BEARS Radio Station in a box assignment

I have been having so much fun building Radio in a Box projects, but just how many radios in a box does one need?  I know, it was rhetorical !

Lucky for me, I belong to the BEARS (Boeing Employees Amateur Radio Society). They have found a new home at the Museum of Flight (MOF).  Quite a few BEARS volunteer at the Museum doing a wide variety of tasks.  In turn, the Museum allows them the use of a meeting place and a location to place their radio shack.   As part of our efforts to give back to the MOF, I was assigned to assemble a radio station to be used in their Emergency Operations Center (EOC).  Basically, the BEARS said replace the current setup with something that looks a bit more "professional".  Other than that I was on my own.

The MOF resides in Tukwila, Washington.  The Tukwila Emergency Communications Team has been "Partnering with the City of Tukwila to Provide Reliable Communications" for quite some time and we decided that would be a good resource to communicate with during an emergency.  Their amateur operators are focused D-STAR radios, so to that end we needed to have D-STAR capability.

In addition, we needed normal EMCOMM ability on a local, county and state level.  The station of course needed to operate without commercial power for at least a few hours and longer with additional batteries or generator.  With that as a starting point off I went to gather the parts and hopefully come up with a professional looking radio resource.

The bits and pieces that went into the BEARS Radio(s) in a Box are:

First, purchased a ICOM ID-880H radio ($200) from Arlene, KF7NDO.  This is the same type mobile radio used by the Tukwila Team.  This purchase included manual, programming cable and software, a older Donner sound card interface for packet work and various other items to make operations easier.

Next, the BEARS had received a complete HF/VHF/UHF rig donated by Dan, N7PWO.  This included a Yaesu FT-897, and compatible LDG  tuner, RigRunner 4005 power distribution unit and the bits and pieces to hook everything together.

Rich, K7RFH (that's me) donated several items from the salvaged parts bin, such as, parts carrying case, switches, wiring, brackets, screws, bolts, zip ties, etc.

The rest of the items were purchased either online or from other Hams.  Since I carefully shopped sales, the current prices for these items may be different from what I payed.  Listed below are what I payed and links to examples products.  Those items included:

1. 6U 19 inch rack audio case (did not need to be weather resistant)  $93
   Example: https://goo.gl/XAdpDU
2. Two 2U metal 19 inch rack shelves $28 each
   Example: https://goo.gl/jmxRBj 
3. 2U 19 inch rack slotted panel for holding gauges, switches and power inlet $15
   Example: https://goo.gl/r9LBz1 
4. 12 VDC power supply sized for the needs of the box $20
   Example: https://goo.gl/jRgbzJ 
5. power management unit to provide auto-switch-over between commercial power and battery, plus battery charging maintenance $55
   Example: Low-Loss PWRgate https://goo.gl/oFLGx3 
6. Anderson Powerpoles, fused commercial power inlet, Powerpole bracket and LED lighting strip.
   Examples: powerpoles $45 https://goo.gl/wAoBnT
   power inlet $5 https://goo.gl/eTTDYU
   PP bracket $5 https://goo.gl/HOviU3
   LED lighting $6 https://goo.gl/pFPuVe
   LED 8mm connectors $4 https://goo.gl/cbKzhP 
7. Sealed Lead acid 7AH AGM battery $29
   Example: https://goo.gl/b0MCwd 

Most items were purchased through amazon.com, but they were not necessarily sold directly by Amazon.  All other products were purchased from other amateur radio operators.

Below are some photos of the parts donated and purchased.

6U audio case with shelves and front panel installed.

Donated FT-897 and LDG Tuner

Low Loss PWRgate from Flint Hills Radio

  Donated RIGrunner 4005

12 VDC Power Supply, grounding block and two power inlets.

(The inlet on the right was selected for this box.)

For the construction, all radios were attached to the shelves with bolts or screws either directly or using a mobile bracket.  In addition, nylon zip wire ties were added to secure FT-897 to the rack shelf.

The following photos are of the completed box and show some detail (closeups) of the installation.

