Advice for parts for a portable setup
Hello to the group! I am on Bainbridge Island, and I am looking into a portable setup to experiment with from different locations. While there is a lot of useful gear info on the website and on this listserv, I want to make sure that I don't end up getting something that doesn't maximize data speeds or will be obsolete in a year. I am looking for advice for a complete portable system. I can make use of a power supply and tripod that I already have, although I'd be interested on input on that, as well. Thanks in advance for your help with this. -Lionel K7BIX
I am planning on setting up a portable unit myself, and just awaiting re-stock of the antenna I plan to use so it can be ordered: https://www.eurodk.com/en/products/mt-lhg/lhg-xl-hp5 This is a 9.5inch diameter wind-resistant 27dbi gain dish with integrated modem/router/firewall and is 24VDC PoE. I have bought and installed the smaller 6.75 inch 25dbi gain version of this same antenna at my home QTH that is working well about 1.5mi away from the cell site. I have another ARES team mate who purchased the small 5in square SXTsq 5HP flat-panel 16dbi gain antenna for his portable station, which I think he's mounting on a tripod. His home QTH is a bit over 1mi from the cell site and he needs to use it outdoors, but with no trees and clear LOS view it's working well. He's using this: https://www.eurodk.com/en/products/mt-sxtsq/sxt-sq-5-hp I worry that he'll have some trouble with this smaller-gain antenna during field deployments at a distance or during snowy/rainy weather. For the portable use I have planned in emcomm field deployments and RV traveling, I feel I need the most amount of gain I can get that is also easily managed, transported, and setup/teardown. I recommend that you use a dedicated laptop for HamWan with no valuable info that you can afford to have exploited by an attacker, as I have experienced twice now unauthorized router logon attacks after connected to the 44 network > half hour; since I'm a pro infosec guy, I have a pro-grade IDPS on my local network that detects/blocks such attacks and alerts me, but most people do not.so in addition to keeping everything patched, hardening your MikoTik router config, hardening your laptop config and using good anti-malware protection on it, you should think about what you can lose or not lose and keep your HamWan dish powered off except when you are actively using it. Stephen W9SK From: PSDR <psdr-bounces@hamwan.org> On Behalf Of lionelhlvrsn@gmail.com Sent: Monday, September 14, 2020 2:33 PM To: 'Puget Sound Data Ring' <psdr@hamwan.org> Subject: [HamWAN PSDR] Advice for parts for a portable setup Hello to the group! I am on Bainbridge Island, and I am looking into a portable setup to experiment with from different locations. While there is a lot of useful gear info on the website and on this listserv, I want to make sure that I don't end up getting something that doesn't maximize data speeds or will be obsolete in a year. I am looking for advice for a complete portable system. I can make use of a power supply and tripod that I already have, although I'd be interested on input on that, as well. Thanks in advance for your help with this. -Lionel K7BIX
You need a balance between highest performance and portability. My recommendation would be for a Dynadish5 for any type of portable application. It will run nicely on standard 12V power (your ethernet run will not be very long, so voltage drop isn't the concern it is on fixed installations where you want 24V). You will have an ethernet jack out of the Dynadish which can be used to feed whatever your installation wants are (a switch with multiple ethernet outputs, a wireless access point, both). The Dynadish includes a built in Mikrotik router which will serve DHCP with NATing to a 192.168.88.xxx address if you use standard HamWAN programming suggestions. I have some 10 foot PBL Studio Light Stands which are good tripod stands. As to maximizing data speeds, that is mostly a function of your signal levels to the sector panel you connect to. Longer distance shots are going to give you lower speeds. The Dynadish is a good compromise between maximum signal and portability. You can get smaller, lighter weight equipment, and you can get heavier, more difficult to set up and aim equipment. Make sure you get the international, or "Rest Of World - ROW" version of the Dynadish5. The US version can't get to HamWAN frequencies. Carl, N7KUW From: PSDR <psdr-bounces@hamwan.org> On Behalf Of lionelhlvrsn@gmail.com Sent: Monday, September 14, 2020 2:33 PM To: 'Puget Sound Data Ring' <psdr@hamwan.org> Subject: [HamWAN PSDR] Advice for parts for a portable setup Hello to the group! I am on Bainbridge Island, and I am looking into a portable setup to experiment with from different locations. While there is a lot of useful gear info on the website and on this listserv, I want to make sure that I don't end up getting something that doesn't maximize data speeds or will be obsolete in a year. I am looking for advice for a complete portable system. I can make use of a power supply and tripod that I already have, although I'd be interested on input on that, as well. Thanks in advance for your help with this. -Lionel K7BIX
