Military-Style Radio Manpacks for Civilians - Part I

[@cwo8771]

Super cool. Although I don’t have time for the hobby, this subject really taps into the mystique of tactical HF comms born of tales of such organizations as the OSS, MI6, American-Kachin Rangers, Jedburghs, pacific island coast watchers and SOG and LRRP soldiers in America’s Indochina war. Really appreciate your content.

[@TheTechPrepper]

You're welcome. I barely have time for this hobby. It seems that everything in this hobby is a rabbit hole. That's part of the reason I gave away my first DMR radio to a viewer. I had no time to figure out DMR this year with all the other projects. Cheers and thanks for view and comment.

[@ryanjones9305]

@@TheTechPrepper oh man, you ain’t kidding. Go and prepare a method for emergency communication, next thing you know you have 17 different radios, a pile of antennas, an antenna tower, a soldering station, a computer and all sorts of wizzbang doodads that go “wiiiirrrrrr zzzzzz dbldbldbl eeeeeeeee.....” and you STILL haven’t solved all your comms problems! BUT....I’ve met some great, like minded people along the way. It’s been worth it for sure.

[@arhysr]

Or the future civilian military

[@ryanjones9305]

@@arhysr probably in the near future. But we’ll both be unpersoned for saying so.

[@dennisschultz1175]

@@TheTechPrepper any of those custom bags left?

[@terrysaunders2026]

My first man-pack radio in the military was an AN/PRC-47. HF/AM/SSB. It was like a 5 gal. Jerry can on a ruck frame. It was a real boat anchor! Very happy when the AN/PRC-104 replaced it.

[@PunkN_JTM]

Tell that to a PRC-E7

[@thomasr.jackson2940]

Good video. Also, kudos for transparency. An awful lot of prepper/survival channels don’t and are offended at the idea that it would matter. I think transparency is a sign of respect and integrity.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I appreciate that! It's easier just to be straight shooter. Cheers!

[@richardkennedy815]

Back to my military days it was a PRC-77. As a ham now of many years I am well beyond those 6 meter rigs. There was a nice military VHF, although I can't remember the number, at the start of Sincgars. This idea is great. I plan to use

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thank you for your service, Richard. I think you'll enjoy this style of operating with your background. Cheers!

[@molonlabe5090]

Something like this would be wonderful for my local FD. We have a bunch of radio/cell/both deadzones down our no-outlet road, so having someone up on one of the hills with a manpack where our trucks can't get to to relay back to county would be awesome.

[@bruehlt]

Love what you're doing with your channel - keep it up, congrats on 10k!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thank you. There's nothing stopping. I just wish there were more hours in the day.

[@michaelchambers7691]

Another nice thing to do with the 12V Li-ion rechargeable battery, charge it with PV. A PV and a small 300W pure sine power inverter can be carried in the pack. I can power a bedroom LED lamp, laptop, and my smartphone on this system. A couple of other things I recommend having around are a portable butane stove and a Weller Portasol butane soldering iron. Also, get a food dehydrator, pickling press, canning jars, and water filters.

[@ScottPlude]

I am not sure why youTube took so long to suddently suggest this channel but I am SUPER glad I have found you. Great stuff!!!

[@TheTechPrepper]

I am not sure why either. I've been here for two and half years. Welcome to the channel. I appreciate the kind note. There's a lot of good stuff coming, so stay tuned. Part III will be released Friday.

[@theroguenob]

I was looking for a more thorough analytical channel on radios since I really only used the mbiter, Harris 152s, and sincgar systems, which is totally different from practical civilian sources. So just seeing so many videos here makes me excited to learn since it's one of the few things I'm lacking for prepping/emergency situations

[@TheTechPrepper]

I'm not prior service, but a lot of these manpack build are inspired by friends who are active and service. Most of these build ideas are due to them. Cheers.

[@forliberty8400]

Need more ideas because times are getting crazy

[@bradh74]

I think you've got a really practical outlook on radio/tech prepping. I'm not an end of days prepper but being ready incase is a natural disaster or grid down for whatever reason is smart, and if you're in remote areas you need to have coms. I'd like to here what you think about the different "man packs" you have ready. Kind of a what's what, or why you have each one, or a go to radio system.(best bang for the buck)

[@TheTechPrepper]

I am not an end-of-days prepper either. Just a practical prepper that believes that people should build local support communities and be prepared and work towards being self sufficient for 3 days, 3 weeks and 3 months. I will be covering exactly what you are describing. These are the next videos: FT-6000 (in the field); FT-8900, FT-818 and FT-857D. Enjoy.

[@rkhale02]

I personally prep for the same thing, more of a grid down system where emergency services aren't nearly as capable. But doomsday prep is like a bonus of it i think, not the focus but the idea that "it's there if it came to it" but don't necessarily prep for that day.

