BARRETT

Operating Manual
4050 Transporter

BCM405051/1

© Barrett Communications

Head Office:
Barrett Communications Pty Ltd
47 Discovery Drive, Bibra Lake, WA 6163 Australia
Tel: +61 8 9434 1700 Fax: +61 8 9418 6757
Email: information@barrettcommunications.com.au
www.barrettcommunications.com.au
Contents
INTRODUCTION 1..........................................................................................5
Overview...................................................................................................6
Rear Ports - Left........................................................................................7
Rear Ports - Right......................................................................................8
Inside the Case..........................................................................................9

OPERATION 2...............................................................................................11
Internal Battery.......................................................................................11
Fitting the Battery.............................................................................11
External Battery......................................................................................15
Mains Power ..........................................................................................16

CHARGING 3................................................................................................17
Solar Panel Charging...............................................................................18
Setting the Charge Profile.................................................................18
Vehicle 12V Accessory Port Charging......................................................20
The ARK Battery Charger...................................................................20
DC-DC Charging................................................................................21
Selecting Battery Profile....................................................................22
Charge Screen...................................................................................23
Further Information...........................................................................23
Mains Power Charging............................................................................25

Warranty Statement.....................................................................................27
Contact Details.......................................................................................28

3
4
 INTRODUCTION 1
The Barrett 4050 Transporter combines Barrett 4050 HF radio equipment into
an easily transportable rugged Pelican 1560 case allowing the system to be
field operational in minutes. There is no longer a need for time-consuming
unpacking, connecting and organising that can be impractical in emergency
situations. Instead, simply attach the appropriate antenna and the Barrett 4050
Transporter is HF transmission ready.
The system is designed to be compatible with multiple power and charging
sources including internal and external DC batteries and AC mains power. The
internal battery can be charged from multiple sources including the 12V DC
cigarette lighter/accessory output from a vehicle, and Barrett Rapid Deployment
Solar Panels (P/N BCA209010). Power is automatically switched, in a prioritized
manner, between the AC and DC sources. An internal 7 Amp multi-profile
AC-DC/DC-DC battery charger keeps the internal and/or external battery ready
for use whilst AC power is available or connected to vehicle DC outlet. This
internal charger also displays battery status information.
Charging is also available via the onboard Victron SmartSolar charge regulator
configurable via bluetooth and a convenient smartphone application.

For operational information on the following, please consult the appropriate

operational manual:
Barrett 4050 HF SDR Transceiver - Barrett 4050 HF SDR Transceiver Operating
Manual (P/N BCM40500)
Longwire throw-out broadband dipole antenna
HF Radio Digital Voice and Secure Digital Voice manual (P/N BCM40504)
4000 Series IP Connectivity/Networking Guide (BCM40507)
Barrett ALE 2G and 3G User Guide (P/N BCM40524)

Internal Battery should be disconnected when not in

use or being transported by road or air.
Disconnect mains power before attempting any
installation/maintenance on the 4050 transporter.

5
Overview
The rear ports of the 4050 Transporter have been designed for optimal connec-
tor protection without compromising quick and easy access.
To access the connectors, turn the lids anti-clockwise and remove.

Reference Description
1 Solar panel input (Barrett solar panel only P/N BCA209010)
2 Anderson connector input for external battery

6
 Rear Ports - Left

3
1

Reference Description
1 Ethernet connection
2 Mains AC power connection (includes AC fuse and on/off switch)
3 DC In from vehicle DC accessory outlet (cig. lighter socket)
4 Earth (ground) stud

7
 Rear Ports - Right

2 3

Reference Description
1 Antenna In
2 ATU connector
3 GPS Connector
4 Remote Head connector (DB-15)
5 Accessory connector (DB-25)

8
 Inside the Case
2 3

1 4

5
8

6
9
7

Reference Description

1 ARK AC-DC Battery charger

2 Solar and DC/DC charging switch

3 Resettable circuit breaker (Battery isolator)

4 4050 transceiver control head

5 4050 hand microphone and clip

6 DC Battery

7 Internal/External connection for DC power

8 4050 transceiver body with fan unit

9 Battery hold-down bracket

9
10
 OPERATION 2
The 4050 Transporter can be powered by one of three means:
• Internal battery
• External Battery
• Mains power
This chapter outlines the set-up and powering of the Barrett 4050 Transporter.

