Portable HF Operation Kit - Ham Radio Q&A

I like to take my ham radio portable kit when we are camping. Here's what I pack for portable operation be it in a park or in a wilderness setting.

Items described are available from Amazon and other sources. Links are below:

Colophon:

#HFportable
#Gobox
#YaesuFT-891

[mdouble]

I have a portable kit that includes a 30 amp hour LiFePo battery, charge controller and 100 Watt packable solar panel. I use a repurposed, watertight plastic ammo box for the battery folded solar panel and charge controller. I also use a Cameleon antenna kit which has a mini transformer can be used with a wire or whip, and I have both. My rig, like yours is the Yaesu FT-891. The power use for that rig is simple to reduce by simply changing it in the menu to as little as 10 watts. That's not technically QRP but will extend battery life considerably.

[leathersr]

Thanks for the video. I would compare the kit you showed to "car camping" rather than backpacking. Hopefully that analogy makes sense. I'm more of a "backpacking" portable guy. Still, I can appreciate the thought and effort you put into your definition of portable. Its all about defining the mission and then building a kit and capabilities to match that mission. Its OK if we are planning for different missions. I guess a variety of things can fall under the umbrella of portable operation. Keep up the interesting content!

[OffgridMichael]

To me NVIS is one of the coolest parts of the hobby and the one that could be most important for regional comms in a SHTF scenario. Thank you for the recommendation of the 40m dipole in such regards. I like your channel and find your content very informative.

[whiskeydna]

Just bought the WRC and 891 myself. Great combination for a beginner like myself. Slowly getting used to the functions of the radio along with setting up the antenna for different bands. I'm looking to get a bag for my gear now. Enjoy your videos. 73 😉

[AmWestColl]

really some nice portable equipment...also really like that travel-camper !

[Mikesorrento]

Very good. These little HF rigs are so much fun. I’m headed for St John USVI and will, be operating an 817 from an elevation of 900’ on Bordeaux Mountain. With a simple 20 M dipole, I can reach Europe, Africa, and even the Middle East on just 4 watts. KB1VXP.

[davdrums]

Nice to see the Wisconsin state bird doing so well in your video.

[geolabuk]

You're a hero for carrying on while that clapped out car was going past.

[kwxp]

Great, now that my go kit is nearly complete and in two toolboxes, I see that lots of folks like yourself are going with backpacks. 😆 Much lighter, that's for sure, but I do like the protection from the elements in a hard case. Thanks for giving me fresh ideas, and thanks for leaving in the La Bomba Chevy in the video. Really cracked me up that you stayed on topic through all that racket! 73, Brett

[wmkh]

Greta video. That bag is on my Christmas list and I am pretty sure I will be getting it. Thanks for the recommendation and inspiration for a field bag.

[rustylind]

I use an FT-891 for the radio. I built a battery supply with an 18 AH LiFePO4 battery. It is carried in a small plastic ammo can. I have two Anderson Powerpole ports on it. I also carry a G5RV jr antenna that works well. I am wanting to go with a ham stick antenna setup. I also carry an auto tuner to make the antenna match up. I can shove it all into a backpack. My favorite thing to do is activate Summits on the Air. I also have a 5X7 enclosed trailer that I am making into a portable ham shack. I like that for events. Usually ARES or other public service events. I also have visions of using it as a winter camper, for things like Winter Field Day or winter camping where I do not have to drag out my 5th wheel camper. On that setup I have FM VHF/UHF permanently mounted and a bracket to mount the FT-891. It has ports with PolerPole connectors and T connectors wired directly to the battery system. It also has a solar charger to keep the batteries happy.

[andrewpoellnitz]

I wish you'd do a full walk through of your PotA station. Please include setting up the battery system as well.

[webmastercaribou]

Nice video, would have been nice to see you pull a 44 magnum out of your bag and shoot the engine of that noisy car and continue on. (But we don't live in a Dirty Harry movie) lol great job

[usafretboy]

Great video! How do you power that kit? Could you do a video on how to set it all up?

[scottversaw]

Thanks so much for the links to equipment in your kit.

[careycraig]

Excellent Video! Lots of VERY USEFULL information, well explained. I also am thinking strongly on purchasing an FT-891.

[nicoschadjidemetriou]

Thank you for the good video! 73, s from 5B4ER.

[timholtzclaw]

Excellent audio!
Can hear the flies 😂

[CDL]

Thanks for sharing all your knowledge, have watched a lot your videos and learned from all of them

[jimakeson]

Looks great! Thank you for your videos, I learn a lot from you. A suggestion if your interested: I have some laptop sleeves that I picked up at a dollar store to protect my coiled up dipole antennas. it cuts down on the amount that my antennas are tangled up / broken and it makes it easier to find the part if something does break.