[@bradh74]

@@rkhale02 I want to be ready so my kids would have a chance too, but............ There's a big question mark there. I think neighborhood watch programs should be ready. We can't count on the government for our safety in these situations. I'm glad to see there's reasonable people out there starting something good for a community.

[@patriotplumber4694]

This is the channel I have been searching for! I can’t wait to burn through all your content. Great stuff!🇺🇸

[@TheTechPrepper]

Awesome! Thank you! It's been a blast sharing every milestone since my first contact on a Baofeng. Enjoy.

[@rapture333]

Going to be building two packs for our ham radio club to give to the two hurricane shelters for net use. Looking forward to this series!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Good luck with your build. These packs are fantastic. Personally, I think they're easier to deploy than the go-boxes.

[@GatorGreenGladiator]

I like how you can send text and all that with it. That will be awesome for the jeep when we go camping.

[@adamharris9263]

This is the first video I have seen of yours and certainly won't be my last. Thank you for creating videos like these.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome to the channel! Good timing. The next video is going to be on a new manpack build.

[@adamharris9263]

​@@TheTechPrepperNo way! Now I'm excited.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@adamharris9263 Nice. I usually have previews of upcoming content on my Instagram feed: instagram.com/p/C0eGseQrgXj/?img_index=1

[@jamescopeland5358]

This is a great idea, I have my Icom 4100 in my jeep. I've been thinking of putting it in a ammo can. I like the pack bag idea much better.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks. This setup transitions very well. I talked about this aspect in my current video (Part III). I literally used it as a temporary mobile rig in the RV. I am Jeep owner, too. Here's a virtual "Jeep wave". Peace.

[@sampointau]

It was an AN/PRC 25 during the Vietnam war, followed by the AN/PRC 77 at the end and after Vietnam. The difference between the 2 is that the 25 still used one or 2 valves and the battery had to supply a 5v power feed for the valve heaters and only had 100khz channel spacing, the 77 was fully transistorised and offered 50khz channel spacing giving twice the channel capacity. Your photo also shows an AN/PRC 25 set being used with an early Cryptographic unit/scrambler, which was the same physical size and used the same magnesium 15v/5v battery at the 25.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Morning, Sam. Thank you for all these details. Sadly, I am not prior service, but I find these military radios and related SOPs fascinating. I am pouring through the "Long-Range Surveillance Unit Operations" FM 3-55.93 manual now. Happy Thursday!

[@toadpond101]

I have wanted to build a manpack-style rig for a long time. This has sparked that want/need again. Thank you!

[@TheTechPrepper]

You're welcome. The other manpack in the series use mostly the same components. The only difference is the radios. Next up: FT-8900, FT-818 and FT-857. Good luck with your build.

[@briankendall1978]

I think you are right. I have been a ham for a while and I have always loved the idea of having a HT because they are sooo portable, but it doesn't take long before you realize how limited an HT is. I am so much happier range-wise with even a lower power mobile radio and a much better magnet mounted mobile antenna. Thanks for sharing all this info on your radio packs.

[@shermdog6969]

Like what?

[@briankendall1978]

@@shermdog6969 I had a qyt kt8900r for a while, which was much better than even by Kenwood f7a at reaching repeaters. But it died. Not sure what happened with it. But I also have a Yaesu FT2800 which is only 2m but it is a great receiver and I have had that radio for 15ish years. If you spend a little money on any of the non Chinese radios you will have something that will last a long time.

[@angelotorre821]

I am brand new to HAM radio and I just stumbled upon your channel I have been trying to decide what to do for a mobile unit in my truck and I think this is exactly what I want to build. Perfect for multiple applications. Now to figure out which radio will be part of my first manpack!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome aboard! The manpack approach works great as an all-purpose Swiss Army Knife. I have been running my gear this way almost 2 years now and the manpack transitions well from the vehicle, to the home and the field. Good luck!

[@pale_2111]

I'm thinking about building a VHF/UHF man packable radio system. Just need the pack and radio. For the pack, I've done a Google search not too long ago on military radio packs and came across a Ranger Radio Pack. The radio I have in mind is the Yaesu FTM 300DR. It has capabilities that I'm wanting in a radio, APRS, built in GPS and cross band repeater. I have a spare N9TAX dual band roll up j-pole with 10' of coax and a 15Ah Bioenno Lithium Iron Phosphate battery. My plan for this pack is to have everything in one pack with room to spare for a roll up solar panel, maybe a 25' length of RG58 coax, battery meter, power and SWR meter as well. Living in the mountains of East Tennessee has some challenges. Good thing is that there's no shortage of trees to throw a line into to get the antenna up. On top of a mountain, an HT will do, but down in a valley is another story. I like to get out and hunt, so having a good radio with cross band repeat capability will come in handy if I need it. W4ISB, Mike in Tennessee

[@TheTechPrepper]

You're in luck. I believe ARMOLOQ is either building a TPA pack frame for the 300 and/or 200. Good luck!

