Will Starlink Kill Winlink?

It's a valid question. Is Starlink poised to make radio-based Winlink irrelevant? If I had been asked this question a year ago, I'd have said, "not likely". Today, things have changed a bit. What's happened to change my mind? The new Starlink Mini, and where Starlink seems to be taking their service.

Starlink Mini antenna. Yes, it really is that small

Winlink is a wonderful system. It's one of the few 'killer apps' in ham radio - it's so good and offers so much real-world functionality that access to the Winlink system is, by itself, justification for going through the pain of getting a General-class license and investing in hundreds or thousands of dollars of radio equipment. In a fully infrastructure denied environment (like Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina), Winlink is often the only system available in the hours immediately after a disaster that lets survivors reach beyond the impacted region and let others know their status. But as I've mentioned, Winlink access comes with some serious overhead - a General ticket, specialty equipment and specialty software.

I've kept an eye on Starlink for a few years, and last year purchased one of their standard Gen 2 systems. The Starlink 'ecosystem' is impressive in its concept and realization. For the first time in history a private entity has delivered low-cost, bi-directional, space-based bandwidth, virtually anywhere on the globe. That is a stunning achievement, and a game changer for how we as preparedness and ham radio geeks should think of emergency communications.

As I said, I've been using Starlink for over a year. I'm a casual user, turning it on and off as needed (I use the Roam package that Starlink offers). It has come in handy on a few camping trips when there was no cell coverage we could link our phone hotspots up to. The biggest shortcoming the Gen 2 standard antenna and router package has is that it's an AC-only setup. You have to plug the router into an outlet, which powers the router and passes voltage to the antenna. Since all Starlink antennas are 'active' (remember, you are both receiving and pushing data through the antenna) they need a power source. And it's not just a trickle of power - the dish will draw up to 75(!) watts when pushing data up to the satellite constellation. From a preparedness perspective, this is a huge negative; in a disaster situation, commercial AC power is one of the first utilities to go. So, the Starlink system is robust, viable and easy to use, but the AC power requirement is its Achilles heel.

My Gen2 Starlink antenna set up for Field Day 2024. The router is at the other end of the cable, under the shelter

The recently released Starlink Mini effectively addresses that Achilles heel. The Mini is specifically designed for portable outdoor use. Starlink advertising even shows a guy hiking with the antenna strapped to his backpack, and you can find videos on YouTube of people hiking with the antenna facing outwards, actively connected to the Starlink constellation and enjoying mobile space-based internet access.

Strap it on and enjoy YouTube videos while hiking the Appalachian Trail.
But please... don't

How does the Mini achieve this new level of portability? Well, it's a smaller antenna (so yes, lower bandwidth speeds - we'll discuss this in a bit) and they have built the router into the antenna. It's all in a clever package that is IP67 rated (are you reading this, Icom, Yaesu & Kenwood?). But the icing on cake is that the Mini system can be powered over a USB-C cable plugged into a relatively inexpensive power brick, the kind of thing you'd buy to charge your tablet or phone. Don't take it from me - just watch the Starlink Hardware guy on YouTube testing various power bricks:

Looking at the capabilities of the new Starlink Mini system, I consider it a mandatory adjunct to any communication readiness equipment package. It's going to be a part of my standard comms package when I head out camping, or even just for a day of casual outdoor operating fun. In fact, to NOT incorporate a Starlink Mini into a standard ARES/EMCOMM comms package is akin to negligence. Not everyone in the party needs a bring a Starlink system, but the deployment of Starlink - who'll bring it, how the service will be paid for, who will manage it and control access, etc. - needs to be part of the planning process.

We're back to the opening question - does Starlink replace Winlink? No, it doesn't replace Winlink as an application or a service, but it can certainly change how ARES/EMCOMM organizations connect to Winlink. Winlink as an application and a service provides the standardized forms we rely on to pass information to served agencies. How those forms get to the served agency is irrelevant - over the air via HF, UHF or VHF, or by telnet. The ability to use a completely off-grid internet service to connect to Winlink via telnet is a huge force multiplier. As anyone who's used Winlink in a disaster scenario knows, the telnet version of Winlink is faster and there are no RMS connection issues. 

