Complete Offgrid HF Comms Kit - G90 Manpack Series

Here's a quick tour of the HF comms kit that I put together for T.Rex Labs.
SUPPORT
Membership - www.buymeacoff...
ANTENNAS
TTP EmComm Linked Dipole - www.ebay.com/i...
Anti-Field Day Antenna - Contact Tim N9SAB (look him up on QRZ)
MANPACK PARTS
Xiegu G90 - amzn.to/3U3gzvY
ARMOLOQ G90 Frames - armoloq.mybigc...
ARMOLOQ M-APP - armoloq.mybigc...
ARMOLOQ DigiRig Mount - www.armoloq.co...
DigiRig - amzn.to/4aHukYA
DigiRig G90 Cables - amzn.to/3UkxYRd
USB Cable - amzn.to/3U1vHdb
USB Dust Cover - amzn.to/3VXbs2X
Ferrite Beads - amzn.to/3TYSbvx
Aluminum VFO Knob - amzn.to/3UiDoNr
PRC-117G Bag - highgroundgear...
5.11 6x6 Admin Pouch - amzn.to/3Q6gmXH
Admin Pouch - amzn.to/4aWR6eE
6Ah Battery - www.bioennopow...
Power Cable - amzn.to/3UigzJP
#thetechprepper #manpack #radio #hamradio #g90

[@KC3WHJ]

The word "impressive" doesn't do this justice! This is literally a SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY moment! VERY nicely done, Gaston!!!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thank you. This was an amazing build the last 4 weeks. I was not expecting to like the G90 as much as I did. I would be happily take your money, but this kit is 1-of-1. Cheers and thanks for the support!

[@IOSALive]

The Tech Prepper, Subscribed because your videos always make me smile!

[@TheTechPrepper]

This comment makes me smile. Thank you.

[@Swamp-Fox]

Now THAT is a comprehensive kit! Well done sir. I can't wait to see how the exercise plays out.

[@TheTechPrepper]

You and me both! Thanks.

[@kc8owl]

A lot of work went into this build over the last month! This is easily the most complex and complete targeted contact yet! I can't wait to watch this play out on the air. Thanks for all you do brother. 73!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks, buddy. This is going to be a rough one. There's a couple of x-faxtors that I'll discuss after this exercise during the after action report. It was a blast building a full kit like this. Now I need to write a manual for the FT-818ND/857D.

[@BobBob-il2ku]

I hope the T-Rex collab blows up your channel & you get tons of subscribers & supporters.

[@TheTechPrepper]

That would be great to bring a few more people into practical, real-world comms. Thank you!

[@marksmadhousemetaphysicalm2938]

I’m impressed with your antenna design…straight forward and clean dipoles … that is a nice man pack over all. 73s de AC3FB …

[@tomsmall6220]

Your mission is righteous. You are using your God-given skills to the fullest. Thank you, Gaston. America needs more patriots like you.

[@TheTechPrepper]

That's an excellent way of looking at this work. I am humbled. Thank you.

[@jeremygattis6876]

What’s the keyboard u are using on the mobile.

[@LastLineOfDefense]

That setup is wild!

[@TheTechPrepper]

It turned out cleaner than I expected. The question is whether the G90 will survive the summer.

[@brycemickler]

Looking forward to the post-event report out and lessons learned!

[@Philip-KA4KOE]

Tim makes some dandy aerials.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Me, too. I have a few lessons compiled already. Let's see how the exercise goes.

[@mattyunginger3719]

Another great project you did. I enjoy your breakdown of how you do your builds. You have a definite gift. Keep up the great videos.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad to hear it. I get a decent amount of emails on the manpack builds, so it's just easier to make no assumptions and just present all the info using simple language. Cheers.

[@scottpastor1]

Gaston: "I went a little overboard" Guys everywhere: "Hell Yeah!!!"

[@TheTechPrepper]

Yeah... it was a bit extreme. My wife told me to cool it and ship the darn kit already. ;-)

[@marcusalancate1782]

Lots of planning and organization went into this. Great job Sir. Looking forward to the results.

[@TheTechPrepper]

You and me both! The targeted contacts require a little planning especially when you don't know about the other operator's on-air experience. Keep your fingers crossed.