 On the left is the box in travel mode.  Note the yellow lettering is done with reflective vinyl.  Using a flashlight, these glow and make the box easier to find in the dark.


On the right is the accessories box.  It contains microphones, power cord, etc.

This pair of photos show the "butterfly" latch operation.

Shown on the right is the front view of the box components with the LED light strip illuminated.

 Detail to the left shows the battery enable/disable switch. Next to the switch is the Battery IN and 12VDC OUT Powerpole connections.

Detail to the right shows power panel (cig socket, meter, USB power), LED light switch and power cord connection and fused inlet switch.

Shown on the right is the rear view of the box components with the LED light strip illuminated.

On the left, is the Low Loss PWRgate and behind it is the RIGrunner 4005.  Just to the right of the PWRgate is the 12V power supply.

On the right is the accessories box, an example of the antenna connectors, programming cable for the ID-880H and lower in the frame the AGM battery.

New power distribution kit build - Now that was fun!

At the Mike & Key Flea Market I came across a table which was displaying a radio in box concept in a small ammo can.   Not unusual, but how they put it together was very intriguing.  A QYT tiny radio was interesting, but the real surprise was the power distribution box that was built from a kit.
It had more outputs than I had see before in such a small box and there were LED lights that displayed when power was on and status of each of the outputs, as well as a digital power meter.   Since I was working at the flea market I didn't get around to buying one of these kits, until afterwards, when I contacted K9JEB  and below is the result.

K9JEB , John Boal offers the power distribution center kit at $50 plus shipping (at the time of this writing).  Per his web site its features/advantages are:

• Build your own Kit - save money and do it yourself!
• Flexible - build only what you need now, add or upgrade options later
• ARES, RACES, RSGB, ARRL standard connectors
• Industrial Strength DC Power distribution
• Genuine Anderson PowerPoles
• Each output Fused with its own Fuse-Blown / Short-Circuit LED
• Filter Capacitors on each output connection (optional) - keeps electrical/vehicle noise down
• Hot-Connect, quick-change PowerPole connections
• Daisy-chain several units together for lots of outputs
• Use for collecting energy from multiple Solar Panels
• Great for power distribution from Solar Charge Controller output to the DC load
• Use in the Car, EOC, Go-Kit, Home, Base station, or all of them!
• Handles 30A (total load) with optional upgrade to 45A
• Optional features:
• Digital Voltmeter
• 3A Max (2.5A continuous) DC-DC USB 5V Charger Power Module Option
• 1-10V 3A Step-Down DC-DC Power Module option Can use for Baofeng, other Handheld Radio Chargers
• 15-30V 3A Step-Up DC-DC Power Module Option - Charge your laptop battery!
• Shipping is about $5 in the USA

You never known with "kits" what the quality will be or if the instructions cover everything.  I can say with this kit, the instructions were close too perfection.  The quality was excellent and surprise, it came with all the parts needed.   The only things I had to add was about 18 inches of #18 solid wire (which came from my scrap wire bin) and the soldering labor to make everything stay put.

Any question I had was answered by the downloadable documentation and in an evening I had everything together, tested and in operation in the shack.

My power distribution center box is the standard one with no optional power modules noted above.  Basically, one Powerpole pair for 12 volt input and eight Powerpole pairs of various amperage outputs.  The power meter was quite accurate and I mounted it on the surface of the project box.  Also included was the USB power port which is rated at 3 amps.  This works well for phone charging, running a USB light, charging a tablet or whatever other USB powered device you have hanging about.

I replaced a RigRunner 4005 with this kit.  The advantage over the 4005 was more output pairs, the power meter and of course the USB power.  The 4005 is rated a bit higher amp-wise then the basic kit, but even that is covered in the instructions.  Details are provided on how to modify the board so that it can surpass the amperage of the 4005.  I did those mods, but have not fully loaded the box.

You can see several photos of the power distribution center kit on John's website.  They are nicely put together.  I have included a photo of mine below.  Since I immediately put it into service the night I finished it, there aren't any "progress" images.  Did I mentioned it only took an evening from start to finish?  Trust me, it was easy to assemble, as long as you follow the excellent instructions.