Carl, I recall reading on the forum that 802.ac antennas do not play well with the HamWan cell site sector antennas. Dynadish 5 is a 802.ac device. Have you experienced any problems, and which HamWan sites have you connected to with your Dynadish? (Note: the Dynadish 5 is about twice the price of the LHG 5hp, and slightly less gain.) Nice use of a studio light stand there. I have a spare inexpensive 5ft PA speaker stand with integrated 1.25in "mast" that's perfect for use with the MikroTik Quickmount Pro LHG adjustable az-el mount made for the LHG series. Stephen W9SK From: PSDR <psdr-bounces@hamwan.org> On Behalf Of Carl Leon Sent: Monday, September 14, 2020 3:33 PM To: 'Puget Sound Data Ring' <psdr@hamwan.org> Subject: Re: [HamWAN PSDR] Advice for parts for a portable setup You need a balance between highest performance and portability. My recommendation would be for a Dynadish5 for any type of portable application. It will run nicely on standard 12V power (your ethernet run will not be very long, so voltage drop isn't the concern it is on fixed installations where you want 24V). You will have an ethernet jack out of the Dynadish which can be used to feed whatever your installation wants are (a switch with multiple ethernet outputs, a wireless access point, both). The Dynadish includes a built in Mikrotik router which will serve DHCP with NATing to a 192.168.88.xxx address if you use standard HamWAN programming suggestions. I have some 10 foot PBL Studio Light Stands which are good tripod stands. As to maximizing data speeds, that is mostly a function of your signal levels to the sector panel you connect to. Longer distance shots are going to give you lower speeds. The Dynadish is a good compromise between maximum signal and portability. You can get smaller, lighter weight equipment, and you can get heavier, more difficult to set up and aim equipment. Make sure you get the international, or "Rest Of World - ROW" version of the Dynadish5. The US version can't get to HamWAN frequencies. Carl, N7KUW From: PSDR <psdr-bounces@hamwan.org <mailto:psdr-bounces@hamwan.org> > On Behalf Of lionelhlvrsn@gmail.com <mailto:lionelhlvrsn@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, September 14, 2020 2:33 PM To: 'Puget Sound Data Ring' <psdr@hamwan.org <mailto:psdr@hamwan.org> > Subject: [HamWAN PSDR] Advice for parts for a portable setup Hello to the group! I am on Bainbridge Island, and I am looking into a portable setup to experiment with from different locations. While there is a lot of useful gear info on the website and on this listserv, I want to make sure that I don't end up getting something that doesn't maximize data speeds or will be obsolete in a year. I am looking for advice for a complete portable system. I can make use of a power supply and tripod that I already have, although I'd be interested on input on that, as well. Thanks in advance for your help with this. -Lionel K7BIX
Thank you Stephen, and thank you, Carl! I am curious to hear back on the 802.ac issue, so that will be a factor. I made a table of what I've learned so far. I like that the Dynadish is smaller and appears to be faster and more robust. If I understand correctly, the wider antenna beam width would make it more forgiving for aiming it at a HamWAN site. The Dynadish's increased power consumption is a downside for battery life. Does anyone how much the Dynadish actually weighs? LHG XL HP5 Dynadish MSRP $79 $179 CPU Model AR9344 QCA9557 CPU Speed 600 MHz 720 MHz RAM 64 MB 128 MB Storage 16 MB 16 MB Antenna Gain 27 dBi 25 dBi Antenna Beam Width 6.4* 8* Ethernet Port Speed Fast (10/100) Gigabit (10/100/1000) TX Power Up to 630 mW ?? Not listed and haven't been able to find Listed Range 40 km (25 miles) 45 km (28 miles) Dimensions 550 x 245 mm (22" x 10") 404 x 175 (16" x 7") Weight 945 g (2 pounds) Not listed, but some websites list this as 26-28 pounds. Could this be accurate? Power Consumption 7 w 9 w In Stock? No No -Lionel K7BIX 206-778-3368
Eurodk.com sells the Dynadish 5 for $121.23USD, the LHG 5HP for $44.49, the LHG 5 XL HP for $61.17USD, and the SXTsq 5 HP for $38.23, plus USPS Priority shipping that adds about another $20k (took less than one week to receive my order); this makes that source considerably less expensive than the other sources my team looked at. The LHG series as-el mast mount is only $5.50USD. Plus, they have current stock of most models, drop-shipped directly from Latvia where their warehouse is located next to the MikroTik manufacturer (this is the reason I went with them in the first place, as the US reseller quoted 2-3months back-order). I have not yet tried running the LHG 5 on 12V power, but I will try that out here shortly and let you know. We currently carry a 120VAC generator & solar invertor for our team's field deployment setup, for the HF radio, laptops, lighting and other equipment, but it would be nice to know if the HamWan antenna can be added to the list of 12VDC possibilities for lean go-kits running off of battery/solar/vehicle. BTW, the Dynadish is an insignificant 0.5db spec difference in gain. Given that the 802.a/n download/upload speeds of the LHG5 series is way more than needed for most portable applications, I don't yet see any advantage of 802.ac (if you're going to be streaming video from encrypted websites like YouTube, Netflix, Xfinity, which one might be able to argue demands >10Mbps, you're in violation of FCC Part 97 regs for amateur radio anyway). Since the 5Ghz band is not being used by HamWan for client connections, that eliminates most or all of the extra 802.ac speed anyway which requires 5GHz to reach its spec'd max speeds. Stephen W9SK Stephen W9SK From: PSDR <psdr-bounces@hamwan.org> On Behalf Of lionelhlvrsn@gmail.com Sent: Monday, September 14, 