So then, does Starlink make Winlink via radio irrelevant? No, at least not yet. The Starlink Mini provides somewhat restricted bandwidth. Tests I've seen peg the service at about 200 mbps down, about 15 mbps up. This is certainly enough bandwidth for one or two users to enjoy reliable internet access for routine tasks like sending & receiving email, posting pictures, video chatting or watching videos. An ideal family or small team solution. But if the Starlink Mini is the only internet service available to a larger group, like a temporary EOC, then bandwidth will slow to a crawl. This means rationing access and looking for ways to off-load comms requirements to other systems. This is where radio-based Winlink comes back into play. In addition, if served agencies are running Winlink in a peer-to-peer mode, then radio-based Winlink is essential.

What impact does this have on service recommendations? As ham radio operators we're all about the radio, but if we're talking to someone with no ham radio background and who only wants the ability to reach out to loved ones to let them know they are safe and well, then my recommendation is Starlink. It's cheaper, easier and more effective. To not recommend Starlink as the first and best option is dishonest. So let's keep it honest. 

W8BYH out

The Clock Is Ticking On Windows 10

Microsoft has announced that they will end support for Windows 10 in October, 2025. This has me digging through my stack of Windows 10 laptops and tablets, trying to figure out if they are 'Windows 11-ready'. As I understand it, this is both a hardware and firmware issue. Windows 11 runs on a lot of platforms, but there are older, viable computers running Windows 10 that can't be updated to Windows 11. The problem is, you won't know unless you try to do a Windows 11 upgrade.

I like Windows 10. It was the best OS that Microsoft released since Windows 7 (the less said about Windows 8 the better). I'll also admit that Windows 11 is, given the hardware platforms I use, a bit better. I don't like how Microsoft has incrementally loaded bloat-crap into the OS with every update (just click in your Windows Search window and you'll see what I'm talking about), but they have managed to keep Windows 11 running well on lower-tier hardware. I wish Microsoft would sell a stripped-down, bloatware free version of Windows. I'd happily pay for that. Yes, I know we all 'pay' for the Windows OS on our computers, and that cost is both built into the cost of the new computer and in the targeted advertising that gets shoved into the OS components. I'd gladly pay for a lean version that strips out all the revenue generating crap. An OS should control the hardware and help me do what I need to do, not keep trying to squeeze more money out of me. 

I see the biggest risk in not upgrading to Windows 11 is the lack of security updates. You don't see it, but every minute your computer is on the internet some hostile actor is poking and prodding it. Microsoft has gotten pretty smart about security. The anti-virus, anti-malware tools, and the firewall built into Windows 11 are all very good (hint - no need for third party junk like Norton or McAfee). If Microsoft doesn't provide security updates for Windows 10, it will quickly become a very vulnerable OS. 

My advice? Upgrade to Windows 11 as soon as possible.

W8BYH out

Some Lessons From North Carolina

Hurricane Helene was a once in a millennium storm, not so much for it's size (geographically it was big, but we've seen bigger) or power (a Cat 4 when it came ashore in the Florida Big Bend region, but a tropical storm before it exited Georgia), but for the destruction it wrought in places that didn't expect it - western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Helene was a 'perfect storm' due to the combination of rainfall, winds and terrain. I can't think of a worst place to dump 24" of rain in 48 hours than over the heavily dissected terrain of western North Carolina. 

Places like Florida and coastal Georgia receive these kinds of storm hits fairly regularly, but the terrain in these areas is more forgiving and, most important, the state and federal emergency management agencies and the citizenry expect these storms and are prepared to deal with them. Not so in western North Carolina. 

So here we are, a month and a bit after Helene hit North Carolina, and we're starting to see a lot of individual after-action reports coming out of the region. The majority are YouTube videos. Some are of the breathless "Oh God, pray for us!" theme, some are of the "FEMA and the rest of the government suck" perspective, but many are very good analytical reports that focus on what worked and what didn't. I think it's interesting that most of the level headed analytical reports are put together by individuals who are self reliant (i.e., preppers) at heart, and they view Helene as a learning experience.

My formative disaster experience was Katrina. I was working as an operations officer at First Army HQ in Atlanta when Katrina hit, and worked the military response side from Atlanta (my big boss was LTG Russel 'Don't Get Stuck On Stupid' Honore). Katrina has colored my perspective on preparedness down through the years. I find it interesting that the fundamentals have not changed:

• Shelter
• Water
• Food
• Medical
• Communications
• Community
• Security
• Resilience
• Power & Fuel

What has changed around some of these fundamentals is the enabling technologies. For example, in 2005 there was no such thing as cheap commercial space-based internet (Starlink). We had ham radio, but low power digital modes like FT8 or JS8 were still more than a decade in the future. Winlink was an emerging system (Sail Mail), and still relied heavily on expensive PACTOR modems. Improved Lithium-based battery technologies were still in development. Inexpensive, reliable and power efficient LED lighting technologies wouldn't be available for a few years. High quality consumer-grade solar panels and charge controllers were also years in the future. Lightweight inverter generators were still expensive.  