Overall, I would highly recommend this power distribution center kit to anyone interested in learning what goes into making one and as a side benefit save a bit of money.   It was a fun project!  

Thanks to John Boal, K9JEB for creating the kit and answering all my question prior to purchase.

Fox Box - Can it be this easy?

For quite some time both Arlene and I have looked at article after article on something called "fox hunting" also known as direction finding.  This is an amateur radio "sport" of locating a hidden transmitter by using various methods such as a radio with a handheld Yagi antenna.

We have some of basics we need to go searching but no one was doing fox hunting in our area.  At least we had never heard of anyone doing it.  Therefore, we decided to do a hunt for ourselves. But wait there was one thing, one very important thing, missing.

THE FOX!

I decided to look into building a fox box, which is typically a weather proof box which contains a low powered transmitter and a controller of some sort that fed the transmitter some information to, well, transmit.   I looked through the internet resources and found some great little gadgets that work on one or maybe two frequencies at very low power usually in the milliwatts range.  This was fine, but what if you wanted to use a little more power and be able to try fox hunting on 2 meters or 70 centimeters and vary the frequency from hunt to hunt let's say.  I really found nothing.

This of course this led me to building one for myself.  I sat and thought about it, assembling a parts list and drawing possible designs and then suddenly it hit me.  What do you really need for a fox box?
First you need a transmitter.  Well, as you probably already know there are several handheld amateur radios that are so cheap, everyone considers them as disposal radios.  Could I use one of these?  Let's say an old Wouxun or Baofeng or one of the other no name manufacturers.  Seemed reasonable.

Now the hard part was the controller.  What does a controller do?  On a periodic basis it sends information to the transmitter so that people can hear it, to basically find it.  I looked at Raspberry Pi, Audrino and specialized units, but being someone who is frugal to the point of cheapness, these were all too expensive.

Again I pondered what did I have in the house already that would do the same thing.  It had to give audio to the handheld's microphone port.  That port on a Wouxun is an 3.5 mm jack.   Then the light went on.  I have an MP3 player, which I brought for $30 AND a Wouxun radio.  Is that all I needed?
Could it be that easy?

I recorded a 3 minute MP3 audio file which has in it the following:
"Here is the K7RFH fox box operating on a frequency of 145.65 FM, K7RFH fox box"
The 3 minutes included a period of silence to make up the total of 3 minutes including the message. Now, this can be any amount of time, so I made several version of varying times.  The shortest being 30 seconds and the longest my original 3 minute version.

I then setup the Wouxun to accept VOX input.  Using a  3.5mm to 3.5mm plug cable, I plugged one end into the MP3 player and the other into the Wouxun microphone input jack.  Set  the VOX level to 3.  Turned on the radio.  Turned on the MP3 in "repeat a single track" mode. Now, every 3 minutes the radio announces its call sign and a little more.

Since I have never done this before, I am not quite sure if this is a good way to do it.  I think I need to stay in control of the radio, so that means I will need to know were it is at all times and be able to get to it quickly in case something goes awry.  This is because the fox box operates in the ham band and runs 2 to 5 watts.  Although given the antenna, it may be quite a bit less power.  The control part  should not be a problem. The high power may be an issue for the hunters.  With the higher power, it means that the signal will be stronger and may ricochet giving false directions.

Finally, I needed a weather proof case.  Fortunately, I had purchased an ammo can set at Sam's Club. The larger can was used to make a radio in a box. You can see that one here.  However, the smaller one was just one of those sizes that might have worked to carry a small 7 AH battery and maybe some extra parts.   However, now I have a handheld which is 124.5mm × 61.49mm × 33.88mm plus an MP3 player which is 0.6 x 1.6 x 2.6 inches.  These together would be nothing inside the ammo can.  So, perfect!

Laying the ammo can on its side, this was clearly a good spot for an NMO antenna mount.  I had one just laying around.  Drilled a 3/4 inch hole and poof, the antenna mount was ready.