2020 6:01 PM To: 'Puget Sound Data Ring' <psdr@hamwan.org> Subject: Re: [HamWAN PSDR] Advice for parts for a portable setup Thank you Stephen, and thank you, Carl! I am curious to hear back on the 802.ac issue, so that will be a factor. I made a table of what I've learned so far. I like that the Dynadish is smaller and appears to be faster and more robust. If I understand correctly, the wider antenna beam width would make it more forgiving for aiming it at a HamWAN site. The Dynadish's increased power consumption is a downside for battery life. Does anyone how much the Dynadish actually weighs? LHG XL HP5 Dynadish MSRP $79 $179 CPU Model AR9344 QCA9557 CPU Speed 600 MHz 720 MHz RAM 64 MB 128 MB Storage 16 MB 16 MB Antenna Gain 27 dBi 25 dBi Antenna Beam Width 6.4* 8* Ethernet Port Speed Fast (10/100) Gigabit (10/100/1000) TX Power Up to 630 mW ?? Not listed and haven't been able to find Listed Range 40 km (25 miles) 45 km (28 miles) Dimensions 550 x 245 mm (22" x 10") 404 x 175 (16" x 7") Weight 945 g (2 pounds) Not listed, but some websites list this as 26-28 pounds. Could this be accurate? Power Consumption 7 w 9 w In Stock? No No -Lionel K7BIX 206-778-3368
On 9/14/20 10:14 PM, Stephen Kangas wrote:
BTW, the Dynadish is an insignificant 0.5db spec difference in gain. Given that the 802.a/n download/upload speeds of the LHG5 series is way more than needed for most portable applications,
I've found the radio in the Dynadish to be a better performing unit. 1km from our "Mt. San Petersburgo" site at 380' ASL, the Dynadish was doing 40 mbit's up and down, while the LHG radio was doing 15. No idea why, everything was configured the same, and the radio were not operating at the same time. Dynadish is worth the money. 73's -- Bryan Fields 727-409-1194 - Voice http://bryanfields.net
Thanks, Bryan; quite interesting. The spec sheets between the two models imply nearly exactly same speeds for a given Rx signal strength, and rated usage distance. There must be an error in the specs, or something else not shown in the specs. Beam width is also similar at 8 vs 7 degrees, which means aiming is fairly critical for max signal & speed for either model. Given same manufacturer, the same radio is likely used in both with same noise figure, SNR, etc, but perhaps you're right that may not be the case. Makes me want to contact MikroTik for more info. Last I looked a couple weeks ago, I was doing about 30Mbps down with the smaller LHG 5 HP 3.2mi away (5.1km) from Rattlesnake Mtn here (3248ft ASL + 140ft tower = 3380ft, I'm at 518ft ASL, delta = 2862ft. I'm expecting longer range possible with the LHG 5 XL when I get it, possibly faster speed here at my home QTH although I don't need it for Winlink & similar ham apps. 10Mbps is plenty for what we need for ham stuff here. During our present email conversation, I was just notified that another of our ARES team guys placed an order for the LHG 5 XL; he's 5.2mi (8.4km) from the HamWan cell site with a 40ft tower to put it on. That will bring it to 3 of us, and a couple others here watching that may get on-board. Stephen W9SK -----Original Message----- From: PSDR <psdr-bounces@hamwan.org> On Behalf Of Bryan Fields Sent: Monday, September 14, 2020 7:45 PM To: Puget Sound Data Ring <psdr@hamwan.org> Subject: Re: [HamWAN PSDR] Advice for parts for a portable setup On 9/14/20 10:14 PM, Stephen Kangas wrote:
BTW, the Dynadish is an insignificant 0.5db spec difference in gain. Given that the 802.a/n download/upload speeds of the LHG5 series is way more than needed for most portable applications,
I've found the radio in the Dynadish to be a better performing unit. 1km from our "Mt. San Petersburgo" site at 380' ASL, the Dynadish was doing 40 mbit's up and down, while the LHG radio was doing 15. No idea why, everything was configured the same, and the radio were not operating at the same time. Dynadish is worth the money. 73's -- Bryan Fields 727-409-1194 - Voice http://bryanfields.net _______________________________________________ PSDR mailing list PSDR@hamwan.org http://mail.hamwan.net/mailman/listinfo/psdr
I highly recommend the Dynadish as well currently, if the size is acceptable to you. Very nice all in one unit. If you’d like a pocket sized portable station, my blog post on what I built a few years ago still holds up quite decently :) Hope it helps provide some options: https://cdine.org/2017-11-19-portable-hamwan-station/#2017-11-19-portable-ha... Ian Gallagher KE7MAP
On Sep 14, 2020, at 20:35, Stephen Kangas <stephen@kangas.com> wrote:
Thanks, Bryan; quite interesting.
The spec sheets between the two models imply nearly exactly same speeds for a given Rx signal strength, and rated usage distance. There must be an error in the specs, or something else not shown in the specs. Beam width is also similar at 8 vs 7 degrees, which means aiming is fairly critical for max signal & speed for either model. Given same manufacturer, the same radio is likely used in both with same noise figure, SNR, etc, but perhaps you're right that may not be the case. Makes me want to contact MikroTik for more info.
Last I looked a couple weeks ago, I was doing about 30Mbps down with the smaller LHG 5 HP 3.2mi away (5.1km) from Rattlesnake Mtn here (3248ft ASL + 140ft tower = 3380ft, I'm at 518ft ASL, delta = 2862ft. I'm expecting longer range possible with the LHG 5 XL when I get it, possibly faster speed here at my home QTH although I don't need it for Winlink & similar ham apps. 10Mbps is plenty for what we need for ham stuff here.
