GB0SA CHOTA Selby Abbey tomorrow!

Less than a day to go! We have access into the abbey from around 08:30, so all being well should be on air from not much after 09:30. Officially we start at 10:00. (bear in mind these are local, BST times!, knock 1h off for UTC!)

All the equipment, save for the basic toolkit, is crated up and ready. Each box for a different part of the kit, so fir instance the actual radio equipment and its PSU, ATU, etc, and the station paperwork, is in the green crate

Mains power, RF test load, and safety equipment, in the blue crate. The purple box is coax patchleads, extra feeder, and rigging equipment. The valise contains the guy kit for the main mast.

Yes, the 14lb sledge hammer is a bit overkill! It should be a 4lb lump hammer but mine doesnt have a shaft on it at the moment! The main RF feeder is on the cable drum.

The masts at the moment are just propped up. The two 5.4m kits will fit in the car, but the main Larkspur 27ft mast has to go on the roof.

Not shown in these photos is the signals satchel containing the actual antenna! Yes, I very nearly forgot the aerial itself!

Now all thats ready to go, I have a little while to look into another project. The radio bergen below. I need to establish the internal dimensions of this, in order to design a carry frame to go inside that will hold a modern HF transceiver,  ATU, antenna mount and battery system.

This is actually my 2nd spare, and is quite old. I'll be selling this one on eventually as surplus to my needs.

Trip To The Tip

I have now, finally, finished testing all the PRC-349 batteries and put aside only those that will hold a charge. This doesnt mean they have a decent capacity, of course, but it does mean they will work to some extent.

This left me with two big domestic recycling boxes full of dead batteries!  These have now gone to the tip, and after some discussion with a naturally dubious dustman, have been disposed of into the care of North Yorkshire HWRC.

This has created a bit of much needed space, ready perhaps for the next intake of radios!

More battery bashing

Having had a few days off ive managed to progress somewhat on testing the PRC-349 batteries, and on de-celling the old PRC-350 15v pack and the 24v 1Ah unit,

After some considerable work with a chisel, the cells in the 1Ah unit eventually decided they would come out, the bloody foam in this one was seriously hard!

Its now nice and clean inside, still has most of its original shape. I still need to clean up the terminal block. The next job with this one then will be to find a nice compact switch mode 24v power supply that will fit inside it.

The 15v pack for the PRC-350 however, proved to be, initially, a bit of a pig. Despite carefull prising around the seam, I still managed to break a corner of the plastic top off. In the end, after spending a long time trying to get the top off, I decided that prising up the side was a better option - at least the metal can be bashed back to something like the proper shape!

Once I had the top off, getting the cells out was still a bastard to start with, requiring some serious chisel work on the first few cells. But, once I was a layer of cells in, I found that the rest could be manipulated out by a bit of kinetic inertial pulling (the same technique used to de-bullet cartridges - make the moving case stop suddenly and the inertia of the heavy bullet will mean it keeps moving and comes out). Banging the open end on a plywood board a few times made the cell block creep out, until I could grip it and pull it free

I dont yet know what im going to do with this one though. A LiPo pack? A SMPSU? A battery eliminator? Perhaps all three? Hmm, a multipurpose 15v supply pack... theres a thought!

I still have to work out whether the antenna wire I snapped is repairable. Heres a closer look at the damage

Theres about 2m of wire from the plug to the break. I might look at whether its possible to splice this stuff.

What I really need to get on with though, is moving on some of these PRC-349 batteries! Im looking at the postage implications at the moment. Im not even after making much money from them, just covering my costs plus a few extra shekkels.  Now, since theres no way ive time to fully test them, im going to have to sell them pretty much as untested at the buyers risk, with no return, which means that I really cant have much mark up on them. I think postage will be about £3, so asking a fiver each might be ok. A fiver might be an acceptable risk. Probably offering them in small bulk, say pairs or quads, might be effective. If I can recoup my initial £15 outlay I can reinvest that in the remaining Clansman parts im looking for!

Royal Mail Freedom Of Information Act Request

Not strictly radio, but related. Ive become a bit miffed recently by the way Post Office staff demand to know the content of any package your sending. Now, I fully appreciate that there are certain items that are dangerous to send, but they do seem to have a particular downer on batteries.

