Updates on the Cub's Conditon/Hammo Can Completion

From the looks of it, the Cub is in stable condition, but unfortunately, I haven't tested it yet. 

Recently, I went back over my board and resoldered the bad pads. I also went ahead and rewound the toroids since I didn't scrape off the enamel properly. The board looks 10x better and now all that's left is to clean off the excess flux - and test to see if it works.

For anyone wondering how I solved my problem, I started a thread on QRZ.com with a little common sense to help. You can find the posting here. What started as a simple question about testing tools soon turned into a diagnosis forum (also, just build a proper dummy load/wattmeter!). Other hams began offering me helpful tips and possible problems, and the number one problem was my solder connections, followed by my toroids.

Fixing both, I opted to uninstall the BNC connector. I just didn't feel comfortable mounting it to the board, so I opted for the RCA jack. Amazon sells adapters so this won't be too much of an issue for me. 

In addition to fixing the board, my Hammo Can is fully complete! Running between 12.6 and 13.8V at 15Ah, I have calculated and estimated that it will run for about 3 hours continuous on transmit and about 13 or 14 hours on standby. This, of course, is if I use my TS-660. On my FT-2200, I expect that the battery life will be much shorter. I have an additional 3.1A coming off of a USB accessory plug, but this shouldn't be too much of an issue. It is a little heavy, but it weighs as much as if it were full of ammunition. Charging time is about 15 hours max, and the most I could get out was 13.8V on one charge - perfect for ham radio! The wiring harness isn't too bad - I solved the bunching-up issues with nothing but zip ties. With some help, the wires lay nicely in the case.

Believe it or not, there is still room for cables. There is even room for the charger which is not very large at all. Now I have a power supply I can use at home or in the field, and here's the best part - there is NO switching noise at all on the Kenwood! There's nothing but a beautiful and flat noise floor. Bye-bye, Lyle/Pyramid 30A power supply!

How much was it, you ask? I'm putting it around $50 or $60 - exactly how much I wanted to spend, and exactly how much anyone should spend on power. Here are the links to everything I got:

• Battery: Mighty Max 12V 15Ah
• Charger: 12V SLA Charger with Short-Circuit Protection
• USB Port: 3.1A USB Hub w/ Fuse
• Binding Posts: 10pcs 4mm Binding Post
• Switch: Heavy-Duty Rocker Switch, ON/OFF
• Ammo Box: Plastic Ammunition Box Waterproof
• Wire Connections: 79-Piece Assorted Kit Crimp Connectors
• Wire: 12AWG Red and Black

Here are some photos:

I used this power supply to talk to Italy, so I'd consider this a huge success! It's easy to build, so if you're going out to the field soon or helping with EMCOMMs, consider building one of these. For a bit more, you could put it all in a metal ammo can rather than plastic, but either will work just fine. I'd recommend recharging it after you come back from your adventure or connecting it to a float charger. This will give you a full battery for next time!