Equipment · Rovers

Our Rovers

DeKalb ARES has two mobile EmComm rovers — Scott's (KJ4ZZB) hybrid Ford F-150 and Facundo's (KK4ODA) Toyota Tacoma — each a full station on four wheels. Power, HF/VHF/UHF, Winlink, antennas, and operator workspace, all self-contained and ready to deploy anywhere in the county.

Both rovers also carry Starlink, giving them low-latency satellite internet independent of terrestrial carrier networks — so they can bring broadband backhaul to a scene even when cell and fiber are down.

Scott's rig (KJ4ZZB) — 2024 Ford F-150 PowerBoost

KJ4ZZB's 2024 Ford F-150 PowerBoost in dark blue, parked in a residential driveway. IronMan front bumper with winch fairlead and red recovery hook visible at the bottom. — KJ4ZZB's F-150. PowerBoost hybrid drivetrain provides 7.2 kW of stock onboard AC power for the rest of the kit.

A 2024 Ford F-150 PowerBoost used as an EmComm and field-deployment platform.

Radios

Yaesu FTM-500 (V/U) — APRS, C4FM/Fusion digital voice.
Yaesu FT-897 (HF) — multi-mode HF voice and digital.
SharkRF OpenSpot 4 — digital-voice hotspot; bridges to D-STAR, DMR, P25, and C4FM/Fusion reflector networks via internet.
Tarheel Designs Model 75A motorized screwdriver HF antenna with Tunematic auto-tuner.

Power and connectivity

7.2 kW Pro Power Onboard inverter (stock on F-150 PowerBoost).
Starlink Mini — satellite internet, independent of cellular networks.
AT&T in-car mobile hotspot — built-in cellular data backup.

Computing

KAMRUI E3B mini PC — 16 GB DDR4, 512 GB M.2 SSD.
15" portable HDMI display, wireless mouse and keyboard.
Apps: Winlink Express and PinPoint APRS.

Off-road and recovery

IronMan Apex single-hoop front bumper.
Warn 12,000 lb winch.
Ditch lights, fog lights, forward spot lights, and rear-facing flood lights.

Facundo's rig (KK4ODA) — 2019 Toyota Tacoma TRD

2019 Toyota Tacoma TRD 4x4 in white, parked in a driveway, with a Smartcap canopy, Prinsu cab rack with LED light bar, and roof-mounted antennas. — KK4ODA's Tacoma. Smartcap canopy over the bed, Prinsu cab rack carrying the antenna farm and a Cali Raised LED light bar.

A 2019 Tacoma TRD 4x4 used as an EmComm and field-deployment platform.

Radios

Icom ID-5100 (VHF/UHF) — D-STAR digital voice, DPRS position beaconing, D-RATS data.
Vero Telecom NG-N7600 (VHF/UHF) — Bluetooth radio, pairs with a phone or tablet for packet and APRS.
Kenwood TS-480 (HF, 200 W) — voice and digital. Screwdriver HF antenna; manual and automatic tuners. DigiRig sound-card interface for Winlink VARA HF.

Power and chassis

100 Ah auxiliary battery in the bed, isolated from the starter battery. Charged by a Redarc BCDC DC-to-DC charger from the alternator while the engine is running.
RSI Smartcap bed canopy.
Prinsu cab rack with a Cali Raised LED light bar and antenna mount.

Off-road and recovery

ARB Summit front bumper.
Warn Zeon 10S winch, 10,000 lb.
Bilstein 5100 front struts and rear shocks; rear add-a-leaf; Toyota diff drop.
Method 701 17×8.5 wheels; Nitto Ridge Grappler 285/70R17 tires.
Buildout by Southern Off-Road Specialists (Alpharetta, GA), 2021.

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