Use MP3 Player for Portable Logging

In the past few weeks, I've refocused on portable satellite operations using a station consisting of a dualband handheld radio and the Arrow II antenna. One of the challenges with this kind of operation has been the logging. Sometimes I'd have someone jot down the information on paper as I worked the various stations. This can be fast and furious so it is easy to miss important information. Other times, I've used a small cassette tape recorder to record the audio from the contacts.

I recently came across a nice upgrade to the audio tape recorder. Creative Labs produces a very small MP3 player called the Zen Nano Plus that has a built-in microphone and recording feature. I just clip this device onto my shirt as I work the satellites, making comments about callsigns, grids, UTC, etc. into the microphone. Since I work the satellites full duplex, the downlink audio goes to my headphones and are not heard by the Nano Plus. I make it a point to repeat any important logging information. The Nano Plus does have a line input, so you could run the audio from the receiver into the MP3 player and capture the downlink audio. This has the disadvantage of shutting off the microphone, so I have not used this approach.

There are multiple versions of the Zen Nano. The "Plus" version has the built-in microphone, which is essential for logging. Of course, the Nano Plus can be used for listening to music or other audio programs. It also has a built-in FM tuner. The Nano Plus is a remarkable device, available for less than $50 on the web.

This type of audio logging may have other ham radio applications such as logging mobile operation.

For more information on working the FM birds, see the AMSAT web page. (Look for information on SO-50 and AO-51.)

73, Bob K0NR