So let's take a quick look at some of the lessons learned that are emerging out of the mountains of western North Carolina.

Shelter - no new lessons here, other than if your house or primary shelter is on low or unstable ground, GET OUT!

Water - the fundamentals have not changed. Assume that what comes out of your tap is contaminated. Be prepared to decontaminate the water you can collect. Boil or chemically purify anything you use for drinking, cooking or personal sanitation. Have a water storage system, and put together a system that captures 'gray water' for uses like flushing toilets. Point of discussion - boiling water to purify it is the most effective method, but it requires a LOT of energy (gas, electric) to boil enough water to keep a small household going. Chemical decontamination of water is almost as good, and requires a lot less enegry. Regular household bleach is one of the most effective purification chemicals - eight drops per gallon of clear water, shake it up and let it set for 30 minutes and you should be good to go.

Food - nothing new here, either. The contents of your fridge and freezer will spoil within a few short days. Cook up and store what you can, toss the rest (one YouTuber had a great idea for like-minded preppers - feed it all to your hogs. They'll appreciate the feast and you'll reap the benefit later 😁). Canned food that does not need water to prep is best, unless you need to hit the road in a hurry. Cans are heavy and bulky, so if  you think you might need to evacuate have some dried or freeze dried meals on hand (along with water). Have a few large coolers handy in case ice becomes available

Food prep considerations are also important. Virtually all Helene survivors report using propane for cooking. Gas grills are good for grilling duties, but for frying or heating things in a pot you'll need a camp stove and appropriately sized cookware. Bulk propane in 20 or 30 lb tanks is the best and cheapest option., and having refillable 1lb cannisters allows you to recharge from a 20 lb tank and use the smaller cannisters for things like table-top stoves. One Helene survivor mentioned a tip he picked up from a popular homesteading show on TV - use a crock pot to keep hot water available for things like heating food, making tea or instant coffee, sanitation , etc. This assumes, of course, that  you have enough power to keep a crock pot running, but a crock pot set on low only draws about 10 watts, so it may be worth the investment of power. Also, don't forget your pets and livestock! 

Medical - the usual medical advice stands. One personal difference from 2005 - like a lot of folks my age & stage, I use a CPAP. CPAPs require power. If my CPAP stops working, I don't sleep and my effectiveness and overall health goes downhill fast. While not strictly a medical issue, having a power source that can power a CPAP for at least 6 hours is absolutely critical

Communications - This is a topic I wrote about back in July, prior to Helene. This was in relation to the CrowdStrike system outage, and the experiences in western North Carolina were eerily similar. Off-grid communications is an area where we've seen a lot of interesting, and positive, change. First, space-based internet. Starlink has revolutionized this sector and has brought (relatively) cheap and portable internet to the masses. The current battery powered Starlink systems, like their new Mini unit, bring true off-grid internet access to everyone (if they are willing to pay). We've used Starlink while camping for almost 18 months now, and it's a game changer in those areas where there's no cellular-based data coverage. 

Next under Communications is the development of low power, weak signal HF digital modes like FT8 and JS8. These modes allow you to reach out to the world using very little power and compromised antennas. FT8 really isn't a conversation mode - it's more about exchanging pre-canned text messages, but JS8 is, at its heart, a conversation tool. The #1 drawback to both of these modes? The person at the other end needs to be a ham radio operator with the right equipment and running the same software.

This brings us to Winlink, the real jewel in the crown of HF digital modes. It's a robust, effective and well tested radio-based email system. Plus, it doesn't need anyone on the receiving end to be a ham radio operator. I assume most folks reading this post know what Winlink is and how it works, but for the uninitiated, Winlink sends and receives email over ham radio. You type up an email using the Winlink application on your computer, which is connected to your radio. When you hit 'send' the Winlink app connects through the radio to any one of dozens of radio email servers scattered around the US. You upload your outgoing emails to the email server, then download any emails waiting for you. Emails can be sent to or received from any email server, anywhere. Need to let your family know you are safe and well? Winlink. Need to contact your local emergency management center that you need assistance? Winlink. Need to notify your physician that you need an emergency medication refill? Winlink. Winlink is a 'killer app' that by itself justifies the effort to get a ham radio license (General class level) and invest in ham radio hardware. Are you a prepper? Do it!

