working on low power.  Initially
> I
> used the plastic lunch box approach and overcame some of the RF problem by
> lining the box with aluminium foil, but found I still had to put the GPS
> at
> least a metre away from the radio antenna.  The purpose of the set up is
> to use
> pedestrian or horseback mobile and the lunch box needed a backpack to
> carry it
> anyway.  Opening specials of a new Anaconda store in Hobart included
> "rehydration" packs for $20 which seemed to lend themselves to the
> purpose,
> given outlets for drinking tubes and filling etc.  After much sewing to
> make an
> insert with appropriate pockets, the result was an RF disaster.  Double
> lots of
> ferrite on every lead (GPS, Tx, Rx and power) and it now works fine on low
> power. (The power lead ferrite seemed to have greatest effect). I have
> read that
> a similar problem was solved by placing the TT in a metal box inside a
> second
> metal box and providing a common ground to all.  I'm hoping to achieve the
> same
> with aluminium foil.  Shopping for heavy duty foil tomorrow.  Also have a
> problem with the Byonics supplied TT to Kenwood HH lead which sticks out
> at a
> right angle to the radio and therefore takes up space and is vulnerable.
> Waiting for delivery of a right angle plug from Argent Data Systems.  The
> foil
> lining will hopefully also assist the antenna.  I've made up an aluminium
> bracket with a BNC connector which, together with the coax, fits through
> the
> drinking tube outlet to sit on one shoulder (ear fryer).  The bracket
> extends
> inside and across the top the back pack.  The aluminium foil will be in
> close
> contact with the bracket, hopefully to form a ground plain of sorts.  The
> antenna is a Nagoya  NA-702 BNC dual bander approx 300mm long.  The
> Byonics GPS
> is Velcro'd to the other shoulder strap, with the lead passing through the
> second drinking tube outlet on that side.
>
> The set up (VK7ARN-8) as is has been heard consistently by digis about 8
> and
> 20kms distant.
>
> I know a picture or three is worth a thousand words and I've probably used
> up my
> quota of those.  Give me another couple of days to complete refinements
> and I'll
> put some pics up on http://tas.wicen.org.au and put a note on Aus APRS
> Users.
>
> You might find VK7ARN-8 on Wednesday when I give it a go round the
> clubrooms on
> Hobart's Queens Domain, but you'll have to zoom in close to see the track.
>  I
> ain't going far on two legs!  I prefer wheels or somebody else on four
> legs.
> (The jogger icon is the closest I could get until it goes horseback).
>
> Best of luck with yours.  Lots of ferrite and screening!
>
> Roger VK7ARN
>
> PS I've probably gone overboard with power, using a Jaycar 1.3Ah SLA
> battery
> which sits nicely in the bottom of the pack.  The radio uses its own
> battery
> (with a spare).  I'll worry about that side of things when I get the whole
> set
> up working free of feedback on the full 4W.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rob Heyer [mailto:vk2xic at yahoo.com.au]
> Sent: Tuesday, 6 May 2008 22:01
> To: vk7arn at bigpond.com; Australian APRS Users
> Subject: Re: [OZAPRS] Packable Tracker
>
>
> Rodger,
> Hi, I'm Rob VK2XIC.
> I have been doing some work with APRS portable / bicycle. I have been
> trying to
> put every thing a lage lunch box, but have run into RF feed back etc.
>
> http://aprs.fi/?call=VK2XIC-4&mt=m&z=11&timerange=3600
>
> I like the http://aprs.fi site (URL).
>
> I have found that a rubber duck with 5 Watt H/H is not enough to deliver a
> good
> signal to the digipeter. In fact 1/4 Wave has not been much good
> either.....
>
> How have you got on with what you have done? I would be interested in
> seein g
> what you are doing, on the net....
>
> I have planned to make some changes to my equipment, I would let you know
> when I
> have things up and would be pleased if you could see if you could see me.
>
> Rob VK2XIC
>
>
> vk7arn <vk7arn at bigpond.com> wrote:
> I'm building a "Track in a box" for use on foot or horseback, TinyTracker
> 3
> Plus (bundled with Byonics GPS) and a Puxing PX777 in a sandwich box which
> I
> picked up today rather than a much more expensive Pelican type case. The
> box is
> ABS, weather sealed etc. I also have a BNC rubber ducky antenna supplied
> by the
> Puxing supplier recommended in an earlier dialogue. What I'm after are
> ideas on
> mounting the GPS and the radio antenna. I envisage the box being in a
> backpack
> (on foot or horseback) with leads from it to somewhere. Any ideas
> appreciated.
> The trackee may not be an APRS enthusiast so the rig needs to be user
> friendly
> and light weight.
>
> Cheers
>
> Roger VK7ARN
>
>
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>
>
>
>
> 73's
>
> Rob Heyer
>
> IRLP VK2RMP Node No. 6018 (146.850 MHz)
> EchoLink Node No. 114630
> WIA
>
> Eat Australian lamb a 1,000,000 Dingos can't be wrong !
>
>
> Get the name you always wanted with the new y7mail email address.
>
>
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