Off-Grid Ham Radio

Why is it important to support VHF in addition to HF? Mobility & Portability. There are times when an NVIS setup would be more advantageous. However, offering local access on VHF makes access to Winlink services possible, albeit with less equipment. In this short clip I'm doing a Winlink session on 50 mhz, with a qrp radio & rubber ducky antenna from a hotel room in Helsinki. It certainly would not have been possible to put up an 80 M dipole in the hotel courtyard. 73 Julian oh8stn #oh8stn #hamradio

Watching the lightning dance around the tower. Lightning storm is pretty intense today. it's been going for a few hours and seems to be sitting right over the station. Rverything is unplugged and grounded. Dogs and I have coffee and treats, so everything is okay. 73 Julian #oh8stn #shorts

Are Victron MPPT charge controllers good for Ham Radio? See for yourself! As part of the how to solar power your portable ham radio series, I'm testing different charge controllers for RF interference on hf. In the short test, we see the victron 75/15 mppt charge controller creating an awful lot of RF hash on 40 m with the icom IC705. 73 Julian #oh8stn battery and solar power for ham radio

short Winlink session to catch up on my ham radio email. I'm using the Microsoft Surface and Icom ic-705. #oh8stn #winlink #shorts

Very nice WWFF QSO on 40m with OH2BAV/P. I was testing the integrated Genasun GV-5-MOD with 2.5ah 4S A123 pack & Icom IC-705. Antenna Chameleon Antenna EMCOMM 3 QRP Solar Powerfilm Solar R7 rollable. Mast Carbon telescopic from Gigaparts . The station is getting smaller but also more capable. #oh8stn #shorts

DIY Solar Generator for portable Ham Radio. Hello Operators. Today we are discussing a pocket-sized solar power generator for popular QRP radios like the Lab599 TX500. Icom IC-705, Elecraft KX2, KX3, and Yaesu FT-818. We will look at how to size your solar panel for off-grid ham radio, build a suitable capacity LiFePO4 battery pack, and choose the right solar panels for portable ham radio. 73 Julian #oh8stn #hamradio Video URL: https://youtu.be/HgQ3m6rzJko There is also a PDF version with all supporting links and info (no images), small enough to share over a Winlink or VaraAC P2P connection or file transfer: http://oh8stn.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Pocket_Solar_Generator_for_portable_ham_radio..pdf ______________________________________________________________________________- Want something interesting to dive in to while waiting for the next video? Visit my blog and website: https://oh8stn.org If you found this post useful, entertaining, inspiring, or educational, consider becoming a channel member, joining my patreon community, dropping a buck in the tip jar, or getting yourself some Anderson Powerpole gear on eBay. It also helps if you simply share this video with someone who will appreciate it. Become a YouTube channel member or join the patreon community, to get bonus videos and content before everyone else. Join the OH8STN Patreon community: http://www.patreon.com/oh8stn Become a YouTube channel member: https://oh8stn.net/3G8LaQl Add a few bucks to the kitty with PayPal: https://oh8stn.net/2ZGAEjy Support the channel while shopping on eBay: https://oh8stn.net/32DGxPB

Less is more I'm portable ham radio! I believe the reasoning for qrp portable winlink station is clear. What we must prevent now is overloading ourselves with unnecessary gear. Manpacks are a cool looking way to "package" all the station components into an integrated system. That integration comes at the expense of size, weight, and reduced carrying capacity for more critical survival gear. For data Comms, why not use a radio which is energy efficient, self-contained, and doesn't require a bunch of other gear and wires modern rigs don't need? In these clips, there's a radio, tablet, and antenna. Nothing else. Keep it small, keep it simple. Otherwise, you'll find yourself leaving it behind. #oh8stn #hamradio #shorts

Testing the FT8 Radio app from Google Play store. The app is interesting because it combines a radio and Android phone into an incredibly portable and efficient FT8 gokit. It supports the Icom IC-705, Xiegu X6100, Lab599 TX-500, FT-81X, QDX, UBITX, ... We are in the Ham Radio dark ages in regards to mobile, highly portable software. This first step with a bare bones version will hopefully lead the way for other "bare bones" versions like JS8Call. What do you think about ham radio app development for mobile platforms? 73 Julian #oh8stn #shorts

Testing the Icom IC-705 with Peovi Full Cage for fit inside the Maxpedition Large Water Pouch. kit invludes: - Icom IC-705 - Peovi Full wrap cage - Packtenna EFHW 10 meters RG-316 - 32wh LiFePO4 pack - Maxpedition large water pouch You can watch my other Peovi/IC-705 video here: https://youtu.be/ag9aH3USKl4 73 Julian #oh8stn #hamradio #shorts

