[pskmail] Lightweight, backpack "Pskmailing"

  • From: John Douyere <vk2eta@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: pskmail@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:07:20 +1100

Hi,

I will be testing a new system for backpacking with Pskmail this weekend.

The issue of weight is of prime importance of course since we will have
several KM of carrying backpacks to get into a gorge, before going down a
river over three days this weekend.

So the solution I will be trailing will be:

1. FT-817  with a pack of 10 NI-MH (I SHOULD have bought these LIPO battery
packs..didn't I)

2. Portable G5RV + MFJ tuner (I SHOULD have made that BLT tuner..didn't I)

3. HTC phone with pre-recorded un-proto messages in THOR22 as it will be
NVIS at 70KM strait line to my server. The river is deep down a gorge so no
chance of ground wave I suspect.

4. Account with an email-to-SMS provider allowing these un-proto messages to
be sent to family and friends following the trip from home and triggering
rescue if something goes really wrong. Example of messages I prerecorded: "
0555555555@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx All OK, camping for the night at planned
location".

The idea was to be able to still have voice comms by taking the FT-817 but
without the added weight and risk factor of damaging more equipment with an
audio interface and a laptop.  The backpacks will spend most of their time
in the water and may have be released down some rapids. So every bit of
equipment has to be protected from water and shocks. So the simpler the
better.

Plus I wanted to avoid long TX sessions in a connected exchange as battery
capacity is limited and the forecast is for overcast so the portable solar
panel will not do much for the battery's charge.

The acknowledgement from Pskmail to unproto messages is a plus here, even if
in that case it will only be an audio check since I can't decode it.

Maybe you guys can see better solutions. It would have been a great to have
a full Pskmail in my Android phone for that. Java is part of Android so that
should be workable but Fldigi is not available on that platform.

I'll be reporting on this test next week.

All the best,

73's, John (VK2ETA)

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