[@pale_2111]

Greatly appreciated. I'll have to check it out and watch for one.

[@ryanhealy3074]

This just gave me the idea to completely revolutionize the pack radio I built for some of my SAR deployments (Motorola radio externally bolted to an old M33 can and a 30a battery). Definitely need to check out the other videos and Armoloq!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad to hear that this content is fueling the fire. I'd be curious to see what you come up with. There will 6 or 7 parts in this series. Stay tuned.

[@ryanhealy3074]

@@TheTechPrepper they already replied to an email I sent, apparently the frame specific to my chassis is already in development and will be released soon!

[@springsm5545]

(3:50) On conserving power to fulfill a contact, I have also been looking into CW on long wave frequencies, like the LNR MTR4b. Power efficient and light/small. Not sure that Armoloq would have a rack for it, I have seen people mount them to clipboard since they are so small. I guess the real challenge is getting up to speed on Morse Code.

[@cldfactor]

Dude I love your content, I'm working on my off grid comms but I'm just getting started. Still studying for the tech exam , still learning soooo much and the possibilities!! Wow .

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks, man. Good luck with your journey. Be careful, there are many rabbit holes.

[@bobmcnelis3648]

I carried a PRC-25 in 1970, and from we were told, it was the state of the art! Of course there were larger and stronger transceivers that were vehicle mounted and well above 100 watts of power.

[@michaelchambers7691]

I have a Yaesu FT-2700RH dual-band transceiver, it's 10W/25W. I should easily make it a man pack. The cables hang off it and I placed 14AWG Anderson Powerpoles on the power cable.

[@user-im6fy4qp6m]

great info, im looking to get my HAM and am glad i stumbled upon your channel. i got a lot to learn but i can tell when someone puts out quality info and you definitely seem to know your stuff

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome to the channel. You'll never regret the investment in getting licensed. I recommend that everyone start with a $30 Baoefeng, get the Gordon West Technician book, and take practice tests on hamstudy.org. Worst case, you're out $70 bucks and some time if you don't like it. Good luck!

[@user-im6fy4qp6m]

@@TheTechPrepper thank you, i keep seeing hamstudy recommended by many people so that must definitely be the way to go. i have learned enough about HAM and radio in general to realize how much there is to learn and how complicated the science of radio is, and quite frankly it is a bit overwhelming. it seems like one of those skills that will take a lifetime to master but if i can learn the mechanics just good enough to fulfill my meager goals i will be happy. i mostly want to be able to receive and transmit information from individuals (non-state propaganda outlets) from other parts of the country in the event of a complete grid-down situation to help figure out what is going on in the case of some epic disaster. i think it would also be nice to be able to remain in contact with civilization and emergency services if i am ever able to move out to a remote off-grid location some day. like i said i can tell you obviously know your stuff and i have a lot of catching up to do on watching all your tutorials and videos! thank you for sharing your expertise and knowledge!

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@user-im6fy4qp6m It takes time. I struggled, too. Take your time and and you'll have the skills that you need to solve your exact problems and objectives. They are all doable with amateur radio. I started my ham radio journey about 3 years ago. Good luck!

[@ryanjones9305]

I have several TPAs. Great products. Responsive service. Made right here in the US. I highly recommend these radio cages.

[@TheTechPrepper]

And Veteran owned. They've changed my operating style for the better. Glad to hear that you're enjoying their products, too.

[@midnightsailor1]

I'm a new "old" Ham and just discovered your channel. I'm excited to find what appears to be a source of great Ham prep intel.look forward to more.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome the channel, Richard. Since you're new to the channel, I'll share with you my new video. It will not be public until tomorrow morning. It will be ad-free, too! You can access it now here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mIOwgqiPZ82JsNE

[@edwhiting622]

Techprepper, thank you for the very nicely done video’s. You have been a big help to me. Your links and video’s are spot on and I appreciate you very much.

[@troymalaspino3574]

Congratulations Gaston on 10k. Been watching the channel for a few months now, and really appreciate the effort you put into testing and using the equipment. Each video has something in it that I apply to my approach. All the best! TroyM

[@TheTechPrepper]

Howdie, Troy. It's worth the effort with viewers and supporters like yourself. This next manpack video is going to be fun. The mosquitoes took advantage of me while operating the FTM-6000R manpack, but it comes with the territory. Cheers.

