Emcomm Trailer- your suggestions?

[N8BHL]

I have purchased an old (23 ft.) travel trailer with the intent to dedicate it to emergency/public service communication. 

Here was my thinking: (or, as my XYL might put it "WHAT were you thinking??")
1. Unit should be self contained, and capable of independent operation for a prolonged period of time if needed.
2. Unit should be maneuverable and small enough so it can get in and out of any area.
3. Because the unit will sit for long periods of time, and to reduce maintenance expense, it should NOT include a motor or drive train.
4. When I operate radios for prolonged periods of time, THERE MUST BE COFFEE!! Likewise, when consuming large quantities of coffee, there should be a place to deposit used coffee, if you get my drift.
5. There must be a dedicated position for at least 2 radio operators, with a third possible.
6. There should be capabilities of operating on every band.
7. There should be an area for operations to take place- that is, people checking in and out, decisions being made, and conversations held.
8. There might need to be a place for operators to sleep during prolonged disaster operation. Other such amenities are appreciated.
9. It should likewise be easy and convenient to be used at Field Day and such small events as a parade or a safety town, typical for ARES service.

We've gutted the front 'room' of the trailer, and are installing an operating countertop for the positions (two across the front, one at the side door.) I'm leaving the rest of the trailer alone. Adding A/C, small microwave, coffeemaker. Cutting provision 7 a little short for lack of room. The side counter near the door will be for that purpose, but there's no room inside for this activity. The couch area might be used in the rear of the trailer for conversation.

I plan permanent mount mobile antennas; I have base-station 440/2-meter antennas with military masts to clamp on the side of the trailer, plus HF dipoles as needed. Plan for a 706 at one position, dual-band at another, with a reserve 2-meter rig and a packet station. Laptops with WIFI networking. These are shaped by what I have on hand.  I'll use a moderately-sized generator with the existing converter.

I'd be interested in hearing from those of you who've already "invented this wheel"- what would you put in the thing, what would you avoid? What have your experiences been? How have you promoted use of yours?   Thanks!

[W3JKS]

Oh my, you purchased a "sink for money". I hope you have a friend who is a divorce lawyer, or you can convince the XYL into joining hamdom. 

Smart comments aside, you might get some ideas from my 2nd foray into that realm.  It was based on a 24ft travel trailer.  http://www.armymars.net/ArmyMARS/ECU/

I've since "outgrown" the trailer and moved up to a former FEMA vehicle and a former Army generator trailer: http://www.armymars.net/ArmyMARS/MCU/index.html.

There is also a Yahoo group where you can find other ideas: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mobilecommpostdesignclub

I've never gone for the whole indoor plumbing concept, as it takes space away from radios and servers.

Have fun!

73,
john W3JKS/AAT3BF/AAM3EDE/AAA9SL

[N8BHL]

Hey John, thanks! Enjoyed looking over your projects.  And yeah, the "money pit" phrase has been used. I'm working on a miniature budget, there's less than a grand in the whole thing so far.

[NA4IT]

Go to http://www.mcminnarc.com/ and take a look at the Mobile Communications Trailer link. While not a camping trailer, you should get good ideas.

A couple of "tips":
1) Camping trailers were made to do only a few things in... sleep, cook, use the bathroom. Most of them have horribly uncomfortable seating. If you plan to operate for extended periods of time, remodel it and make it comfortable. Word of warning... campers are built from the inside out. The start with the floor, put all the cabinetry in place, the attach the walls, then the roof. Demolition can be a pain!
2) The 12V system is deplorable. RF noise like you wouldn't believe. Get rid of it, and look at putting in one of the charger / power supplies from http://www.rivergatedist.com/PowerSupply.htm or http://www.cascadeaudio.com/. Couple a decent sized AGM UPS battery (150AH or so, maybe two of them) and you'll have good power, and very little noise.
3) Remember, the roof wasn't designed to have antennas mounted to it. You need to build a "rack' of some kind. You'll see what we did to our trailer.

Also, if you need to chat about an idea. contact me at "na4it at yahoo dot com". Not only am I an extra class ham, I am also a retired license master electrician, and a former RV service center manager / tech. And I designed all of the electrical system in the McMinn ARC trailer.

de NA4IT

[KI4SDY]

My suggestion is an older used RV in good condition with a diesel motor. In this economy they are easy to find at a good price. If you have a wife and want to keep her, tell her that its for travel and that you want to outfit it with ham gear so you can enjoy your hobby on the trips. Do not install any emergency stickers or flashing lights. When you have a practice drill or the real thing, tell her you need to go run the RV to keep the battery up.

If you are not married, just pay attention to the first sentence!

[KG4RUL]

My only question is: Have you identified a real need for this capability?  In other words, do you have a customer?

[KI4SDY]

If he builds it, they will come! In the event of a disaster; the local authorities or other organizations will be glad he is available, all he has to do is show up and ask where they want him.

When it is not being used for disasters or emergencies, he could take it to the local schools for demonstrations and to scout meetings for merit badge classes. In addition, a vehicle such as that is always welcome at local field days. Do I feel a tinge of jealousy coming on?

[KG4RUL]

If he builds it, they will come! In the event of a disaster; the local authorities or other organizations will be glad he is available, all he has to do is show up and ask where they want him.

When it is not being used for disasters or emergencies, he could take it to the local schools for demonstrations and to scout meetings for merit badge classes. In addition, a vehicle such as that is always welcome at local field days. Do I feel a tinge of jealousy coming on?

Absolutely not.