I also appreciate that under certain circumstances some chemistries can be dangerous. I would for instance never dream of attempting to post a wet cell Lead Acid! But a Sealed Lead Acid/AGM is, so long as the terminals are securely insulated, about as safe as sending anything else. Likewise, A badly packed LiPo could be dangerous if damaged in transit (which would then raise the question of poor handling!) but if securely and sufficiently packed is perfectly safe.

Yet, it occurred to me that despite Royal Mails protestations that batteries are the postal antichrist, I cant find a single reference to an actual incident in which either a vehicle or operative have been damaged or injured as a result of shipping a battery. So, I thought i'd ask!

Although Royal Mail Group are no longer a government organisation, and as such do not have to comply with a freedom of information act request, it seems they still do so voluntarily. So I have lodged my request, as worded below -

Dear Royal Mail Group Limited,
I would like to request the release of any recorded statistics relating to safety incidents, such as leaks, burns, or fire, caused during the shipping of batteries on ground based (i.e - non-aircraft) movements within the UK mainland. Where-ever possible this information should differentiate between different battery chemistries, i.e. Lead-Acid, Alkaline, Nickel Cadmium, Nickel Metal Hydroxide, Primary Lithium and other Lithium chemistries.
Yours faithfully,



 I believe this is sufficiently succinct, direct, specific, and to the point. All I am asking for, in effect, is information that any sensible organisations Health and Safety dept should be collating as a matter of course anyway.

GB0SA - Selby Abbey CHOTA - 10th September

Ofcom have issued me with GB0SA for this years Churches on the Air day station on the 10th of September from Selby Abbey,

We hope to be set up with a 40m dipole raised on three masts, and on air by 09:00 local time on the saturday morning. The station, using modern mobile HF equipment, is likely to be located to the right of the main entrance, with the PRC-320 held in reserve.

Wire wrapped

A few days ago, I took my boys to play in the local woods, and my PRC-320 as well so I could have a play. Sat on the top of the hill watching my boys playing, I threw out the 5m wire as a counterpoise, and a quick over a tree branch end fed for 18MHz.

Sadly, on retrieving the antenna wire, it snagged on a split in the branch. Now, rather than my two 'new' antenna wires, I was using a much older one, which had no throwing cord. This meant that I had to throw the actual wire over the branch, and this had snagged on one of the length markers (a big black disk) just a few feet from the end. Unfortunately, in the attempt to free the wire, which was too high up to climb to, the wire snapped.

Im stuck now trying to work out a repair method for this kind of wire! As this is an old roll, Im tempted to remove the length markers and just use it for a random wire when needed. Whats awkward is that the break is at the plug end, i'll need to find a suitable plug that I can attach. I might cut a few meters of this wire off and add a crocodile clip to it to make a ground wire.

After a few recovery attempts, ive decided the 1.2Ah 24v and the 15v batteries are to be dismantled.

Opening the 15v battery is trickier than the 24v, as the top is a thick plastic with a thin rim. Drilling out and punching through the rivets was easy enough, but actually prising off the lid is difficult - ive already broken a small bit of the rim off!

Some More Clansman kit, With great thanks to Mick!

Once thing ive found in amateur radio, and with those of us who love Green Kit or QRP, is that whilst there are a few miserable sods out there (I wont mention names but im sure most people into Clansman could guess at at least one seller...) the vast majority of those ive met are friendly, helpful and generous. The sellers I listed come into this category, as do the members of the G-QRP club,

And now, I an pleased to add Mick, a follower of this blog, to this list!

As a result of Micks generosity, I have now been able to add a thigh strap morse key, the Single Transducer Headset, and the rare (at least ive not seen them often) Boom Mic Single Earpiece Headset, to my collection.

This came about from a request for a metal cased 1Ahr 24v battery to convert. Mick was able to let me have a dead one of these, and also a metal cased PRC-350 15v battery to recell or convert. Another Bergan also came my way, which will be great for taking the 352 up the hills for SOTA, but also gives me a chance to start working on a frame to carry a modern amateur rig and ATU.

