the plan is mostly to be able to operate HF and maybe 2m if needed from anywhere, either running off shore power if available or off a battery. i do have a 40ah LiFePO4 i was going to toss in there. antenna situation is kind of up in the air still, was thinking just a EFHW with a 9:1 unun and some paracord to throw it up in a tree.

anyone else gone through this process? what did you end up wishing you had in the first week of actually needing it

thing is I keep reading that people forget stuff and only find out when they actually need it. anybody been deployed or activated for ARES or RACES and had one of those oh-no moments where something wasnt in the bag? im mostly thinking about local emcomm support, not like a full-on multi-day field deployment, but I want to be ready for that too eventually.

also not sure how much antenna stuff to pack. right now I just have a roll-up jpole for 2m but wondering if I should add something for HF too since the 891 obviously does HF. the case is already getting heavy lol

right now I have a Yaesu FT-60 and a little Baofeng as backup, a 12ah LiFePO4 battery, some coax, and a roll-up J-pole I made from ladder line. stuffed most of it in a backpack but honestly its kind of a mess in there and I wouldnt want to try setting it up in the dark under pressure.

I guess my question is more about the organization side of things — do you guys use hard cases, those pelican type things, or just good bags? and is there stuff I keep forgetting that you only figure out after you actually deploy somewhere? I feel like theres always that one thing you left out.

also not sure if I should bother with HF capability in the go kit or if thats overkill for most ARES activations. my county group mostly does VHF/UHF stuff but I dunno

ended up going with a mid-sized Pelican case i had from a camera thing, threw in my old Yaesu FT-857D, a 40Ah LiFePO4 battery i picked up last year, a SignaLink for digital modes, and some basic coax and connectors. also packed a small notepad and pencil because honestly i've seen people show up to events and not have anything to write on which seems like a basic thing. antenna situation is a 40/20m linked dipole rolled up in a bag that i can throw up pretty quick.

the thing i wasn't prepared for was how much the cable management situation matters. everything kind of worked on my bench but when i actually tried to set it up in a hurry in my backyard it took forever to figure out which cable went where. thinking about labeling everything with colored tape but curious if anyone has a better system for that. also wondering if i'm missing anything obvious that i'd regret not having at an actual deployment.

my plan is basically to have everything I need to set up a functional HF and VHF/UHF station within like 20-30 minutes of arriving somewhere. I've got a roll of RG-8X, some coax connectors, a basic dipole kit that I can string between trees or whatever, and a little logging notebook. also keeping a printed copy of local ARES frequencies and the ICS forms in a ziploc in there.

but I feel like im definitely forgetting something obvious. this is my first real attempt at a go-kit so I'm not sure what I'll wish I had until I actually need it and it's too late. anyone been through this process and have stuff they always forget or wish they'd packed? also curious what people use for antennas when you cant guarantee any support structures nearby.

got a pelican case, a Yaesu FT-891 im planning to use as the main rig, and im pulling together some coax and a roll of wire for a quick end-fed. also have a 20ah lifepo4 battery that should be enough for a few hours of operating at reasonable power. have a small solar panel too but havent actually tested how well it charges under real conditions yet.

my question is kind of open ended — what are the things people always forget until they actually need them and then kick themselves. im not asking for the obvious stuff like a radio and a battery. more like the little things. already have a notebook and pens in there, Anderson powerpoles on everything. what else

so i guess my question is, for someone who doesnt have a huge budget and is mostly set up for VHF/UHF right now, whats the minimum i should be putting together? like what do people actually use when they deploy? i keep seeing lists online but they all seem either way too basic or way over the top for where im at. mostly just want something that would work if i had to grab it and go in like 5 minutes.

so im actually doing it this time. i picked up an old Pelican-style case at a surplus store and have a Yaesu FT-891 i was thinking of using as the main rig since its pretty compact and does HF plus i already own it. my question is more about the power side of things — do most people go with a dedicated LiFePO4 battery or just a big AGM? i was looking at a 20ah LiFePO4 from Bioenno but the price kinda hurts. also do you guys keep your go-kit fully assembled and ready to go or do you break it down between activations? i feel like if its broken down i'll never actually grab it in time

any advice from people who actually use theirs in the field appreciated, not just theoretical setups

battery situation is where i feel lost. i have a 20ah lifepo4 battery that came with a little bms and it seems fine but i have no idea if thats enough for a full day of operating or even what i should be calculating for. mostly SSB and maybe some winlink if i can get that working on battery. also do you guys keep a printed frequency list in your kits? seems low tech but i keep thinking what if i lose my programming or whatever.