Community - More than in any previous regional crisis, I've seen more discussion about community, and in a good way. It's clear that the isolation imposed by the western North Carolina terrain has fostered a strong sense of local community. These are people used to taking care of themselves, their neighbors and family. They realized early on that the government wasn't going to be by any time soon, and they needed to fend for themselves for a few days or weeks. OK, no problem; they just did for themselves what needed to be done - cleared roadways so line crews and emergency responders could get through, checked on neighbors and shared resources, made sure everyone was as safe and secures as possible given the circumstances. Let this be an example. Your neighbors are your immediate support system, and helping each other to the best of everyone's ability should be a hallmark of any post-disaster effort. Be a good neighbor that preps, not a prepper that doesn't care about his neighbors

Security - this is the most politically and morally sensitive topic on the list. I'll just say this - in the event of a regional disaster, your security is your responsibility. The police won't/can't be there for hours or days. It happened in Katrina, and it was an issue for some survivors of Helene. Be prepared

Resilience - this is one of the 'soft' issues, in that there are few metrics you can use to predict human resilience in situations like Helene. but I did note some commonalities that ran through a lot of the videos. First, self-reliant folks living in the smaller communities, where they had family and neighbors nearby, and had at least some preparations in-place, seemed to be in a much better mental place than those living in the urban areas with no support systems or preparations. The post-Helene reports coming out of the small communities, while sober, reflected a lot of positive determination. Gender was not an issue here - in fact, a lot of videos were put up by matriarchs who were proud that their families had prepared and endured. Most of the videos coming out of places like Asheville were of the "Where's the government? Why isn't someone here to save me?!" variety. Lots of bitching about no hotel spaces, having to sleep in cars, no gasoline, no food, no water. One gal even griped about how the hotel they were staying at (which had no power and was close to being flooded out) wasn't putting out the breakfast spread that was part of the room charge. Really? Bottom line - those who live a self reliant lifestyle are far better mentally prepared for disasters, large and small

Power & Fuel - I saved this category for last, because power and fuel are the absolute baseline requirement. Without a power system or systems, and the fuel needed to keep those systems going, your shelter in-place plans will fall apart. Fast. What's interesting comparing Katrina with Helene is that nothing in terms of baseline power have changed. Let's be honest - it's all about generators and gasoline. Nothing - NOTHING - provides the necessary baseline power better than a generator. Not wind. Not solar. Not magic pixie dust. It's good old fashioned generators and dead dinosaurs. If  you plan around other power sources you will fail, and you will put all of those depending on you at unnecessary risk. There are exceptions - things like a roof covered in solar panels and enough battery storage capacity to provide baseline power. But if the grid is down and the sun doesn't shine you are back to... a generator. However, the generator is the easy part. A steady supply of fuel is the hard part. Fuel availability quickly became an issue across western North Carolina. It was mostly a transportation issue - either the fuel trucks could not get to the gas stations, or the few gas stations that could get fuel were sucked dry in hours. There's really no good solution to this problem beyond understanding what your power needs will be, having enough gas storage to cover the need for up to 72 hours, and being proactive about filling your gas cans and vehicles before the storm arrives. Virtually every Helene survivor blogging about his or her experience put a generator and fuel at the top of the list of items that were absolutely critical.  

While gasoline powered generators are the best option for base load requirements, there is still key role for solar and low voltage battery systems. New battery chemistries, particularly lithium-ion and lithium-iron phosphate provide significantly improved power density than lead acid batteries. With things like lithium-based power bricks and and solar 'generators', it's easy to off-load recharge duties to these devices to keep laptops, tablets and smartphones running. These devices also pair well with portable solar panels for opportunistic charging when the sun is out. A number of Helene survivors mention the use of power brick/solar panel combinations for keeping phones and laptops topped off

Miscellaneous - there were a number of small 'pearls of wisdom' that survivors passed along that I think are worth noting:

