I put this comment here hoping it will be seen. I noticed that Jason's choke was at the radio and not the antenna end of his coax. If that had been flipped would it have helped with some of the noise?
As much as I absolutely love the science of this channel, my absolute favorite bit is how Isaac will struggle through the process of whatever the topic is. As much as we want things to go smooth and straightforward, the reality is that you’ll hit bumps and I just think it’s awesome that it’s being shown and explained as well as the ideas for ways to fix and get through it. Great video!! Definitely one of my favorite channels to watch!
I love the practical IRL setup and implementation of this video - helps visual learners really grasp the end goal and implementation of the more theory heavy videos out there.
HF comms was one of my specialites in the Army. It's free satelite. Yeah, don't cheap out on the radio. I've set up base stations for my commo guys at base and ran around the middle east using a manpack and created my own antennea designs depending on the enviroment and time. It's a science that becomes art. Love me some HF. Set that antennea up on the roof behind you using sandbags to hold the poles. Also, a corrogated metal roof works wonders to amp the signal.
Any recommended equipment for emergencies? Unfortunately I haven’t been able to get my whole family in the same state yet. My brother is in South Korea but that’s another story haha. A bit far for HF I’m guessing lol. I was in the military as well but didn’t get much into comms unfortunately.
@chrtravels HF can be so efficient I can hear my own echos as the signal travels around the world. Anywhere is reachable, but you'd use different times and frequencies for South Korea vs. Continental United States.
Many moons ago when I was in the Royal Signals - we had to go a HF comms test from South Georgia (on a glacier) back to the Falklands via voice... that was fun in a howling blizzard and no handy trees, on a glacier remember...
Our entire family (ages 16-75) has been working on a disaster comm plan. Your laid out all the options, plus their stregnths and weakness, in one terrific video. The fact that audio options didn't work out is a realistic senario in a regional disastor and was an asset.. Good job.
Communicating with someone over 1000 miles away without any sort of infrastructural help, I would deem that a massive success. For 99% of the history of the world, that would be unimaginable.
With HF, Its not so much the power, but rather the antenna, antenna tuning and antenna location. Time of day (or night, review LUF and MUF) and atmospheric conditions make an enormous difference. 40 years ago remote area HF communication was a norm, kids in remote areas went to "the school of the air" etc etc. Having said that I very much enjoyed the content and presentation. Was surprised at the tolerance for letting ham operators "channel" sit for conversation, in other parts of the world, that conversation would be interrupted at a break in transmission with a call sign and a request to transmit on a comms plan for 5 minutes. Most adults will accept that and despite what licensed hams think, they do not own the airwaves.
Blows my mind how round-the-world contact can be made like this, with some ingenuity and the push of a button..WITHOUT infrastructure. That's freedom, taking our communications back and not be under so much control. Funny how stuff like this is not taught in school...and it's so available to us.
Great test guys! 1500 miles out of the blue direct point to point portable is no easy feat! JS8Call is currently probably the best option for that. Cheers and 73.
Something of note with the failure on the G90: That port that broke on the front is really just needed for the computer to change frequencies on the radio, and for the radio to key the radio. The cable and port that does the audio side of the interface was fine. With some settings changes, like setting it up to use VOX, the sound of the computer audio would key the radio rather than the CAT control, and you'd have to manually put your radio on frequency, rather than having the computer change frequency for you. With that knowledge of the equipment, you could have still used your radio to make the digital comms happen. This is another reason that you have to train with your equipment on a regular basis, so you know not only that it works, but the foundations of HOW it works. Knowing these things allows you to troubleshoot and find alternative methods before you need them. Same way with your rifle and vehicle, and other tools necessary for survival.
Good point. I had the same failure of com port on my g90 (it’s surface mounted with no strain relief) I fixed it and added some hot glue to secure it and the mic port next to it a little better. It was good practice opening it up to see how it works and figuring it out. Good reminder to practice using the equipment in other ways as you mentioned with vox and acoustic coupling (holding the mic up to speakers) and see which modes are still effective on
I was waiting for this one! Amazing that you were able to skip the signal such a long distance. Time windows are key for successful comms. As the tech prepper says, "No random contacts."
Actually, in ham radio we do engage in random contacts! That's kinda the point! And no, we hams make long distance contacts like this all the time. Not that "amazing" really. But still cool!
I have a G90, and will be ordering a Digirig. My goal is to remove the digirig from its case and build it directly into the G90 case. There is plenty of room in the G90 case for the Digirig board, hardwired into the radio circuits. I will have to add a USB-C port on the back of the G90, which should be pretty easy.
As someone that has been into two way radio since the 1990's I found your video to be a real joy and a good intro for those outside of the hobby! I would like an Android app for sure for digital comm's and some options for for very small qrp type rig especialy if you do not need to build it yourself. If the kit is simple enough though then that would be fine as well. You want this to all be accessible to someone with zero interest in the radio hobby!
HF communications is too complex for someone who "is not interested in the hobby". You would at least need someone knowledgeable in radio to set it all up for you. Antennas, frequency characteristics, time of day verses usable frequency, the sunspot cycles effect on HF communications, different modulation schemes, digital techniques, there are too many variables to just expect to turn it on, and have instant communications. Another point, don't expect reliable communications with a low power radio. Just buy a mainstream 100 watt radio, not some "cheap Chinese junk low power". You can buy USED perfectly good 100 watt HF transceivers, starting at around $400.00. And if you are planning on SHTF, TEOTWAWKI, communications, you won't have internet, you won't have GPS, you won't have Garmin, you won't have cell phones. You won't have Sat. phones.
