Not only when you make projects you will notice that organizing stuff is very good for finding your gear fast.

I am personally a big fan of having stuff put in the right place and organizing my gear.

In my Shop i have a Box for everything i need and i also like to do so when i am mobile.

So here are some products i use in my ERS Project:

For my Cables i use a normal cheap sportsbag like you had when you went to shool: Shoolbag

I use this bags for my Extencion cords, Strings, Coax Cables. They are very cheap but they do the job.

A very good product for Documents, CDs and small cables are the Polyfiel bags in A4 and A5.

I am not going to lie to you, they are expencive as hell, but you will get a good strong nice looking case

for almost everything in almost every format.

Dont you hate it too when you have cables going loose everytime you transport them? I do.

Since i am also flying RC planes i found a nice littel gimmik that you can use to tie your cables together so they wont get loose.

VelcroZipTies they come on a good price for what you get.

 

Thats it for now for organizing Stuff.

 

Best wishes

Hans

The first time i have seen a portable Shack was when i made the HAM Radio course in Klagenfurt in Carinthia.

It was in late 2014 i think on the KIDSDAY. A fellow ham operator who is also part of the A.R.E.N.A. group (Amateur Radio Emergency Network Austria) had his portable shack on display.

I am personally a great friend of Portable and nicely packed gear so i wanted to make my own some day. It took almost one and a half year to find the time and will to do so.

I have searched long for a suitable case for my gear. A normal suitcase has the broblem that is has just one lid. Good for transport, Bad for mounting and organizing.

I finally found something called “RACK CASE” wich is a Case Music Guys use to mount and transport their stuff.

You can take of the front and back lid very easily and fast and have a tube. In the front you can control your equipment and in the back you can put throu your cables and connectors.

I found that the company THOMANN has such Rack cases that are not that expencive and are quite good quality for the price.

 

 

The good thing is that the case already has mounting holes for the Plates that will be screwed in and in one lid the case has a nice net for putting cables and stuff in.

 

Best wishes Hans

Yesterday was the day. I have received the last Part of my Portable Shack, the Pactor modem.

I have installed everything and it is now (thanks to god =)) finished.

It was a lot more work as i thought before and it was also more expencive as i thought.

 

I think i will explain in a few blog posts why i made it that way and how i did it.

—————————————-DISCLAIMER—————————————-

I will post some links to the Products i have bought for this Project.

The links to Amazon will be Affiliate Links. If you buy something over them i will get a tiny amount of money

paid out in amazon gift cards. I have never done this before and i am sure i wont get a fortune out of it.

All other Links i get NOTHING for.

I DONT make commercial for products that i linked to, I just know the feeling when searching Hours for a part to find a

good and affordable Source and i want so spare your time. If you have any Problem with that please let me know.

—————————————-DISCLAIMER—————————————-

 

That said i hope i will get some nice articles in the next Time.

 

Best wishes

Hans

 

I am almost finished with my “Emergency Radio Shack”. It was more work than expected.

I have made multiple PowerSource Inputs that can be selected with a Switch.

There are also some PowerOutlets for charging the Laptop or a Handheld Radio over the 12V  Cigarette Port.

I also added 2 USB charging ports and a Blank Outlet where you can plug in some Cables.

 

 

In the middle of the Backplate i have 3D printed some cable holders so i can connect between the Radio components withouth taking of the Backplate.

There are a lot of cables inside this Box because you have to have one cable to every port of your Radio components. I have made the MiniDin-8 and MiniDin-6 Cables myself because they are hard to get in a short lengh and the custommade cables cost 25 Euros each. (25 x 12… =))

 

 

I still have to wait for the Pactor modem wich has some delay because of the HamRadio Fair in Germany.

I also have to make the labeling of the components and connectors, so there is still a little way to go.

 

best wishes

Hans

I am planning to build an Emergency Radio Rack where i put in all my Radiogear so i have it mobile if i need it.

For this i bought a Rackcase normally used with music equipment.

 

 

The good thing with this Rack Case is that you can put of the Front and the Back cover. So you can nicely reach the front and the back of your Gear.

The Case was quite cheap and it looks stirdy.

I want to make a Backplate where i fit in all my connectors and swithches so it looks a bit cleaner.

 

I am currently 3D printing the housings for the connectors and i am also still waiting for some parts.

 

 

I will keep you informed about my progress.

I personally dont need dedicated Emergency Equipment, I have no space for a permanent Shack in my Place so i thought it would be a good idea when i make it boxed up so that the setup time is very low.

 

 

Best Wishes

Hans

Yesterday a Betatester, Diedrich send me some Pictures about his Progress.

He finished printing and now waits for some ordered Parts.

The printed Parts look very well:

 

 

best wishes

Hans

 

Hello

One of our Betatesters, Kees has given me a hint that there was a wrong link in the Electrical Partslist.

The wifi module had a wrong link.

I have changed that and you should download the newest version to get the right link.

 

best wishes

hans

Sunday was Electionday in Austria.

After all the hustle i had some Time and noticed that a nice high (60°EL) Ao-85 pass would come.

I actually never tried to make a QSO over a satellite until now and only used a SDR with a Preamp for receiving.

So i took the Rotor and set it up in the Garden.

I never have received Ao-85 until then and i was very curious if i could receive him without a preamp with my normal Handheld Yaesu FT-2DE.

 

First i had some trouble with the wifi connection to the Rotor but i solved it just in time, shortly before AO-85 blasted over the Mountain.

After the first clearly understandable Voices from a Ham from the Netherlands i heard a lot of People from everywhere across Europe.

There were hams from Belgium, France, Germany and Swizerland. Unfortunatly it was a very busy pass and i there was no space for me to make a QSO.

 

But i am very happy that my Rotor Setup works very well with a Handheld Radio. I will try my Luck with some next passes. Maybe we have a QSO some day. =)

 

Best wishes

Hans

 

Yesterday i finished the Mechanical Assambly Guide for the Betatesters.

The Guide can be downloaded in the Betatester Section.

 

I found out that when you make a Project and finish it you have done just 50% of the work. When you want to document the Project it takes a lot of time and a lot of effort to make it good.

I did my best and i hope that the Betatesters will be able to assamble the Rotor with this Guide.

The next Step will be documenting the electronics part of the Project.

 

best wishes

Hans

Hello Friends

Since the last 2 Weeks i was looking for Betatesters that would like to rebuild my HAM Radio AntennaRotor.

the encouragement was remarkable! There are already 10 peolpe from around the world that will rebuild the Project.

 

Most of the participants are from the Netherlands and the UK but we also have one HAM from Colobia.

 

It is now on me to document the Project in a way so that the Betatesters can rebuild everything and i will do my best to get it done on time.

 

Meanwhile i would like to that everyone for the Interest on the AntennaRotor Project

 

best wishes

Hans