• Hand saw - have a hand saw available to clear small limbs and/or cut things up for firewood
• Battery powered appliances - in the past 10 years a lot of tool manufacturers have put out a wide range of appliances that use common lithium-ion battery packs. Things like drills, saws, lights, fans, and more. The Ryobi range of items, sold at Home Depot, is probably the best example. Assuming, again, that  you have the power available to recharge these battery packs, things like portable fans, lights and even battery powered chainsaws can make life easier and a bit more comfortable
• Batteries - pick devices that use common battery types - AA, AAA, C & D cell, etc. Buy cheap batteries (think Amazon Basics alkaline batteries) and have enough on-hand. Don't buy the more expensive lithium batteries unless the current drain requires it. Also, don't buy devices that require hard-to-find battery types like 6 volt lantern batteries or the CR123 batteries popular for use in tactical flashlights
• Buy the same model of common use items. Again, flashlights are a good example. Don't buy a bunch of different flashlights that have on/off buttons at different locations. Don't force your family members to fumble in the dark. Standardize on a single model, and have one for every member of  your party. A simple flashlight can be an enormous comfort to a child who is having difficulty understanding what's happening around them - something that can light their way through the mental chaos
• Lighters - have plenty of stick lighters on hand. To heat water and cook you will be using propane. Can't light your propane stove? Cold canned beans for dinner again tonight. Buy lighters in bulk and have them available
• AM/FM radios - a lot of survivors lamented the relative uselessness of portable FM radios, mainly because most of their local stations were small FM operations with limited coverage, and they went dark when the power failed or their towers were taken down. AM radio was somewhat more useful, mainly because of the better 'legs' that AM radio has. This meant that AM stations were able to be heard deep into the impacted areas. Have an AM broadcast receiver as part of your kit (there's a lesson in here regarding the current fight to force car manufacturers to keep AM radios in cars, but we'll cover that in another post)
• Firewood - several preppers brought this up. Lots of self-reliant homes planned to use open wood fires and stoves for things like heat, cooking, etc. While many had a supply of split, seasoned firewood, many commented that their long term plan was to cut downed (and partially seasoned) timber as needed. That was a no-go for most, because after two days of hard rain all standing or downed timber was soaked, and any uncovered split & seasoned wood was soaked and almost unusable. Bottom line - cut, split season and cover more than you think you'll need. Also have a stock of things like Duraflame logs and fire starters available, to get a fire going and dry out seasoned firewood to get it burning 

The lessons learned from Helene will be studied for decades, but this close to the disaster it's looking like the fundamentals we discuss all the time still hold. Be prepared, be resilient.

W8BYH out

Making The Case

I'm one of those guys who's gotta' have a case/bag/pouch/container for everything. In fact, I've been known to buy a case or bag simply because it caught my eye, without having any idea what I'll put into it. I think I inherited this from my father, who was an organization freak. I still remember his sense of wonder when zip-lock bags were introduced. Within weeks everything in the house was organized into zip-lock bags; spare change (pennies in one bag, nickels in another, and so on), stamps, envelopes, pens, pencils, batteries, nuts, bolts. Even twist-ties for non zip-lock bags had their own zip-lock bag. Drove my mother nuts.

My obsession for organization reached it's rapturous peak while in the Army, where everything had its place, and there was a place for everything. Example: our trucks were really just gigantic boxes that held ever smaller boxes. They were like giant OD green Russian matryoshka nesting dolls. Once we put everything into their appropriate boxes, we'd draw pictures of what was in the box, so we knew precisely where everything needed to go (we called them 'load plans'), then taped the pictures inside the box lids for as yet unborn archaeologists to find and decipher. It was glorious.

It was also in the Army that I was introduced to specialized cases designed to transport sensitive computer and communications gear. Unlike our regular equipment containers, which were just unpadded wooden or metal boxes (how much protection does a hammer need, right?), these transit cases were purpose-built padded cases designed to provide safe, weatherproof carry for whatever fit inside. At the time the Army was buying a lot of off-the-shelf computer hardware for field use. This was well before things like Panasonic Toughbooks appeared on the market, so this very expensive and fragile gear needed to be protected. Think loading a Sun SPARC workstation and CRT monitor into the back of an open deuce-and-a-half truck with no suspension, and taking it to the woods for a few weeks.

Come forward 20+ years, and I've adopted the same approach for much of the Amateur radio gear in my inventory. As rugged as we may think our radios are, it's an unfounded perception. Even the highly touted 'weatherproof' Lab599 TX-500 fails to meet any industry standard for moisture intrusion, and several are reported to have failed after being used in damp conditions.