anyway if anyone has done this and has stuff they wish they had included or regret putting in there id love to hear it. been a tech for about 8 months, just got my general last month so still figuring all this out

this would be my first time doing any real emergency work so any advice from folks who have been there would be great. what did you wish you had packed after your first deployment?

anyway i finally started building out a proper go-kit. right now ive got my FT-891 with a separation cable so the head can mount up front, a 40ah lifepo4 battery from bioenno, and a little anderson powerpole distribution block. i grabbed one of those harbor freight pelican knockoff cases to put it all in. also threw in a roll of RG-8X and a end fed half wave for 40 and 20.

but here than the radio stuff i feel like im probably forgetting something obvious. like the non-radio parts. logbooks, pens, that kind of stuff. does anyone have a list or just general advice from actually deploying this stuff? i want this to be something i can actually grab and go if the county ARES group calls, not just a box that sits in my closet looking organized.

what im realizing is i dont really have a system for it. like the cables are just kind of tossed in there and i'd have to dig around to find the mic or whatever. and i havent thought much about antennas for a deployment situation. at home i've got a dipole up in the trees but obviously i cant bring that somewhere.

been looking at the buddipole and the EFHW kits people put together but honestly im not sure what the right choice is for a kit thats supposed to be usable quickly under stress. also not sure if i should be focused more on VHF/UHF for local ARES stuff or HF if things really go sideways. maybe both? anyway just curious what people have in their kits that they wish theyd thought of from the start.

what i have so far is my FT-857D, a SignaLink USB for digital modes, a 40Ah LiFePO4 battery from Bioenno, a few Anderson powerpole cables, my logging laptop which is old but works, and im planning to throw in a J-pole and some coax. also have a small inverter somewhere in the garage i should probably include.

but i feel like im definitely forgetting something obvious. like i know there are guys in our group who show up to exercises with these beautiful Pelican case setups and everything is labeled and it just works, and mine is going to be a pile of stuff in a rubbermaid tote probably. is that actually fine or is the organization part more important than i think? also any must-have items that tend to get overlooked? i always forget like the small stuff.

started with an old Pelican case i had sitting in the garage, threw in my Yaesu FT-891 which i know is maybe overkill for a lot of people but i already owned it and it covers HF so i figured why not. got a LiFePO4 battery from bioenno, the 20ah one, with a PWRcheck so i can monitor voltage. added some coax, a roll of wire for a field expedient antenna, my logging notebook, a few pens, a laminated copy of the ARES net frequencies for our county, and some velcro to keep things from rattling around.

what i did NOT think about until literally yesterday is that i have no way to actually charge the battery if im deployed for more than a day. i dont have a solar panel set up with it and i just kind of assumed i'd... figure it out i guess. also realized my coax connectors are all PL-259 but i dont have an adapter for the SO-239 on the radio and the BNC stuff i sometimes use. so thats a mess waiting to happen.

anyway if anyone has done this longer than me and wants to tell me what i missed or what turned out to be useless in practice that would be great. i feel like i overthought some stuff and completely spaced on other obvious things.

anyway i finally decided to actually do something about it. i picked up a surplus pelican-style case at a garage sale and i have a spare Yaesu FT-857D that could probably live in there permanently. my question is really about power — do most people go with a dedicated sealed lead acid battery or is lithium the way to go now? i know lithium is lighter but i've heard some people are nervous about it in enclosed cases or whatever. also should i be pre-programming all the local repeaters or just load whatever chirp file i normally use? wondering if anyone else has gone through this and what you wish you'd done differently

i know the basics, radio, power, antenna, but im not sure how far to take it. like do most people actually run a full HF setup in their go-kit or is it mostly VHF/UHF for local emcomm? and whats the battery situation look like for most of you, are you doing sealed lead acid or have people moved to lithium stuff. i looked at a couple videos online but they all feel like sponsored content half the time and i cant tell whats actually useful vs just someone selling stuff.

also curious how you have everything organized, like bags, pelican cases, just a rubbermaid tote? i dont want to overthink this but i also dont want to show up to an actual emergency and be fumbling around for a coax adapter for 20 minutes.

what I have right now is my FT-857D, a 40Ah LiFePO4 battery, a cheap solar panel I got off amazon (100W I think), the random wire antenna I usually use for portable ops, some coax, and a basic first aid kit that I threw in there. I also have my HT obviously. been thinking about adding a power distribution setup because right now its all kind of haphazardly connected with anderson powerpoles but not in any organized way.

