The Ultimate Manpack Setup? Yaesu FTM-6000R

[@backcountryamateurradio]

Excellent! You’re the real backcountry operator, Gaston. The way your rig is set up just seems so ergonomic, and seems like you can just arrive and operate.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks! It's getting close to being really comfortable to pack out and fairly quick to deploy. I'll be experimenting with other antennas on this system soon. 73's

[@backcountryamateurradio]

@@TheTechPrepper as always, looking forward to it.

[@ScottDrumm]

I noticed the FTM-6000R has an external fan on the back of the transceiver. Does this cause any thermal issues / concerns when operating the radio inside your manpack? 73, N3XFD

[@hamradiotube]

That is full of awesome sauce. Like that mount for the radio too.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I wasn't sure what to do with the mount outside of the Jeep, but I actually like this man portable setup. Take it easy, Mike!

[@KI4ASK]

Excellent well done. I need to try mounting my Arrow Yagi on a painters pole like that

[@TheTechPrepper]

Works really well if your pack has antenna ports and MOLLE on the inside. I should have showed the inside of the pack with painter's pole.

[@Scout75PortableRadio]

Very cool stuff. I really like how your man pack system is progressing. I'm also really looking forward to see how you mount everything into your Jeep. I've been dealing with a case of analysis paralysis on how I want to set things up in mine, and I hope your build pushes me towards one option or the other.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Hey Shane, thanks for stopping by. I just ordered the JKE-Dock from Vector OffRoad. I'm still researching various mounts to use with this system. I'm looking at 67 Designs and RAM mounts. I'll keep you posted.

[@THESPORTINGCAMP]

Thank you Gaston! Great video. Excellent communications setup. 🏆

[@TheTechPrepper]

You're welcome. It's not perfect, but not a bad little portable station considering I trekked it 5 miles without issues.

[@realgumballpro]

Good stuff man! Enjoyed it and the audio was acceptable, even with desert wind! Thanks for the info.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad you enjoyed it. That setup was an experimental deployment. I actually do not run this setup anymore. I just run it in the manpack and take it in and out of the pack. It's always fun to try something new. Thanks for dealing with wind. I'll bring the dead cat wind muff next time.

[@bthemedia]

Epic tech and adventure challenge… great work!

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's was great hitting the trail after a week of being sick. It was a fun experimenting with a different setup. Too bad the wind was not cooperating. 73

[@KenReynolds]

Fantastic setup man!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks, Kenny! I wish it wasn't so windy today, but I was pleased that it worked better than expected.

[@milwman1958]

Sweet, Thats what I was thinking for a POTA Pack with an Yaesu 2980r.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Make sure you do your testing. I have a 2980R as well and it runs much hotter than my FTM-6000R. Good luck!

[@kurt53641]

Seriously, can’t wait for your Software to come out this year.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Me, too. It has snow balled in scope since last year. I'll let you guys know when it's ready for a public beta.

[@DK5ONV]

G-morning Gaston, I checked amazon and ebay shops about Eberlestock Rucksacks. The cheapest one was 159,90 and the prciest 569,90. For 440.- bucks I want a dual band radio, a rucksack and an antenna. Batteries go extra. STOPP! Wait, I am going to stay with just running shotwave bands cuz I am having more fun there. Thanks from all of my heart for your great job and tons of product infos. Happy monday & 73 de Your Friend Uncle Guenter

[@TheTechPrepper]

Do you have any shortwave stations (UTC broadcast days/times) that you're willing to share. I'd like to try my VX-6R to listen to some international broadcasts. That pack is my most expensive piece of backpacking gear. I've used other packs from 5.11 in the $100 USD price range and there's no comparison. Happy Monday!

[@dansklrvids7303]

Amazing setup

[@bthemedia]

Man-portable radio comms with yagi antennas (foldable?) sounds like a great benefit, would love to see more on this topic and practicalities.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I have a todo item for 2022 to design a folding yagi that is integrated into standard trekking poles. We'll see how that works out.

[@mdmackey]

Great setup! I was just about to ask about the weight of the kit when you said not to ask! 😂. Just found your channel but will be binge watching when possible. Thanks for all your hard work!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome to the channel! You may like the manpack videos. I was running the FTM-6000R very differently in this video. It's not my standard operating style.