The good news is that there are lots of great rugged and waterproof options for safely transporting your gear. I'm thinking about what are typically referred to as 'pelican cases', the suitcase-like hard shell cases manufactured by Pelican, Nanuk, Apache (Harbor Freight), and others. Basically, a foam filled case with a water-tight lid that you can customize to hold your gear. I've exclusively adopted the Pelican and Nanuk brands. These cases are extremely well made and offer a variety of interior configuration options - either 'pick 'n pluck' foam, or easily re-configurable padded dividers. Pelican and Nanuk cases are not inexpensive, but they are almost infinitely reconfigurable and re-buildable. You can purchase replacement foam inserts, new case seals and other parts to keep them going far into the future. Cases, particularly Pelican cases, are widely available on the used market, and they can be re-built to almost new condition. You can't do that with the cheaper brands like Apache. I have a few Pelican and Nanuk cases that I've re-purposed several times over to hold different radio gear. In the beginning I would buy new foam insert sets and configure those to hold the new gear. However, I now buy the padded inserts. Since they are easily reconfigurable, these inserts are a one-time purchase for each case.

Pelican is a US-based company that has been around forever. My brother-in-law is a professional photographer and has Pelican equipment cases that are 30+  years old. Nanuk is a Canadian company that sells directly in the US. Of the two, I have to say that the Nanuk cases are slightly better - better hinges and latches and an overall better design. I didn't know much about Nanuk until I had a conversation a few years back with Jim at HamRadio.world. Jim and his family build a variety of go-boxes and battery power stations using Nanuk cases. He showed me the Nanuk's features, and I was impressed. Pelican's products are great (particularly the Pelican Storm line), but Nanuk's products are just a bit better. Either will serve you well.

One of the features I like about the Nanuk line is the availability of case lid organizers. The small space in the case lid is normally filled with foam padding, but Nanuk makes organizer inserts that are a combination of a sleeve (think of a space to store documentation, notebooks, a small tablet, etc.) and pouches that can hold a variety of items like a microphone, cables, connectors, etc. These lid organizers add a whole lot of capacity and functionality. While lid organizers are available for some Pelican cases, Nanuk designs all of their cases with the appropriate screw holes to accept a lid organizer. It's a pretty slick setup.

Nanuk case lid organizer

When I see portable operators carrying around an expensive radio in the back seat of their car, with no protection, I cringe. I once saw a guy show up to a field operating event carrying a Kenwood HF rig in one of those big blue Ikea shopping bags. Ouch. A $1,500 radio is worth at least some protection, if for no other reason than you are safeguarding your investment. Also, a well though-out case becomes your 'grab 'n go' kit. It's possible, even easy, to build out a kit that holds everything you need - radio, tuner, battery, coax, antenna, notebook, user guide, etc. all in a compact and waterproof case. For example, the Nanuk 918 case I carry my Icom IC-705 in can hold:

• Radio
• AH-705 tuner
• Microphone
• Set of small Heil headphones
• 4 Ah LiFePo battery
• power & tuner control cables
• 25' of coax
• Small end-fed HF antenna
• Roll-up UHF/VHF j-pole antenna
• Connectors & adapters
• Notebook & pen
• User guide
• Leatherman multi-tool

If I shuffled things around there's even be space in there for a small tablet like an iPad Mini or a Surface Go. All in a case that is 17" x 12" x 9.3".

So show your expensive radios some love, and get some decent protective cases to schlepp them around in. The cases I discuss are long-term investments, so they are 'buy once, cry once' purchases. Don't be that Ikea bag guy - get your rigs some protection. 

W8BYH out

More Power!

Power's getting cheap! It seems the lithium iron phosphate (LiFePo) battery market is being flooded with relatively inexpensive high capacity batteries. These cheap and lightweight power sources can negate the justification for low power QRP rigs in many applications. I've long griped on this blog and Facebook that manufacturers have gotten lazy when it comes to QRP rigs. Nobody (except Xiegu, with their G90) wants to push past the 10 watt barrier and deliver a portable HF package in the 20 - 50 watt range. The 10 watt mindset (and the silly obsession with stuffing in UHF/VHF just to get the manufacturers' favored digital mode into the mix) has paralyzed the thinking at Icom and Yaesu. The two manufacturers with the resources and skill to deliver a high quality HF field radio are too scared to take the leap.

But it's not all grim news. For a few years I've advocated building a portable rig package around the Icom IC-7300. It offers everything a portable operator needs - excellent performance, lots of output power, integrated digital mode sound card interface, effective cooling and a great tuner, all in a fairly compact package. Yaesu recently answered the IC-7300 challenge with their FT-710, by all accounts also a great radio that matches the IC-7300 feature-for-feature and does some one-ups. Both radios offer everything a field HF rig should have. Although both are a bit large for the role, considering they were initially designed as shack rigs, they are remarkably small and light weight for the features they offer. If these radios have a drawback, it's amperage draw on receive. The IC-7300 will pull about 1.25 amps while just 'idling', and the FT-710 will suck down up to 2.2 (!) amps on receive. These numbers always put a limit on field operations, particularly on extended digital mode sessions. Your choice was small, light weight batteries of limited capacity, or larger capacity batteries that either weighted a lot (think lead acid car batteries), or LiFePo batteries that offered great run times but at a much higher cost (over $300 for a 30 amp hour battery).

