[hpsdr] Pandora: Enclosure and Power Supply

[Ben Hall]

Hi Henry and gang!

Henry Vredegoor wrote:
> Reading and thinking about power supplies for HPSDR and been still busy 
> with my search for an appropriate enclosure I have come to the 
> conclusion that I give up on finding a commercial stock enclosure that 
> would fulfill all my wishes/requirements.

I totally understand - I've been looking and looking and looking at 
enclosures and the only one I've found so far that stays around the $50 
US target is the Ten-Tec BK-959.  Everything else blows that $50 target 
completely out of the water.

Even the BK-959, which so far is the best cost/performance box in a size 
close to what we need is imperfect:

1)  It has shielding issues.  Top and bottom clamshells don't ground to 
the insides of the box.  Ten-Ten suggested a pair of coax braid and 
lugs; I plan to experiment with a thin strip of metal to make this 
connection.

2)  It's not quite long enough.  If you install six 220mm length cards, 
there is no depth available for front panel controls.

> Instead I will construct my own enclosure from aluminum angle stock.
> One of the reasons is, that I intend to use linear power supplies and 
> the required heatsinks (with low height fins of 15 mm.) will be forming 
> the sidewalls of the enclosure.

One of the European tube, I mean valve audio books I have suggests 
exactly this method, noting that the aluminum angle itself makes a good 
heatsink.

> It will probably go over my target budget of € 50 for one enclosure (I 
> will build 3 pcs.: TX/RX desktop/portable use 12 Volts, Desktop-RX and 
> -PSU 240 Volts) , but then "I'll have it my way".....

I've been thinking about separate enclosures too - maybe one for the 
cards and another for the front panel?  Still incubating ideas.

> I am now going to try to learn to use AutoCAD to make some nice 
> drawings.....

AutoCAD can be hard.  I've got a watered-down 2D version here called 
AutoSketch (which is somewhat AutoCAD compatible) that is much easier to 
learn...

thanks,
b
-- 
Thanks and 73,
Ben, KD5BYB


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