(WARNING: This is a work in progress!)
You're probably wondering what a "Go Box" . . . is. It's a radio installation in a box or boxes that make your equipment easy to transport. If you need to get the hell outta Dodge in a hurry, well, just grab your boxes and go! With this setup, I have communicated (from Germany) as far west as Argentina, and as far east as Japan. And as far south as Madagascar.
Anyhow, here's what I've done with a couple of aluminum boxes:
I couldn't fit everything in just one of these boxes. So, I used two boxes that are connected together. In the left-hand box, an MFJ-993B tuner and an HLA-305V linear amp (300W). In the right-hand box, an Icom 7100, GZV-6000 power supply, and a Turnigy 130A meter.
On the back sides, a 12v output from the main box supplies the tuner and amp via a 12v input. I'm using house wiring for this, but that's temporary. Additionally, there is an RF-out going to the tuner and amp, as well as the control cable for the tuner. On the main box, there's also a VHF/UHF input. Notice the AC input going to a wall-socket under the fan. It's the same as the one you plug into a computer tower. The connectors are inset, so that I can put a water-proof cover over the ends at a later time.
Here's a closer look into the main box. Here in Europe, the plugs are a bit different, but you get the point. The main box here is the power supply, bolted down in the box. The power strip is switched at the switch panel, and the metal bridge was built out of iron bars. I just drilled 4mm holes for the banana clips.
The radio itself is mounted to the inside of the lid. This keeps the radio and the power supply from banging against each other during transport. I've routed all of the cables through the radio and the radio mount now for a cleaner look and better organization.
The same basic design follows into the second box, with the tuner and amp. Here, the switch panel is mounted inside, because there simply wasn't enough room to mount them as on the other box. The ladder line coming off the tuner goes straight to a dipole antenna.
And that's it, in a nut-shell. In this pic, I had to cover-up the freq, for OPSEC reasons. And it's for the same reasons that I won't be disclosing the *rest* of my setup.
So. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them below. This thing has been a bitch to build, and I can't wait to be finished with it.
You're probably wondering what a "Go Box" . . . is. It's a radio installation in a box or boxes that make your equipment easy to transport. If you need to get the hell outta Dodge in a hurry, well, just grab your boxes and go! With this setup, I have communicated (from Germany) as far west as Argentina, and as far east as Japan. And as far south as Madagascar.
Anyhow, here's what I've done with a couple of aluminum boxes:
I couldn't fit everything in just one of these boxes. So, I used two boxes that are connected together. In the left-hand box, an MFJ-993B tuner and an HLA-305V linear amp (300W). In the right-hand box, an Icom 7100, GZV-6000 power supply, and a Turnigy 130A meter.
On the back sides, a 12v output from the main box supplies the tuner and amp via a 12v input. I'm using house wiring for this, but that's temporary. Additionally, there is an RF-out going to the tuner and amp, as well as the control cable for the tuner. On the main box, there's also a VHF/UHF input. Notice the AC input going to a wall-socket under the fan. It's the same as the one you plug into a computer tower. The connectors are inset, so that I can put a water-proof cover over the ends at a later time.
Here's a closer look into the main box. Here in Europe, the plugs are a bit different, but you get the point. The main box here is the power supply, bolted down in the box. The power strip is switched at the switch panel, and the metal bridge was built out of iron bars. I just drilled 4mm holes for the banana clips.
The radio itself is mounted to the inside of the lid. This keeps the radio and the power supply from banging against each other during transport. I've routed all of the cables through the radio and the radio mount now for a cleaner look and better organization.
The same basic design follows into the second box, with the tuner and amp. Here, the switch panel is mounted inside, because there simply wasn't enough room to mount them as on the other box. The ladder line coming off the tuner goes straight to a dipole antenna.
And that's it, in a nut-shell. In this pic, I had to cover-up the freq, for OPSEC reasons. And it's for the same reasons that I won't be disclosing the *rest* of my setup.
So. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them below. This thing has been a bitch to build, and I can't wait to be finished with it.
