1. Yaesu FT-897D Buddipole Antenna
Portable Field Station VA7RLW - Richard Wodzianek VA7JFX – Nicholas Wodzianek November 2014
Yaesu FT-897D
Buddipole Antenna

2. Welcome
I’d like to share our thoughts and experiences of selecting the correct amateur radio equipment for field use based on a user profile and use case.

3. Nick’s Use Case: Profile:
Geotechnical Engineer travelling to remote locations
Need a backup comm system while deep in the heart of nowhere
Requirements:
Communication range: km
Portable station able to be easily transported by commercial or chartered aircraft, helicopter or boat to remote field locations
Flexible power options:
internal batteries
120 VAC to 12 VDC power supply
external 12 VDC battery
Portable antennas: 2m/70cm, 6m to 40m
Quick and easy to set up and get on the air!

4. Yaesu FT-897D 2m/70cm 6-160m bands
100 Watts on 6m-HF bands
50 Watts on VHF
20 Watts on UHF
Operating Modes: USB, LSB, CW, AM, FM, W-FM, Digital (AFSK), Packet (1200/9600 FM).  Digital Modes: RTTY, PSK31-U, PSK31-L and User defined USB/LSB (SSTV, Pactor, etc.). 

5. FT-897D - Opinion Likes: Very rugged Internal batteries Fully featured
Dislikes:
Display is limited
Menu driven – more so than IC Not intuitive
Yaesu antenna tuner has no extra CAT port for external laptop control
Heavy

6. Power Ratings 2 Internal NiMH batteries
20 Watts for all bands when running internal
4.5 AH – each battery
Provides about 4 hours of RX use per battery
Under an 1 hour of typical TX use per battery
External 12 VDC
22 Amps – TX
1 Amp - RX

7. Antennas Buddipole – 2m to 40m bands
2 traps with selectable band ranges
Telescoping whips
Multiple configurations (see above)
Tripod stand
Small nylon zippered carrying case
Easy to transport – even as airplane check-in luggage
Easy to set up
Use an analyzer for faster tuning
Antenna tuner recommended
Recommend inserting a 2m/70cm ladder line antenna for quick setup – very portable. Put into Buddipole carrying case.

8. Accessories
CD-24 internal battery charger – charges 1 internal battery at a time
One end goes to a 12VDC supply – 1.4 Amps
Will charge from vehicle cigarette lighter socket
12 VDC 30A power supply with Anderson Power Poles
Youkits antenna analyser
Makes the job of tuning the antenna quick and easy.

9. Cables
12’ 10AWG zip line DC cable with alligator clips for vehicle battery
Cigarette lighter plug – for low current needs such as the internal battery charger
Anderson power pole ends

10. Final Package – Ready to Go
Radio and gear fits into a “Roots” carry-all bag
The bag fits easily into luggage or other check-in bags
Antennas fit into Buddipole case

11. CARESS’s Profile:
Have a set Grab’n’Go kits – always on standy and ready for use in case of an emergency or deployment at a remote event.
Easy to transport and ready for any mode of operation:
Voice, data, CW
Powered by any available source

12. Requirements: Fully self contained field unit Easy to carry
Not as heavy and as large as existing Grab-N-Go kit
Gator case – rack unit
Rugged
Fast deployment and setup
Power
Mostly external (battery or 120VAC)
SLA 35Ah internal
Solar panel and regulator for trickle charge (optional)

13. Candidate Radios Radio Benefits Negatives Icom IC-7000 Yaesu FT-897D
Light weight
All band, all mode
Easy to use
Commonly used radio
No longer in production but available from Asia markets via eBay
Not rugged
External antenna tuner
Yaesu FT-897D
Rugged
Internal batteries
No longer in production but still available
UI not intuitive
Yaesu FT-857D
Very light weight
Low price
Icom IC-7200
Rack mountable
Speaker in front
160m to 6m
Slightly heavy
Kenwood TM-D710G
2m/70cm
APRS, GPS
50 Watts
Yaesu FTM-400DR
Colour display

14. Candidate Field Kit 4U Gator audio rack mount case with wheels
Microphones, cables, etc. fit in the front and back covers for easy storage and access
3U Front panel and shelf for radios, TNCs, speaker
3U Real panel for antenna mounts, power selection switch, etc.
1U Sliding shelf for notebook computer (slides out for data use)
HF radio
Antenna tuner
Pactor 4 modem
VHF/UHF radio with APRS
9600 baud TNC for VHF/UHF
35Ah SLA battery mounted internaly
Charger for internal SLA battery
Power supply 12VDC, 30A (rack mounted)
Power selector switch (internal DC, external DC, external 120VAC)
RT Systems USB-radio interface cable and programming software for HF and VHF/UHF radios
Optional
Solar Panel – plastic board (slips into case)
Solar regulator for internal SLA battery

15. Front Panel - Concept
Front panel consists of a 3U plate with a concept layout
Bottom is a 1U pull out tray for the notebook computer

16. Rear Panel A 3U blank face plate
1U portion left exposed for cabling access
Power selection using a heavy duty switch
Internal battery / power supply
External battery
Mount the internal 30A power supply
Bulk head SO-239 connectors for easy access to antennas
AC connector for extension cord
Power regulator to charge internal SLA battery
Anderson Power Pole distribution

17. THANK YOU