Amateur Radio, as a hobby, has some unique requirements depending on what aspects of the hobby you’re in to. Some of them require some high-density, lightweight power. Some of them require some clever antenna solutions. Sometimes some gear that can take a bit of weather.
Ruggedized laptops aren’t a new thing. Popular with the Military and LEO agencies, a variety of manufacturers have entered the market and have a variety of offerings. New mid-range machines cost a few thousands dollars where as you can sometimes find a great deal to be had in the used market and perhaps some auctions as well.
Ruggedized Laptops typically come with a host of features that make them quite suitable for use within the amateur radio community:
- A rugged frame
- Weather proof (typically with some fairly serious IP rating!)
- Incredibly bright screens for viewing in direct sunlight
- Extended battery life
- A healthy portion of ports
- Legacy Ports! (When was the last time you saw a DB-9 serial port on a machine?
- Built in GPS? (sometimes…)
- Built in LTE Modem (sometimes…)
But what can you really do with all of these features and are they REALLY worth it? I think so, that’s why I bought a Getac V200G2.
But what can you really do with all of these features and are they REALLY worth it? I think so, that’s why I bought a Getac V200G2.
Well, now I have a very portable workstation that I can literally throw into the back of the truck that is loaded with pretty much every bit of amateur radio software I could possibly hope to use as well as all of the software needed to program any of my radios. It also makes an EXCELLENT winlink terminal! With the DB-9 serial port, it makes interfacing with my VHF/UHF radios a snap!