DX Activation Plans
Part Three
Types of Station
Having looked at the different cb radios I have available for DX activations in a previous post we should now consider the different types of stations that may be required when looking to take part in a net.
The different types of station would generally fall into three types.
Static Mobile station
This would be one of the most basic and probably easiest type of station since it doesn't involve and special equipment or elaborate aerials.
The simplest type of station would basically be to drive to the desired location and work the station from your car as you would when driving normally.
This has some advantages since you can use the power supplied by the car battery. You have some degree of comfort and shelter within the car and when you're ready to leave you can just start the car and take off without any disassembly.
One limitation of a static mobile station would be the aerial and it would be advisable to have a number of different aerials available in the car to help improve your range.
In terms of my own equipment I have a small unbranded aerial which is fitted to the roof of the car via a mag mount. This tends to be what I use on a general basis.
For DX activations however I plan to invest in a 5ft Firestik which I will only fit to the mag mount when I arrive at my preferred location. The Firestik is not at all expensive, is much taller than my standard 'twig' and fits easily to the 5/8ths connector on my magmount. Because of its increased size it should provide a better range over my normal aerial which is little more than a meter tall.
There are further options available that could include either a portable L2TP or halfwave aerial. In the case of the L2LTP you would also need a fibreglass mast or fishing pole. Metal masts cannot be used weigh an L2LTP aerial because of the exposed coaxial in the aerial.
With a standard halfwave Homebase aerial a sectional metal mast would be preferred. For both the metal mast and fishing pole some kind of guy line system would be required to keep the mast vertical.
An alternative to this would be a drive on mount which would except a standard tubular mast system. This would be suitable for a Homebase aerial also but would add additional weight to the overall kit and would only really be able to be used from a car meaning that for some truly portable set ups it would not be suitable.
Overnight Portable Set up
As some of the locations I will be looking to go to for DX activations will be a good distance from home I may need to stay away overnight. This will mean carrying a lot of extra gear for an overnight stay which obviously will add a lot of weight and general bulk to the overall kit needed. A tent, sleeping bag, possibly a camp bed as well as cooking gear and food all add to the amount of kit that would need to be carried to the DX Location.
Because of the extra camping gear needed I would prefer that the actual DX location is not more than a short walk from the car especially as it is likely to be an uphill walk to get there. Taking a lot of camping gear as well as the radio equipment needed would be too difficult to pack into a rucksack and it may take several trips to get everything needed to its final location as well as back to the car when it is time to go home.
Being away from the car would also mean that I will need to think about how to power the radio equipment and there are some options then about the amount and type of batteries that will be required and this too adds more weight and bulk to the overall amount of kit needed.
Lightweight Portable Kit
As there will be times when the DX location I need to get to will be a long walk from the car and possible a steep climb a lot of the equipment I would like to take just can't be carried so a much more slimmed down set up would be needed.
As well as the radio, batteries and aerial needed. I will also need to take some kind of shelter to keep out of any wind or possibly rain as well as cooking kit to make drinks and to be able to heat food when required.
A standard metal mast would be too heavy and cumbersome to carry any great distance so in the case of a lightweight kit a telescopic fibre glass fishing pole would be a better alternative.
A standard home base aerial also would be difficult to carry along with the other equipment required so a flexible L2LTP aerial which can be rolled up to take up very little room and is very light would be the ideal alternative.
In terms of shelter a standard tent would need to be replaced with something much smaller and lighter for a leightweight portable set up. Probably the best way to provide some form of shelter without adding additional bulk and weight to the set up needed to be carried would be an Army Basia or tarp which can be tied up or held up with a walking stick or collapsibable poles would provide the means to create a shelter.
Certain radios would be too heavy or cumbersome to take out on a leightweight portable DX activation so either a smaller compact rig could be used or possible a handheld radio. The handheld has the advantage of needing a fairly small amount of batteries so size and weight wouldn't be an issue.
One challenge with handhelds is the size of its aerials but with the right kind of coupler it is possible to use a handheld with either a Homebase or portable aerial.
The downside of using some handhelds though is the lack of a handheld microphone but there are some models that allow for a handheld mic to be used rather than holding the whole radio to your mouth and should supply better audio quality.
Batteries are a major part of a portable set up and again because of weight and size careful consideration will be needed in terms of what to take. A standard car battery may be too heavy so certain leisure batteries and power banks can be used in thier place.
There are ways to connect a bank of AA batteries to a CB Radio such as the case used with a Maxcom 7E which will probably be what I will used most of the time in a portable set up.
Cooking kit, food and water will also need to be carried so some kind of compact army stove such as a Trangia or Crusader cook set would provide a suitable solution without adding to much extra weight to the kit.
Clothes also will be an important part of a portable set up. Good walking boots, waterproofs and extra warm clothing and headgear shouldn't be forgotten as an important part of a portable DX activation.
So depending on where I plan to go, how far away it is and how tricky it is going to be to get there, the right kind of kit must be selected.
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