[@SpottedMau]

Loking forward to the jk work. Currently using the 67 designs stuff. While pricey, solid mounting.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I was looking at t67 Designs, but some of their accessories are pricey. Buy once, cry once, right? I'm pleased with the RAM Mounts. I'll update you guys if anything fails. More Jeep mods/upgrades coming.

[@rufusrizzo78]

I love Eberlestock! I think they have some of the most comfortable carrying straps I've used. I use a switchblade for a SOTA/camp pack for my Xeigu g90 and an Anytone 778, with batteries, small solar panel and laptop. It's heavy, but works well.

[@TheTechPrepper]

You've got yourself a great SOTA loadout. And, you have good taste in packs. 73

[@TheTechPrepper]

I bought this pack last year for their strap design. I wanted a hybrid ruck that had some of the comforts of traditional backpacking packs. This bag nailed it!

[@Maskltl]

Thank you for sharing. Do you find the pack has enough carrying capacity or do find yourself wishing you could carry more at times? Thank you

[@TheTechPrepper]

I wish that I could carry more in this pack. It's good up to 48 hours. It's only 39L. I went with a traditional backpack for longer trips (3-5 days).

[@Blue-Collar-Radio]

Very cool Gaston! I keep meaning to upgrade my arrow clamp to their metal version. I've been using a plastic clamp, that's actually designed to hold a handbrush on my painters pole. It works, but will eventually fail. 73!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Very creative! Don't break your yagi. The Arrow clamp works really well. I've been using it on my 23' painter's pole for the last 6 months with issue.

[@forthy62]

Awesome setup Gaston. Saw the picture on Instagram first. Looks very practical! 73, Stephan, DF6PA

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks. I wasn't sure whether this setup would work in practice. I'm fairly certain that it only worked due to the Eberlestock FAC Track backpack. It was designed to hold radios and antennas for the military's Forward Air Control units.

[@ivanmendoza2704]

you are a beast, love your vids

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for the support. Glad you're enjoying them. Take care.

[@ryanfralic1115]

"Kinda dangerous but whatever..." lol awesome rig! Seems very practical for an overland scenario, being able to hike an entire station even just a mile or 2 away from camp to a higher elevation. I love that it will be implemented as a vehicle rig as well. Great job and I'm excited to see what emcomm tools is capable of!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Hehe. Yeah, this system is largely motivated by my desire to do more overlanding this year. This is exactly the scenario we run into the wilderness events. Take your 4x4 90% of the way to the venue, then walk about a mile to setup comms on a ridge line.

[@victorygarden556]

What mount for the interface of the radio is hanging on the bag? Great channel, appreciate the help.

[@TheTechPrepper]

it's a prototype from a local ham in TN. The company is called ARMOLOQ. I talked to the owner, Seth, and there has been no interest until this comment. If you're interested please send Seth a note on his contact page: www.armoloq.com/contact

[@victorygarden556]

@@TheTechPrepper actually just contacted him about ten minutes ago looking for a mount for chest rig carry of the same thing. You must be generating lots of business for him lol

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@victorygarden556 Glad to hear you connected with him. He's a good guy and everything is made in the US. I think this is still a niche-style of operating. Personally, when he contacted me almost a year ago and sent me a pack frame, I fell in love with this style of operating. If you go back far enough in my videos you'll see how I used to operate portable. I had small folding aluminum table and couple of dry bags with my radio, cables and battery. It was slow to deploy a station. This is much more field expedient. You might be interested in my TPA pack frame play list. I has at least six videos on the manpacks. 73

[@paulhastings3109]

tnxs for the content ⚓️🇺🇲

[@timreasoner3744]

Great vid! Good info!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@IndependentNewsMedia]

Interesting idea, have you thought about a hi gain whip; so that you have comms whilst walking, and when stationary 2m and 70cm wire di-poles, and bring the legs closer together to point in a particular direction, obviously not as directional as your yaggi. Nice video 👍

[@TheTechPrepper]

I have not found a good whip yet, but that's something I'll be looking into. I mounted the SingleStick to the mast with some velcro, but have not tested a transmission yet. Good idea!

[@sramsdellwdm]

Nice setup. Only wonder about keeping the radio cool? Would suspect on medium or high power the radio would overheat?