But cheaper batteries can change the paradigm. Most battery buyers I've talked to stop considering buying a LiFePo battery at about the 30 amp hour point, based mainly on cost. It's undeniable that these batteries offer amazing performance given their size and weight, but the prices go up almost exponentially as you go up in amp hour ratings. Thirty amp hours seemed to offer an ideal price-to-performance ratio for running a full sized rig in the field, but extended run times can mean having to turn the TX power below 50 watts. We need more (and cheaper) power!  

Now, what if I told you that you can get a really cheap 100 amp hour LiFePo battery? Something about the size of a 30 amp hour lead acid battery, but a fraction of the weight? Well as Tracy, VE3TWM reports below, it's here! The battery Tracy shows off, the LiTime LiFePo4 100 Ah battery is currently on sale from the manufacturer for $199 US. Compare that with Bioenno's current price for the same capacity battery - $862. Bioenno is a highly regarded LiFePo battery manufacturer, and the battery management system boards they build into each battery are considered some of the best in the industry. But that $660 price difference between batteries is extremely compelling. Even if the LiTime battery craps out after a few years and only provides half the recharge cycles the manufacturer lists, it's still a better buy than the Bioenno offering.

So here's Tracy from Outdoors On The Air laying out his argument. There's a lot of merit in what he says. For field operations, cheap high capacity LiFePo batteries make power sipping QRP rigs running on tiny batteries almost irrelevant.

W8BYH out

A Useless Appendage

That's what UHF/VHF is in a QRP rig. Useless. It's a marketing gimmick.

"Icom, why didn't you build a tuner into the IC-705?" Icom: "Hey look, it's got UHF & VHF!"

"Yaesu, why didn't you design your new FTX-1F field radio so it gets an IP rating?" Yaesu: "Hey look, it's got UHF & VHF!"

Building UHF & VHF bands into their QRP rig offerings reflects laziness on the part of the product design teams. Why? Because it gives the design teams the excuse to not get other, more important things right. Like an integrated tuner, like an IP rating for water resistance, like better RF shielding, like more power output, like a better form factor.

I don't care a damn about 70 centimeter or 2 meter capabilities in a QRP radio. If I want to talk on those bands at low power I've got HTs that do a much better job. If I want more UHF/VHF 'oomph' I've got a selection of 50 watt mobile rigs that do a better job. And it's not just me. Over the past few weeks I've talked to a number of IC-705 owners, and they all report that, other than using it to occasionally hit local repeaters, they never use the UHF/VHF side of their radios. 

Like I said, it's a gimmick. 

It looks like Yaesu is about to release a radio that, in form and function, is little more than an IC-705 clone. Icom got lazy with the design of the IC-705, and Yaesu is doubling down on laziness by copying the 705's capabilities, and little else. The FTX-1F's packaging may be a bit more clever, but at the end of the day it really won't do anything that the IC-705 already does.

"Let's just throw in the guts of an HT, toss it over to marketing
 and call it a day"

Think of what could have been. A highly refined HF-only portable field communications package that offers real performance under all conditions, and puts out enough wattage to make a difference. Yaesu is aiming at the wrong target with the FTX-1F. They're aiming at the IC-705. Instead they should have been aiming at the Elecraft KX2, and taken the opportunity to define a whole new class of radio.

Yeah I'm pissed. I'm almost 68, and it looks like I'll be dead before either of these two companies get it right.

 W8BYH out

I Don't Care How Good Your Receiver Is

With Yaesu's recent announcement of their new FTX-1F QRP radio, lots of wish-casters are commenting about how this new radio just has to come out with top-of-the-heap receiver ratings. Otherwise the radio is a complete failure. Hmmm... Now, odds are this radio will exhibit excellent receiver performance; Yaesu long ago figured out how to make great communications receivers. But if that's what you are focusing on, you are focusing on the wrong thing.

