So far I have used the Surface Go 2 with the Icom IC-705, Xiegu X5105, and the Lab599 TX500 with great success.

Item dimensions L x W x H24.5 x 17.5 x 0.8 centimetres.

Operating System Windows 10 S (free update to Windows 10 Home).

I decided on the base model with Pentium Gold CPU. It also has everything already built-in, for Winlink and other data modes with your favourite rig. Its entry-level price, excellent support, and easy to configure Windows 10 OS, is far less intimidating than the Linux or Raspberry Pi options we’ve tested on the channel over the years. So choosing a version of the Microsoft Surface Go 2 was practically a no-brainer. Since operating WInlink Express with Vara HF is a priority (for me) as our primary Winlink data mode, a Windows machine (Love it/Hate it) is the best option.

The Surface Go and Surface Go 2 are a sort of entry-level solution which may not work well for business but does extremely well for portable ham radio data modes. The Microsoft Surface has been an excellent tool in the business world, for quite some time. However, the Microsoft Surface or other 2-in-1 style laptops or tablets, do have a place in the hands of the more pragmatic field radio operator for Expedition, EMCOMM or Preparedness. The solutions proposed on this page are not “cheap”. It can also be “very fiddly” in regards to software configuration. The Raspberry Pi is cheap, energy-efficient, but also heavily reliant on the internet.

Android tablets lack software support from the ham radio community but are the most energy-efficient. Historically, laptops are too heavy and often difficult to charge for man-portable work. Since the channel began, we have tested laptops, Android tablets, the Raspberry Pi, … each with its benefits and shortcomings. This post was edited to be radio agnostic. Most of the work done so far has revolved around the Microsoft Surface GO 2 and Icom IC-705. The Microsoft Surface is a lightweight 2-in-1 computer we can use for portable ham radio data modes like Winlink, JS8Call, FT8 or any other ham radio digital modes we would like to use for portable operations.

Today we are discussing the Microsoft Surface tablet or laptop as a ham radio laptop.

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