Unique APRS Unit

All fellow APRS/TinyTrak Hams,

I'm ABØBW (Bob) and I've built a unique APRS unit for Caitlin(KDØAFG)...since she doesn't drive yet, I was looking for something that was all included in a single, waterproof case...something that could be carried or put on a bicycle easily...and then later, just thrown up on the dash of a car she is driving for doing SkyWarn or other events... Caitlin was one of the kit builders at the last club meeting in April...she built the TinyTrak... I went online with a list of things I needed...and a company called DigiKey had all the parts...for less than $95,

not including the TinyTrak... I ordered and had the parts in less than a week…

I wanted to use one of my HTs, a Yaesu VX-2R…this radio runs on a max of 6v…at least that’s what Yaesu recommends for running off their power supply…

DigiKey had a 6v regulator, a 7806 in a TO-3 configuration…I also included a TO-3 socket and a heat sink for heat dissipation if needed…

I also found off eBay, very flat, 12v 2Ah batteries…3 for $10…

All power connections are done with Anderson Power Poles where it was convenient…

I needed to convert the antenna from the radio to BNC…DigiKey also had a nice little SMA to BNC coax…a 90 degree BNC adapter is used to rotate the rubber duck up at any angle.

A simple SPST switch is used to turn the whole unit off and on…and an Anderson Power Pole was used to bring a charging port out…

At first the RF from the radio was causing the TinyTrak to go into an oscillation mode and never come out…so, a few ferrite RF isolators was used on the power to the TinyTrak and GPS lines…this seemed to clear it all up…

If anyone would like to see this unit or want the parts list from DigiKey, just email or call me… ab0bw@arrl.net

Bob ABØBW