During our present email conversation, I was just notified that another of our ARES team guys placed an order for the LHG 5 XL; he's 5.2mi (8.4km) from the HamWan cell site with a 40ft tower to put it on. That will bring it to 3 of us, and a couple others here watching that may get on-board.
Stephen W9SK
-----Original Message----- From: PSDR <psdr-bounces@hamwan.org> On Behalf Of Bryan Fields Sent: Monday, September 14, 2020 7:45 PM To: Puget Sound Data Ring <psdr@hamwan.org> Subject: Re: [HamWAN PSDR] Advice for parts for a portable setup
On 9/14/20 10:14 PM, Stephen Kangas wrote: BTW, the Dynadish is an insignificant 0.5db spec difference in gain. Given that the 802.a/n download/upload speeds of the LHG5 series is way more than needed for most portable applications,
I've found the radio in the Dynadish to be a better performing unit. 1km from our "Mt. San Petersburgo" site at 380' ASL, the Dynadish was doing 40 mbit's up and down, while the LHG radio was doing 15. No idea why, everything was configured the same, and the radio were not operating at the same time.
Dynadish is worth the money.
73's -- Bryan Fields
727-409-1194 - Voice http://bryanfields.net _______________________________________________ PSDR mailing list PSDR@hamwan.org http://mail.hamwan.net/mailman/listinfo/psdr
_______________________________________________ PSDR mailing list PSDR@hamwan.org http://mail.hamwan.net/mailman/listinfo/psdr
I want to give a very big THANK YOU to everyone who chimed in with thoughts and suggestions. This provided a ton of info and analysis. I have decided to go with the Dynadish from eurodk.com, ROW version. I have a tripod that will work for now, and have good recommendations from you all if I end up buying a dedicated one. I will also, on your advice, be re-purposing an old laptop to be the dedicated computer, with nothing of value/interest on it, to be stress-free on privacy/hacking issues. I'll see you online! -Lionel K7BIX From: PSDR <psdr-bounces@hamwan.org> On Behalf Of Stephen Kangas Sent: Monday, September 14, 2020 7:14 PM To: 'Puget Sound Data Ring' <psdr@hamwan.org> Subject: Re: [HamWAN PSDR] Advice for parts for a portable setup Eurodk.com sells the Dynadish 5 for $121.23USD, the LHG 5HP for $44.49, the LHG 5 XL HP for $61.17USD, and the SXTsq 5 HP for $38.23, plus USPS Priority shipping that adds about another $20k (took less than one week to receive my order); this makes that source considerably less expensive than the other sources my team looked at. The LHG series as-el mast mount is only $5.50USD. Plus, they have current stock of most models, drop-shipped directly from Latvia where their warehouse is located next to the MikroTik manufacturer (this is the reason I went with them in the first place, as the US reseller quoted 2-3months back-order). I have not yet tried running the LHG 5 on 12V power, but I will try that out here shortly and let you know. We currently carry a 120VAC generator & solar invertor for our team's field deployment setup, for the HF radio, laptops, lighting and other equipment, but it would be nice to know if the HamWan antenna can be added to the list of 12VDC possibilities for lean go-kits running off of battery/solar/vehicle. BTW, the Dynadish is an insignificant 0.5db spec difference in gain. Given that the 802.a/n download/upload speeds of the LHG5 series is way more than needed for most portable applications, I don't yet see any advantage of 802.ac (if you're going to be streaming video from encrypted websites like YouTube, Netflix, Xfinity, which one might be able to argue demands >10Mbps, you're in violation of FCC Part 97 regs for amateur radio anyway). Since the 5Ghz band is not being used by HamWan for client connections, that eliminates most or all of the extra 802.ac speed anyway which requires 5GHz to reach its spec'd max speeds. Stephen W9SK
Hi Lionel I’m about to put up my tower (again) and very much want to get on HamWAN. Is this the antenna you mentioned? https://www.amazon.com/Mikrotik-DynaDish-802-11ac-outdoor-RBDynaDishG-5HacD/... <https://www.amazon.com/Mikrotik-DynaDish-802-11ac-outdoor-RBDynaDishG-5HacD/dp/B01768VE5S/ref=pd_sim_b2b_6/136-3302874-7748924?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01768VE5S&pd_rd_r=dfe7f510-87cc-44e3-a729-75a8d603102f&pd_rd_w=gqOz8&pd_rd_wg=BtrIE&pf_rd_p=a07701e4-f565-442a-b97f-93ab23cbb7ef&pf_rd_r=E6GHJGE0H327K10D6830&psc=1&refRID=E6GHJGE0H327K10D6830> I buy a ton of stuff from Amazon and prefer them mainly for their quick delivery and broad return policies. Michael W7HUT
On Sep 16, 2020, at 3:22 PM, lionelhlvrsn@gmail.com wrote:
I want to give a very big THANK YOU to everyone who chimed in with thoughts and suggestions. This provided a ton of info and analysis. I have decided to go with the Dynadish from eurodk.com <http://eurodk.com/>, ROW version. I have a tripod that will work for now, and have good recommendations from you all if I end up buying a dedicated one. I will also, on your advice, be re-purposing an old laptop to be the dedicated computer, with nothing of value/interest on it, to be stress-free on privacy/hacking issues. I’ll see you online! -Lionel K7BIX
From: PSDR <psdr-bounces@hamwan.org <mailto:psdr-bounces@hamwan.org>> On Behalf Of Stephen Kangas Sent: Monday, September 14, 2020 7:14 PM To: 'Puget Sound Data Ring' <psdr@hamwan.org <mailto:psdr@hamwan.org>> Subject: Re: [HamWAN PSDR] Advice for parts for a portable setup
Eurodk.com <http://eurodk.com/> sells the Dynadish 5 for $121.23USD, the LHG 5HP for $44.49, the LHG 5 XL HP for $61.17USD, and the SXTsq 5 HP for $38.23, plus USPS Priority shipping that adds about another $20k (took less than one week to receive my order); this makes that source considerably less expensive than the other sources my team looked at. The LHG series as-el mast mount is only $5.50USD. Plus, they have current stock of most models, drop-shipped directly from Latvia where their warehouse is located next to the MikroTik manufacturer (this is the reason I went with them in the first place, as the US reseller quoted 2-3months back-order).