I guess my real question is — for those of you who do ARES or RACES or just have done actual emergency activations, what do I wish I had that I didn't? like the stuff that seems obvious in hindsight. not looking for a perfect list just want to hear what people have learned the hard way.

the thing is I keep reading these lists online and everyone seems to have wildly different opinions on what absolutely needs to be in a go-kit versus what's just nice to have. like do I really need a second radio? some guys on another group were saying you should always have a backup HT at minimum and honestly that makes sense but now im second guessing everything else too.

also not sure how to handle power in a real emergency situation where I might be deployed somewhere for 24-48 hours. the 40Ah pack should theoretically last a while on low power but I havent actually tested it under real conditions yet. should I be looking at a solar panel setup too or is that overcomplicating things at this point? I just want something I can grab and be operational within like 20-30 minutes of arriving somewhere.

anyway curious what you all have learned from actual deployments or drills, not just the theory stuff

Half my coax connectors had corrosion, one of my battery packs was completely dead, and I couldn't find my printed frequency list - had to fumble around trying to remember which repeater was which. Regular training and participation in emergency drills are essential for maintaining readiness and honing skills. The EC wasn't too impressed with my 15-minute setup time either.

So my question: how often do you all practice with your kits? Monthly? Quarterly? And what's your checklist for maintenance?

right now i've got my FT-891 set aside for it, a 40ah LiFePO4 battery, some coax, and a random wire antenna i built last year. i threw in a notebook and some pens because my ARES group lead always says paper logs when everything else fails. i've also got a small DC power strip thingy from Powerwerx.

but i feel like im definitely forgetting stuff. like i know theres more to it than just the radio and power. anybody who actually deploys with their kit — what do you wish you'd thought of before you needed it the time? not looking for a perfect list just real world stuff people forget

im pretty happy with where its at but theres gotta be stuff i havent thought of. like i keep reading about people having all these elaborate setups and mine feels kinda bare bones. is there a list somewhere or should i just think through scenarios? the main thing i'd be using it for is ARES activations or honestly just if the grid goes down and i want to stay on the air. any advice welcome, this community has always been super helpful when i have dumb questions

the thing is i keep feeling like im forgetting something obvious. like i know i need to think about power management better and i probably need a charge controller for the solar situation. but beyond the RF gear itself what are people usually putting in these kits? im thinking first aid stuff is kind of a given but do most of you keep spare fuses, extra connectors, that kind of thing? my wife thinks im overthinking it but i mean thats kind of the point right, you want to think through the failure points before you actually need it

also curious how people handle the laptop vs tablet situation for digital modes in the field. i have fldigi and js8call set up on my old thinkpad but that thing weighs a ton and the battery is basically dead so it needs to be plugged in which defeats the purpose

right now i have a Yaesu FT-857D that i use as my main HF rig and a couple handhelds, one is a Baofeng UV-5R and the other is a TYT MD-380 for DMR. i was thinking of just throwing those in a pelican case with some cables and calling it a kit but obviously thats not really a complete thing. what do you guys actually bring when you deploy? like power, antennas, logging stuff, all that. im especially fuzzy on the portable power side, do most people use LiFePO4 batteries now or still SLA?

also curious how you keep it all organized because i feel like id show up somewhere and just have a tangled mess of cables and adaptors and forget half of what i need anyway

right now i have a Yaesu FT-857D that i use for HF and a cheap Baofeng that i mostly just use for the local 2m repeater. i was thinking about building the kit around the 857 since it does everything but man that radio eats current and i dont have a great battery solution figured out yet. someone at the club mentioned a 40ah LiFePO4 battery but those arent exactly cheap either.

i guess my main question is — for those of you who actually have go-kits that youve deployed or at least tested in the field, what do you wish you had included that you didnt think of, and what stuff did you pack that turned out to be totally unnecessary? also curious how you handle power since thats the part im most confused about.