[OZAPRS] [Fwd: Re: HF APRS]

Wed Feb 26 19:38:19 EST 2014

Bob and others, (apologies for the thread hi-jack from HF-APRS)

What type of batteries are you using with the TT-AIO?

I haven't been having much success with mine and I am thinking perhaps its
because the voltage on using 8 Ni-Mh batteries is too low?

Cheers,

Matt
VK2ADF

On Wed, Feb 26, 2014 at 5:22 PM, VK5FO <aprs at pilbara.com.au> wrote:

>
> 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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> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
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