Kydex tent pegs, not something I thought I would ever hear LOL. Goods comms does not come cheap but this was a great way to show people the possibilities of HF.
Great stuff! I particularly appreciate the discussion regarding the trade-offs between the less-expensive Chinese gear and the more-expensive Japanese gear. The _far_ lower power-consumption of the IC-705 on receive-only is a very compelling detail. 73s!
It is nice that you were able to get two legit hams to help on the video. KM4ACK and The Tech Prepper are very well known and highly regarded in the amateur radio community. Very cool. I really liked your conclusions at the end too.
Nice informative video. Does a great job of demonstrating there is no 100%, always reliable method of communication. Agility is the key. In an emergency, you may not have contingency plans and may have to use multiple methods and maybe spur of the moment relay stations to get the message through.
Unfortunately the FT-857 has been discontinued for a while. If you want a 100W all band radio that's still in production, the FT-991A is a decent radio.
@@callsignseth7679 Not exactly, they are very similar. Both HF and VHF/UHF radios. Yes, the 991 is bigger and heavier but its still the closest comparison. The 891 is HF only. Btw, used 857s are selling for around $900. A new 991 is $1100.
My suggestion is that you might want to use commercial solutions, as amateur radio is just to cumbersome, unpredictable, and mainly designed for hobbyists. That's why some have USB (like the Xiegu X6100) and some don't (like your G90). HF propagation from one fixed point to another fixed point is hard to get without a ton of power, in any given time and day. It all depends on the band condition, your antenna optimized angle of radiation, and many other factors. But if you fit your radio into a military brown carry case and dress like a military, at least you look cool, and it doesn't matter if the radio works or not. You get the respect regardless.
IMPORTANT: The authentication table needs alternate light coloured rows (like computer sheets or the old Apple iTunes playlist layout) and columns so the intersection points can be easily and quickly located.
So not is lost. If you get the CE-19 that goes with that radio, you can do digital out of the back Acc port. That is how I run mine. I agree the price issue but the radio will work good on cw and digital. Great video explaining comms plans. I tool like the mast as I have one of those as well. Digital is the way to go for sure. The signal is much smaller than voice so it is like throwing a pebble vs large boulder. They go further and less wattage much like CW. Great content as always. Keep it up.
I'm with you guys. I dig all the stuff the other YT Hams are doing and watch them a ton (Josh, lil Jason, etc.) but I don't have a desire to use radio like they do. As one infamous tuber puts it "I don't want to talk to anonymous men across the country". I am in AZ too, and I want to be able to communicate with my people across the city, in CA, and northern AZ, if and when the need arises. I've been following Gaston on this project and its cool to see the final outcome, gonna follow you now as well. You should check out S2 Underground, he has a very comprehensive emergency comms solution he put together called GhostNet. I think it fits nicely with what you and Gaston are doing. Keep up the great work.
While that is perfectly understandable when you get into HF you need to use the equipment so you can learn how it all works and more importantly learn propagation. UHF/VHF, sure thats almost plug and play. HF is a fickle beast where you can be going around the world one second and then barely ground waving across town.
Cool to see Gaston, Jason and you work together. Im on the same with you about the radio manufactures.. they just dont produce robust, compact sized radios.. take a look on the qmac hf90, this with a builtin tuner like the g90 and a builtin soundcard like the x6100 and ic705 would be awesome. small display = fine! its not the main priority, but having a (even small) waterfall is very practical. had the g90 (was broken), have a x6100 -> i love it but its not really suitable for such things, all those radios are just too sensitive to outdoor stuff/not rugged enough. rainproof would be enough, we guys love to build our cases on our own but make them weatherproof with builtin stuff like i mentioned.. but no.. they just dont do it.. until today we still got no successor to the 857d which is still tbh not really a suitable radio (powerdraw, not weatherproof, no soundcard, no waterfall) the g90 is the closest one to perfect but it just doesnt do it..
Thank you for making a ham radio that is practical and understandable. I have had nothing with trouble on my G90. Unusable. Many hours and hundreds of hours troubleshooting. I just sent it back for replacement. I would not trust this in any emergency.
I'd love to see you do more radio videos like this. Ham and GMRS!! Would love to see you interview Josh from Ham Radio Crash Course. I love Josh's videos too. But I think you could give a great perspective to using radio and Josh could help get a lot of knowledge to your fans interested in radio with your help. Josh is a great hobby perspective and I love him. He is the radio king haha. But he is interested in the survival SHTF uses too! you two could make a great collaboration. Both of you are highly intelligent!!
13:09 I'm seeking everyone's opinion. Would traditional USPS snailmail be an effective means of distributing a comms plan after a serious regional emergency? I'm thinking of one lasting weeks to months. My feeling is that a letter would eventually get through and could be viable in the face of major QRN/QRM (radio noise).
For the G90, you can do digital via the 8pin data port on the back. bd7-Maple sells a ready made cable for about $17 on ebay that takes the 8pin to a 3.5mm jack for your computer's mic/headphone jack. One cable, no need for the CE-19 or DE-19 interface box. Route to front of your radio as you did your antenna jack and add a coupler so you that becomes your wear and tear/ stress point instead of the actual port.
