How many twos can I put in the title? This post will be more notes and observations than a full-blown blogpost.
Construction went SO MUCH smoother than I anticipated. I've opted to try my hand using the Cobra 19 Mini as a guinea pig.
Drilling into the ammo can only took like 10 minutes. Once I had the holes lined up and measured, I simply drilled into the box using an 1/8" drill bit. Hardware is #4-sized screws and nylock nuts, but I imagine you could also use bolts too. I also didn't have to use oil either, which may depend upon what kind of drill bit you use. I used #4 washers on the outside of the box as well as the inside of the box where the mic holder is mounted and the radio bracket. I wished I could've used fender washers but the options available to me were quite oversized.
I've spent very minimal on hardware actually! The most expensive thing, obviously, is the radio. I've ensured that this radio works; it will get the job done for what it is and is usable.
My only complaint during construction was sanding and detailing. The drill made nasty burrs on the inside of the box, which meant that I had to sand it down. This resulted in the paint scuffing off on the inside. I guess it's not a HUGE worry but it's still annoying - it's now scuffed up on the inside where I made holes. Next time, I'll probably use a tapered Dremel bit to sand the holes down.
Waterproofing (or water resisting rather) was a PITA. I couldn't find rubber washers for #4 bolts or screws so I made my own out of rubber gasket material. I only tightened the screws and bolts to hand-tight. I haven't tested it but I know it's at least water resistant. Regardless, the radio mount and microphone mount are both holding up really well with weight on them and I don't feel the nuts loosening either!
I did consider using rivets, but over time I've noticed that rivets tend to loosen and deform from bending, stress, etc. especially if used on the mic hanger, so I chose not to use them this go around. If it's all you've got, use them. I don't have access to a rivet gun and rivets anyway, so I used screw hardware.
The power leads now have female spade connectors. I trimmed off the male ones and fitted the spade connectors by crimping them on. The run is long enough that it'll connect straight to the battery without needing additional wire added on. The battery terminals are F1-type, so I made sure to get 3/16" spade connectors. To avoid short circuiting, I've placed heat shrink over the terminals, but there are spade connectors out there that have silicone sleeves over them as well.
The hardest part about this entire project was the coax jumper. 10 to 12 inches of RG58 is hard to maneuver in a small space but I actually made it work. The key with coax is to make sure you aren't bending it at sharp angles. Gentle angles are fine as well as loops, but anything pinched or bent sharply is asking for stress and trouble, especially at the connector joints. In the end, I've decided to use a jumper that will hang loosely in the box, similar to a pigtail on many commercial rigs, dual banders, and other radios. One end is a PL259 right angle plug and the other is an SO239. This tucks away easily and doesn't require another set of holes to drill. This idea came from another go box I saw online.
The battery sits nicely in the box, and I'm going to use Velcro strips to ensure that the battery doesn't move. As a reminder, I've chosen to use a 5Ah LiFePO4 battery, and for the Cobra this should be plenty for a few hours. The radio draws no power while off which means that the spade connectors can remain on when the lid is closed or while it is in storage. Yes, I've tested it with an ammeter.
Everything fits perfectly in the box. The radio, the battery, the coax jumper, the microphone, and even the charger all fit inside and it all doesn't mash together when the lid closes. For me, I'll consider that a win. The final shopping list is below:
* 30 caliber ammo can - $13.99 from Harbor Freight
* Cobra 19 Mini - $75.88 from Wal-Mart
* 5Ah LiFePO4 battery - $22.99 from Amazon
* Battery charger - $11.99 from Amazon
* PL259 right angle to SO239 jumper - $6.90 from Amazon
* Various hardware bits - <$5 from Ace Hardware (per go box)
* 4x #4 x 3/8" machine screws
* 8x #4 flat washers
* 4x #4 nylock nuts
* 16-22AWG spade terminal connectors - $4.59 from Ace Hardware
In all? Less than $150. Probably less if you have 95% of the stuff on this here list.
I'm REALLY excited to give this gift to my cousin. He's at the age where I first fell in love with radio, and what better way to celebrate one of his favorite things than by creating a handmade gift that's useful and may even save a life one day.
This project was so much fun, and if I could make this into a side business, I would 100%. It's easy and so satisfying to see one of these EMCOMM boxes come together. Pricewise, perhaps not (it's all been funded out of my own pocket), but it's a great way to pass a weekend, pull it out and say "check this out!"
As one of my favorite childhood heroes once said, "I love it when a plan comes together." Fitting. Very fitting.
Now off to build my 10 meter version, my own CB version, and ones for many other radios in this form factor! Like the Retevis RT-98 - a single-banded VHF or UHF radio that pushes 15 blazing watts FM!
I'm honestly speechless at how cool this thing is!
Photos
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| Uff-da that's some serious scratch-up :( |
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