Final issue is power.  The Wouxun should be able to transmit for about 6 hours and the MP3 player is good for about 18 hours, all on their own power.  If  I wanted to make sure  I had more battery power I could put a 7AH battery or a USB power brick in the case.  Both would fit.  So now with just a few more parts the entire box could probably run for 24 or more hours.   Of course, fox hunts are usually over in just a few hours.  Everyone would get too bored if it took much longer than that.  So each devices' on-board power will be just fine to start out.

Personally, I was very surprised how easy it was to create this very simple fox.  Total cost for parts I did not already have is... well nothing.  You may not have all the share parts that I keep around so here is the estimated breakdown of costs:

• Handheld radio = $30
• MP3 Player = $30
• Ammo can = $10 (part of set)
• NMO mount and connectors = $12
• Antenna = $12
• Miscellaneous wiring = $2
• Total is about $96.  
• You can probably do better than this on e-Bay!

Now on to building some hunting devices!

Days have passed and I now have two options for a fox box.  In addition to the original MP3 version, I decide to spend some money and buy a unit that could be controlled via radio signals.  The new option came from Byonics.com

The first option as described above is the MP3 player/Handheld transceiver. This provides voice transmissions and timing is controlled by how long the voice portion plus a period of silence is recorded.  That is it.  Nothing special. No control of unit.

The second option replaces the MP3 player with Byonics PicCon unit.  The PicCon unit costs $42 as a kit or assembled for $66.  What the PicCon provides is pretty amazing.  When connected to a transceiver via the microphone in and speaker out, the PicCon can be remotely programmed and controlled.  Connecting the PicCon and radio required either building or buying a compatible cable.  I selected to buy the cable from Byonics for $19.  I figured the ease of assembling the fox box accounted for some time well spent.  The PicCon's capabilities and user manual can be found at http://www.byonics.com/piccon/

 Below are photos of the two configurations.

This is what the Fox Box looks like from the outside.  Photo 1 is the "carry" look.  



Photo 2 shows the NMO cap removed.  






Photo 3 shows the 2 meter antenna attached.

This is the MP3 version. Note the headphone jack on the MP3 player is connected directly to the microphone input on the HT.  The HT is setup with VOX control on the microphone.

This is the PicCon version with 12V battery pack to power the PicCon "Hidden Transmiter Controller". The PicCon is controlled by DTMF tones from the HT or via tones heard over the air.

Yet another Radio-In-A-Box (ammo can version)

Inspired by an ad from Quicksilver Radio, I decided to make yet another radio in a box.
This was the inspiration the Hammo-Can go box

The parts are:

• Yaesu FTM-100DR mobile System Fusion radio, 
• 7 amp hour battery, 
• quad panel, (with cig socket, Powerpole socket, switch and VDC meter)
• variety of Anderson Powerpole bits
• Low-Loss PWRGate
• MFJ power supply 

You can price things out at the current time, but my costs were far above the Hammo-can price.

Below are photos of the box.  Unique features are:

• Tilt up stand (to angle front up)
• Powerpoles connectors for 12V power out and 12V battery in

First configuration with ammo can lid attached

 Note flip out stand.  This came from my FT-897 which was installed in another radio in a box case.  Also note that the power cord, microphone, programming cable and short antenna jumper cable are all stored inside.

Second configuration without ammo can lid. 

Antenna is not connected in these photos.  The antenna jumper comes out just above the right side of the power supply.

This is a photo that show the radio a bit better.
Sorry about some of the photos being blurry, used my phone to take photos.

Comcast strikes again or why I hate Comcast!

Got a call from Comcast promotions.

Stop there I should have. But no,

I listened to the offer and at the end of the call said I was not interested. Hung up. At that moment our internet went down. Coincidence?

Called them back and they denied that they had the ability to "turn off" our internet. Since I went through this same scenario several years ago, I knew that they did. I have never ever had a good experience with Comcast.

Stop there I should have. But no.

Called Comcast customer service. Well, you can guess how that went. Ended with me saying, that I could not waste anymore time with them.

Final result, the network did eventually come back, obviously.

If there was a high speed alternative to Comcast in our area, I would be off Comcast in a heartbeat.

In my opinion, Comcast sucks!