Very interesting stuff. Just curious have you ever considered winlink? As I understand it incorporates store and forward communications protocol which can be more forgiving than requiring synchronous comms. Thank you.
Great job guys! I’d be very interested to see what is the best you can get out of HTs when all infra is down and HT is the only thing you have. (You only have 50% battery remaning) would be an additional challenge.
Love this video. I have been trying to figure out a solution and totally agree. We need a radio from Kenwood or Icom that is built for guys like us. the 705 seems like the best option right now. Have you looked at the M17 project?
One other thing to consider - you've mentioned the appliance factor - you want a radio like an appliance. Unfortunately it will cost you - the 705 does everything you want it to do, you can connect to it with a MS Surface tablet via wifi direct, and run all of your apps on the tablet (that's what I do), meaning its completely cordless with the exception of the connection to the antenna or if you run an external battery. Convenience is not cheap though as you've noticed. Nothing that has quality in the amateur radio market isn't cheap - HT's are going for $600+ now, when they used to be $400+ (FJB). The 705 is where it's at for a QRP radio that does everything (heck you can even get a Hardrock 50 watt amp kit that includes a tuner as well, that runs off of a 12v battery, but that will cost you more).
Additionally, medium distance contacts are kind of the tricky spot. Close? dual band. Good for very close. HF great for "distance" 100s-1000s of miles. Those intermediate distances? HF with NVIS but this can be a handful. My big focus is the 20-100 mile range without repeaters. Definitely NVIS. Usually 40 or 80m. Tricky though. Good vid. Thanks.
Yeah, NVIS requires alot of practice to understand what works and what doesnt. Not sure where you are, but there is a PNW NVIS net every week - dont recall the details but a quick search should help. This is something I need to get going as well.
A strength of the G90 that Gaston provided is that it has a great internal tuner that can use a lot of antennas. Unfortunately, that great tuner doesn’t help once the radio broke. The ICOM-705 that Jason provided for your use, is a great (but expensive) low power radio, but it doesn’t have any internal tuner, so that is one of the reasons Jason did not want to use the EFHW antenna that Gaston provided. Jason used a dipole which is very good for a single band. If people are going to use an ICOM-705 for their ENCOM, then a linked dipole might be a great antenna to have in your ENCOM pack, since the linked dipole can be used on several bands. You do need to manually disconnect the links in the antenna when changing bands. The CaHRTenna Mercury (Linked Dipole) looks pretty neat. (I recently bought one, but haven’t put it together yet.)
Talking about WWII Comms there was a recording device where they could record a short message with a straight key and then play the recording at around 100 wpm so the message was very short and to the point. The receiving point would receive the message and record it and play it back at a speed that one could decipher. Don’t know what was used for recording at that point in time and it was probably classified.
Great video. I really want to do mobile NVIS. There are antennas but not cheap. Any digital mode app would be amazing. That is my other main holdup right now. Laptop is bulky and fragile.
Great collaboration video! Loved that you both had a plan and were successful. Hopefully, my comment doesn't get lost in the noise, but by the video you supplied at 3:54, it looks like you have a cold or unconnected solder joint in the TRRS connector. It would be the upper or outer most ring connection. Just a thought if you dive back into it to fix the connection. 73
This shows the downsides very well. Helps reinforce my opinion that the Inreach or similar satellite communicators make way more sense for the majority of people. You can buy their device and the service for a long time compared to the cost of a good radio setup.
Something I forgot to add is the use of Selcall which can target and "ring" a specific user. Other users of Selcall on the ALE frequencies wouldn't even hear the conversation. This is widely used in Australia, Africa, South America and even Alaska where cellphone coverage is non-existent. In many countries, such as Australia, they have a service similar to ”911" for HF radios. I believe Alaska still has this service as well.
You can use the G90's VOX for digital modes, just set your freq manually. I use it that way for JS8-Call and even for Winlink. Just set the hang time to "0".
S-2 underground, forward observer, & trex labs are becoming good content channels, should do more collaboration between good content creators in the space
Jason, You should check out the new Xiegu 6200 Transceiver. It similar to the Icon 705 but at a lower price point. Just came out so it's unproven, but I am very hopeful about it as it checks most of the boxes I (and you) seem to want.
I noticed that you were pretty far off the microphone when using the FT-857D. Unless you have setup to operate that way you are losing a lot of signal by failing to properly modulate. On the distant end you could be down -6dB or more in received signal.
I agree, the G90 was the weak link in the setup. I still love the IC-7200; it’s a little big, but very reliable. If you want a truly pocketable HF digital radio setup, look at the QRP Labs QMX.
I am setting up a comms plan from central Texas to my son in law inOhio, testing various antennas. Had very good luck with my ATAS 120 in my Ram pickup parked on a remote hill. Also successful with a Buddihex in my backyard. Was wondering where you got the laminated schedule form that I saw briefly. Don K1DLA
I had the same exact port come loose from my g90 board. Major design flaw for a frequently used port to be surface mounted with absolutely no strain relief. I noticed the issue when my firmware flashing kept failing and my digirig kept disconnecting during portable ops. I fixed the port and dropped some hot glue around it and the mic port just in case
Great video! This is a topic of great interest to me. I also appreciate the authenticity in your videos following the scientific process. We often learn more from failure than success. Quick thought (I know very little about hf), with the amount of equipment involved you almost certainly have a vehicle nearby. Why not leverage your vehicle's battery? Also, with such a small antenna, I can see how interference can be a problem. I would like to see you try and make an antenna with a drone carrying your antenna and hooked up to your vehicle's battery like you discussed in your drone wars series. Should be only 3 wires, 2 power wires and a shielded cable.
