You can buy an inexpensive hockey puck GPS receiver for about $30. It comes with a short cord and USB plug. It appears to the computer as a COM port and delivers the GPS data as an RS-232 bitstream. At this price point, you don’t get the 1 pulse-per-second output, but you do get reasonably…

Generators are commonly used to power portable stations, and are the best option for long-term use. These may be supplemented by deep-cycle batteries to bridge over periods where the generator must be shut down for refueling, maintenance, or quiet hours. QST magazine published a review of gasoline-powered generators back in June 2012. (You must be…

Situations a long extension cord or power cable will be needed to reach the generator or other power source. Voltage drop is also an important consideration when selecting or fabricating a power cable for DC-powered equipment. We’ll provide advice on DC power cables later in this article. For now, let’s focus on power cables for…