I have not yet tried running the LHG 5 on 12V power, but I will try that out here shortly and let you know. We currently carry a 120VAC generator & solar invertor for our team’s field deployment setup, for the HF radio, laptops, lighting and other equipment, but it would be nice to know if the HamWan antenna can be added to the list of 12VDC possibilities for lean go-kits running off of battery/solar/vehicle.
BTW, the Dynadish is an insignificant 0.5db spec difference in gain. Given that the 802.a/n download/upload speeds of the LHG5 series is way more than needed for most portable applications, I don’t yet see any advantage of 802.ac (if you’re going to be streaming video from encrypted websites like YouTube, Netflix, Xfinity, which one might be able to argue demands >10Mbps, you’re in violation of FCC Part 97 regs for amateur radio anyway). Since the 5Ghz band is not being used by HamWan for client connections, that eliminates most or all of the extra 802.ac speed anyway which requires 5GHz to reach its spec’d max speeds.
Stephen W9SK _______________________________________________ PSDR mailing list PSDR@hamwan.org <mailto:PSDR@hamwan.org> http://mail.hamwan.net/mailman/listinfo/psdr <http://mail.hamwan.net/mailman/listinfo/psdr>
That is the US (not ROW) version which will not work on HamWAN. Amazon sellers usually don’t carry the ROW versions. Ian Gallagher KE7MAP
On Sep 16, 2020, at 18:13, Michael Ditmore <michael@rangefire.com> wrote:
Hi Lionel
I’m about to put up my tower (again) and very much want to get on HamWAN.
Is this the antenna you mentioned?
https://www.amazon.com/Mikrotik-DynaDish-802-11ac-outdoor-RBDynaDishG-5HacD/...
I buy a ton of stuff from Amazon and prefer them mainly for their quick delivery and broad return policies.
Michael
W7HUT
On Sep 16, 2020, at 3:22 PM, lionelhlvrsn@gmail.com wrote:
I want to give a very big THANK YOU to everyone who chimed in with thoughts and suggestions. This provided a ton of info and analysis. I have decided to go with the Dynadish from eurodk.com, ROW version. I have a tripod that will work for now, and have good recommendations from you all if I end up buying a dedicated one. I will also, on your advice, be re-purposing an old laptop to be the dedicated computer, with nothing of value/interest on it, to be stress-free on privacy/hacking issues. I’ll see you online! -Lionel K7BIX
From: PSDR <psdr-bounces@hamwan.org> On Behalf Of Stephen Kangas Sent: Monday, September 14, 2020 7:14 PM To: 'Puget Sound Data Ring' <psdr@hamwan.org> Subject: Re: [HamWAN PSDR] Advice for parts for a portable setup
Eurodk.com sells the Dynadish 5 for $121.23USD, the LHG 5HP for $44.49, the LHG 5 XL HP for $61.17USD, and the SXTsq 5 HP for $38.23, plus USPS Priority shipping that adds about another $20k (took less than one week to receive my order); this makes that source considerably less expensive than the other sources my team looked at. The LHG series as-el mast mount is only $5.50USD. Plus, they have current stock of most models, drop-shipped directly from Latvia where their warehouse is located next to the MikroTik manufacturer (this is the reason I went with them in the first place, as the US reseller quoted 2-3months back-order).
I have not yet tried running the LHG 5 on 12V power, but I will try that out here shortly and let you know. We currently carry a 120VAC generator & solar invertor for our team’s field deployment setup, for the HF radio, laptops, lighting and other equipment, but it would be nice to know if the HamWan antenna can be added to the list of 12VDC possibilities for lean go-kits running off of battery/solar/vehicle.
BTW, the Dynadish is an insignificant 0.5db spec difference in gain. Given that the 802.a/n download/upload speeds of the LHG5 series is way more than needed for most portable applications, I don’t yet see any advantage of 802.ac (if you’re going to be streaming video from encrypted websites like YouTube, Netflix, Xfinity, which one might be able to argue demands >10Mbps, you’re in violation of FCC Part 97 regs for amateur radio anyway). Since the 5Ghz band is not being used by HamWan for client connections, that eliminates most or all of the extra 802.ac speed anyway which requires 5GHz to reach its spec’d max speeds.