In the portable ham radio world, Lithium batteries are king (Specifically LiFePo4). They provide more capacity than typical car batteries in a smaller, lighter form factor. So, that is most likely what both Tech prepper and Jason were using. Its pretty common for us to want to use a vehicle independent power source (leveraging batteries and solar). It also, because they are higher capacity, means they last longer, and you dont have to run your vehicle (and turn on potentially interference causing electronics, alternators, etc) to keep the battery charged. As for the antenna and interference: Often times, even a massive antenna 100ft in the air will be just as bad, unless its a very small source of noise, like an electrical device in a house. If they are hundreds of feet from the nearest building (which, maybe they werent), then a larger antenna may not help, as it could be power lines or other massive source of noise that you basically cannot escape other than by moving locations. One way to help, is with experimenting with antenna styles and polarization. A directional antenna, or an antenna with "nulls" could allow you to rotate the antenna to minimize the noise. And by changing the polarization, you could minimize the noise if its from a source with a different polarization. Also, just to note, interference (at least this kind) does not affect transmitting, only receiving. So, its not uncommon for other stations to hear you just fine, and you cant hear them because you have an intereference source close to you, and they do not.
I also have that exact mast (Jason's recommendation). I use a hitch flagpole mount. Carefully watch the diameters. My 2" flagpole mount works if I take the cap of the bottom of the mast, then drop it through. Works great. MUCH cheaper than the drive on supports.
I have 2 go boxes (apache). I used a FT-891 for POTA but have moved it into my Ecomm box. As a backup I got the G90 (great rig) for POTA and incase a backup for the 891. Thanks for all the ideas. I'll pass this video on to my group. 73 Bob WB6TIS
Excellent video, I learned a lot! Really liked the Panasonic laptop you used. Would you please give us the model number and specs. It really looks like a goto option for tactical digital ops. Thanks!
Great job Gaston and Jason! Thanks for making this video all!
Thanks, Josh!
Tons of coordination and preparation. Nice work, all.
Gaston, I don’t think I’m too far from your area, in CC. KK7THA
@@Model_Student I'm on 40m JS8 daily from 1400 to 2300Z. I love me some regional comms.
I put this comment here hoping it will be seen. I noticed that Jason's choke was at the radio and not the antenna end of his coax. If that had been flipped would it have helped with some of the noise?
@@TheTechPrepper I'd love to learn more and figure this out myself
As much as I absolutely love the science of this channel, my absolute favorite bit is how Isaac will struggle through the process of whatever the topic is. As much as we want things to go smooth and straightforward, the reality is that you’ll hit bumps and I just think it’s awesome that it’s being shown and explained as well as the ideas for ways to fix and get through it. Great video!! Definitely one of my favorite channels to watch!
I love the practical IRL setup and implementation of this video - helps visual learners really grasp the end goal and implementation of the more theory heavy videos out there.
@@pnwgeek 100% agreed!
And how he leans on a friend after struggling alone for a bit, asking for help but without expecting to be spoonfed.
HF comms was one of my specialites in the Army. It's free satelite. Yeah, don't cheap out on the radio. I've set up base stations for my commo guys at base and ran around the middle east using a manpack and created my own antennea designs depending on the enviroment and time. It's a science that becomes art. Love me some HF. Set that antennea up on the roof behind you using sandbags to hold the poles. Also, a corrogated metal roof works wonders to amp the signal.
Any recommended equipment for emergencies? Unfortunately I haven’t been able to get my whole family in the same state yet. My brother is in South Korea but that’s another story haha. A bit far for HF I’m guessing lol. I was in the military as well but didn’t get much into comms unfortunately.
@chrtravels HF can be so efficient I can hear my own echos as the signal travels around the world.
Anywhere is reachable, but you'd use different times and frequencies for South Korea vs. Continental United States.
Adding KM4ACK was a nice surprise i didn't expect.
He was the secret to success.
He actually knows what he's talking about @isaacbotkintrex
What is this, a 2A channel that is posting ham radio content that's actually accurate and helpful?
I was told not to do it, of course.
@@isaacbotkintrex please keep it up!
I was told if I bought an MPU5 and put it in my Crye vest it would just work. You mean we have to practice this stuff?
Move, shoot, communicate. Amateurs do tactics, and professionals do logistics. S2 Underground is also helpful.
This is not a 2a channel. It is a life skills channel.
Would love to see a series for beginners in layman’s terms. Covering how to create a family coms plan to troubleshooting transmissions.
Amen!
Many moons ago when I was in the Royal Signals - we had to go a HF comms test from South Georgia (on a glacier) back to the Falklands via voice... that was fun in a howling blizzard and no handy trees, on a glacier remember...
The tech prepper and yall did a really good job on showing what a HF can do, and how portable it is.
Great video TREX, and awesome to see Jason and Gaston too
Our entire family (ages 16-75) has been working on a disaster comm plan.
Your laid out all the options, plus their stregnths and weakness, in one terrific video.
The fact that audio options didn't work out is a realistic senario in a regional disastor and was an asset..