So many thanks Mick! It was great to meet you yesterday and chat about all things Green

Clansman Manpacks for Amateur Use - Part 7 - The Epilogue

As a final part of this little series of articles, im simply going to provide an 'essentials' list for each radio - this is the minimum you will need to be able to make use of it. Much of it will be interchangeable of course, so the term 'handset/headset' will be used to indicate that one of the audio anciliaries can be chosen.

PRC-350
Radio
50cm battle whip or 1.2m whip
15v battery or 'C' cell cassette
Handset/Headset

PRC-351
Radio
50cm battle whip or 1.2m whip
24v battery
Handset/Headset

PRC-352
As above, but also
20W amp
coaxial cable interconnect
GSA

PRC-320
Radio
Gooseneck adapter
2.4m whip
24v battery
Handset/Headset
For CW - Morse Key

For the PRC-350 and PRC-351/352 the GSA is advised.
For the PRC-320 a counterpoise, and 5.4m mast (with vertical wire antenna) is advised.
For all, one of the carrying systems is recommended

I would also recommend, if you have more than one audio anciliary, to have at least one standard handset.

I would also further recommend that you join some or all of the various Yahoo user groups, for advice and support. Likewise once you are operational on the ham bands, there is a Clansman User Facebook group, perfect for arranging scheds and announcing your operations.

And thats it from me for this series of articles! Many thanks for reading my mutterings, and I hope that its proved useful and interesting to some of you. Now, naff off and get your Clansman radio on the air!!!

Clansman Manpacks for Amateur Use - Part 6

Ok, we're nearly done! So far in this little series ive talked about which of the Clansman manpack radios are usable for amateur radio, and what you need to make one workable for you, such as the audio anciliaries and the antenna systems. In this second to last article, i'll briefly mention a few items which whilst not essential, will make your life a little easier!

Charging

Probably the very first thing your going to want to do is charge your battery! Now, im not going to profess any great expertise here! Myself, I use a Turnigy Accucel-8 intellegent charger, but thats because it can cope with my Lithium Polymer battery as well as all the others, so is a sensible move for me.

There are a number of standard Clansman chargers, of which the most common is the DCCU. Unfortunately, the 14v version of this is somewhat harder to come by than the 28v version! Whichever you get, you will need to connect it to a suitable DC PSU (which is why the 14v is best for us, as most hams wil have a high current 13.8V PSU!). You will also need a battery charging cable, which plugs in to the DCCU and then into the four pin socket on the battery.

Direct Current Charging Unit (DCCU)

There are adaptor plates and the like also available for the DCCU, but really just the cable is  enough, unless your equiping a small army.

There are some other chargers out there, intended for mains or vehicle use. If you have a bit more money to play with and like to have your batteries looked after a bit better, there is the IBMU (intellegent Battery Management Unit). This will take up considerably more shelf space though!

IBMU

But, what happens when your out in the 'field' and your battery runs low? Well, if your normal you pack up and go home, or put on a spare battery. If your a total masochist, you might fancy spending a few hours turning the knob on one of these

Hand Charger

The hand charger clips on to the PRC-351/352, 319 and 320, between the radio and the battery, and allows the battery to be charged by hand. As nice as it is to have one of these to complete your collection, I really would not recommend trying to seriously charge a battery with one!

As well as the DCCU charger cable, a battery extension cable is also worth having. Originally intended to allow the battery to be kept inside clothing to keep it warm, these make connecting power a bit easier, especially during service and repair. You can of course cut it and add connectors for other batteries or power supplies. They are available for the 24v battery and the 15v battery used on the PRC-350.


Frames, Straps, Bergans

So youve charged your battery and are ready to head off up a hill with your PRC-320 or PRC-352 and play radio. You cant help but have noticed its bloody heavy! What you now need is something to make carrying these sets easier.

The traditional way of carrying the PRC-320 or the 351/352 is via a nice solid, heavy steel frame! The Frame, GS, and the Plate, Adapter, are needed for this (if you get a GS frame, make sure you get the adapter plate and the straps!), which has various captive bolts to screw the radios on to the frame with. The frame also has cable clips for the coaxial patch lead between the PRC-351 and the 20W amp.