Internal Battery
Fitting the Battery
It may be necessary to install or change the internal battery to be suitable for
specific circumstances. It is recommended to do this before any emergency
situations take place to provide quick and efficient mobilisation when they do
occur.
WARNING: DISCONNECT MAINS POWER BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANY INSTAL-
LATION/MAINTENANCE ON THE 4050 TRANSPORTER.
THE TRANSCEIVER MUST BE REMOVED BEFORE THE BATTERY CAN BE
INSTALLED.
To remove the transceiver, disengage the circuit breaker and disconnect all rear
cables. Hold down the two black tabs on the right hand side of the transceiver
mounting plate while slightly lifting the transceiver. Pull the transceiver to the
right and then up to release it. Disconnect the remote head L-shaped connector
on the front of the transceiver.
The battery hold-down system
has been designed to fit a variety
of battery sizes. Please follow the
steps below to fit a battery.
1. Check circuit breaker is dis-
engaged i.e. the red button
pressed and the yellow lever
in a downward position.

11
 2. Remove the seven cap-head
Allen screws from the top of
the display panel with an no.
2 (metric) Allen key.

3. Connect positive and negative

battery leads to the appropriate
terminals and slide the battery
into position. Ensure the battery
is sitting beneath the L-shaped
brackets on the left-hand side of
the case and the battery cable is
loosely under the brackets.

4. Ensure the battery rod is in posi-

tion and put the battery hold-
down bracket in place. NOTE:
the battery rod has two available
positions on the left of the case
by moving the retaining saddle
up or down. Select the position
that allows the battery rod to be
angled downwards slightly i.e so
the lowest point of the rod is on
the left.
5. Insert the two supplied setscrews
into the appropriate holes in the
battery hold-down bracket so
that they pass through the cor-
responding slots in the vertical
panel.

12
6. Lift the display panel enough to hold the securing bracket (below left)
so that the set-screws from the previous step line up with the threaded
inserts. Loosely secure the set-screws into the securing bracket.

7. Push the battery hold-down

bracket (and battery) tight
against the left-hand side of
the case. Hold in position and
tighten the set-screws the rest
of the way. CAUTION: Do not
over-tighten.

8. Fit the supplied washers and spacers largest to smallest, with the wingnut
last. Tighten until just secure. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN THE WINGNUT.

13
 9. Plug in the Anderson connec-
tor.

10. Reconnect the VGA cable to

the front of the transceiver and
lock transceiver body back into
the mounting plate.

11. Replace rear cables and engage the circuit breaker. Internal DC battery
power is now available to the transceiver.
When circuit breaker is engaged, power will automatically be supplied to the
transceiver i.e. the transceiver will be live.

14
External Battery

To power the 4050 Transporter by external battery follow the below procedure:
1. Disengage the circuit breaker
2. Disconnect the internal battery by reversing step 9 of the previous section.
3. Connect the red and black fittings to the appropriate terminals on the
external battery.
4. Connect the Anderson plug to the connector on the rear of the case as
indicated above.
5. Connect the second Anderson cable on the inside of the case to the Inter-
nal/External connection for internal DC power (DO NOT RECONNECT THE
INTERNAL BATTERY)
6. Power on the 4050 transceiver.

15
Mains Power

To power the 4050 Transporter by mains power, follow the below procedure:
1. Connect the power plug to the socket in the left rear port of the case.
2. Flip the switch next to the connection
3. Power on the 4050 transceiver.

16
 CHARGING 3
The internal battery can be charged by multiple means:
• Solar panels via onboard solar charge regulator
• DC vehicle power (via the vehicle’s 12V Accessory port/cigarette lighter) via
AC-DC Battery charger
• AC Mains Power via AC-DC Battery charger

The external battery can be charged as per the above however, it is important
to note that the correct profiles and parameters must be set for the specific
battery being used.

17
Solar Panel Charging
The 4050 Transporter has an inbuilt solar charge regulator (a Victron SmartSolar
Charge Controller MPPT100/15). It is installed inside the control panel enclosure
and can be operated via bluetooth connectivity.
Setting the Charge Profile
It is very important to set the correct
charge profile for on the charge con-
troller for the type of battery installed.
Not doing so may result in damage to
the battery.
It is recommended to check the set
charge profile regardless of whether
the 4050 Transporter has been sup-
plied with or without an internal bat-
tery.
1. Download the Victron Connect
app from https://www.victrone-
n e r g y. n l / s u p p o r t - a n d - d o w n -
loads/software/, the App Store or
Google Play.
2. Turn on device bluetooth.
3. Open App.
4. Select the Victron SmartSolar
MPPT100/15 charger from the
Device List.
5. Input temporary PIN “000000”.
The solarcharge regulator should
now be connected to the mobile
device.
6. Use the App settings section to
select the correct charge profile
for the battery being used.

18
Ensure that the Barrett solar panels are placed in full sun.
1. Connect solar panel cable to the solar charger port on the rear of the case
as shown above.
2. Flip the red internal switch to Solar Charging

19
Vehicle 12V Accessory Port Charging
The ARK Battery Charger

Reference Description
LCD Screen
Power and info button
OK button
Down button
Up button

20
DC-DC Charging

1. Connect the cable between the above indicated port on the rear of the
4050 Transporter and the vehicle accessory port (cigarette lighter).
2. Flip the red internal switch to DC/DC Charging.

