[aprssig] Group Tracker Build Projects ?

[Bruce Gordon]

hi,

Our ARES group built 10 successful portable trackers several years ago.
Each used an Icom T2H 5 watt HT, a TinyTrack chip, a (now obsolete)
Earthmate GPS and a 12V 2.3 AH gel battery packed in an 8.75 x 5.75 x 3 inch
watertight plastic box (Bud PN1329)  A BNC jack on top holds a 1/4 wave
whip.  The inside of the box is coated with nickel conductive paint except
over the GPSantenna to provide the antenna ground.  Three large, doughnut
ceramic magnets and a steel back plate mounted flush with the bottom hold
the unit on any car top.  No external wires to tangle or trip over.  We did
get some discounts on the radios, GPS receivers, boxes and other parts even
at this quantity.

We made a custom PC board to hold the TinyTrack CPU and associated parts, a
switching regulator for the GPS and some protective circuitry.  A recessed
power switch, track and battery LEDs and a charging jack are brought to the
outside of the box.  The battery gives 10 to 12 hours of operation which has
been more than enough so far. Eight of the units are kept charged in a rack
in our comm van.  The tracker batteries have the same charging
characteristics as the van main gel batteries so they take advantage of the
van's sophisticated charger.  We also modified some switching "wall warts"
for recharging  elsewhere.  They have been used on a variety of vehicles and
some  helicopters and airplanes (inside).

Bruce Gordon



----- Original Message -----
From: "William McKeehan" <mckeehan at mckeehan.homeip.net>
To: <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2005 1:32 PM
Subject: [aprssig] Group Tracker Build Projects ?


> Does anyone know of any groups that have built several trackers for the
group
> to use during events? Not the property of any one individual, but the
property
> of the group?
>
> OR any individual that has built several trackers for deployment during an
event?
>
> I'm looking for recommendations on 1) configurations used; 2) bulk
discounts
> available and 3) any tips on such an effort.
>
> --
> William McKeehan
> KI4HDU
> Internet: mckeehan at mckeehan.homeip.net
> http://mckeehan.homeip.net
>
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