[OZAPRS] [Fwd: Re: HF APRS]

[VK5FO]

Ray,

The whole reason I got into APRS was for tracking of me when I was out
paddling!


I use 2 different trackers when out in the Kayak - a TT-AIO and my VX8-R. 
The TT-AIO is a 10W tracker and the VX8-R is 5W.


With the TT-AIO, I simply add a line to it to secure it to the boat and
push it under bungee's on the deck.  With 8 AA batteries in this tracker,
running a 2 minute beacon, It lasts around 16 days of continual use
between charges (Yes, I forgot to turn it off and had it working for that
long).  It is truly a case of set and forget with the TT-AIO, whereas the
VX8-R on the big battery, It only lasts me about 10 hours between
charging/swapping Batteries.

It is a nice sealed waterproof box and all I need to do is to make sure
the seal is clean before closing.  In 4 years, never had a problem with
water ingress with it affixed to the deck.

My VX8, I just put into a pocket and tie it to my PFD, speaker mic with
the GPS in it on my shoulder.  More than once the speaker mic has fallen
off into the water and I have thoroughly tested the IPX7 waterproof
capabilities.

I have done in excess of 5,000km of paddling, both training and several
Marathons over the last 4 years and I have found that they both work well.

Yep, when paddling in a Marathon, it is good to know my Support crew can
keep tabs on my progress and have everything ready (hot food, drinks etc)
when I stop!

These days, I tend to use the VX8, and make use of 6M to talk back to my
land crew.

Both of these are off the shelf solutions and have worked well for me.

Matt's solution is of course very lightweight and seems to work pretty
well - Yep, paddled past said tracker on the back of Kayaks a few times
now :)


Cheers,
Bob
VK5FO


> ---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
> Subject: Re: [OZAPRS] HF APRS
> From:    "Ray Wells" <vk2tv at exemail.com.au>
> Date:    Wed, February 26, 2014 16:13
> To:      ozaprs at aprs.net.au
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Mathew,
>
> Thanks for the info. It's always good to know how others went about an
> installation.
>
> I had considered some sort of waterproof container, ranging from
> Tupperware to some round 4l (approximately) buckets with tight-fitting
> lid that I have here. That sort of arrangement could house the radio
> (probably use my Baofeng 5W H/H), the TT3+ tracker (+battery) and puck
> style GPS and it would all fit under the front hatch of the Hobie. The
> Hobie has a mast socket (for a sail) close to the hatch and I'd thought
> of using a 1m long aluminium mast of appropriate diameter to support a
> GPI antenna. A w/proof box mounted on the mast for the gear would
> facilitate quick installation/removal. There's probably other options
> I've not thought about yet.
>
> Please send the images.
>
> Ray vk2tv
>
>
> On 26/02/14 11:31, Matthew Cook wrote:
>> Ray,
>>
>> I've built a couple of APRS trackers for use in kayak's.
>>
>> At the local Foodland (supermarket) I found some plastic food storage
>> containers "Systema" brand that are water tight and about the right
>> size to hold my tracker.  I soldered a RG174 SMA connector to a brass
>> washer and attached some ground radials.  This was simply mounted
>> through the lid of the box and hot melt glued into position.  One of
>> the Comet dual band HT antennas completed the setup.  The tracker was
>> a repurposed HAB payload which outputs 100mW.   The whole thing runs
>> off a pair of AA batteries for 30 odd hours.  Can send pictures if
>> youre interested.   So far the tracker has done just over 400kms in
>> various kayak marathons.   It makes it very easy for ones "land crew"
>> to track their paddlers progress.
>>
>> I'm just in the process of doing the same thing again for my Trailer
>> Sailer.  I found a 2m marine antenna from the states at a reasonable
>> cost.  Looks like a VHF156MHZ marine antenna just a little longer.
>> That will run from the boat giving me telemetry (battery volts and
>> position) while I'm not there.  I'm using a slightly larger food
>> storage container (1L) to give the unit a bit more resilience to salt
>> ingress etc.
>>
>> YMMV
>>
>> 73's
>>
>> Matthew
>> VK5ZM
>
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