P.S. Hopefully, it is just our case because a lot of people still subscribe to Comcast and they would all be very angry people if they went through the crap that we have experienced with Comcast.

20151225 sUAS First Flight

Like just about everyone else, we too got a quad copter for Christmas gift. Thanks Jen!

This is Arlene's first flight learning how to fly it.  We are both already registered with the FAA sUAS database.  Although this one really didn't need that since it is well under the .55 pound weight threshold.  But we figure you can't beat the free registration for the first 3 years.



Go for it ace!

Started DXing on 2015-01-01, here are some QSL cards for K7RFH

e-QSL Cards for K7RFH

Search and Rescue Radio in a box

Arlene is a member of the Incident Support Team (IST) for King County Search and Rescue (KCSAR).  She recently decided to purchase the standard KCSAR radio, which is a Kenwood TK-780.  Initially, she didn't want it permanently installed in her Toyota pickup, so I suggested putting it in a small box.  Apparently, I must really like building radio-in-a-box setups because below you will find photos of  the end result.

Before that here are some of the details that went into making the project.  Total build time approximately 60 minutes, except for the travel time to Harbor Freight where I purchase a small "aluminum" case on sale for just over $11 (always use your coupons!).  It has only an aluminum frame.  The black portions between the frame members are made of a fiberboard that comes very close to a highly compressed cardboard.  Yet, they advertise this as an aluminum case.

Case measures 7 1/2 by 11 1/2 by 4 1/2 outside dimensions.  Inside dimensions are 6 3/4 by 11 by 4 1/8.
Granted this isn't very big, but Arlene's request was to make it small enough to easily carry and store anywhere in her pickup. I believe that was accomplished, because it is in fact "Arlene Approved".

The weight needed to be light and to that end the entire setup weighs a mere 5 pounds, 6.5 ounces.  Optionally, there is enough room to include a direct connected 12 volt 7 AH battery, however this would nearly double the weight since the battery weighs  5 pounds, 4.4 ounces.  Although Arlene tested the "carry" of this option and said this would not be a problem for her, if needed.

A small aluminum bracket was used to raise the radio enough so it could be angled to make the display easily readable and the microphone jack is above the box edge.  The bracket was from an old tower PC, it was a 5 1/4 inch drive bay filler.  This came out of my projects junk box, so it was free.  The bracket is pop-riveted to the bottom of the case.  The radio included a mobile bracket, which was then screwed to the aluminum bracket.  That was the entire construction process.

Radio is attached to the mobile bracket, power and chassis ground cables were routed so can be used with the power accessory plug and chassis ground connection installed in the pickup, respectively.

The setup for in pickup operation is as follows:

1. Open box, drag out the antenna pigtail, Anderson Powerpole connectors for power and chassis ground
2. Attach antenna, power and ground wires already in pickup to the matching box items
3. Turn on pickup and then radio
4. Listen and talk!

The photos below can be enlarged with a click.  Purchased items were Harbor Freight case, KCSAR radio, Anderson Power Poles and  battery (from earlier project).  Recycled part was the aluminum bracket.

View from handle side, standing on hinged side.

View with box on base.

Opened box with basic setup.

Cables shown are VHF antenna pigtail, fused power lead,
chassis ground and microphone.

Optional battery is inserted to the right of the radio.

Packed for case closure, with optional battery.

Power your laptop from your radio Go-Box battery!

First off, I am not any kind of electrical expert.  However, that never stopped me from experimenting.
Granted fuses fear me when I come near, but if you know someone who is skilled with electrical knowledge then you have every reason to give your ideas a path to reality.

Well, Jim, K7JGM gave me a new idea for my Packet Go-Box.  He mentioned that his Go-Box contained a Powerpole outlet to power his laptop computer.  This means that it is possible to tap the 12 volt power supply for the radio to power a laptop.  You just need a way to step up the 12V to something like 18 to 19 volts.  The specific output voltage depends on which laptop you own.  In my case the Toshiba  laptop I have dedicated to my packet station needs 19 volts.  I obtained this information from the power brick included with the laptop.  The power brick tag says output is 19 volts and 3.95 amps.  Being the trusting person that I am, I measured the voltage coming out of the brick and it read 19.6 volts.  Close enough.