Good job.
Communicating with someone over 1000 miles away without any sort of infrastructural help, I would deem that a massive success. For 99% of the history of the world, that would be unimaginable.
Digital modes rock. I love cw but digital is where it's at.
I watch all 3 of these guys on here regularly.
With HF, Its not so much the power, but rather the antenna, antenna tuning and antenna location. Time of day (or night, review LUF and MUF) and atmospheric conditions make an enormous difference. 40 years ago remote area HF communication was a norm, kids in remote areas went to "the school of the air" etc etc. Having said that I very much enjoyed the content and presentation. Was surprised at the tolerance for letting ham operators "channel" sit for conversation, in other parts of the world, that conversation would be interrupted at a break in transmission with a call sign and a request to transmit on a comms plan for 5 minutes. Most adults will accept that and despite what licensed hams think, they do not own the airwaves.
And grounding! What you said is spot on!
I'm already a subscriber to all three channels. What an All Star team!
Thanks for the support. It was great working with Isaac and Jason. Stay tuned for my AAR next week.
Me too!
same. agreed.
@@TheTechPrepper You rock!!!! Epic video!!!!!
Blows my mind how round-the-world contact can be made like this, with some ingenuity and the push of a button..WITHOUT infrastructure. That's freedom, taking our communications back and not be under so much control. Funny how stuff like this is not taught in school...and it's so available to us.
Great test guys! 1500 miles out of the blue direct point to point portable is no easy feat! JS8Call is currently probably the best option for that. Cheers and 73.
JS8 really shines. I'm so glad it's gaining popularity
Something of note with the failure on the G90: That port that broke on the front is really just needed for the computer to change frequencies on the radio, and for the radio to key the radio. The cable and port that does the audio side of the interface was fine.
With some settings changes, like setting it up to use VOX, the sound of the computer audio would key the radio rather than the CAT control, and you'd have to manually put your radio on frequency, rather than having the computer change frequency for you.
With that knowledge of the equipment, you could have still used your radio to make the digital comms happen. This is another reason that you have to train with your equipment on a regular basis, so you know not only that it works, but the foundations of HOW it works. Knowing these things allows you to troubleshoot and find alternative methods before you need them. Same way with your rifle and vehicle, and other tools necessary for survival.
Exactly! This is how I started to do JS8-Call, using VOX
Good info much appreciated!
Good point. I had the same failure of com port on my g90 (it’s surface mounted with no strain relief) I fixed it and added some hot glue to secure it and the mic port next to it a little better. It was good practice opening it up to see how it works and figuring it out. Good reminder to practice using the equipment in other ways as you mentioned with vox and acoustic coupling (holding the mic up to speakers) and see which modes are still effective on
Good info, I’m setting up a man pack with a g90. I’m going to add some strain relief and some extra mechanical protection for that side port.
I was waiting for this one! Amazing that you were able to skip the signal such a long distance. Time windows are key for successful comms. As the tech prepper says, "No random contacts."
Actually, in ham radio we do engage in random contacts! That's kinda the point! And no, we hams make long distance contacts like this all the time. Not that "amazing" really. But still cool!
I love seeing you guys coming together to show this type of content, this is fantastic
Fantastic to see the tech prepper on the channel and great hands on video! I really enjoy these hands on and more in depth labs videos.
I have a G90, and will be ordering a Digirig. My goal is to remove the digirig from its case and build it directly into the G90 case. There is plenty of room in the G90 case for the Digirig board, hardwired into the radio circuits. I will have to add a USB-C port on the back of the G90, which should be pretty easy.
Upload a video of that when you get it done
This sounds like a cool mod that would kick the g90 up a notch! Interested to hear if you’ve done this yet or when you work on it.
Thankyou Jason & Gaston for an excellent real-life tech demonstration. This was exceptionally useful.
73s.
Love TTPs channel and I live how you are explaining this in easily understandable language.
Thanks for making this video. I know it won’t bring in the same views as shooting videos, but I greatly appreciate that you covered this!
These are just common rookie pitfalls you learn when you're a young ham. Just keep learning and keep experimenting - that's part of the fun!
As someone that has been into two way radio since the 1990's I found your video to be a real joy and a good intro for those outside of the hobby! I would like an Android app for sure for digital comm's and some options for for very small qrp type rig especialy if you do not need to build it yourself. If the kit is simple enough though then that would be fine as well. You want this to all be accessible to someone with zero interest in the radio hobby!
HF communications is too complex for someone who "is not interested in the hobby". You would at least need someone knowledgeable in radio to set it all up for you. Antennas, frequency characteristics, time of day verses usable frequency, the sunspot cycles effect on HF communications, different modulation schemes, digital techniques, there are too many variables to just expect to turn it on, and have instant communications.
Another point, don't expect reliable communications with a low power radio. Just buy a mainstream 100 watt radio, not some "cheap Chinese junk low power". You can buy USED perfectly good 100 watt HF transceivers, starting at around $400.00.
And if you are planning on SHTF, TEOTWAWKI, communications, you won't have internet, you won't have GPS, you won't have Garmin, you won't have cell phones. You won't have Sat. phones.
Kydex tent pegs, not something I thought I would ever hear LOL. Goods comms does not come cheap but this was a great way to show people the possibilities of HF.
Having a specific station, time and alternate frequencies makes it a lot easier. It’s all about the antenna as you know
And the atmosphere. And the environment. And the ...
