I got a Digirig Mobile to improve my lightweight hammer wireless setup, and I am looking to reach out to this educated community for help and guidance on how to get the most out of my technology.
My current setup consists of a yaesu FT-818 ND, a Wolf River Coils TIA Mini, and a bioenno 12V 6 Ah battery. During my hiking travels, I usually work in the field, looking for compact and lightweight kits that always work well.
I understand that correct wiring is essential for smooth working. What are the best ways to link the Digirig Mobile to my FT-818ND? Are there any connections you suggest for reducing signal loss and disruption?
Battery life is usually an issue while going on long trips. How does the Digiring Mobile affect power usage; and are there any efficient energy saving uses you could recommend to maximise my working period of time?
I am now using Windows to perform digital mode activities. Are there any programs, apps and updates to firmware that you have found to be particularly useful for applications with the Digirig Mobile? Are there any setup changes that can increase performance?
I would like to hear about your field adventures with the Digirig Mobile. What difficulties have you faced and how did you overcome them?
Are there any extra items you have found to be necessary when using the Digirig Mobile in a lightweight setup?
Any basic advice and suggestions for someone new to including digital transmissions into their lightweight hammer wireless setup would be greatly appreciated.
I still can’t figure out what Hammer Wireless is, but I can share some of my experiences with using Digirig in a portable setup.
Connections: any wiggling of a cable connection, or excessive movement of the cables, can trigger software errors. Even if you’re not using CAT control, I have seen this glitch out FLDIGI, causing one to have to close and reopen the program. I recommend securing connections with electric tape (I even soldered one problematic USB cable into the socket on one Raspberry Pi), and just minimizing jostling and movement to the extent practical.
Battery: I am unaware of any affect of the Digirig on power consumption. Digital modes don’t need a loud volume from the radio, so perhaps you can decrease power consumption by keeping the output volume low.
Windows: I am unaware of any windows apps that particularly hate the Digirig in favor of other sound cards. Setup changes have been documented in the Digirig blog, including disabling enhancements, disabling AGC, and adjusting volume to prevent overdriving.
Field experience: I’ve found it important to maintain a proper distance between the antenna and the Digirig/computer to prevent software errors. Minimize connection and cable jostling as described above. Don’t use a battery bank with inductive charging to power your radio or computer (RF actually turns my battery off and abruptly shuts down the Pi). Use Mix 31 ferrites and a USB line isolator for RF. Buy the recommended cables from digirig.net instead of making cables or buying Amazon cables. The cost of the proper Digirig cables are appropriate relative to the time wasted troubleshooting substandard or DIY cables. The shorter cable with the ferrites works more consistently in unfavorable conditions than the long coiled one.
If you encounter a lot of unexplainable, inconsistent errors, start your troubleshooting with securing connections, then RF sources (antenna too close), then bad cables.
