Posted: 8/6/2014 9:48:36 AM EDT
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General update.
The mystery square between the APPs is for the voltage display, my 'state of charge' indicator. I chose a yellow APP for the input side simply to make it different. I probably should have added OUTPUT above the '12v-10a max' on the red side but that's ok. 
Panel, Part 2 The panel has arrived from Front Panel Express. It was around $68, delivered 
Look at that anodizing .... LOOK! 
Build, Part 1 
Original Post: After a couple of weeks with CAD files and calipers I determined the 1450 was enough case for the goal as well as NOT too much case (to avoid overpacking it). 1450 arrived yesterday. Components at this time: Pelican 1450 case, yellow Generic 18ah SLA battery (black, see CAD below). The form factor of the 18, 20 and 22ah SLAs works for this application. Icom V8000 VHF radio (dark orange) Low Loss PWRGate DC switching box (light blue). This component leaves room to install a second 18, 20, or 22ah SLA. Aluminum panel from Front Panel Express. There is a 20% coupon code (2LGOC70F) until Aug 10, 2014. Thanks to aa777888-2 N9TAX roll up VHF/UHF antenna (backup) with cord and fishing weight to haul up into a branch. Various cables, notepad, pencils. Digital watch without band. Notes: - Currently the space under the rig will be the 'junk drawer' - There is JUST enough room under the rig for a SAMLEX 1223 BBM (or similar) if I go that route. I put an A/C receptacle cutout in the panel for such a potential option. - The panel only extends to the middle of the green insert. - My Icom 703+ could also fit under the VHF rig 
- There is enough front-back distance in the case to house something like an 857D. Pics: From B&H Photo/Video. The free shipping made it cheaper than other places. I also got the frame insert. 
Sources of inspiration: http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_22/648273_The_EMCOMM_Box.html http://www.emergencyradiogokit.com/ |
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Quoted:
Cool project! Are you thinking of adding a small PSU under the radio in the case? Shoot some video while you build too please  Thanks 
Possibly. I've currently used the price difference between the LLPG and the usual suspects of battery floating PSUs to pay for the cutout panel and ancillaries lol .
I have a borrowed wall PSU to play with for now. I'll try for pre-build video. So far the plan was to take it apart on video. |
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OK. Whatever you do just make me an extra panel and I'll buy it from you and copy exactly what you did. Deal? Front Panel Designer is a really legit, and free, program they created. Here is the file for my panel: https://www.dropbox.com/s/79jhse3gu1eyqgj/Pelican1450GoBoxPanel.fpd There is a Price function that gives you the overall price as well the price of each thing that is done to the panel. This way, when you see that an edge radius on the outer edge of the panel doubles the price of the panel, you can delete that feature and tell yourself that you'll just file the edge down at home
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Very neat! 
- There is JUST enough room under the rig for a SAMLEX 1223 BBM (or similar) if I go that route. If you have the LLPG, and are going to use it in this case, you do not need the 1223BBM. The LLPG serves the exact same function as the Battery Backup Module in the 1223BBM. All you would need is the SEC-1223. Or, if you are going to use the 1223BBM, you don't need the LLPG, and can use that elsewhere. Be aware the SEC-1223BBM is longer front to back than the SEC-1223. |
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Nice! But better hunker down, somebody is going to bitch about the color
Why didn't you have them put in the holes for the radio mounting bracket (if I'm understanding the assembly correctly)? Quoted:
Quoted:
panel has arrived Nice! But better hunker down, somebody is going to bitch about the color
Why didn't you have them put in the holes for the radio mounting bracket (if I'm understanding the assembly correctly)? half the box is 'panel'. The other half is transceiver on rotating platform. The video talks about it. |
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half the box is 'panel'. The other half is transceiver on rotating platform. The video talks about it. Quoted:
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panel has arrived Nice! But better hunker down, somebody is going to bitch about the color
Why didn't you have them put in the holes for the radio mounting bracket (if I'm understanding the assembly correctly)? half the box is 'panel'. The other half is transceiver on rotating platform. The video talks about it. Got it, thanks. I am not much of a video watcher, sorry, I prefer the instant gratification of print. |
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that's a pretty big impedance bump right there, not to mention the VHF/UHF RF that is going to leak everywhere when you TX. if you are going to pigtail that way, see: http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_22/627490__ARCHIVED_THREAD____Emcomm_Box_Construction___Getting_Closer____New_Pics___Radios_on_Bottom___.html&page=14#i10855809 and http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_22/627490__ARCHIVED_THREAD____Emcomm_Box_Construction___Getting_Closer____New_Pics___Radios_on_Bottom___.html&page=14#i10855931 now then, i wrote that note in reference to an HF application (UnUn). as you go up in frequency (50MHz and above), you need to be more and more careful about how you implement "point-to-point"RF wiring. in general for VHF/UHF i would not recommend a pigtail approach; just stick with bulkhead through connectors. ar-jedi |
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Hey man, your pm didn't go like that
The big challenge is the tight clearance under the panel. This should work right? Does it matter that it's BNC? http://www.alliedelec.com/search/productdetail.aspx?SKU=70031716 |
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Beautiful panel!