Great stuff! I particularly appreciate the discussion regarding the trade-offs between the less-expensive Chinese gear and the more-expensive Japanese gear. The _far_ lower power-consumption of the IC-705 on receive-only is a very compelling detail. 73s!
This was a great introduction to your channel for me! Been following Jason for a long time, and Gaston, and now you! Glad you are also a good ol Vol!
I like your idea/system of authenticating the person on the other end
Nice support team! Great demonstration of dealing with issues. Great job 🎉
It is nice that you were able to get two legit hams to help on the video. KM4ACK and The Tech Prepper are very well known and highly regarded in the amateur radio community. Very cool. I really liked your conclusions at the end too.
Tech prepper is the bees knees. Not a sad ham like other channels
That was a great video!! Thank three for making the effort and taking the time to promote radio!
Nice informative video. Does a great job of demonstrating there is no 100%, always reliable method of communication. Agility is the key. In an emergency, you may not have contingency plans and may have to use multiple methods and maybe spur of the moment relay stations to get the message through.
Great collaboration! Learned a lot from both of yall. Keep up the great work and training
Great content and excellent technical quality. Very professionally made, gentlemen, thank you.
Unfortunately the FT-857 has been discontinued for a while. If you want a 100W all band radio that's still in production, the FT-991A is a decent radio.
857 still king even discontinued, 991A is a different kind of beast with double the price(or more), a good replacement is the 891 (for HF only)
@@callsignseth7679 Not exactly, they are very similar. Both HF and VHF/UHF radios. Yes, the 991 is bigger and heavier but its still the closest comparison. The 891 is HF only. Btw, used 857s are selling for around $900. A new 991 is $1100.
Been eagerly awaiting this since The Tech Prepper’s first video on the topic!!!
Love this! I follow all involved and it's great to see collaborations for the benefit of the "cross section" community.
Hi nice video very informative Icom IC 705 for the win Regards from South Africa ZS6JES here
Thank you for this video it was well presented and i found it interesting enough to watch in full compared to others on TH-cam.
Awesome collaboration and content!
My suggestion is that you might want to use commercial solutions, as amateur radio is just to cumbersome, unpredictable, and mainly designed for hobbyists. That's why some have USB (like the Xiegu X6100) and some don't (like your G90).
HF propagation from one fixed point to another fixed point is hard to get without a ton of power, in any given time and day. It all depends on the band condition, your antenna optimized angle of radiation, and many other factors.
But if you fit your radio into a military brown carry case and dress like a military, at least you look cool, and it doesn't matter if the radio works or not. You get the respect regardless.
Antennea design is HUGE!
You're hanging out with legit radio dudes (IMHO). Outstanding. Good content. K0ATV
Thanks!
Thanks!
Cw / Morse code can often get through when side band voice calls won't. The current sun cycle has really made me appreciate cw even more.
Watched TTPs view, now the lab view. What a great Friday!
Happy Friday!
What a wonderfully well produced video. A joy to watch.
IMPORTANT: The authentication table needs alternate light coloured rows (like computer sheets or the old Apple iTunes playlist layout) and columns so the intersection points can be easily and quickly located.
That was a very good video and it shows what ham radio can and cannot do.
that so cool I'm way lost in some of it but still learning the texting part was I'm sold scale . great video guys
So not is lost. If you get the CE-19 that goes with that radio, you can do digital out of the back Acc port. That is how I run mine. I agree the price issue but the radio will work good on cw and digital. Great video explaining comms plans. I tool like the mast as I have one of those as well. Digital is the way to go for sure. The signal is much smaller than voice so it is like throwing a pebble vs large boulder. They go further and less wattage much like CW. Great content as always. Keep it up.
Yep the CE or DE converters you can use the acc port, and bypass a lot of the voice processing too as a bonus.
I'm with you guys. I dig all the stuff the other YT Hams are doing and watch them a ton (Josh, lil Jason, etc.) but I don't have a desire to use radio like they do. As one infamous tuber puts it "I don't want to talk to anonymous men across the country". I am in AZ too, and I want to be able to communicate with my people across the city, in CA, and northern AZ, if and when the need arises. I've been following Gaston on this project and its cool to see the final outcome, gonna follow you now as well. You should check out S2 Underground, he has a very comprehensive emergency comms solution he put together called GhostNet. I think it fits nicely with what you and Gaston are doing. Keep up the great work.
While that is perfectly understandable when you get into HF you need to use the equipment so you can learn how it all works and more importantly learn propagation. UHF/VHF, sure thats almost plug and play. HF is a fickle beast where you can be going around the world one second and then barely ground waving across town.
Cool to see Gaston, Jason and you work together.
Im on the same with you about the radio manufactures.. they just dont produce robust, compact sized radios..
take a look on the qmac hf90, this with a builtin tuner like the g90 and a builtin soundcard like the x6100 and ic705 would be awesome.
small display = fine! its not the main priority, but having a (even small) waterfall is very practical.
had the g90 (was broken), have a x6100 -> i love it but its not really suitable for such things, all those radios are just too sensitive to outdoor stuff/not rugged enough. rainproof would be enough, we guys love to build our cases on our own but make them weatherproof with builtin stuff like i mentioned.. but no.. they just dont do it..
until today we still got no successor to the 857d which is still tbh not really a suitable radio (powerdraw, not weatherproof, no soundcard, no waterfall)
the g90 is the closest one to perfect but it just doesnt do it..