I have several "EMCOMM" trailers/towers available to me so I don't feel the need to have a personal one.  I will stick with the basics: personal go-bag; radio go-box and a vehicle to go where my EC sends me.

As far as just showing up at a real emergency, many emergency management organizations do not want spontaneous volunteers and in fact require a credentialing process.  Additionally, it is nice to know what your served agency's requirements are, ahead of time.

[N8BHL]

Thanks to NA4IT for some good suggestions offline (power converters, etc.) Top notch stuff!

SDY- I'm used to fire trucks and diesel engines, but opted for no motor for less maintenance especially since this will be parked for longer periods. This will be dedicated to ham radio. No lights, but tasteful lettering. Thanks to volunteer effort from K8TBN and donations from several others the total budget is still under a grand.  One other aspect- If an ARES or ham group somewhere nearby needs it, I can drop the trailer and come back later making delivery more convenient.

RUL- excellent viewpoint, your experience comes through as common sense, Dennis. I had discussions with the county EMA director and 911 Director (both hams) and of course our EC prior to launching this. In the proverbial large-scale event, I envision parking this next to the 911 mobile van for coordination (at his suggestion.) There aren't other ham trailers nearby so it will fill the unlikely need. I honestly expect this to be used 1) at Field Day 2) at local public service events like parades 3) infrequent drills.  Our club does some work with scouts, that's a good idea, Guy.  I really hope we can use this frequently because we are very active at public service events.

[W3JKS]

Here's a suggestion -- consider providing a hard-wired Ethernet connection and an "old" Windows laptop for your customer.  It is a LOT faster to allow someone in your customer's van/building to type messages into the on-site laptop (they don't need to be a ham!) and send them to your trailer than it is for someone to hand carry them.  A small printer is worth its weight in gold too.

Been there, done that.

73,
john W3JKS/AAT3BF/AAM3EDE/AAM3RE/AAA9SL

[N8BHL]

John, good idea. I will have a wifi router and laser printer (no liquid ink to dry up) available- thinking that anyone with a laptop can be nearby and get on to print (the county bus, for example, would theoretically be sitting next to us.)  But routing a message to us- that's further than I'd thought. What a step-saver. Thanks. I may have to come up with an internal email system or something for that to happen. I also am getting my hands on a cellular wifi router, which gives access to the Internet as well. That has some possibilities! Thanks for the ideas.  We're trying it out Saturday in a "Ohio State Parks on the Air" event- 2 HF's plus a 6 and 2 rig. That should give us a test.

[KQ4KK]

If this is going to be an emergency OPERATIONS trailer, leave out the bathroom and bedroom. Don't put a microwave or ice box in it either, it is not a snack bar.

You should go somewhere other than next to an operations position to do the eating, bathroom and bedroom thing.

[N8BHL]

No disrespect, Kent, but we come from different environments I guess. This is not so much operations as communications (fewer people and limited physical activity), and the criteria above was aimed at being completely self-sufficient. I'd like to come in with our own supplies and not deplete those available for, say, disaster victims. In the 911 Fire/EMS center I work for, we routinely eat and drink at our positions (over 12 hour shifts) without mishap. But I do value your opinion and experience.

For those interested, we've launched the old girl on a shakedown event. Saturday we participated in "Ohio State Parks on the Air".  We were able to operate three HF/VHF stations for the event, and she didn't even breathe hard. That would be the load projected for the "big one," normally I would expect 1 or perhaps 2 operators for typical runs, parades, etc. especially since we'll be operating in concert with the county's van. 

This is a low-budget project, so don't expect a $30K castle with four slides and a fireplace.  I have posted pictures here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Vintage_Trailers_USA_Network/photos/album/1731797829/pic/list  and on my Facebook page (Stan Broadway). 

There's a genre of old small travel trailers with an obviously distinctive shape. In our case, when you put a bunch of Ham Radio inside this can, we can put a new slant on the phrase: "Canned Ham". 

[KC8OYE]

When I was living in Michigan, I was considering a project like this.. using an old school bus since they're available and fairly cheap.. I was going to build a small lounge into the back of it.. nothing major  couple of small couches, Coffee pot etc.  (we got stuck with fire scenes in the winter a LOT up there)  maybe even an A/C unit for the summer :>

that way operators working out in the cold have a mobile station to come in..warm up.. relax.. etc.

then the bus obviously provides lots of room for several operators stations.. maybe even an RV or Bus-style 'necessary room' :>

i thought about using a small ATV engine to drive several large capacity alternators to provide 5 or 6 130A 13.8vdc circuits for the ham gear..  can even get 200 or 300A alternators if you really wanna go crazy (check car audio and off road 4x4 places for these monsters)


and either a small gas generator or a power inverter for AC Stuff..

[N8BHL]

Tim, I've been puzzling over the power aspect of this since day one.  Following the 'keep it simple' formula, I've so far elected to rely on 110AC for the majority of radio power. Some of that is because I had the 110V power supplies on hand, and it was simple just to plug them in and go. They are redundant in case of failure so that would not be a fatal problem. Of course, that requires a generator...still working on the permanent version of the plan. For our shakedown operation from a state park, I carried a generator in the tow vehicle to be set up on arrival. While the trailer does have the standard RV power converter, we had some trouble with RF backing into a converter ("toast!") in another vehicle so that isn't at the top of my list. I am planning on running one feed direct from the RV's battery which would power one rig for at least several hours- making a parade or public service event possible without the effort of setting up a generator.

PS- anybody know if a solar panel will still work after the cover has been cracked? (Important note- make sure ~everything~ is secure inside trailer prior to towing. Sigh.)