[@lock1uk]

Very good Video, as I have been working with Manpacks all my days in the Army its good to see this type of work done for the Ham radio. looking forward to seeing all you Videos.

[@TheTechPrepper]

That's high praise given your background. Thank you and thanks for your service. The owner of ARMOLOQ (the pack frame maker) and I are good friends now. He's prior service and was the one who pushed me to develop the manpack concept. You may enjoy my latest video as the manpack bag (TTP Manpack) that I designed is used towards the end after I improvised a field antenna. Cheers.

[@malenve6vid]

Congrats to the winners. You pretty nailed it regarding basic manpacks. From my Army days, having the manpack tall and skinny is a good thing for getting weight close to your back. But, can be a pain when getting to the battery.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I like the "L" shape form factor of my packs, but have played around with the tall skinny form factor using the PRC/117G pouch with the my smaller radios (FT-818ND and FTM-6000R) where the battery sits under the radio. If this first bag design goes well I may make and sell that design, too.

[@pinetree9343]

Extremely informative video. Complete from pouch to antenna

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thank you. I'll do another break down on the video coming out this week. The parts are mostly the same. The only difference is that the radios will get a bit more powerful. Cheers.

[@eastmanlsm]

I’m learning and getting Ready for Tech exam. Lord willing, I’ll pass 1st time. So much to learn Great Channel

[@TheTechPrepper]

Best of luck with your license. Thanks for the support.

[@guillegilcriado6879]

Amazing video!!! Thanks for all this wonderful information so well put!

[@badcompany3828]

I use a Icom 703 in a hikers backpack. The main part it the radio and battery is in the back and the control head with mic in a small pouch hanging on my front.

[@MGAC1701]

This is absolutely brilliant! Thank you! I am beginning one of these in GMRS as a project.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Good luck with your build. I've been meaning to build one for my KG1000 for GMRS.

[@tomasznowak-bandura12]

Well, I think You can use Agilite AMAP III Assault Pack for that purpose.. You can easily put 12 V 22 Ah at the front of the bag, and radio with other stuff inside the backpack. Additionally, you can combine it all with a vest. Tech Prepper very interesting project, thank you :)

[@thomthumbe]

At 4:51, the L3H manpack in the upper left hand corner is the AN/PRC-117G. As alluded, unless you have a USGOV crypto account, obtaining one of these is impossible. They used to manufacture the non-type one 7800M-MP manpack, which is a type 3 crypto radio and looks somewhat similar to the 117G. I believe the 7800M has been discontinued. Nevertheless, getting your hands on one is nearly impossible…..but it can be done. The 152 is a HH radio and it is a type 1 radio. There are also several HH variants that look similar and are not type 1. Finally, there are many features that separate a typical ham radio from a mil radio. Rugged construction, being able to operate in nuclear or chemical warfare environments are but two of the differences between a mil radio vs a “Yaesu” box. That said, the use of a ham radio in a battle environment has been accomplished very successfully. Been there, done that.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for calling that out. I miss spoke, there was small overlay on the bottom left of the screen that I included during editing with the correction. You're right it is the AN/PRC-117G.

[@shanemccray4050]

Just found you today. You are running comms very similar as I did in my LRS Team in the Mil. We ran PRC -104 w/DMDG. I hope to learn a bunch from your channel

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome to the party, Shane. Glad to hear it. A lot of this is inspired by my conversations that I've had with the owner of ARMOLOQ. He is prior service and has been a blessing. We talk once a week now and are good friends. Thanks for your service. I think you'll enjoy the new content that's coming. Take care.

[@JohnGatesIII]

We used to do weekly "Radio Checks" from Stuttgart, Germany to FT Bragg with a 104 and DMDG or KL-43. It's all about wave/atmosphere propagation and antenna construction.

[@TheCameraManCrew]

need to get afew of them for what i do!!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Good luck! They're great pieces of kit.

[@ebikeengineer]

You have some great ideas, I especially like the frame rails. I built a pack style system, but used a plastic ammo can to enclose and mount the radio, battery and a short antenna. I keep a larger folding tape style antenna velcros to the handle. The D rings on you bag are perfect, I'm going to add them to my ammo can - I'm sure it will make mouting the can on my ebike for public service events much easier than the bungee cord I'm currently using. Keep those good ideas coming!

[@TheTechPrepper]

The frames have been a game changer especially for all the portable operations. They offer great protection. Thanks for sharing your project.

[@dougdaniels]

Looking forward to this series. One question - have you looked at light/ultralight packs? I'm always looking to shave weight, especially for SOTA.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks. I have not really looked into ultralight backs as they will very likely get shredded in my environment. My gear is very heavy. My Eberlestock FAC Track is ~6 lb. empty. I am pretty sure I carry much heavier loads compared to other SOTA operators. Search "SOTA" on my channel page and you'll get a sense for what I mean. Cheers and good luck finding lighter gear. Check out K6ARK's channel. His stuff is light.