[@TheTechPrepper]

Yes, coling can be a problem. I have been running manpacks for a year in the Sonoran Desert. This setup is a bit different and a configuration I have only run the one time for this video. My style of operation is such that I never operate more than 30 minutes at 50% duty cycle, so it's never been a problem. Now, if you decide to ragchew for hours that could be a problem. Check out my TPA pack frame playlist. That's my normal setup. Thanks for the view.

[@safety86]

Good video as always! I kept hoping the CF-20 was going to pop out of the back. hehehe

[@TheTechPrepper]

It would have probably survived, but maybe not with all the rocks.

[@safety86]

@@TheTechPrepper LOL I was meaning you getting it out for a field demo. :)

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@safety86 Gotcha! Need more coffee.

[@frankwc0o]

I never noticed the faceplate on the pack. I like this setup. The frame seems to protect the faceplate if it falls on that side. Thank for the link.

[@TheTechPrepper]

The design exists, but I am not sure if these are available for purchase. You may want to contact Seth at ARMOLOQ if you're interested. I personally don't use this setup as it requires too much work to transition between this configuration and the standard manpack. I use the all-in-on manpack deployment 100% of the time these days.

[@anonymous_friend]

Newbie here. Are you able to run an NVIS antenna with the 6000R? or is that not an application you use for UHF/VHF ?

[@TheTechPrepper]

Great question. No. NVIS is only works on HF between 2 MHz and 8 MHZ(80m through 40m). This is why I really like my Yaesu FT-857D and FT-818ND radios. These are all-band radios and cover HF/VHF/UHF.

[@Redhawk03a]

Great video. When would you choose this configuration over your last FTM manpack setup (with the Helicon E&E pouch)? Is it a function of whether you're bringing the toughbook or not?

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's almost the same setup. The same Helicon E&E pouch is inside the backpack. I should have shown the inside of the bag. I'll show it next time. The only difference is that the head was removed. I think I would go back forth between the two setups depending on the objective. My new rule of thumb is this, if the mission requires me to run the yagi, I would use this setup. Otherwise, I would just use the SignalStick whip directly on the pack frame. If I needed a j-pole, I guess this setup would work, too. I should test that. I think I would bring this setup anytime I needed to run digital with the Toughbook as most of the stations I want to talk to are too far and would benefit from a directional high gain antenna.

[@jordanjohnson3370]

What’s your set up from computer to the radio? Have the same radio would like to get it working on winlink.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I will be doing a video on this. I am using the DigiLink Nano sound card interface with the 6-pin Mini-DIN cable. I also have the 10-pin to 6-pin Mini-DIN adapter cable from Yaesu. The DigiLink Nano is connected to the laptop using a 3' USB cable. Very simple.

[@scottie1858]

New guy here...so the 6000 van do uhf vhf?

[@frankwc0o]

Have you tried to jog with the ManPack yet? Doesn't look that heavy.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Oh yes, many times. I do hill runs with it once a week. It's very comfortable. Here's an early video of testing that scenario: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4TNe4tsiZWEn8k

[@FrankRomerophoto]

@@TheTechPrepper Super, thx for the link.

[@ohiorivervalleyhomestead]

I've kicked around the idea of having the head unit attached to the admin area of my chest rig. Using the portable on the go.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Seth is considering designing a bracket for that use case. Shoot him an email and let him know there's interest. He's on the fence as to whether people want this. 73

[@victorygarden556]

I’m also very interested in a bracket for that

[@mnb5404]

I have another question. What about a manpack made with simply a linear amplifier and a hand held? Like a yaesu ft5 with battery and amp. Could you carry more battery this way?

[@TheTechPrepper]

That seems to doable. Try it out. However, that's not the direction I will be personally going as the HT's are a bit more difficult to get audio in/out for digital compared to rigs with a data port or sound card. I also personally, like vertical operating style that comes with a pack frame. HT's also do not solve the problem of being able to use other modes like SSB. This is one of the main reasons why I love my all-band/all-mode manpack like the FT-857D and 817/8. Yaesu should have include sideband in the FTM-6000R IMHO.

[@mnb5404]

@@TheTechPrepper I agree with you, but the weight is a concern (former high sierra backpacker). Can you do a more detailed design build video on the man pack. Particularly interested in it as I can see using this in my truck without having to install a mobile radio. I find little information on actual design and build. Things like battery choice, wiring diagrams etc. i know you go into detail already but adding the design part, looking at what components are available, just more detail….