The voltage step up is done by using a DROK DC Converter Voltage Regulator 8-32V to 9-46V 12/24V 150W Boost Step Up Power Supply Module which is available from amazon.com  The regulator can be adjusted easily to match your output needs.  However, be sure the output range of the regulator is appropriate for your particular laptop.

For your Go-Box, you simply tap the 12 volts and install a Powerpole outlet somewhere accessible for you laptop.  In my case, I already had a Go-Box built with 12 volt Powerpole outlet so, I decided to make an external 19V converter.  Below you should see the convertor installed in a plastic "case" with  Powerpole connectors on both input and output.

The case for the converter is a $1 plastic box from the stationary section at our local Fred Meyer. Several holes were cut in the case to allow the Powerpole wires to enter the box and to allow the cooling fins to be exposed.

Finally 5 small holes were drilled to allow access to the screws which secure the wires AND the voltage adjust screw.

Lastly, the scary part is cutting the wire on the power brick that goes to the laptop. This way you can install Powerpole connectors on each side of your cut, as shown here.  This allows you to connect the laptop's power connector to either its original power brick OR the new converter you just assembled.   That's it, enjoy!

UPDATE (2014-05-10) :

So, you have a Dell laptop and it has a "smart" power brick.  Well guess what!  Instead of having the typical 2 connector power port, it has a 3 connector setup.  That center pin is a way for your laptop to tell if the power brick is the correct one. Unfortunately, if it thinks the charger isn't the correct one, then it allows it to power the laptop but not charge the battery, even if it has the correct voltage.  Some folks in the various forums have suggested to just send the 19 volts down the center connector as well, but don't do it.  That connector expects no more than 4 volts so more then that may kill the "smart" chip.  See http://kakopa.com/Dell_PS/index.html for some background.

However, all that said it is possible to use the converter with a Dell.  Since I have a great appreciation for Anderson Powerpoles that is what I used to make sure everything connects correctly.  The images show how to wire the connectors to use all three wires when the power brick is connected and how the converter connects.  Note that the Center Pin is labeled for photo reference, since the Powerpoles are used there is only one way to actually connect everything.  Red goes to the + 19 V connector which is the inner shield. One black goes to the ground outer shield and the other black (sorry I didn't have another color, which they do make) goes to the center pin.

Everything works as usual when connected to the power brick.  However, when the converter is connected the laptop whines about it being the wrong charger and it won't allow battery charging. How rude!  If you leave this situation alone then the battery slowly discharges.  You probably won't notice it because the converter is powering the laptop.  The issue occurs when you disconnect the converter and expect the battery to power the laptop.  If the battery has fully discharged, well you guessed it, the laptop goes black when converter is unplugged.

An extremely simple solution is to remove the battery after the converter is plugged in.  The only change with the battery removed is that the converter's fins warm up just a bit more than with the battery inserted.

If someone knows a way to fool the laptop into believing it has the correct power brick, please let me know.

RMS Express installation improved by using AGW Express Interface-Solution Set

Quite some time back I decided to use my amateur radio to send and receive packet messages, so I carefully researched what I needed, which included:
Hardware - 2 meter capable amateur radio; antenna; computer and interface between computer and radio AND of course "some" software.

Back then it was, to say the least, a challenge to get find everything you needed then get it all  installed, configured and running correctly.

Not so now!

Now, you can go over W2YG's Software web site and download AGW Express Interface - Solution Set which will assist you in installing and configuring all the software parts needed to send and receive packet messages.  BTW, it also covers HF messages as well, but I won't touch on that  here.

Here is my list of parts:

• Yaesu FT-897D
• SignaLink with appropriate cabling and jumpers
• Old Dell laptop (running Windows 7)

Procedure for setup:

1. I will assume that you followed the directions to install the SignaLink. If not, finish those steps using the Tigertronics web site instructions.
2. You now have the USB cable coming from the SignaLink and the SignaLink's other cable plugged into your radio.  The USB of course gets plugged into your PC.
3. Download the AGW Express Interface , also snag the documentation from there as well.
4. Run the downloaded file.  Follow along with the instructions, carefully.  There are a couple of spots where the answers to the installation choices aren't exactly obvious.
5. Once the installation is complete, you can run the AGW Express Interface and it will start all the pieces needed and then ask if you want to start RMS Express. Since you installed it as part of the solution set, of course you will start it.