[@golden_shadow_defense]

I'm super stoked for the collab videos and the after action content! You are the reason I have gotten some digital modes set up and angled towards targeted stuff and not just random QSOs. Keep up the great work :)

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad to hear it! Good luck with your journey in digital comms. Target contacts are very rewarding. Good luck!

[@PhinAI]

This is absolutely awesome! Wow!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thank you. My wife is finally happy to see my home office return to normal. There were parts all over the place this month. Take care!

[@keithsafford3056]

Awesome Job! You r da comms man! I need to get my G90 set up like that. My base station is my FT-891. My POTA/SOTA radio ismy G90.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Right on! I have a love-hate relationship with my FT-891. I refuse to use it because the menu system is a nightmare compared the FT-897/857/818. I do like the receiver on it. It has a great DSP with outstanding DNR.

[@cpusurgeon]

Impressive. Very impressive.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thank you very much!

[@johndigiovanni]

The Tech Prepper rocks!! This is awesome!!! Very well done! 73…

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks, but I may have gone overboard. 73

[@shanemccray4050]

Great stuff, as always!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@JamesSmith-hs1ch]

Always informative content! Keep up the good fight!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad to hear it. Thanks.

[@Qwiv]

You sure gave everything Trex needs for success at least gear wise. That’s like 5% guaranteed success right there.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I am curious to see how this plays out. The x-factor will be operator skill and band conditions.

[@victorygarden556]

This is definitely the one I’m gonna grab. Great price point, could afford an extra for contingencies

[@TheTechPrepper]

It has lots of value for the price. It does build up heat and has a few quality issues, but I can give those a pass given the price point. Enjoy your G90.

[@DominicMazoch]

EPO in SW Houston has a lot of the items you mentioned, like the BNC to ladder line/dipole connector.

[@k5wxp22]

Well, that was fast, but full of a ton of info! Enjoyed watching, and looking forward to a field test video. 73, Brett K5WXP

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad you found a nugget or two. I have been living and breathing this build for a month. It has about 160-180 man-hours, but it was a blast. It was nice only spending 90 minutes end-to-end on this video today. 73.

[@k5wxp22]

@@TheTechPrepper I figured you were up to something when I didn't see any new videos. Jumped on as soon as I saw this pop up after cooking brats and sausages on my patio while using my go-kit (FTM6000 and Elk dual band beam) to talk to my friend Bob AK5U on the repeater. 🙂 We're into our usual "tornado watch/warning until August" season 😉, so I like to have a backup plan for communications.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@k5wxp22 Be careful with the tornados. I'll take the triple digit summers any day. 73

[@harrynorman654]

Whats the name of the computer/keyboard bag? You did a great job on this build.

[@TheTechPrepper]

First Tactical Tactix Series Utility Pouch. amzn.to/3JEMYnM

[@hikingfish3]

"...but I kinda went overboard". The first step is accepting the problem hehe

[@MarkW126]

Have you done a video on your computer setup for this? I never seem to have time to setup digital comms myself, and I'd love to know more about the Linux setup.

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's spread across a number of videos. The closest thing coming is the work that I am doing the community build of EmComm Tools. community.emcommtools.com.

[@ericswilley357]

Overboard is underrated. You’re a freak and I love it. Have to ask- whats your take on the G90 now that youve immersed in it? Keep up the great work!

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's not for me, but it has a ton of value at this price point. I recommend it for anyone getting into HF on a budget. I need to test it in the summer to see how it handles the heat. I actually really like it and forgive some of the quality issues because of the price. It surprised me. In fact, I bought one for myself and my training buddy. Mine is still in the box. I plan to build another twin manpack and give it to a family member to store at their home as a backup rig. I'll have to lean on this manual I wrote. I plan to try my build cold turkey in 3-4 months to see if the manual can be used after a long period of not using the radio. For me, I will be sticking with FT-818ND or FT-857D manpacks.

[@Ehtizan-Editor-001]

Hey The Tech Prepper, I just watched your video and I must say that it was really informative and well-made. I was wondering if I could help you edit your videos and repurpose your long videos into highly engaging shorts? I can also make high CTR thumbnails for your channel

[@rayslinky]

i'd love to see the auth-table bit

[@TheTechPrepper]

I plan to make a mini video on this one. It was inspired by the work done by M.A.D. Gear Company in his field notebooks.

[@timreasoner3744]

Great stuff!!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad you think so!

[@adrianbaker5753]

Coming to Arizona for work. Will be out between Salome and Quartzite. Would you consider building me this same set-up?