GS frame and adapter plate

There is also a 'lightweight' frame available, only its not! (lightweight!) and is considered not as comfortable as the GS. It has one advantage, its design makes standing the radio upright a little easier

'Lightweight' frame

Both are horrible to carry really. But there is a much nicer way to carry your radio - the Bergan. This is a nice DPM (Disruptive Pattern Material, i.e. camo) ripstop nylon carrying pack of the Soldier '95 Pattern clothing series. Internally, there is a long slot to house a whip antenna, and various straps for the different radio configurations (conveniently the straps are marked with which radios they are used with). Externally, the two padded adjustable shoulder straps are complemented by a waist belt, there is a large pocket for ancilieries or a spare battery. There are also various straps and zips that allow additional pouches, commonly known by the Toms as 'rocket packs' to be attached, into which you can cram all the rest of the kit you need.

Radio Bergan (open)

The author, with PRC-320 in radio bergan, and 95 pattern smock

If you have a PRC-350, you will need a pair of carrying straps for this, which are unique to that radio. But, it will also strap into the Bergan.

And thats pretty much it. You now have all thats needed to carry and use these great green radios. Thats not to say there are not other bits of the Clansman range you might like to get, which can make using them a bit easier or more fun. There are audio extension cables out there which are useful, and the CRS/LR box allows the PRC-320 to be used with a remote handset, for example. .

CRS/LR Interface Box

Morse Keys

If your a CW operator, a morse key will be required! The desk keys seem to be harder to come by than the leg keys, which whilst they can be used on the bench, are intended to be strapped to the operators thigh.

Thigh strap key

Bench/Vehicle key
 

I'll try and add a better pic of the leg key later. I myself dont have a vehicle key, but I do have a leg key or three! (the one above, a sealed Racal type, and a beautiful WW2 McMurdo aviation thigh key)


Where To Buy?

Maybe you have been reading this but dont yet have a green radio, and are wondering where to get one?

These days of course, ebay seems to be the main market place. As with anything on ebay, you will find good and bad sellers, and a lot that are mediochre. I will not mention any that I consider bad or just lacklustre, but will advise that you read the feedback of anyone you consider buying from. This is sensible whatever you are buying! Likewise, there are sellers online. Another great way to find them, and accessories, is at ham radio rallies - look for the car boot and junk box sales!

I will mention here a few sellers who ive dealt with and had exceptional experiences with -

LRSeries-Surplus -  On ebay and online. Deals mainly in Landrover spares, but has great deals on Clansman. Dom is a nice chap who ive met in person. http://www.lrseries.com/

PTS Norfolk - Exceptional range of Clansman parts, many small items that you wouldnt think would be available at good prices. http://www.ptsnorfolk.co.uk/100820/info.php?p=4  Trades as gten98.

Army Radio Sales - Ive not had direct experience of these, but I include them to give them a plug, since ive been nicking their photos! http://armyradio.com/Clansman-Radios/

2012mdlradios - Occasional ebay seller, real nice chap, will go out of his way for you!  (thats not a link im afraid, but search on ebay for him)


The sellers above will kit you out! Incidentally, if you are one of the above sellers, feel free to, ahem, 'reward' my promotion of your business! Theres still some odd bits im looking for...

My remaining kit wishlist

Standalone Loudspeaker and connecting cable
CRS/LR box and connecting cable
Audio extension cable
PRC-350 battery extension
PRC-350 carry straps
Hand Charger
Bench/vehicle Morse Key
JAMCAT unit to CES
couple of chassis mount 7-pin audio sockets
Handset pouch


Feel free to just drop any of the above into a box and ship to me!  ;-)

Charging PRC-349 batteries - Jig Needed

One thing ive found so far with these PRC-349 battery packs, is that its not easy to get crocodile clips to stay attached to the terminals! And with several dozens of them to charge and test, I need a better way to connect the charger.

What I need is a jig!  Luckily, these batterys have a bolt that runs through the middle of them to secure them into the radio, si im thinking a piece of plywood, with a hole and a nut embedded for the securing bolt. A few bits of wooden moulding to form a frame, and something for the contacts. I do have a bag of 'upholstery nails' which will probably do for that. These are brass dome head nails, so hopefully a pair of those in the plywood, and then the charger connected to the pointy end!

I also still need to work out a sensible charging/discharging regime for these that will condition them within a sensible timeframe each, but also keep up a decent capacity.