Hello Operators. Short unedited Xiegu X6100 video review of the SSB capabilities, using the internal micriphone. I was operating QRP, SSB with PI4RS Radio Scouting club. the Xiegu x6100 SDR transceiver with the internal microphone, a diy LiFePO4 battery and a 60 watt PowerFilm solar panel. My antenna was an Off Center Fed Dipole from Chameleon Antenna which literally weighs nothing! This QRP rig has been on on the bench testing for a while now. It is not perfect, but it is getting closer to being an excellent "budget friendly" QRP ham radio, with a few unexpected tricks up its sleeve. 73 Julian #oh8stn #hamradio https://youtu.be/iLPhrQ-A_J4 ______________________________________________________________________________- Want something interesting to dive in to while waiting for the next video? Visit my blog and website: https://oh8stn.org If you found this post useful, entertaining, inspiring, or educational, consider becoming a channel member, joining my patreon community, dropping a buck in the tip jar, or getting yourself some Anderson Powerpole gear on eBay. It also helps if you simply share this video with someone who will appreciate it. Become a YouTube channel member or join the patreon community, to get bonus videos and content before everyone else. Join the OH8STN Patreon community: http://www.patreon.com/oh8stn Become a YouTube channel member: https://oh8stn.net/3G8LaQl Add a few bucks to the kitty with PayPal: https://oh8stn.net/2ZGAEjy Support the channel while shopping on eBay: https://oh8stn.net/32DGxPB

DIY LiFePO4 battery for portable ham radio on OH8STN Ham Radio. Hello Operators Today we are building a DIY LiFePO4 Battery for portable ham radio, radio preparedess, camping and/or emergency power that fits in your poket. This is a pocket sized 12 volt Lithium Iron Phosphate biuild. It is put together using a cheap battery spot welder. This 12v battery pack might not be as "professional" as one from Will Prowse, but it is purpose built for a balance of weight, size, energy density and storage capacity. Augment your favorite QRP radios internal battery with this pocket sized power supply. Parts list with all links and technical details are published on my blog: There's 26650 cells, BMS, 26650 cell holders, spotwelder, a 3d printed enclosure, desktop charger, and info on the solar charge controller. 73 Julian #oh8stn #hamradio https://youtu.be/YgKE8C_V1Y0 ______________________________________________________________________________- Want something interesting to dive in to while waiting for the next video? Visit my blog and website: https://oh8stn.org If you found this post useful, entertaining, inspiring, or educational, consider becoming a channel member, joining my patreon community, dropping a buck in the tip jar, or getting yourself some Anderson Powerpole gear on eBay. It also helps if you simply share this video with someone who will appreciate it. Become a YouTube channel member or join the patreon community, to get bonus videos and content before everyone else. Join the OH8STN Patreon community: http://www.patreon.com/oh8stn Become a YouTube channel member: https://oh8stn.net/3G8LaQl Add a few bucks to the kitty with PayPal: https://oh8stn.net/2ZGAEjy Support the channel while shopping on eBay: https://oh8stn.net/32DGxPB

Operating QRP Portable with a magnetic loop antenna from Chameleon antenna. it's called the F-LOOP 3.0. QSO between myself OG8Z (OH8STN) and II0WRTC operating from Rome Italy. 73 Julian #oh8stn #shorts

Hello Operators. Today on OH8STN Portable Ham Radio, we welcome Oliver DL4KA the designer and manufacturer of the portable ham radio amp, the PA500. The PA500 from DIY599 is a 60 watt portable ham radio linear amplifier compatible with most QRP radios available today. It is a more portable alternative to the Elecraft KXPA100 ad Xiegu XPA125b. The power amplifier has a built-in antenna tuner, auto band switching, auto band selection, built-in low-pass filters, VOX PTT and can be custom configured over USB. Oliver and I discuss the portable HF amp design goals, future updates, component shortages and future projects from DIY599. 73 Julian oh8stn Video URL: https://youtu.be/k62Q-q9g1GY ______________________________________________________________________________- Want something interesting to dive in to while waiting for the next video? Visit my blog and website: https://oh8stn.org If you found this post useful, entertaining, inspiring, or educational, consider becoming a channel member, joining my patreon community, dropping a buck in the tip jar, or getting yourself some Anderson Powerpole gear on eBay. It also helps if you simply share this video with someone who will appreciate it. Become a YouTube channel member or join the patreon community, to get bonus videos and content before everyone else. Join the OH8STN Patreon community: http://www.patreon.com/oh8stn Become a YouTube channel member: https://oh8stn.net/3G8LaQl Add a few bucks to the kitty with PayPal: https://oh8stn.net/2ZGAEjy Support the channel while shopping on eBay: https://oh8stn.net/32DGxPB