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for thinking of me for the build. This build is 1-of-1. It would be very expensive and too time consuming for me to do another build. I documented the full build a couple videos back.

[@Kd4jwf2024]

Love my g90

[@TheTechPrepper]

Do you have any must-have upgrades or pro tips? I've only been using the G90 for a month.

[@Kd4jwf2024]

@TheTechPrepper one of the most common thing that happens is the sense of no receiving audio or band are dead......just turn the bottom left know and your receive audio will return.........rf gain sometimes go down when chaging freq or modes or for a.littlw while not been on

[@adrianbaker5753]

No worries what would be your choice for the radio if you had to build only one man pack?

[@TheTechPrepper]

I've already discussed it. It would the FT-818ND manpack. The FT-857D manpack is number #2. I have been running both for about 3 years. I take the 818 when I need to go light and can get by with 6 watts. The 857 comes when I need up to 100 watts.

[@markw.4679]

I am curious why you chose this over the Xiegu X6100. I am looking at both the G90 and the X6100 and like to know your thoughts. I like that the X6100 has 6M bigger screen and is compact. Also, with open source firmware downloaded on an sd card, the X6100 can use 2m and I believe 70cm. But, the G90 has 20w and I understand a better antenna tuner. Thank you for your content! 👍

[@metroatlantahamradio334]

I own and use both however the 20 watts has made the G90 My rig of choice between the 2. I lost screen, built in battery, and Sound card and I still prefer the G90.

[@TheTechPrepper]

This is not my radio. It was sent to me by the folks at T.Rex Arms. However, the G90 is more suited to the manpack style of deployment. The 20 watts is critical for most voice operation.

[@guitarman727]

This is all really nice UT most folks out here do not have the $$$$ to buy one piece of it.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Unfortunately, radio is not expensive. In fact, the radio manpack setup is about as inexpensive as you can go for an HF radio ($1,300 total). The Xiegu G90 is $400 which is considered a bargain radio. Most other HF radios will start at about $800+.

[@REXOB9]

Nice job!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@jeffferrell.k9hca531]

I hope you are taking that G 90 out of the pack to use, it gets hot enough to cook an egg on even when vented

[@TheTechPrepper]

Please consider watching my last field video running it in the bag and in the field. All depends on how you use it.

[@jesuspompa1473]

You said the FZ-M1 is a bit slower. Compared to what?

[@MiltyTech]

Sorry if you’ve already posted, but what is the make/model of your tablet bag?

[@MiltyTech]

Found it. F1rstTactical 6x10 pouch.

[@WeaponsJunkie]

This is excellent

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks!

[@ke8mattj]

I'm going to be really impressed if you both make SSB phone contact.

[@slappomatthew]

no reason the cant if they put in a little effort. as long as your antenna is half decent and you are at the correct time window for conditions the G90 should get er done.

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's likely not going to happen at 20 watts. Prediction is about 50-60% for voice. I'll try 100 watts on my end. Digital is going to be our best bet.

[@ke8mattj]

@@slappomatthew It'll be tough. Most likely would be possible if they went with a vertical. The longest SSB phone contact I've made on the G90 I can remember was a POTA in Minnesota with a very crappy vertical antenna on 20m. I'm also not that great of an operator. I could go through all my old contest logs but lazy ATM but I don't remember any further past that with the random wire I used when I was doing portable stuff. I think the best was Indiana and even then, it was a struggle for the guy to copy me. I think we literally spent 3 minutes or so just to copy my callsign. But who knows: Gaston did get Jason/KM4ACK in the past. With lessons learned, maybe it'll be even more success this time.

[@ke8mattj]

@@TheTechPrepper Either way, I wish you both the best of luck. It still would be impressive if it happened.

[@CCerwin]

How are you compensating for your geo rf output disclosing your location or is that of no concern

[@TheTechPrepper]

I am not sure what you mean. Are you referring to radio direction finding? In terms of transmitting maidenhead grid square coordinates, it depends on the situation. But, I have a few techniques for dealing with disclosure of location.

[@bruceking2327]

Is your G90 Field Manual and Field Plan available for purchase? Bruce KD2BMK

[@Insectoidoverlords]

How did you get a 30m work band? I talked to a frequency coordinator and they said they didn't know what i was talking about.