Stephen W9SK _______________________________________________ PSDR mailing list PSDR@hamwan.org http://mail.hamwan.net/mailman/listinfo/psdr
_______________________________________________ PSDR mailing list PSDR@hamwan.org http://mail.hamwan.net/mailman/listinfo/psdr
Michael, As Ian’s reply noted, you MUST get the International, or ROW (Rest Of World) version of whatever dish you select. Amazon sellers will almost never have a ROW version of the devices. In the US, a seller is supposed to verify that the buyer is authorized to buy the device, so you must provide your FCC license as proof you are allowed to use the ROW version of the device. Because of these limitations or complications, Amazon sellers typically do not offer ROW versions of the equipment (even if they say they do). However, also important is determining if you have line of sight from your tower to one of the HamWAN sectors. If you have not done this, please do so before ordering equipment. There are multiple online tools to check signal path. A few messages earlier in PSDR identified a foreign seller who supposedly has fast response. I am aware of one very recent order to StreakWave (a reliable online seller of ROW devices) that has a backorder of unknown length. Another online seller that may have inventory (don’t know) is Baltic Networks. Both are good sources for MikroTik international equipment. Good luck, hope you have LOS, and find the equipment you want rapidly. Carl, N7KUW From: PSDR <psdr-bounces@hamwan.org> On Behalf Of Michael Ditmore Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2020 6:13 PM To: Puget Sound Data Ring <psdr@hamwan.org> Subject: Re: [HamWAN PSDR] Advice for parts for a portable setup Hi Lionel I’m about to put up my tower (again) and very much want to get on HamWAN. Is this the antenna you mentioned? https://www.amazon.com/Mikrotik-DynaDish-802-11ac-outdoor-RBDynaDishG-5HacD/... <https://www.amazon.com/Mikrotik-DynaDish-802-11ac-outdoor-RBDynaDishG-5HacD/dp/B01768VE5S/ref=pd_sim_b2b_6/136-3302874-7748924?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01768VE5S&pd_rd_r=dfe7f510-87cc-44e3-a729-75a8d603102f&pd_rd_w=gqOz8&pd_rd_wg=BtrIE&pf_rd_p=a07701e4-f565-442a-b97f-93ab23cbb7ef&pf_rd_r=E6GHJGE0H327K10D6830&psc=1&refRID=E6GHJGE0H327K10D6830> &pd_rd_i=B01768VE5S&pd_rd_r=dfe7f510-87cc-44e3-a729-75a8d603102f&pd_rd_w=gqOz8&pd_rd_wg=BtrIE&pf_rd_p=a07701e4-f565-442a-b97f-93ab23cbb7ef&pf_rd_r=E6GHJGE0H327K10D6830&psc=1&refRID=E6GHJGE0H327K10D6830 I buy a ton of stuff from Amazon and prefer them mainly for their quick delivery and broad return policies. Michael W7HUT On Sep 16, 2020, at 3:22 PM, lionelhlvrsn@gmail.com <mailto:lionelhlvrsn@gmail.com> wrote: I want to give a very big THANK YOU to everyone who chimed in with thoughts and suggestions. This provided a ton of info and analysis. I have decided to go with the Dynadish from eurodk.com <http://eurodk.com/> , ROW version. I have a tripod that will work for now, and have good recommendations from you all if I end up buying a dedicated one. I will also, on your advice, be re-purposing an old laptop to be the dedicated computer, with nothing of value/interest on it, to be stress-free on privacy/hacking issues. I’ll see you online! -Lionel K7BIX From: PSDR <psdr-bounces@hamwan.org <mailto:psdr-bounces@hamwan.org> > On Behalf Of Stephen Kangas Sent: Monday, September 14, 2020 7:14 PM To: 'Puget Sound Data Ring' <psdr@hamwan.org <mailto:psdr@hamwan.org> > Subject: Re: [HamWAN PSDR] Advice for parts for a portable setup Eurodk.com <http://eurodk.com/> sells the Dynadish 5 for $121.23USD, the LHG 5HP for $44.49, the LHG 5 XL HP for $61.17USD, and the SXTsq 5 HP for $38.23, plus USPS Priority shipping that adds about another $20k (took less than one week to receive my order); this makes that source considerably less expensive than the other sources my team looked at. The LHG series as-el mast mount is only $5.50USD. Plus, they have current stock of most models, drop-shipped directly from Latvia where their warehouse is located next to the MikroTik manufacturer (this is the reason I went with them in the first place, as the US reseller quoted 2-3months back-order). I have not yet tried running the LHG 5 on 12V power, but I will try that out here shortly and let you know. We currently carry a 120VAC generator & solar invertor for our team’s field deployment setup, for the HF radio, laptops, lighting and other equipment, but it would be nice to know if the HamWan antenna can be added to the list of 12VDC possibilities for lean go-kits running off of battery/solar/vehicle. BTW, the Dynadish is an insignificant 0.5db spec difference in gain. Given that the 802.a/n download/upload speeds of the LHG5 series is way more than needed for most portable applications, I don’t yet see any advantage of 802.ac (if you’re going to be streaming video from encrypted websites like YouTube, Netflix, Xfinity, which one might be able to argue demands >10Mbps, you’re in violation of FCC Part 97 regs for amateur radio anyway). Since the 5Ghz band is not being used by HamWan for client connections, that eliminates most or all of the extra 802.ac speed anyway which requires 5GHz to reach its spec’d max speeds. Stephen W9SK _______________________________________________ PSDR mailing list <mailto:PSDR@hamwan.org> PSDR@hamwan.org <http://mail.hamwan.net/mailman/listinfo/psdr> http://mail.hamwan.net/mailman/listinfo/psdr
