so im finally doing a semi-serious field deployment this weekend, kind of a dry run for emcomm stuff but also just want to see how long i can run without having to pack up. been doing this on and off for a couple years but never really pushed the setup past a few hours.

right now im looking at either running my honda eu2200i or just going deep cycle AGM plus a 100w panel. the generator is obviously more flexible but man the noise gets old fast and if im trying to do voice work on 40m the interference from that thing is brutal even with a ferrite loaded line filter on it. ive tried different bonding approaches and it helps but never totally goes away.

antenna wise im leaning on my end fed half wave for 40/20 with the 9:1 unun, usually throw it up as a sloper off whatever tree i can find. works pretty well but im in a pretty flat area so the takeoff angle is never ideal. thinking about maybe trying a vertical with radials this time since ill have more time to set up properly.

anyone run a similar comparison between gen vs battery for a full day deployment? trying to figure out if the solar setup is actually viable or if im kidding myself. my radio is an IC-7300 and i run 50-100w depending on conditions.

the eu2200i RFI issue is real, i had the same problem. what worked for me was getting the generator as far away as possible with a long heavy gauge extension cord and running a toroidal common mode choke right where the cord enters the operating position. also make sure your radio ground and the generator ground are actually bonded together, a lot of people skip that and it makes things way worse.

that said for a full day at 50-100w with an IC-7300 you're looking at maybe 20-25Ah in a typical operating session if youre not transmitting constantly. a 100Ah AGM plus a decent panel should honestly do it fine as long as you have decent sun. i ran a similar setup at a public service event last summer, two 100Ah lithium batteries and a single 200w panel and never dropped below 70% all day. the generator sat in the truck the whole time as a backup and we never touched it.

the vertical with radials idea is solid for a flat site. even four or six resonant radials on the ground makes a big difference over nothing. sloper off one support point always felt like a compromise to me when you have time to do better.

honestly for a one day thing id just go battery and not even bother with the generator drama. lithium if you have it, AGM if you dont. the 7300 pulls maybe 2A on receive and like 20A at 100w output but youre not keyed up 100% of the time so real world is way less than worst case math.

end fed slopers work fine dont overthink it. ive made plenty of DX off a wire hanging from a tree at a weird angle. sometimes the improvised setups just work and spending an hour laying out radials in a field is time you could be on the air