Hello operators In this episode of OH8STN ham Radio, we test an off center fed dipole as an ultra portable HF antenna option for QRP field station. The antenna is the OCF 40 from chameleon antenna. The HF dipole is resonant on 40, 20 and 10 meters. It handles 50 watts SSB and 20 watts all other modes. Join me as we test this off center fed dipole with the Xiegu X6100 running on solar power and Icom IC-705 running an NVIS winlink session on 40 meters. 73 Julian #oh8stn ______________________________________________________________________________- Want something interesting to dive in to while waiting for the next video? Visit my blog and website: https://oh8stn.org If you found this post useful, entertaining, inspiring, or educational, consider becoming a channel member, joining my patreon community, dropping a buck in the tip jar, or getting yourself some Anderson Powerpole gear on eBay. It also helps if you simply share this video with someone who will appreciate it. Become a YouTube channel member or join the patreon community, to get bonus videos and content before everyone else. Join the OH8STN Patreon community: http://www.patreon.com/oh8stn Become a YouTube channel member: https://oh8stn.net/3G8LaQl Add a few bucks to the kitty with PayPal: https://oh8stn.net/2ZGAEjy Support the channel while shopping on eBay: https://oh8stn.net/32DGxPB

Introduction to solar power for portable ham radio oh8stn Hello Portable Operators. This episode of oh8stn ham radio is the first of a series called "how to solar power your portable ham radio". This episodes focuses on solar power and battery storage for mobile, low power and QRP portable amateur stations, operating off-grid. The episode covers my own experiences with popular solar panel brands, charge controller options, battery packs, solar storage options and explains the best way to build your own portable solar powered go kit for EMCOMM, POTA, SOTA or even preparedness. Later in the series we will look at both DIY and ready to run battery pack options, to get your station ready for off grid operation. This video series continues where my guest post on the PowerFilm blog left off. You can read the original blog post here: http://oh8stn.net/PowerFilmBlog The series is supported by PowerFilm Solar and GigaParts. Almost all gear mentioned in the video can be found from my GigaParts page at https://oh8stn.net/gigaparts . You can find PowerFilm folding panels, rollable panels, Genasun charge controllers and the perfect battery pack,all from GigaParts. GigaParts also offers a 5% discount to supporters/channel members/patreons of this channel and series. 73 Julian #oh8stn #survivaltechnord ______________________________________________________________________________- Want something interesting to dive in to while waiting for the next video? Visit my blog and website: https://oh8stn.org If you found this post useful, entertaining, inspiring, or educational, consider becoming a channel member, joining my patreon community, dropping a buck in the tip jar, or getting yourself some Anderson Powerpole gear on eBay. It also helps if you simply share this video with someone who will appreciate it. Become a YouTube channel member or join the patreon community, to get bonus videos and content before everyone else. Join the OH8STN Patreon community: http://www.patreon.com/oh8stn Become a YouTube channel member: https://oh8stn.net/3G8LaQl Add a few bucks to the kitty with PayPal: https://oh8stn.net/2ZGAEjy Support the channel while shopping on eBay: https://oh8stn.net/32DGxPB

With ham radio suspended in Ukraine, we take a broader look at emergency survival radio preps & top strategies for decentralized communications. Disaster preparedness and prepping for a civilian emergency response should include group communications, tactical radio communications, your backup radios, strategies for radio monitoring & observation using an SDR (software defined radio), strategies for radio intelligence gathering, Data Comms like JS8Call, Winlink & VarAC. Finally, and most often forgotten, getting critical news and information with emergency shortwave radio broadcasts to the people. Our emergency communications plan should also cover HF, CB, VHF, UHF, business band and other bands taking advantage of the benefits, each one offers over the other. Russias war in Ukraine as unfortunate as it is, has shown us the importance of our emergency communication preps. Normally we prepare for some sort of weather event. The conflict in Ukraine lets us with study the best doomsday strategies for the prepper interested in using comms for our ultimate survival under such conditions. 73 Julian oh8stn Support anonymously with Crypto BTC Bitcoin: bc1qhhgd3w22xvhm8ed5wzfjgpsc73nulpvkqfx2c8 XMR Monero: 858rLar9xgfh2Sdvq4Ked4Z6ecAYhJ52wFKgX4zQSXDVAK4cis7teKe1ubh383kRK8bcjcEMPRcDwXd4LceC6Wyp4m7886s 00:00 Introduction 01:40 Ukraine Russia War 03:50 Unconventional Communications 08:53 Group Communications 11:45 Do & Don't 14:00 Operating modes 16:33 Encryption 19:06 Spotting & Observations 20:43 Intelligence Gathering 23:19 Data Comms 25:20 Final thoughts