M7SMU/M Field Test 2
Overview
My second HF Mobile field test, building on my first.
Field Test 2 - 07 May 2021
Field Test 2 is to build upon Field Test 1 and attempt digital modes mobile.
Objectives
- ❌ Tune antenna via Nano VNA
- ✅ Set up digital mode kit
- ✅ Make a QSO on 20m
- ✅ Make a FT8 QSO
Kit deployed
| Serial | Category | Item | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Radio | Xiegu G90 | Worked well as ever |
| 002 | Radio | Hand Mic | Not used |
| 003 | Radio | Digital mode stand and fan | Worked well |
| 004 | Power | LiFePo4 6Ah battery | 2 hours of FT8 and was about 1/2 charge |
| 005 | Power | Battery to Anderson PowerPole lead | Worked well |
| 008 | Antenna | AMPRO-20 HF antenna | Tested, didn't tune |
| 009 | Antenna | Mag mount | Worked well |
| 011 | Digital Modes | CE-19 Digital Interface | Still a wire monster |
| 012 | Digital Modes | G90 CAT cable | Worked well |
| 013 | Digital Modes | USB Soundcard | Worked well |
| 014 | Digital Modes | 2 x 3.5mm jack plug leads | See serial 11 |
| 015 | Digital Modes | MacBookPro with s/w for digital modes | Worked well, some issues getting WSTJ-X and Gridtracker configured |
Field Test Report
Location
As for Field Test 1, I took a drive out to Portishead beach where I could park up near and facing the sea to get a nice clean takeover over the Bristol Channel.
Outcome
Field test 2 was a success. The weather was perfect, a light breeze and some late afternoon sunshine. I fitted the AMPRO to the roof and connected up my Macbook to the G90. It worked with a few tweaks to the set up (I didn't want to use FLRig, instead I tuned manually). Mostly I just set the G90 to Vox and adjusted the sound card in Mac OSX to get the signal in and out right.
I made a few FT8 QSOs and the signal strength and noise levels were a massive contrast to my home QTH. I easily worked Canada and saw far more stations that I usually manage. Battery life wasn't a problem, I ran out of time well before the G90 or the Macbook ran out of power. I do need to investigate how much battery life I have.
The only downsides are the wire monster that the G90 creates... I need to think about a better solution.
In conclusion, I think the G90 in a mobile configuration works well, digital modes are easy to set up and use but I need to look at the wiring and wiring management.
Next time, I need to look examine the current draw and expected battery life.