[@TheTechPrepper]

The antenna that I showed was for covering the amateur radio WARC (12m, 17m, and 30m) bands. It sounds like "work". These are not allocated for commercial use.

[@Insectoidoverlords]

👍

[@cooloftheevening]

Do you think its wiser to get a new g90 or a used yeasu FT? Will the g90 hold up being used in a bag (heat) and travelling about some? Many thanks

[@TheTechPrepper]

The G90 suffered a hardware failure that nearly caused our target contact fail. Personally, I do not recommend that radio. It does get hot, but I did run it in the desert in the bag for a targeted window. However, that was just one data point. That video should be linked in this playlist. I've been running both the FT-818ND and FT-857D for several years (4 years) and I have never had an issue running them in the bags based on my style of operation. Everyone's needs are different and the gear needs to be tailored to your requirements and environment. Let me be clear, the G90 might be fine for most people's applications, but for me it is a hard no due it's poor build quality.

[@cooloftheevening]

@@TheTechPrepper That tells me all I need to know. I'm afraid of buying 857s due to the screen issues. Used radios with dying screens are still going for a lot of money. So I will cut my teeth on a low power 817ND until someone takes initiative and makes a tough harris-like or codan-like HF radio available for public. (Some chance). Thanks for the sound advice

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@cooloftheevening Great move. The FT-817 is very reliable with a proven track record. I personally use my FT-818ND for almost everything these days. Maybe consider a QRP HF amp for 817?

[@cooloftheevening]

@TheTechPrepper I don't mean to torture you here but is that amplifier option feasible with battery packs? I guess it depends on if you're amplifying to 20W vs 100W. Again many thanks for the tips

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@cooloftheevening Just run the amp with a separate battery and size accordingly.

[@tonyyy117]

Hey mate Tony from Australia. Do you have a field manual for the FT857D available?

[@TheTechPrepper]

Not yet, but I am cloning those manual and will be making a variation that covers both the FT-857D and FT-818ND. I'll be sharing that as a PDF with the members as soon as it is complete. It should be ready next month. I have twin FT-857D manpacks. Cheers from AZ.

[@metroatlantahamradio334]

More like a Digital Band antenna!!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Yeah. This rig shines on digital modes.

[@thebnbaldwin]

Where did you find the mini-choke?

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's Tim N9SAB's choke.

[@JDK45ACP]

I would love to get that package of data. I’m a “buy me a coffee” supporter. How do I contact you about it?

[@TheTechPrepper]

I sent an update in this morning's newsletter with links the communication plan template and the G90 field manual. The G90 field cards were included in the last Buy Me a Coffee post.

[@JDK45ACP]

@@TheTechPrepper Thank you, Sir. I guess I didn't see them. I'll go look.

[@JDK45ACP]

@@TheTechPrepper I found them,,,, I'm sorry. Thanks for what you do, Brother.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@JDK45ACP Awesome!

[@ihn]

What kind of a keyboard are you using?

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's from a company called iKey.

[@luca1ek666]

Great videos ! Looking forward to find the Auth-code generator with no result. 73!

[@TheTechPrepper]

I haven't released it. This was a quick program that I wrote just to test the concept. I'll rewrite it and release something in the future to the members.

[@luca1ek666]

@@TheTechPrepper 🙏👍

[@fdlptruckie]

It sucks i found your channel so late and that you dont make that bag anymore.

[@TheTechPrepper]

The bag shown is not my original TTP Manpack. The bags shown in this video are commercially available. This links are in the description.

[@BLUESKYS4EVE]

Tucson

[@TheTechPrepper]

Woot!

[@slappomatthew]

REDACTED!!!!!!

[@TheTechPrepper]

I'll share the details after the exercise during the after action report.

[@imazruroh6932]

add quantum sdr m3, then it's more perfect 😆😆

[@rustymacshackleford6276]

You look like gimli lol

[@TheTechPrepper]

Ah. I had to look up Gimli. Lord the Rings.

[@rustymacshackleford6276]

@@TheTechPrepper We all know the dwarves are the superior race! I appreciate your videos. BZ.

[@wildweasel6898]

I'm going to buy this kits pieces one by one so my new wife doesn't get one big charge she can divorce me over. I know I don't "need" it.....but I kinda need it.....right?

[@metroatlantahamradio334]

G90 and this kit is still 100s of dollars cheaper.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I like how you think. Smart man.