[@JDK45ACP]

Outstanding. I'm subscribing today. Can't believe I haven't found this channel before today.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome to the party. It's been mostly radio and emcomm focused the last 18 months.

[@u2fanforever1]

You popped up in my feed this morning and I’m liking this video. I’ll subscribe

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks, Kevin. Welcome! I'm uploading part II now, but will not be publicly releasing it until Saturday. There's no need to support me financially but, if you head over to buymeacoffee.com/thetechprepper you can follow me for free. You'll get an email when the private videos are released (with no ads).

[@neubert500]

Another typically informative video! Excellent content and I look forward to hearing more about the civilian manpacks!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks. You alway seem to find a nugget of info. Trust me there is plenty more. I have spent a lot of time with these different manpacks and have a lot to say.

[@AD6DMDennis]

Great primer on man packs. I will refer people here when they ask about my TTP-inspired FTM-6000 pack.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks. I appreciate you sharing it. I just finished recording a digital field exercise with the FTM-6000 for Part II. In addition to a real world example, this next video will talk about why I selected the 6000 for use as a manpack. So, there will be a second video to share. ETA: Saturday morning.

[@MichiganSilverBack]

heck yea! great idea! Ive been wanting to do something mobile, to move from vehicle to vehicle, this just may be it!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Awesome! These manpacks transition very well to a vehicle. Especially if you don't want a permanent install. My RV only has a lip mounted on the antenna with the coax fed into the cab. We just used the manpack on a recent RV trip with great success. You can optionally also drop a 12v line from the starter battery into the cab if you need more power. Good luck!

[@MichiganSilverBack]

@@TheTechPrepper gonna keep following, keep it up

[@richardmendoza738]

Hey tech prepper!!!! I know this is an older video, but I've been having difficulties finding a pouch for a 2730a. I want to finish my manpack build, I just cannot find a proper pack. Would you be able to steer me towards a good pouch???!? I absolutely appreciate all you do, we all do here. I've learned so damn much in the last year from your videos!! 🤘🤘

[@terrysaunders2026]

@richardmendoza: That’s a good idea. I have the 2730a as my vehicle mobile. I didn’t think about the 2730a as a man pack radio, but with the remote control head I can definitely see it’s uses! What are you going to use for power?

[@stoveboltsix]

Gaston, so what I've came up with for my Wouxun KG1000-G manpack is, I've purchased a smaller backpack, it will hold the radio, battery and folding solar panel and still have some room left over, and it's not that heavy. I had purchased a 10ah lifepo4 battery, but it will not support the radio when transmitting, so I purchased a 20ah battery, it seems to work fine. Thanks for all of the ideas you've presented in your videos.

[@davidf144]

I spy an AMS shirt. Thank you for this video. It's given me some great inspiration for milsim and disaster response applications.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Good eye. You're welcome. I was invited to the AMA in Georgia about 3 years ago at the Guardian facility. I did a video on it. Cheers and good luck with your manpack.

[@666RitaRita]

Hello ! New sub here ; looking to take my Technician class test soon . So much to learn at 65 years of age . I'm seriously considering the FTM-6000 as my first mobile radio . I watched part two as well . Thanks for posting .

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome aboard! Good luck with your license.

[@ivanmendoza2704]

I love your content, You give me much food for thought. My family and I appreciate what you teach, 73

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad to hear it. I practice what I share. 73

[@toddbarnes8712]

Just stumbled on your channel. My current favorite. Keep it up.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome to the channel! I'm humbled. Thank you and enjoy.

[@wushock92]

I love my HD-1. I think Tom will too. Congrats! And congrats Gaston on 10k subs.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks. The HD-1 is really nice and packed with features given the price point. I will be buying another one next year when I have time to full give DMR my attention. Cheers!

[@backcountryamateurradio]

Awesome Gaston. The manpack history is interesting. I never thought of those old military pack radios as "man packs"! Very huge Congrats on hitting 10k subs. That's a big success. Totally stoked for you. Also, congrats to the Winners! - 73

[@TheTechPrepper]

Eric, thanks for stopping by. You are going to really enjoy Part II. It's free and ad free right now if you go to www.buymeacoffee.com/post/edit/1348282. Otherwise, it will be made public Saturday. Cheers, my friend. I'm having a brain fart...do you spell your name with a "c" or "k"?

[@backcountryamateurradio]

@@TheTechPrepper right on a sun will do! I spell it with a “c”, so you’re spot on! Thanks bud.