Thank you for making a ham radio that is practical and understandable.
I have had nothing with trouble on my G90. Unusable. Many hours and hundreds of hours troubleshooting. I just sent it back for replacement. I would not trust this in any emergency.
Great video. Always test your gear before the emergency scenario occurs folks! 🤝
I'd love to see you do more radio videos like this. Ham and GMRS!! Would love to see you interview Josh from Ham Radio Crash Course. I love Josh's videos too. But I think you could give a great perspective to using radio and Josh could help get a lot of knowledge to your fans interested in radio with your help. Josh is a great hobby perspective and I love him. He is the radio king haha. But he is interested in the survival SHTF uses too! you two could make a great collaboration. Both of you are highly intelligent!!
I went with the Fx-4CR HF Transceiver. It is $100 more and a 2 month waiting list (by email) but I much prefer it over the Xeigu G90.
13:09 I'm seeking everyone's opinion. Would traditional USPS snailmail be an effective means of distributing a comms plan after a serious regional emergency? I'm thinking of one lasting weeks to months. My feeling is that a letter would eventually get through and could be viable in the face of major QRN/QRM (radio noise).
Really appreciate the additional channels putting out fantastic content
For the G90, you can do digital via the 8pin data port on the back. bd7-Maple sells a ready made cable for about $17 on ebay that takes the 8pin to a 3.5mm jack for your computer's mic/headphone jack. One cable, no need for the CE-19 or DE-19 interface box. Route to front of your radio as you did your antenna jack and add a coupler so you that becomes your wear and tear/ stress point instead of the actual port.
Very interesting stuff. Just curious have you ever considered winlink? As I understand it incorporates store and forward communications protocol which can be more forgiving than requiring synchronous comms. Thank you.
Great job guys! I’d be very interested to see what is the best you can get out of HTs when all infra is down and HT is the only thing you have. (You only have 50% battery remaning) would be an additional challenge.
Having a quality sdr is a great tool for scanning the bands and seeing what's in use, noise, and general listening.
Love this video. I have been trying to figure out a solution and totally agree. We need a radio from Kenwood or Icom that is built for guys like us. the 705 seems like the best option right now. Have you looked at the M17 project?
Great demo of EMCOMM usage!
One other thing to consider - you've mentioned the appliance factor - you want a radio like an appliance. Unfortunately it will cost you - the 705 does everything you want it to do, you can connect to it with a MS Surface tablet via wifi direct, and run all of your apps on the tablet (that's what I do), meaning its completely cordless with the exception of the connection to the antenna or if you run an external battery. Convenience is not cheap though as you've noticed. Nothing that has quality in the amateur radio market isn't cheap - HT's are going for $600+ now, when they used to be $400+ (FJB). The 705 is where it's at for a QRP radio that does everything (heck you can even get a Hardrock 50 watt amp kit that includes a tuner as well, that runs off of a 12v battery, but that will cost you more).
I subscribe to this method; had “nothing” to do with a guy named Julian whose call sign starts with O and ends in N. 😛
The 705 is golden. I run a rm Italy amp for it.
I really want to talk to Julian on JS8Call. That's what I'm working up to.
@@T.REXLabsGhost Net that S2 Underground set up would be a possible meeting place. And a TRex net
very versatile and Great videos, love it.
This is my style of communication, thanks.
Additionally, medium distance contacts are kind of the tricky spot. Close? dual band. Good for very close. HF great for "distance" 100s-1000s of miles. Those intermediate distances? HF with NVIS but this can be a handful. My big focus is the 20-100 mile range without repeaters. Definitely NVIS. Usually 40 or 80m. Tricky though. Good vid. Thanks.
Yeah, NVIS requires alot of practice to understand what works and what doesnt. Not sure where you are, but there is a PNW NVIS net every week - dont recall the details but a quick search should help. This is something I need to get going as well.
Great video. It was good to see the other side of TTP’s video. Who makes that mast??!!
Great job guys! Looks like you had a lot of fun and got the job done. Check! Check!
Great video!
What I'm really interested is NVIS communication with DIY antenna on a vehicle. Pretty useful for emergency situations.
A strength of the G90 that Gaston provided is that it has a great internal tuner that can use a lot of antennas. Unfortunately, that great tuner doesn’t help once the radio broke. The ICOM-705 that Jason provided for your use, is a great (but expensive) low power radio, but it doesn’t have any internal tuner, so that is one of the reasons Jason did not want to use the EFHW antenna that Gaston provided. Jason used a dipole which is very good for a single band. If people are going to use an ICOM-705 for their ENCOM, then a linked dipole might be a great antenna to have in your ENCOM pack, since the linked dipole can be used on several bands. You do need to manually disconnect the links in the antenna when changing bands. The CaHRTenna Mercury (Linked Dipole) looks pretty neat. (I recently bought one, but haven’t put it together yet.)
Talking about WWII Comms there was a recording device where they could record a short message with a straight key and then play the recording at around 100 wpm so the message was very short and to the point. The receiving point would receive the message and record it and play it back at a speed that one could decipher. Don’t know what was used for recording at that point in time and it was probably classified.
Really well made and clear video. Thanks.
Great video. I really want to do mobile NVIS. There are antennas but not cheap. Any digital mode app would be amazing. That is my other main holdup right now. Laptop is bulky and fragile.
