VE6AB Technical
The HT and The World at large.
Sunrise finds me on the trail as I hike in to the location of one of my trail cams.
I was able to see my progress on the screen of my Garmin Montana that was connected to my D72 and displaying a topo map of the area that I was hiking in http://www.jerryclement.ca/HamRadio/VE6AB-Technical/i-J9gXZxw
The beacons that were being sent by the D72 were being digipeated by my mobile parked at the trail-head, and then placed on the map of the Montana by the D72 as way-points based on the track I was laying down..
Depending on the day, or maybe what HT is convenient when I check my go-box for a HT, I run with that one.
On this day I am using my Kenwood D72A which may be the best APRS featured handheld transceiver available (What am I saying...It is the best APRS HT available).
I also have a Yaesu VX-8R, but it is not as good a APRS radio as the D72 in regards to APRS. The gps built in to the VX-8R is very power hungry and you want to have a spare battery with you if you are out for any length of time.
The VX-8R also takes longer to get a lock on the satellites in comparison to the D72, and also has a problem keeping a lock on the satellites when hiking in treed area's..
If I plan on doing any amount of messaging while I am away from my mobile, another choice I can make is my Baofeng UV-3R/Moblinkd unit as it along with my smartphone allows me to compose and send messages effortlessly in comparisom to either the D72 or the VX-8R.
It is a requirement when using the UV-3R/Moblinkd unit, that I have my mobile set up to digipeater my beacons, as the UV-3R is a 2 watt HT and will not get in to the Network reliably under its own power.
All my HT's have their strong points and weaknesses, but depending on the circumstances that I will be using them under, they all have their place..
One other thing to remember is the fact that all HT's need a better antenna than the stock supplied antenna, and I use either the Comet SMA-24 or BNC-24 on all my HT's. as seen in the photo.
The Comet has proven to be a good performer and the 1/16" X 17" whip is very resilient, and springs back to its vertical build after I tie a loose overhand knot in it when required as well (not that its recommended while transmitting of course!) if its poking me in the face.
I also have a couple of Far-East knock-offs of the Comet SMA-24, and they perform reasonably well for what they are.
Click on the photo for a closer look.....