[@randy1469]

Super cool setup. I'm new to comms but this looks like a great tool to have in my prep

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad it was helpful!

[@RicSpivey]

Great series and great videos! Congratulations to the winners! You've shown me a lot of things I can do with a lot of different hardware, that I hadn't considered, in a field setting. Thanks for all the great work!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad to hear it, Richard. The gear can be pretty versatile...it's just a matter of experimenting a bit and seeing what works and fails. Take care.

[@FTWOAN]

Great video!!!! i am looking forward to watching this series and learning more.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad to hear it. Part II is going live tomorrow. Cheers.

[@sbagwell98]

carried the Prick 77 in the Corp. Keep up with the good comm ideas. Semper Fi

[@josempantaleon]

Congratulations to the winners... Well done Gaston, and I look forward to seeing the new series.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thank you, Jose. It should be fun. 73

[@grantmartin6293]

PRC-152 a handheld radio isn't it? I did some work with comms as an infantryman alongside out RTO and as I remember Harris designed that as a handheld to replace the MBITR/JEM.

[@DominicMazoch]

About 30 to 40 years ago Yaesu made some rigs for manpacks. Icom had equipment to turn the Ic-703/+ for a manpacks.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Did they really? I am not surprised. Yaesu's older rigs constantly impress me. Thanks for the info.

[@DominicMazoch]

@@TheTechPrepper They were monobans for 6, 2, and .70m. Had dual ant. ports, one on back, BNC in front.

[@risbill1]

Great video and good information. Definitely have to be aware of how much RF radiation you're putting out with a man pack. Brings back memories from my days in the Air guard using prc-117's 119's and the AN/PSC-5.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for your service. Do you recall what your max output power was on any of those packs?

[@risbill1]

@@TheTechPrepper between 5 and 10 watts. The PSC-5 could go up to 20W in certain models.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@risbill1 Thanks for the confirmation.

[@wirespeedtod]

So glad I came across your video, been wanting ideas on this type of set up

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome! There are more ideas coming. Up next, a crossband repeat manpack. Cheers.

[@tjman4943]

Thanks for this series, I've been struggling to find a source for this type of build

[@TheTechPrepper]

You are very welcome. I accidentally discovered the manpack concept from a close friend who is prior service. After talking with him for the last couple of years and experimenting with radio in the backcountry, this was the design that was closet I could find for civilian use using commercially available radios . Good luck with your build. Here is a private video of custom bag that I am working on: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYeWh5mEYt2Xl8U

[@DefaultName-gx1dg]

just what i have been looking for thanks for taking the time to make these videos

[@TheTechPrepper]

You're welcome. Glad you're enjoying them.

[@elliottdmann]

Brilliant! Love the idea and application philosophy.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Radio with purpose. ;-)

[@norm_sueb122]

Thanks for the awesome video!! FYI: Your Yaesu FT-818ND link goes to the Yaesu FTM-6000R

[@TheTechPrepper]

Oops. Thanks. I'll try to correct that.

[@johnlewis4325]

This series is great man. I've been thinking about doing something like this for awhile now. Keep up the great work!

[@TheTechPrepper]

John, you're in luck. I hope that the next four videos shed more light on what's possible on the manpack front. Stay tuned.

[@johnlewis4325]

@@TheTechPrepper Sweet!

[@felts8031]

I like your small Molle pack build. Also, have you seen the Midland Ammo can packs out there? They have 2 and the smaller reminds more of a PRC military type that could fit in a ruck for travel. Also, while you would have to change some things, the Mojave Lunchbox repeater that you can buy (when available) is another good contained system. All that, I do like the smaller, more portable design of what you showed. You could probably make a little bit of money if you built those and sold then already put together

[@TheTechPrepper]

I have seen the ammo can builds, but I found the bag approach to be more comfortable to carry with my other support gear in the ruck. I am mostly a man-portable operator and take my gear up mountains, so this footprint works well. That Midland ammo can design would work great for a vehicle or at a camp site. I plan to sell these as fully assembled kits once I get a handle on what it takes to sell 40-50 bags. I appreciate you sharing. Take care and be safe.

[@user-tp4fr4ij1p]

This was an awesome and informative video. Great job! Keep it up!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Will do. Glad you enjoyed it. More on the way.

[@TheFossilChannel]

just subscribed too, good info and clear and concise. I enjoy ham radio alot. those frames i didnt know were made specific but now ill have to look into them.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome to the channel! The TPA pack frames from ARMOLOQ are great if you run them as manpacks. They have decent set of models for different radios that have the "right" size and form factor to be manpackable. Cheers!

[@understandthetimes5721]

Great work! Looking forward to this series. Thanks and 73.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks! Glad to hear. My notebook is overflowing with all my notes on all these radios.