You should do a video about Winlink, When conditions are bad, digital is king.
I did one with my g90...not as slick but its there.
Great collaboration video! Loved that you both had a plan and were successful. Hopefully, my comment doesn't get lost in the noise, but by the video you supplied at 3:54, it looks like you have a cold or unconnected solder joint in the TRRS connector. It would be the upper or outer most ring connection.
Just a thought if you dive back into it to fix the connection.
73
This shows the downsides very well. Helps reinforce my opinion that the Inreach or similar satellite communicators make way more sense for the majority of people. You can buy their device and the service for a long time compared to the cost of a good radio setup.
Something I forgot to add is the use of Selcall which can target and "ring" a specific user. Other users of Selcall on the ALE frequencies wouldn't even hear the conversation. This is widely used in Australia, Africa, South America and even Alaska where cellphone coverage is non-existent. In many countries, such as Australia, they have a service similar to ”911" for HF radios. I believe Alaska still has this service as well.
You can use the G90's VOX for digital modes, just set your freq manually. I use it that way for JS8-Call and even for Winlink. Just set the hang time to "0".
Try a mag loop antenna for working hf. Very portable, good to lessen interference, and fast to setup.
Been looking fwd to this one!
S-2 underground, forward observer, & trex labs are becoming good content channels, should do more collaboration between good content creators in the space
Jason, You should check out the new Xiegu 6200 Transceiver. It similar to the Icon 705 but at a lower price point. Just came out so it's unproven, but I am very hopeful about it as it checks most of the boxes I (and you) seem to want.
I noticed that you were pretty far off the microphone when using the FT-857D. Unless you have setup to operate that way you are losing a lot of signal by failing to properly modulate. On the distant end you could be down -6dB or more in received signal.
Good point. I've been spoiled by the automatic gain control of the G90 mic.
Please don't stop doing this content. I follow both channels. Information is power. Communication is the transactional medium of information.
I agree, the G90 was the weak link in the setup. I still love the IC-7200; it’s a little big, but very reliable.
If you want a truly pocketable HF digital radio setup, look at the QRP Labs QMX.
Anything is weak when you drop it unless you're getting military grade
I am setting up a comms plan from central Texas to my son in law inOhio, testing various antennas. Had very good luck with my ATAS 120 in my Ram pickup parked on a remote hill. Also successful with a Buddihex in my backyard. Was wondering where you got the laminated schedule form that I saw briefly. Don K1DLA
Thank you for an incredibly informative video 🎉
I own an inreach and keep in mind that inreach depends on ground infrastructure, just something to keep in mind
awesome video, thank you both, and your teams
I had the same exact port come loose from my g90 board. Major design flaw for a frequently used port to be surface mounted with absolutely no strain relief. I noticed the issue when my firmware flashing kept failing and my digirig kept disconnecting during portable ops. I fixed the port and dropped some hot glue around it and the mic port just in case
Great video! This is a topic of great interest to me. I also appreciate the authenticity in your videos following the scientific process. We often learn more from failure than success. Quick thought (I know very little about hf), with the amount of equipment involved you almost certainly have a vehicle nearby. Why not leverage your vehicle's battery? Also, with such a small antenna, I can see how interference can be a problem. I would like to see you try and make an antenna with a drone carrying your antenna and hooked up to your vehicle's battery like you discussed in your drone wars series. Should be only 3 wires, 2 power wires and a shielded cable.
You know, transmit over the interference than through it.
In the portable ham radio world, Lithium batteries are king (Specifically LiFePo4). They provide more capacity than typical car batteries in a smaller, lighter form factor. So, that is most likely what both Tech prepper and Jason were using. Its pretty common for us to want to use a vehicle independent power source (leveraging batteries and solar). It also, because they are higher capacity, means they last longer, and you dont have to run your vehicle (and turn on potentially interference causing electronics, alternators, etc) to keep the battery charged.
As for the antenna and interference: Often times, even a massive antenna 100ft in the air will be just as bad, unless its a very small source of noise, like an electrical device in a house. If they are hundreds of feet from the nearest building (which, maybe they werent), then a larger antenna may not help, as it could be power lines or other massive source of noise that you basically cannot escape other than by moving locations. One way to help, is with experimenting with antenna styles and polarization. A directional antenna, or an antenna with "nulls" could allow you to rotate the antenna to minimize the noise. And by changing the polarization, you could minimize the noise if its from a source with a different polarization.
Also, just to note, interference (at least this kind) does not affect transmitting, only receiving. So, its not uncommon for other stations to hear you just fine, and you cant hear them because you have an intereference source close to you, and they do not.
I also have that exact mast (Jason's recommendation). I use a hitch flagpole mount. Carefully watch the diameters. My 2" flagpole mount works if I take the cap of the bottom of the mast, then drop it through. Works great. MUCH cheaper than the drive on supports.
I have 2 go boxes (apache). I used a FT-891 for POTA but have moved it into my Ecomm box. As a backup I got the G90 (great rig) for POTA and incase a backup for the 891. Thanks for all the ideas. I'll pass this video on to my group. 73 Bob WB6TIS
Excellent video, I learned a lot! Really liked the Panasonic laptop you used. Would you please give us the model number and specs. It really looks like a goto option for tactical digital ops. Thanks!
“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Great video!
Would a low profile 3.5mm extension have worked better?