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@mnb5404 I have two videos that may help: 1. This video shows the manpack in my RV as a portable mobile option: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p56vnpucnbt_m7c 2. This video shows the break down of the FTM-6000R manpack. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qn6meKCKnbZlqKc

[@Baumeister40]

You my sensei

[@WI9LL]

Great to see you in the field again. I see your beard is recovering nicely. Love the Yaesu and the pack setup. Also like that you stop and talk to people along the way and give them the common decency to turn the camera off and engage with them about your hobbies. I know I probably missed this either in this video or an earlier video, but what are you powering the radio with? Also, thank you for not loading your pack with AR's 😁

[@TheTechPrepper]

The beard is coming in nicely. I'm a hermit, but I love spending time chatting with other hikers. This couple has been in this area for a long time and had some great recommendations on spots to check out. I'm using my standard manpack setup minus the head. I'm running a 4.5Ah Bioenno battery in the admin pouch. As soon as funds permit, I'm going to try the 6Ah model as it will fit in the pouch perfectly. Take it easy.

[@WI9LL]

@@TheTechPrepper I have the 20Ah and it is great! I’ve got the 9Ah incoming from an Amazon gift card I got. I did a POTA activation on the 20Ah and used like 1.5Ah of it. Keep up the great videos!

[@tomsmall6220]

I miss the ARs. Thanks for including smart self defense options in some of your packs.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@WI9LL Will do, bud. Stay tuned for a longer beard and more content. What brand are you running for your 9Ah and 20Ah batteries?

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@tomsmall6220 I'll be doing a simulated como exercise where my destination will be a remote spot to get some target practice in the desert. I will likely bring my Ruger Ranch.

[@justindavis7964]

What's your solution for powering the Manpack system? Had figured LiPo4 but was curious on your particular set up

[@TheTechPrepper]

All the manpacks run off a 4.5Ah LiFePO4 Bioenno battery. However, I am upgrading to the 6Ah model. I have a compact system in all the manpacks to field charge via solar. Im running the Buddipole PowerMini and a 20w folding solar panel from Powerfilm.

[@justindavis7964]

@@TheTechPrepper thanks for the clarification! Looking at building up something similar. Does your Powerfilm 20w have a built-in char controller?

[@justindavis7964]

Also just realized that the Power mini functions as the charge controller! Loving the channel and content you create

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@justindavis7964 No, but there are models that do. The Buddipole Power Mini acts as the solar charge controller. I prefer them to be separate as this allows me to use different panels. I have a larger 60 watt briefcase panel that I keep in the RV when we travel.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@justindavis7964 Glad you enjoy the channel. There's a backlog of 20+ video. Lots of content coming.

[@charlesstephens3660]

I'm curious as to the battery you are using. TNX...Chuck...WB6FQZ

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's a 4.5Ah LiFePO4 from Bioenno. I'll likely upgrade to the 6Ah version once I confirm it will fit in the admin pouch. The full breakdown of the FTM-6000 manpack was shown in the first FTM-6000 video.

[@kb6lcw99]

Wahoo

[@bravowhiskyalpha1581]

First like!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Yay! Thanks for the support!

[@w4mkh]

Instead of walking around with the painter pole in your pack why not use it as a walking stick?

[@TheTechPrepper]

I considered that, but I typically hike with a pair of trekking poles. The trekking pole doubles as the supports for my shelter system and are great for the assist up the peak. Keeping the mast secured to the pack had the added bonus of allowing me to have the feed line pre-wired and the mast mostly ready for a quick deployment.

[@glennroberts3069]

Looks great so good in fact I subscribed! Haha Bud please show us and explain to us your battery set up. I gots to know! Hahaha Anyway here’s my theory and question to all. I play Airsoft and well comms is everything in any conflict. Let me run this by you. Maybe we can have two teams on GMRS and one person running around with a man portable repeater in a backpack. think that just might work!! Anybody give me your opinion please. I don’t know! Thank You and I’m out!!!!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome to the channel. Here's a video I did where I breakdown the manpack and show the battery. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3mUoGd-lqullZo Next month I am releasing a manpack video that functions as a portable repeater. We use it all the time for public service events. It's very similar to what you're planning to do.