[@damianfries7262]

Nothing short of EXCELLENT! thanks

[@TheTechPrepper]

You are welcome! Glad you enjoyed the content. Take care.

[@Lee784447]

I you use the FT891 you have a power range of 5-100 watts. Batteries can be relatively small.

[@TheTechPrepper]

That's a great rig with a fantastic receiver. I have an FT-891 manpack as well. I typically pair mine with a 12Ah LiFePO4 and a set of 40m and 80m homemade dipoles deployed in an NVIS configurations. I am wondering if I should add the FT-891 to the series? That could possibly be a good Part VII video. Thanks for the reminder.

[@stevekline3383]

I have two Yaesu 818's. Sweet radios.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Lucky duck! Do you do satellite work?

[@shepfc1962]

That is awesome. I’m trying to get one for CB radio 11 m because I don’t have him license but I do have 2 m Beifong radios I just listen to. I don’t talk on them but I just listen but I like it set up that’s awesome.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Good luck with your build. I have one manpack that can transmit out of band on 11m, but I have never tried it. It would be interesting to throw up a CB antenna on the Jeep and try it out. Is CB still active where you are located?

[@shepfc1962]

@@TheTechPrepper Yeah that be cool 😎 I am going to try to build one but I can’t find a good bag that I like to build it in the right battery for it I think specially get it figured out but right now I’ve been so busy seem like I ain’t got time to do what I want to do messy on my hobbies I love building antennas for 11 m and 2 meters I don’t spell very well they don’t read very well so I just do what I can do but yeah I watch your videos just now watching them found your channel

[@DXAMedia]

I wonder if any mobile radio has a concept of saving power, same as HT. Sleep receiver for a few seconds and timeout screen light? Also yaesu 818 consumes much more power in receive mode than HT ( maybe specific to HF?)

[@glennarrant3743]

Very well done. Good information, clear and well thought out

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it. Part III will be out this Friday/Saturday--a crossband repeat manpack!

[@PAPAWRIX]

Just found your channel and very intrigued. looking to build a pack now

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome aboard! Good luck with your build.

[@brandonporter4227]

Glad to find your channel. I'm new to the radio world, don't even have the license yet, but decided a mobile unit was more my speed than an HT. Will probably still get an HT for convenience when I don't need the power or capability of a mobile, but would like something like this when I go out to no man's land or emergencies. Looking forward to seeing the builds.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Brandon, Welcome to the channel. The mobiles are an excellent choice. Another option is get yourself an expensive $25 Baofeng UV-5R on Amazon. The ham purists hate them, but they really are great starter radios to get into the hobby with as little capital as possible. That's what I did. When ready upgrade to something more cable. 73

[@adlucem9845]

Great video and I love your channel. Don't mean to only soap box post.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I love reading soap box posts. It's better than reading comments from the trolls. Feel free to stop by any time. Cheers.

[@jjsemperfi]

Since I can’t find an 857 to save my life I’m about to buy an 817nd. I like your rigs and style. Keep up the good work.

[@TheTechPrepper]

You and everyone else. I've been trying to find a second unit for a year. The FT-817ND is an excellent choice. You can actually do a lot with 5 watts. I. fact, don't miss my next video in the No Random Contacts video. I'm going to try an establish a planned 285 mile connect from Arizona to Utah with another KZbinr. I'll be using the FT-818ND. You'll enjoy the 817. You can get them used for about $400 USD in good condition.

[@jjsemperfi]

@@TheTechPrepper Very good, I’ll be sure to check that video out. The gentleman is selling this particular 817nd for $600 with a Ventenna HFp antenna and go bag. Seems like a reasonable price for the kit.

[@DK5ONV]

Have a good new Week Gaston. Thx for all you do for HAM Radio. 73 de YFUG 💯👍🙋‍♂

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks, Güenter. It's my pleasure. I hope you're doing well across the pond.

[@dream_chaser7569]

You have a new follower!!! I’m getting into Ham radio ! I live in a apartment with no balcony will make adding a attenna quit difficult. Also I don’t have a ham shack… so building a man pack that can service my needs no matter where I am at is great.!! I ordered the anytone at-788uv and going to build a man pack around this for urban SHTF .. if you have made one can you direct me to the video? Or do a video of that

[@musicrock_]

I wonder if mobile radio plus lipo4 100ah battery can mod to manpack..

[@markthomas1810]

I noticed you were using an Ft-8900 in one portion of the video along with a signal stick antenna. I was wondering what freq, this will work at and if you have to use a counter poise to make it useful... I have been assembling a similar go bag, and just recently purchased a Dakota 12v 18Ah battery to power my ft-8900. During some testing i had the radio shut off ( using the signal stick antenna ) and had to disconnect the battery before the radio would reboot... Thinking it was a bad cell with the battery I checked the output and draw on the battery. When it was all over I decided to plug the radio into a known good antenna with a ground plane, and sure enough it turned out to be the antenna...