When you are designing these, are you using calipers and measuring things manually to get the dimensions? How much tolerance are you putting in the design? Do you know how wide the cutting bits are so you account for that in the pass? I very much want to use Front Panel Express, but I don't know how to measure and size things with good tolerance! |
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Beautiful panel! When you are designing these, are you using calipers and measuring things manually to get the dimensions? How much tolerance are you putting in the design? Do you know how wide the cutting bits are so you account for that in the pass? I very much want to use Front Panel Express, but I don't know how to measure and size things with good tolerance! What I'm doing for my build is getting the data sheets from the component vendors. Normally, the tech sheets have panel cutout dimensions with enough tolerance to accommodate their part. I go by those measurements that they provide. If a part comes and doesn't fit just so, normally you can take a small rat tail file and encourage it a bit. |
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Quoted:
Beautiful panel! When you are designing these, are you using calipers and measuring things manually to get the dimensions? How much tolerance are you putting in the design? Do you know how wide the cutting bits are so you account for that in the pass? I very much want to use Front Panel Express, but I don't know how to measure and size things with good tolerance! I use calipers and drawings (when available). I use both my judgement and the tolerances on the drawing. For example: The APP drawing is on the powerwerx site. But I may want to mount the APP in a certain way that the drawing doesn't address. So I break out the calipers. Between those various measurements I decide how to tolerance the opening. I don't know the tolerance of FPE but I think it does say lol. Let's say I get a caliper measurement. I get 14.58. So I'll draw my hole size at 14.6. I can file the part down if the hole comes in at 14.57 (or just shove it in ). Or I can instead take a file to the hole.
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Quoted:
Hey man, your pm didn't go like that
The big challenge is the tight clearance under the panel. This should work right? Does it matter that it's BNC? http://www.alliedelec.com/search/productdetail.aspx?SKU=70031716 Quoted:
Hey man, your pm didn't go like that
The big challenge is the tight clearance under the panel. This should work right? Does it matter that it's BNC? http://www.alliedelec.com/search/productdetail.aspx?SKU=70031716 so, for a just a moment, i believed that this was in fact my fault. 
i thought i was wrong, but i was mistaken.
here is the image i sent you: Hi, Dan here. I was curious what the considerations might be with mounting two chassis connectors to the same piece of aluminum. I see from your box that you have two BNCs mounted direct to aluminum. Thanks for any input. hi dan, in this sort of application the chassis of the two (or N) radios share common DC and RF grounds, so there is no problem with the conductivity between the two RF connectors. that said, if you are worried about some sort of interaction, practically every type of "real" RF connector (BNC, N, SMA, etc) is available in an isolated version. in these isolated types, there is a non-conductive collar which fully insulates the connector (i.e., the entire connector body) from the mounting panel. google "isolated BNC" or "isolated N connector" for examples. just note that the mounting hole diameter *may* differ between isolated and non-isolated types; this is due to the use of the non-conductive nylon, teflon, (or similar material) collar used to provide the insulation to the chassis or bulkhead mounting plate. so read the datasheet carefully before drilling... 
now then, from what you write it seems you may have a clearance problem -- but you have a couple of options. probably the most straightforward is to use a right angle adapter in behind the bulkhead jack. whether you use a UHF (SO239) or BNC for the bulkhead, the right angle adapter is going to add about 0.5" or so. can you live with that? if you can't, and need to stay with the solder cup version you have now, i will propose an alternative way to terminate the coax. you need to follow the basic principles i outlined in the links i provided earlier. you need keep the "loop area" as small as possible. ar-jedi |
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if you can't, and need to stay with the solder cup version you have now, i will propose an alternative way to terminate the coax. you need to follow the basic principles i outlined in the links i provided earlier. you need keep the "loop area" as small as possible. ar-jedi Yeah, tight clearance and I already had the chassis mount
I think I can cut the shield as-is, crimp on another ring terminal. But then the shield is a different length from the center conductor. Or are they? The length of the ring terminal becomes part of the shield? I remember reading somewhere that the shield stuff travels along its surface. Maybe half shield / half ring terminal doesn't matter so much in this short a length... |
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Yeah, tight clearance and I already had the chassis mount
I think I can cut the shield as-is, crimp on another ring terminal. But then the shield is a different length from the center conductor. Or are they? The length of the ring terminal becomes part of the shield? I remember reading somewhere that the shield stuff travels along its surface. Maybe half shield / half ring terminal doesn't matter so much in this short a length... Quoted:
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if you can't, and need to stay with the solder cup version you have now, i will propose an alternative way to terminate the coax. you need to follow the basic principles i outlined in the links i provided earlier. you need keep the "loop area" as small as possible. ar-jedi Yeah, tight clearance and I already had the chassis mount
I think I can cut the shield as-is, crimp on another ring terminal. But then the shield is a different length from the center conductor. Or are they? The length of the ring terminal becomes part of the shield? I remember reading somewhere that the shield stuff travels along its surface. Maybe half shield / half ring terminal doesn't matter so much in this short a length... you can optimize it. pick two of the mounting screws on a diagonal. it doesn't matter which two. take the end of the coax and make two "ears" out of the ground braid. each ear should be about 3/4" long or so. cut the center conductor really short (perhaps 1/4" long). now bring the coax in at a right angle to the connector, and solder it to the center cup. take the braid ears and secure them to the two diagonal screws you ID'd earlier. keep the braid as short and as direct as possible. pull the braid tight. you may want to use a tie wrap to secure the coax to one of the "unused" screws. ar-jedi 
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