Is Your Rig Rugged Enough for Field Deployment?

The term “field deployment” can be interpreted in many different ways. To some it could be as simple and easy as setting up inside a warm, dry, comfy vehicle – although I’ll admit it can get darn cold inside a vehicle in winter at northern latitudes.

Up, Up and Away

Field deployment can also mean bushwhacking your way up a mountain to do a Summits On The Air (SOTA) activation. I have watched some scary videos about the lengths SOTA activators go to in order to reach the “activation zone”. I raise my hat to these people, but that’s not for me.

Some field operators drive to a park, haul out their kit and settle on a nice picnic bench to operate. I have done that too, but parks can get busy during the summer and, if you are there to do an activation, inquisitive – or suspicious – members of the public can be a distraction from battling your way through a pile-up.

So I prefer to find a spot away from public view to operate. A location where radial wires can be spread out without creating a tripping hazard. A spot where an antenna can be can launched into a tree without raising the ire of anybody who thinks that may not be a good idea. I also like to operate outdoors in all four seasons (in Ontario that’s Early Winter, Mid-Winter, Late Winter and Summer). Outside of peak season I often have the whole park to myself which makes for “open stealth” operating conditions.

But, there is a problem with operating from a secluded site. Seclusion usually entails hiking along trails – often in the backcountry – to boldly go where other park users fear to tread. And, getting to the secluded site can be a cold, wet, bumpy adventure for both operator and equipment. There won’t be any picnic tables when you get there. Trails are often uneven, muddy, full of rocks and protruding tree roots and involve climbing over stiles or larger, sometimes slippery rocks along the way.

The site may be on a beach. Canada is a land of lakes, tens of thousands of them. My home area is on the Great Lakes but we have many smaller lakes as well. All of them have beaches – some are magnificent long stretches of groomed sand that go on for miles, but the stealthiest beaches are usually rocky. Beach boys and babes worship sand but radio equipment, well not so much. Sand gets into every connector; it sticks to equipment and it is very difficult to completely remove it. Sand is abrasive and can cause connector failure – it has happened to me!

Honey I Shrunk the Radio

That brings me to my number one complaint about modern ham radio equipment. Radios have shrunk in size – that is good if you have to carry it on your back for any distance. Part of the miniaturization involves the now ubiquitous 3.5mm plugs and jacks. These are great if you connect them and leave them connected. But, when you are operating in the field, you have to connect and disconnect them many times. The contact surface is very small and repeated insertions cause a lot of wear and tear. The “springiness” of the contacts inside 3.5mm jacks can be depleted while sand, dirt, moisture and mosquitoes can compromise the electrical connection.

I have purchased a lot of cables with 3.5mm connectors in the past few months due to repeated failures. Perhaps modern mass production of these cables has lowered the quality standard – or is this just a symptom of their unsuitability for rugged and demanding field use? I am migrating my field equipment back to good old 1/4-inch plugs and jacks. I prefer the open style of 1/4-inch jacks so I can clean the contacts when I need to. Miniature DIN plugs and jacks have the same weakness.

One Wheel on My Wagon and I’m Still Rolling Along

Wearing a radio backpack is not always comfortable, or convenient. An alternative is to give your gear some wheels – or preferably, just one wheel. Quite heavy loads can then be hauled to a backcountry operating site with a lot less effort. In fact, you can add significant extra carrying capacity and that gives you scope to add a tent, cooking and sleeping equipment. My DIY “mule” (see picture) has this advantage, but it also has a major disadvantage – no suspension.

Jumping Jacks Flash

No suspension means radio gear gets a rough ride. It endures the equivalent of a small earthquake as it shakes, rattles and rolls along a trail. One symptom discovered this past summer, after a particularly rough haul over exposed ancient bedrock, was the partial separation of several plugs and jacks, and the loosening of coax connectors.

My field radios are mounted inside plastic “ammo” boxes with most peripheral connections already in place – nice and convenient for rapid deployment radio operations, but susceptible to vibrations causing intermittent connection problems. Curing this problem is a work in progress.

In the Summertime When the Weather is Hot …

The climate in Southern Ontario, like that of many northern states, is one of extremes. In the winter, the temperature can drop to -25degC/-13degF (and on rare occasions, even lower). At these temperatures the air can be very dry. By contrast, summer temperatures often exceed +25degC/77degF and it can be very humid. We learn to live with – and even enjoy – our climate, but our radios never acclimatize. In the summer there is an ever-present risk of condensation forming on delicate circuitry when it is moved from an air-conditioned building out into the Big Blue Sky Shack. In the winter the reverse is true!

Winter carries additional torments for our gear with snow and freezing rain to contend with. Very low temperatures cause tiny circuit board traces to contract risking circuit malfunction. And, of course, contraction of metal-to-metal contact surfaces (e.g. those pesky connectors again) can cause loose connections.

Cold dry air carries a risk of accumulated static electricity from clothing being discharged into radio equipment. Battery capacity reduces in colder temperatures which shrinks operating time. Fine powder snow has a way of sneaking into the smallest cavities to wreak mischief and havoc within. Wet crystalline snow melts on our equipment potentially causing water damage.

Watts to Be Done About the Cold?

There is a way to help prevent the ravages of the cold – but my “do more with less” QRP friends aren’t going to like this suggestion. I have noticed that my QRP radios do not generate any significant heat, but my QRO radios get very warm after even a short period of transmitting. I wonder which is more suited to outdoor operation in the winter?

The Long and Winding Road (to ordering a new QRP radio!)

It is tempting to think we have gone too far along the miniaturization path. Sure, it is nice to hold one of those deck-of-cards size radios with all the latest whizz-bang features in the palm of your hand and wonder at its ability to communicate all around the world. Based on my position in the waiting list I am only a couple of years away from owning one myself. But, on the other hand, the ruggedness of those WW2 vintage military radio sets makes one wonder if we shouldn’t wind back the clock and revisit the idea of large secure connectors, discrete components and point-to-point wiring.

Ham Radio Outside the Box is taking a break until the new year. To all the followers of this blog (and a big thanks to all who have subscribed) and everybody else who makes an occasional visit, have a relaxed and fun break. And, if you get a chance, never mind the weather, just put on your toque, parka and mukluks and go operate out in the Big Blue Sky Shack, but take good care of your expensive radio gear!

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