[@stansbruv3169]

Subscribed! Nice work bruv. Thanks for sharing your expertise.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome to the party! Thanks for the support. Take it easy.

[@WardenWolf]

Hey, I have an idea that may work well for you. They make MOLLE hydration carriers with a full-length storage pouch (in addition to the bladder), a secondary short pouch, and MOLLE on the back. Some of them also have backpack straps for use standalone. One of these may work great for carrying a radio.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for the tip! The problem is accessing the radio controls. I did an experiment on the channel some time back where I relocated the control head with an umbilical system from the pack, but abandoned the effort. That solution would work well with what you are proposing.

[@apar1560]

That's an awesome setup ! 👌 ...Alan in 🇨🇱

[@wannas5572]

Thank you, was waiting for a video like this

[@TheTechPrepper]

You are welcome. Wait until you see the next one. I filmed a practical exercise last night with the first manpack that we'll explore in the series. Cheers.

[@buckeyeblaster]

Great info! Very simple setup. Thanks for sharing. just sub'd!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome to the channel!

[@paulwilson8672]

Great video!!! You have Great Ideas. I love the military KISS approach but still Semper Gumbi (Always Flexible). I subscribed, and will be watching more of your videos. I'm new to HAM, but a lot of RF background. Thank You!!!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome to the channel. Semper Gumbi is a phrase in need of a shirt. Glad to hear you're enjoying the content. Everything thing this year has been focused around a "Tools, not Toys" philosophy with simplicity at its core.

[@edyagger8779]

Straight to the point. Just like the military !. Nice job, informative ! N2EDY

[@TheTechPrepper]

That's high praise. Thank you. There will be 6 more in the series. Part II is out by the way. Enjoy!

[@tunnelrabbit2625]

Like your stuff. I am new to this channel, so I may have missed any content that uses hand helds as apart of a lighter weight 'man pack'. Suggest the use of 2 hand helds and a split frequency circuit. One as a receiver on a good omni directional antenna, and the other as a transmitter using a high gain directional antenna. The advantages are : a much lighter load, a split frequency that is more difficult to intercept, and the use of an antenna that is difficult to DF. The transmitting transceiver could use UHF to reduce the size of the yagi or moxon used, or the use of a higher gain 5 or 10 element yagi that propagates with a narrower foot print. These yagis can however be more difficult to point in the direction of a station if an azimuth cannot be aquired. A 3 element yagi, or a Moxon is easier to use and further reduces weight and bulk. I prefer Moxons for this application because of the much wider bandwith and much high F/B ratio. However I do have a 3 element design that is super broad banded. It's F/B ratio is much much lower than a moxon, but it does allow the potential use of frequencies between 411 to 480Mhz. This includes 70cm to GMRS. I'll post the link to my article on how to build this yagi separately. YT may delete it?

[@TheTechPrepper]

I did a series on the VX-6R as well demonstrated digital modes with the VX-6R and the DigiRig. That's about as much as I've covered in terms on HT's on the channel. I carry an HT and Mobilinkd with my phone when I trail run. That's about as light as I go. I'm also not too concerned about direction finding while times are good. For SHTF, it will be running minimum power (300 mW) with a small yagi and keeping contacts short. If I'm really concerned about being hunted HF NVIS will be my goto method of transmission for regional use.

[@oldskooldriver9379]

If I paid you with your profit, could you put together exactly that manpack system for my campervan mobile radio needs? I'm a newbie, and am happy paying you for all your expertise.

[@lucassmith2332]

I'm so glad I've found your channel and thanks great your doing this series. I'm working on my ham license and with all different choices Im so lost. This exactly in my mind for emergency preparedness the way to go. I've tried handy talky I'm sure they there place but, not sure what it is for me.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome to the channel and good luck with your license. I documented my ham radio journey from the beginning. All the way to my first contact. I know that there are ton of a videos, but if your start watching from May 2022 forward you'll see how I personally moved through this hobby from the beginning. I talk about the frustrations, the failures, the successes and even climb a peak here and there with radio gear. Enjoy. Best of luck!

[@NavyFE]

What is the antenna you’re using at the 13:33 mark on the summit? Thanks and great video.

[@MrShabong]

New subscriber, and loving your content. Trying to learn more about comms and I appreciate this education!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Welcome to the party. I'm glad that you are finding value in the content. I started my comms journey a little over two years ago and have documented every experience, success and failure along the way on KZbin. Have a good one!