Hi Michael, If you’re not in a big hurry, I can bring my Dynadish over to your house once I get it up and running and we can see if we can reach a HamWAN sector from there. I’ll have it mounted on a tripod. A big part of why I’m going with the portable model is so that I can test it out on different places on Bainbridge Island. Stephen, W9SK, recommended Eurodk.com. They have the Dynadish 5 for $121.23, in stock. I ordered mine through them. It came to $160 with shipping and whatnot. I went with the Dynadish based in large part on the recommendations of Carl N7KUW and Bryan Fields in this email thread. Also, the Dynadish seems more robust, with fewer parts that could easily get pulled or crushed if handled indelicately. It also seems more future-proof. I may not be able to take advantage of the speed, and I may not need it even if I could, but I like knowing it’s there. Eurodk doesn’t call it ROW. They call it the Euro plug. -Lionel
Eurodk’s reference to “Euro plug” is for the AC adapter that supplies the DC PoE power to the dish, ie it has the European style AC plug on the adapter. Of course, we don’t use euro-style AC sockets here in the USA, so you want to order the “USA plug” for any dish you order from eurodk.com (or other European seller). If you order the “Euro plug” version from them, you will get the proper frequency needed for HamWan but you will also get an AC adapter that you’ll then need to turn around and either buy another AC adapter with our US plug on it or else and adapter to convert the Euro AC plug to the US plug. I have not yet see a European seller of MikroTik that sells the FCC Part 97 version of these antennas (what is being called the “US version” in this thread), they only sell what is being called the “ROW version” in this thread as the rest of the world has no need for the Part 97 restricted version. My belief is that only US sellers sell the Part 97 version (I could be wrong). Stephen W9SK From: PSDR <psdr-bounces@hamwan.org> On Behalf Of lionelhlvrsn@gmail.com Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2020 8:01 PM To: 'Puget Sound Data Ring' <psdr@hamwan.org> Subject: Re: [HamWAN PSDR] Advice for parts for a portable setup Hi Michael, If you’re not in a big hurry, I can bring my Dynadish over to your house once I get it up and running and we can see if we can reach a HamWAN sector from there. I’ll have it mounted on a tripod. A big part of why I’m going with the portable model is so that I can test it out on different places on Bainbridge Island. Stephen, W9SK, recommended Eurodk.com. They have the Dynadish 5 for $121.23, in stock. I ordered mine through them. It came to $160 with shipping and whatnot. I went with the Dynadish based in large part on the recommendations of Carl N7KUW and Bryan Fields in this email thread. Also, the Dynadish seems more robust, with fewer parts that could easily get pulled or crushed if handled indelicately. It also seems more future-proof. I may not be able to take advantage of the speed, and I may not need it even if I could, but I like knowing it’s there. Eurodk doesn’t call it ROW. They call it the Euro plug. -Lionel
Thank you, Stephen! I emailed Eurodk, and they changed it to the US plug. And then a couple of hours later I got an email that it has shipped. A big hearty THANK YOU for catching that and catching it so quickly. Also meant to thank Ian KE7MAP earlier for the recommendation on the Dynadish and the link to that really good write-up of a HamWAN station build. Thanks, Ian! -Lionel From: PSDR <psdr-bounces@hamwan.org> On Behalf Of Stephen Kangas Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2020 8:11 PM To: 'Puget Sound Data Ring' <psdr@hamwan.org> Subject: Re: [HamWAN PSDR] Advice for parts for a portable setup Eurodk’s reference to “Euro plug” is for the AC adapter that supplies the DC PoE power to the dish, ie it has the European style AC plug on the adapter. Of course, we don’t use euro-style AC sockets here in the USA, so you want to order the “USA plug” for any dish you order from eurodk.com (or other European seller). If you order the “Euro plug” version from them, you will get the proper frequency needed for HamWan but you will also get an AC adapter that you’ll then need to turn around and either buy another AC adapter with our US plug on it or else and adapter to convert the Euro AC plug to the US plug. I have not yet see a European seller of MikroTik that sells the FCC Part 97 version of these antennas (what is being called the “US version” in this thread), they only sell what is being called the “ROW version” in this thread as the rest of the world has no need for the Part 97 restricted version. My belief is that only US sellers sell the Part 97 version (I could be wrong). Stephen W9SK