3. Press to power on the charger.

To turn the charger off, press and hold for 4 seconds.

During charging, pressing will display the information screen.

21
 Selecting Battery Profile
It is very important to set the correct charge profile on the charge controller for
the type of battery installed. Not doing so may result in damage to the battery.
It is recommended to check the set charge profile regardless of whether the
4050 Transporter has been supplied with or without an internal battery.
1. Welcome Screen - This screen appears every time the charger is powered
on. Two options are presented:
• Yes - Select if charging a new battery that may need a new profile set.
• No - Select to use the last charge profile set in the charger. Selecting
this option will immediately begin charging process.
2. The AC-DC charger can charge four types of batteries: 12V lead-acid, Cal-
cium, GEL or AGM.

• Use the and keys to select correct battery type. Press

to confirm.
Note: Refer to the battery label or battery manufacturer if battery type is
unclear. Setting the wrong profile may result in damage to the battery.
• If Calcium battery is selected, additional confirmation is required as
Calcium batteries charge at a higher voltage than other battery types.

3. Use the and keys to select correct battery size in Ah (Amp

hours). Press to confirm.

• If the required Ah rating is not listed, the closest lower rating should
be selected i.e. for a battery size of 105Ah, 100 Amp Hour should be
selected.
These settings will be saved in the charger. Note that only the last profile will be
stored. Any change of battery will require selecting a new profile.

22
Charge Screen

1 4

2 5

1 Battery Voltage
2 Cycle
3 Number of hours until full charge
4 % capacity of battery
5 Quick reference battery charge icon

Further Information
Alarm Messages
Over Temperature - Charger or battery has exceeded safe temperature limit and
will automatically adjust charge rate until charger or battery cools.
Reverse Polarity - Battery is wrongly connected in reverse polarity (check 10A
mini fuse on underside of charger).
Open Circuit - Battery is not connected properly or is faulty. If this occurs during
charging from AC mains, check that the circuit breaker is engaged.
Low Battery- Battery voltage is less than 10.5\/, the AC/DC battery charger will
switch off after 5 mins.
Check Battery - Battery won’t reach boost cycle within 25hours. Battery may
have a problem i.e may be sulphated or have a faulty cell. This alarm may be
triggered if the battery is used to power a device and being charged at the
same time, in which case the battery is OK.
Cycle Types
Charge Cycle - (constant 7.0A (power from 240V AC) or 5A (power from 12 V
DC) until the battery reaches 14.5V for wet, 14.9V for calcium, 14.5V for AGM
and 14.1V for gel.) This cycle takes the battery to around 90% charged .

23
 Note: During charge cycle, if battery did not reach 14.1 -14.9V (depending on
battery type selected) after 25 hours the display will read; “Alarm check bat-
tery”. The Ark Battery Charger will then proceed to float cycle.
Testing Cycle - During the charge process the charger will pause every 15 mins
for about 2 mins to let the battery voltage drop and measure the no-load capac-
ity. During the test the charge amps will drop to zero as the new %charge and
time left values are calculated. At the start of testing the screen will refresh (the
screen text will very briefly disappear and then regenerate). The new values are
displayed once the charging process has recommenced.
Note: The charger does an initial test two minutes after the Ark Battery Charger
is turned on to assess the initial state of the battery.
Bulk Cycle - The charger has reached correct target voltage and the charger
amps are starting to reduce slowly
Boost Cycle - (maintain constant voltage of between 14.1V -14.9V depend-
ing on battery type for 2 hours. Amps will vary during 2 hour period)
Once the battery reaches the target voltage the charger will begin to reduce the
amperage and the bulk cycle commences. When the amps drops to 4.5A the
Ark Battery Charger will reach boost cycle. This takes the battery up to 100%
charge at the end of 2 hours. If the battery does not reach boost cycle after 25
hours it will proceed to float cycle.
Resting Cycle - (until battery voltage drops to 13.5V regardless of battery type)
During this cycle the charger is switched off with zero amps flowing to battery.
The battery is 100% charged and ready for use.
Float (conditioning) Cycle - (maintain constant voltage, current approx 0.1
-0.2A) A constant voltage of 13.5V will be maintained for 500 hours. In this
state the battery is also 100% charged and ready for use. If the battery voltage
drops below 12.5V the Ark Battery Charger will revert to charge cycle.
Re-Awaken Cycle - (after 500 hours the complete charge cycle will be repeated)
Note: The Bulk, Resting and Re-awaken Cycles are not shown on the main data
page like the other cycles

24
Mains Power Charging

1. Connect AC mains power to rear of 4050 Transporter as indicated above

(when connected to mains power, the AC-DC power supply sends 12V DC
power to the AC-DC charger).
2. Turn on battery charger and follow the steps to set charge profile on page
22.
Charging and transceiver use can be simultaneous when using mains power.