Most of the major radio manufacturers - Yaesu, Icom, Kenwood, Elecraft, Flex, and others - know how to make radios with great receivers. Right now Yaesu, Flex, Icom and Elecraft are duking it out for top position on the Sherwood Engineering receiver ratings, and Yaesu has a surprising number of rigs in the top six slots. I think it's safe to say that the FTX-1F will have a pretty good receiver.

What Yaesu (and Icom) don't seem to understand are the requirements for a low power field radio - a rugged, battery powered radio that is easy to pack and carry long distances and is highly integrated - built-in sound card interface, wireless connectivity, tuner, modern power management - and provides transmit output beyond the conventionally defined QRP levels. But as far as receiver performance, that's not the most important thing. For a radio that's marketed as a low power field radio, receiver performance is less important than form factor, user interface, non-RF features, ruggedness and TX  output. Here's a few examples:

• Yaesu's own FT-817 was never a top-notch receiver. In fact, among it's peers when it was first introduced in 2004, it was just middle-of-the-pack. But the radio became a phenomenon mainly because Yaesu nailed the non-RF features and form factor right out of the gate. Users were fine with merely OK receiver performance because the rest of the little rig was outstanding. It didn't just 'fit the QRP mission', it defined the mission, and it stayed in production for almost 20 years. It was that good
• Elecraft's KX2 took the FT-817 example up a bunch of notches - improved receiver performance, an easy to view front panel, excellent internal battery performance, and an internal tuner that is truly world-class. The KX2 is still the only all-mode HF radio you can slip into the cargo pocket of your trousers and take to the field and effectively communicate for hours at a time. You can even use it as an HF walke-talkie. The KX2's receiver performance isn't first class, according to Sherwood (though it' is still very good), but Elecraft understood the QRP field radio requirements and nailed the features and form factor right out of the gate. That's why, eight years after its introduction, there's still a waiting list for newly manufactured units
• Icom IC-705 is a high quality radio that packs a bewildering variety of features and capabilities into a small package, and it ranks higher on the Sherwood receiver test results than the KX2. Yet the IC-705's design reflects a lot of compromises that make it a less capable field radio than the KX2. Why? Because Elecraft paid more attention to the QRP field radio requirements than Icom did. All Icom wanted to do was get a QRP radio, any QRP radio, to market. They squished down the IC-7300 and tossed in a bit of ID-51. Although they did a great job of integrating all the technology, the resulting form factor is a chunky and awkward box that doesn't sit well at any useful angle, lacks an internal tuner, only offers one antenna connection (no separate HF / VHF & UHF connectors) and the stock battery performance is a bit anemic. This means the IC-705 field footprint will grow - an external battery, an external tuner, a transverter so you can run HF and VHF/UHF without antenna switching, and some sort of stand to hold the radio at a useful angle. When you lay it all out on the picnic table at your POTA location and ponder the footprint, you end up asking yourself why you didn't just bring your IC-7300. Again, Icom didn't understand or ignored the QRP field radio requirements when designing the 705

It's looking like Yaesu is following Icom's lead. The FTX-1F will be a mash-up of Yaesu's successful FT-710 HF rig, and their FT-5DR UHF/VHF handheld. Lots of technology in a small box. Yaesu seems to have addressed a few of the IC-705's shortcomings - dual HF & VHF/UHF antenna connectors, a snap-on tuner, a large capacity snap-on battery pack (the two of which, unfortunately, can't be used together). The fully functional footprint of the FTX-1F may well be smaller than the IC-705's. Good thing. But based on what we know right now, it's still just a run-of-the-mill QRP rig that's not optimized for field use. I may be wrong. I hope I'm wrong, but right now it looks like the FTX-1F will be little more than a warmed-over IC-705.

As a ham radio operator with money to spend, I've grown real tired of this QRP thing. QRP radios as Icom and Yaesu envision them are so dull, so unoriginal, and so unnecessary. Designing and building just another QRP rig reflects complacency and laziness on the manufacturer's part. Yaesu's had three years to study the IC-705 and its market performance. They could have focused tightly on the  QRP field radio requirements and included features that make the FTX-1 more compelling than the IC-705. Things like 20 watt TX capability with an integrated battery pack, an IPX and MILSTD rating, an integrated tuner, improved form factor and user ergonomics. That would have set them apart in the market space, taken  market share from Icom, and assured the long term success of the FTX-1. 

Instead, when the new Yaesu hits the market the only real discriminator will be the digital mode. If you are a C4FM guy or gal, you'll buy the Yaesu. If you are a DSTAR guy or gal, you'll buy the Icom. That's about it.

From a philosophical standpoint it's just a swing... and a miss

W8BYH out