I have this Dynadish: DynaDish5, ID: RBDynaDishG-5HacD, FCC ID: TV7DyHADISHGAC. It works fine with HamWAN. I have made a 23 mile connection from my house to Gold Mountain. However, I use the 2 foot dish for my regular Gold link, as it has a bit more gain. Just remember you must get the international version, not the US version. https://www.streakwave.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=DynaDishG%2D5HacD <https://www.streakwave.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=DynaDishG%2D5HacD&eq=&Tp=&o1=0> &eq=&Tp=&o1=0 From: PSDR <psdr-bounces@hamwan.org> On Behalf Of Stephen Kangas Sent: Monday, September 14, 2020 4:03 PM To: 'Puget Sound Data Ring' <psdr@hamwan.org> Subject: Re: [HamWAN PSDR] Advice for parts for a portable setup Carl, I recall reading on the forum that 802.ac antennas do not play well with the HamWan cell site sector antennas. Dynadish 5 is a 802.ac device. Have you experienced any problems, and which HamWan sites have you connected to with your Dynadish? (Note: the Dynadish 5 is about twice the price of the LHG 5hp, and slightly less gain.) Nice use of a studio light stand there. I have a spare inexpensive 5ft PA speaker stand with integrated 1.25in "mast" that's perfect for use with the MikroTik Quickmount Pro LHG adjustable az-el mount made for the LHG series. Stephen W9SK From: PSDR <psdr-bounces@hamwan.org <mailto:psdr-bounces@hamwan.org> > On Behalf Of Carl Leon Sent: Monday, September 14, 2020 3:33 PM To: 'Puget Sound Data Ring' <psdr@hamwan.org <mailto:psdr@hamwan.org> > Subject: Re: [HamWAN PSDR] Advice for parts for a portable setup You need a balance between highest performance and portability. My recommendation would be for a Dynadish5 for any type of portable application. It will run nicely on standard 12V power (your ethernet run will not be very long, so voltage drop isn't the concern it is on fixed installations where you want 24V). You will have an ethernet jack out of the Dynadish which can be used to feed whatever your installation wants are (a switch with multiple ethernet outputs, a wireless access point, both). The Dynadish includes a built in Mikrotik router which will serve DHCP with NATing to a 192.168.88.xxx address if you use standard HamWAN programming suggestions. I have some 10 foot PBL Studio Light Stands which are good tripod stands. As to maximizing data speeds, that is mostly a function of your signal levels to the sector panel you connect to. Longer distance shots are going to give you lower speeds. The Dynadish is a good compromise between maximum signal and portability. You can get smaller, lighter weight equipment, and you can get heavier, more difficult to set up and aim equipment. Make sure you get the international, or "Rest Of World - ROW" version of the Dynadish5. The US version can't get to HamWAN frequencies. Carl, N7KUW From: PSDR <psdr-bounces@hamwan.org <mailto:psdr-bounces@hamwan.org> > On Behalf Of lionelhlvrsn@gmail.com <mailto:lionelhlvrsn@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, September 14, 2020 2:33 PM To: 'Puget Sound Data Ring' <psdr@hamwan.org <mailto:psdr@hamwan.org> > Subject: [HamWAN PSDR] Advice for parts for a portable setup Hello to the group! I am on Bainbridge Island, and I am looking into a portable setup to experiment with from different locations. While there is a lot of useful gear info on the website and on this listserv, I want to make sure that I don't end up getting something that doesn't maximize data speeds or will be obsolete in a year. I am looking for advice for a complete portable system. I can make use of a power supply and tripod that I already have, although I'd be interested on input on that, as well. Thanks in advance for your help with this. -Lionel K7BIX
Lionel, obviously you are faced with coming up with a mount for whatever antenna you select to attach it to your tripod. If it's a common camera tripod, you may have to fabricate a custom one. Most of these antennas are designed for mounting to a mast pipe, typically 1.25 in to 2in in diameter (perhaps welding a small section of pipe to a plate that can be drilled and tapped to thread with the tripod's camera thumb screw?). I'm going to use a spare 5ft PA speaker mounting stand/tripod I have. They are designed to be VERY stable, come with a 1.325in to 1.5in "mast" already (industry standard for most loudspeakers), some have adjustable heights (telescoping), light weight and collapses to easily fit a car's trunk or back-seat, and are pretty cheap from a wide variety of online stores (Guitar Center, Sweetwater, MusiciansFriend, perhaps Amazon, etc). No need to fab up a mount for the recommended antennas for them. I plan to keep the antenna mounted on it, zip-tie the ethernet cable to it and glue on a Velcro cable strap to hold the ethernet cable coiled up when transporting. Take is out of the car, spread the legs, uncoil the ether cable and plug in the laptop (or WAP), aim the antenna (signal strength lites on side of the LHG5 antenna, or use WinBox program on the laptop to monitor signal strength), then ready to go (assuming strong enough signal at whatever distance from cell site). Example: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SpeakerStd--on-stage-stands-ss7761b- all-aluminum-speaker-stand-single Stephen W9SK From: PSDR <psdr-bounces@hamwan.org> On Behalf Of lionelhlvrsn@gmail.com Sent: Monday, September 14, 2020 2:33 PM To: 'Puget Sound Data Ring' <psdr@hamwan.org> Subject: [HamWAN PSDR] Advice for parts for a portable setup Hello to the group! I am on Bainbridge Island, and I am looking into a portable setup to experiment with from different locations. While there is a lot of useful gear info on the website and on this listserv, I want to make sure that I don't end up getting something that doesn't maximize data speeds or will be obsolete in a year. I am looking for advice for a complete portable system. I can make use of a power supply and tripod that I already have, although I'd be interested on input on that, as well. Thanks in advance for your help with this. -Lionel K7BIX
participants (6)
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Bryan Fields -
Carl Leon -
Ian Gallagher -
lionelhlvrsn＠gmail.com -
Michael Ditmore -
Stephen Kangas