The April 4, 2019 SCHEART Net covered some recommended tools you should have in your go kit. This post provides details of the training…
Being deployed it’s sometimes necessary to fix our equipment. Coax and power cords can be easily damaged when we deploy outdoors or even to a shelter. In addition to radios, antennas, coax and batteries; we need the tools to fix minor breakdowns that may occasionally occur. Whether the damage is caused by wear and tear or by accident, if we prepare ourselves to solve these problems then we can resume our duties in a timely fashion.
So, what’s in a good SCHEART Tool Kit? This is a good list for a tool kit to give you an example.
1. Fuses – You need fuses appropriate for all of the equipment. Two kinds of fuses. Automotive blade fuses(larger and small0 and barrel fuses.
2. Roll of Solder, soldering iron and stand for soldering iron.
3. 6 – PL-259 connectors for RG-213 or LMR-400.
4. 6 – Screw in adapters for using a PL-259 on RG-8x coax.
5. 4 – Screw in adapters for using a PL-259 on RG-58 coax.
6. Coax Seal – the asphalt tape for weather proofing coax connectors.
7. Electrical tape – has many uses. Wrap connectors with electrical tape before you apply coax seal to make it much easier to disassemble the station.
8. Head phone adapters ¼” to 1/8th” and 1/8th”stereo to 1/8th”mono.
9. 4 – Barrel Connectors for joining runs of coax. It’s good to have one barrel connector for each coax roll you bring.
10. 1 – BNC to PL-259 connector or pigtail – enables you to connect an HT to an outside antenna.
11. 1 – SMA Female to BNC connector or pigtail – enables you to connect a Chinese HT to an outside antenna.
12. 4 – Clip on Ferrite beads – used to stop common mode currents and RF from effecting adjacent equipment. If theses fail to solve the issue then your best alternative is to move the station or antenna to eliminate interference. DX Engineering web site has a very good handout on the different versions and mix’s of Ferrite Beads and such.
13. Extra Anderson Power Pole connectors and the crimper needed to install them.
14. Knife – used to cut wire and prepare coax cable for connectors.
15. Screw Driver with Philips and flat head– A set from Harbor Freight that has Phillips, flat, hex and torx just to cover all the bases.
16. 50’ rope – for installing wire antennas.
17. Cable ties
18. Duct Tape – tape your coax to the floor to prevent a tripping hazard.
19. Flashlight
20. Volt-ohm meter – used to check AC outlets or continuity of coax cable. Again you can get a free, or nearly free RED VOM from Harbor Freight.
21. Wire nuts – used for fixing damaged AC or DC power cords.
Other handy tools:
Multi tool or Needle nose pliers
12 volt Soldering Iron
Wire Stripper
Adjustable Wrench
DC extension cord
Automotive blade fuse holders w/ Anderson Power Poles.
The majority of repairs are fixing broken wires, replacing coax connectors or solving RF interference issues. If we have the tools to fix these problems then we can effectively get our stations up and running shortly after they occur.