That's all there is! Well, you need to get familiar with RMS Express, but also reasonably straight forward.  Just remember there are two parts the main screen and then the piece that does the send and receive.  This send/receive is started using the "Open Session" icon which looks like this

Previously, I was using AirMail as the packet client, RMS Express does both VHF/UHF and HF packet, plus it is being actively updated.  So it feels like a better choice.

Okay, I lied! There is one more thing you need and I bet you already asked... How do I get a Winlink email address?  Check out the How to get a Winlink RADIO e-mail account? It is fairly straight forward, but relies on you having the ability to connect via your radio to an RMS Gateway using your new packet setup. The information and links on this web page will be of immense help.  If you can find an local elmer it goes much quicker.

Good luck!  If you have questions, feel free to post comments or email me at K7RFH at arrl.net

Other resources:

• RMS Express FAQ
• Installation Of All Solution Components (Open or Save As)
• RMS Express Tutorial

UPDATE: 2013-12-18 AGW Express Interface Version 2 is now available 

Face palm: Why didn't I get a monopod? A DSLR video must, but I use a real camera!

Attended an online seminar which focused on cinematography.  Now as everyone knows video has moved to the DSLR realm.  Why use those heavy, bulky video camcorders, just doesn't makes sense.

Yea, right!

Nope, I love those big ol' cameras. BUT, never ignore the tools of the trade and experiment with everything!

I recently did a shoot that required handheld capture for long periods.  Needless to say by the end, I was quite shaky.  Could have hauled around my lighter tripod, but that would have been a bit disruptive in the small theater during the sensitive classical music moments.

Back to the seminar.  They talked quite a bit about using a monopod for run and gun action.  Their favorite one seemed to be the Manfrotto 561BHDV-1 Fluid Video Monopod and Head. This has proven to work well with the lighter DSLR rigs.  Check out one of the reviews.  This felt like another opportunity to try something new and solve the shaky cam, wearing out the old guy's shoulder issue.  But could this one handle the cameras that I use. The cameras are just too heavy.  However, Manfrotto makes another model  which can handle triple the weight of the 561BHDV.  Since I already own a couple Manfrotto fluid heads, this was an obvious choice.

I have had the monopod for a few days now and after experimenting with it, I find that this will solve my exhaustion shaky cam issue.  Plus, I now have several new options for shooting.  First, the monopod gives you the ability to perform a limited range dolly-style move for a forward and backward motion.  Next, it is far taller than my tripods so I can get above the scene and still occupy a large footprint. Finally, this allow a much more run and gun style for me and my big cameras.

Not all is nirvana.  Unlike a tripod, you can't just leave it stand while you prep some other aspect of the shoot.  It does require some planning to make sure you have everything ready prior to dedicating all of  your attention  to the monopod.

Also, I am using an old Manfrotto 501HDV Pro Video Head as the topping for the monopod, so I will still need to keep working out to make sure that I can haul this entire rig around easily for long periods of time.  But at least now I get to rest a bit during extended shots.

I really like this setup and can't wait to try it out for some actual assignments

Even more serious about this video thing!

It has been a very long time since I last wrote about anything here at richhand.blogspot.com, well then, I guess it is about time.

First, since my last post in January, 2012 a lot has happened. I am now working full time for the Museum of Flight in the Seattle area. The work involves a lot of event and exhibit creation, preparation and take down. It also includes the best part, which is the video production. My last post noted some new equipment I purchased for personal use. This personal use has expanded to some gigs as a cameraman for Latona Arts and at times the equipment is also used to supplement event captures at the museum as well.