25
26
Warranty Statement
Barrett Communications (hereafter referred to as ‘Seller’) provides a three (3)
year warranty on all Barrett products from the date of shipment from the Seller.
A one (1) year warranty from the date of shipment from the Seller is provided
for all batteries.
Each warranty guarantees acceptable performance of the product under nor-
mal recommended conditions for the duration of the warranty period. In cases
of accident, abuse, incorrect installation or maintenance by a non-Seller rep-
resentative, subjection to abnormal environmental conditions, negligence or
use other than those in accordance with instructions issued by the Seller, the
warranty shall be voided. In addition, this warranty shall not cover low perfor-
mance – specifically the distance or quality of transmission and reception - due
to unfavourable environmental or locational conditions. Nor shall this warranty
cover the quality of transmission and reception of transceivers mounted in vehi-
cles or vessels that have not been sufficiently electrically suppressed.
Should any fault due to bad design, workmanship or materials be proven at
any time within the warranty period, the Seller will rectify such fault free of
charge provided that the equipment is returned, freight paid, to Barrett Com-
munications Pty Ltd head office or to an authorised service centre. The repaired
or replaced product will remain covered under and throughout the term of
the original warranty period up to its expiration. No repair or replacement will
extend the warranty term past the original thirty-six (36) month anniversary of
the original date of shipment from the Seller.
Firmware and software (pre-installed, stand-alone or provided as an update),
hereafter referred to as ‘Software’, is guaranteed to perform acceptably within
the specifications provided by the Seller, provided that the Software is within
the warranty period.
Should Software not perform acceptably, the Seller will use all commercially
reasonable efforts to correct such nonconformity as reported to the Seller
directly or via a support representative. The Seller is not obliged to update Soft-
ware under warranty if the nonconformity is caused by a) the use or operation
of the Software in an environment other than intended or recommended by the
Seller in relevant documentation, or b) modifications made to the Software not
authorised or undertaken by the Seller or a representative of said Seller.
Subject to the matters set out in this warranty, no liability, expressed or implied
is accepted for any consequential loss, damage or injury arising as a result of a
fault in the equipment and, all expressed or implied warranties as to quality or
fitness for any purpose are hereby excluded.

27
 This warranty does not extend to products supplied by the Seller which are not
designed or manufactured by it. The Seller will however make every endeavour
to ensure that the purchaser receives full benefit on any warranty given by the
original equipment manufacturer.
This warranty is restricted to the original purchaser except where the original
purchaser is a reseller authorised by the Seller who has purchased for the pur-
pose of resale, warranty shall be extended to the reseller’s customer.

Contact Details
Our customer / dealer technical support department can be contacted via land
mail, email, telephone or via support ticket on the technical support web page.
https://www.barrettcommunications.com.au/support/
Barrett Communications Pty Ltd Head Office:
PO Box 1214, Bibra Lake WA 6965 AUSTRALIA
Toll Free Tel: 1800 999 580 (Within Australia)
Tel: +618 9434 1700
Fax: +618 9418 6757
email: support@barrettcommunications.com.au
Telephone support from the Australian office is available from 7:30 am to 4:00
pm local time Monday to Friday.
Barrett Communications – Europe:
Unit 9, Fulcrum 2 Victory Park, Solent Way,
Whiteley Hampshire PO15 7FN United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1489 880 332
Fax: +44 (0) 1489 565 422
email: support@barrettcommunications.co.uk
Telephone support from the UK office is available from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm local
time Monday to Friday.
Barrett Communications Corporation USA:
90 Office Parkway
Pittsford, N.Y. 14534
Tel: +1 585 582 6134
E-Mail: support@barrettusa.com
Telephone support from the USA support office is available from 8:30 am to
5:00 pm local time Monday to Friday.

28
 Head Office:
Barrett Communications Pty Ltd
47 Discovery Drive, Bibra Lake, WA 6163 Australia
Tel: +61 8 9434 1700 Fax: +61 8 9418 6757
Email: info@barrettcommunications.com.au
www.barrettcommunications.com.au

Europe:
Barrett Communications - Europe
Unit 9, Fulcrum 2, Solent Way, Whiteley, Hampshire, PO15 7FN United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1489 880 332 Fax: +44 (0) 1489 565 422
Email: uksales@barrettcommunications.co.uk

USA:
Barrett Communications USA LLC
90 Office Parkway, Pittsford, NY 14534 United States of America
Tel: +1 585 582 6134
Email: sales@barrettusa.com