Here in my studio, we (Arlene & I) were using Sony Vegas Studio to create a variety of videos. In the year and a half since the last equipment purchases a lot of skill progress has been made and it is time to make the next leap in equipment and software. Software will remain in the Sony Vegas line, but now going with Vegas Pro and Sound Forge Pro. We will continue to use DVD Architect, but plan to look at possible improvements there as well.

Since the Rode NTG-1 microphone has worked well, it is on the new equipment list again.


Areas that needed improvement are - carrying cases, tripod and camera. The current cases are okay, but through experience, it is clear that the current tripod case is not rugged enough to protect an expensive tripod. With the newest tripod purchase and a replacement for the older case, Handmade Enterprises Video will be purchasing the Hakuba PSTC 300 Extra Large Pro Series Tripod Case. Large enough and padded enough for the various excursion the tripod will endure.

The next case improvement is to secure one large enough for the new camera and all the extra accessories that must tag along to any shoot. The current case fits the Panasonic AG-HMC80, but isn't as durable as I had hoped. Nothing new for the AG-HMC80, but for the new camera I will purchase the B&H recommended case. The Pearstone Professional Soft Camcorder Case with Wheels is the choice.  This is a little bit of overkill, but provides ample protection and interior room for camera and many of the accessories that must follow me around. This eliminates the need for many of the secondary cases I was hauling. The wheeled nature of the case now means that I arrive with tripod on the shoulder while pulling the camera case and that's it. Sometimes I still need to bring a cart for a full setup, where a full setup means adding cables, microphones, mixer, recorder and monitor, plus sometimes a lighting kit. May still need a roadie when that happens.

What holds up your cameras is often as important as the cameras themselves. Previous tripod purchase was the Manfrotto 055XDB Tripod (Black) with 501HDV Head. A very nice tripod for use where having the camera up high (to shoot over the audience's heads) and staying in one location (such as setup on stage or in venues where moving the camera would be too much of a distraction) is the order of the day. It is heavy enough to be stable and with the 501HDV head provides very smooth motion. That said, there have been several situations where rapid mobility would have allowed me to get to a new location to catch the action missed by a static camera. To that end, a different tripod was needed. Enter, a new combo for 2013, the Manfrotto's MVH502A Pro Fluid Video Head (75mm) w/MVT502AM Telescopic Twin Legs. This tripod is far lighter than the 055XDB and with its center braces allows me to grab and go quickly without much adjustment at the new location. The fluid half ball head permits near instant leveling and the new "Bridge Technology" makes for an overall fluid movement and a lighter rig. I enjoy using both the tripods for very different reasons.

 Next, a new, more capable camera was the order of the day. For compatibility and HD performance on the various shoots, I selected another Panasonic camcorder, the Panasonic AG-AC160A AVCCAM HD Handheld. The Panasonic AG-AC160A AVCCAM HD Handheld Camcorder is an upgraded version of the AG-AC160. The upgrade consists of the addition of 1080/60p and 50p recording (max. 28Mbps in PS mode), expanded focus assist functionality, and a "turbo speed" one-push auto focus function. Compatibility of accessories, batteries and software utilities were definitely a factor in the selection. HD performance is a step above the AG-HMC80 and with the added SDI features, it provides professional capture in line with Latona Arts and the future configuration at the Museum of Flight. In addition, the 22X optical zoom was just what I needed for those "I can't get that close" assignments on which the 12X zoom in the AG-HMC80 fell short. Another factor was the recording times, the AG-HMC80 has a single SD card slot, on long shoots it required a pause in the recording to change the card. Whereas, AC-160A has dual SD card slots which allow for tandem recording. Unfortunately, it does not allow for hot swapping out a full card during recording, therefore continuous recording is limited to however much fits on the two cards already in the camera. Since two 64GB SD cards provide 12+ hours of un-interrupted HD recording, I am hoping most of the shoots will be under that. However, having two cameras now allows pauses on one while the other covers the action. I guess technically I could shoot continuously as long as I had empty cards to insert.

Overall, I am really pleased with my selection of Panasonic equipment. I won't say that I am a Panasonic fan-boy, but thus far their cameras have definitely delivered. There you have it, always learning, always improving. Here's hoping someone finds this information helpful.