[hpsdr] Pandora Enclosure Project Proposal.

[Eric Ellison]

Ben

I also really liked your proposal sort of 'organizes thoughts', without
specifying EVERYTHING! I'd like to be an 'alpha' tester. I'll work with the
Ten Tec enclosure and my Aria Enclosure as an example.

Additional comment for your/all consideration! 

"I don't think we have enough slot openings for the evil spirits to get
out." (Although Hope is in there so we are OK! (smile))

I've had second thoughts on my earlier suggestion for *ONLY*  6 slot
openings in Pandora/front/rear panel Benzel. It occurs to me that we should
just slot the whole plate.

While pondering Pandora cooling requirements, I got to thinking about my
Aria enclosure, and it comes with a cute little slot mounted fan for
additional cooling in the computer enclosure. When I checked there are a
BUNCH of slot mounted fans. Well, there goes one of my six Atlas slots! Then
thought about variable speed control and LO here is a nice variable speed
mounted in an L-Bracket! There goes another ATLAS slot. Searching PCI slot
covers and brackets, yielded a bunch of COTS types to cover these valuable
pre-made openings. These little brackets are jewels perfect for mounting
almost anything we would want to mount in the way of connectors, switches,
LED's, that were slightly smaller than the size of a slot cover. Some come
with firewire, usb, RJ-45, DB-(X), water cooling hose grommets, wire feed
throughs, holes already cut. 

(sorry in advance for the wrap)

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Category/category_slc.asp?CatId=804
 
http://www.highspeedpc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=PC
Icover&Category_Code=Tubing

http://www.xoxide.com/slotcooler2.html

(Note the Sunbeam Wherever neat concept but looks like it needs the 'shelf')

http://www.worldofcables.com/oscatalog/CablesProduct/FLT-3750.htm


Nice thing is you can drill or machine a blank BEAUTIFUL chrome plated
covering bracket outside of an existing enclosure mount components, and then
screw them onto the front or back of a slot and make inside world
connections on boards to 'outside world'. 

If you don't want to make provisions for things in the slots just screw a
metal or plastic plate behind he slots or use snap in or screw on covers to
seal the slots. 

If you only want 2 slots for Atlas-Lite, cut off the excess slots. 

If you prefer the look of a little larger panel, within a 'slot window
frame', saw out the inter-slot "lands" and back it/ or front it with an
appropriate panel made of aluminum, plastic, PCB material etc. In fact this
would be a really nice method of making a Front panel! Cut out the 'lands'
to the size you desire, and front it with 1 or 2 sided PCB for mounting
Lyle's Color LCD display numeric keypad, knobs and switches.

Benzel Slot top and bottom should have screw holes above and below for easy
mounting of non-snap in style brackets in front or behind. Make the holes
(everywhere in your design) the size of the screws which come with
enclosures for bracket mounting. Ya can gettem ANYWHERE, even out of old PC
carcases in the town dump. 

Removing slots already made is a LOT easier than forming them if you want
more.

Much more flexibility for mounting this way with as many slots as we can
get.

Slot covers abound and some of them are quite 'pretty' for the modders!

Sketches on request! (smile)

Thanks
Eric



Thanks much for the nice comments and the feedback.

Dimensions are in flux right now - the BK-959 case from Ten-Tec that 
seems like it would work is 9" wide, 5.5" tall, and 9" deep.  Or, in SI 
units, 228.6 mm wide, 139.7 mm tall, 228.6 mm deep.  Sorry that I forgot 
to add the SI equivalents in the posting.  In the future I'll use both. 
  (Interestingly, in my heat transfer spreadsheet, I used SI units for 
the calculations and then transformed the temps back to deg F!)

Material is also in flux - the BK-959 has aluminum end panels, an 
aluminum internal chassis and internal side plates, while the clam-shell 
tops and bottoms are steel.

I'm in the process of getting some more information from Buckeye 
Shapeform on some cases there that might be more suited to what we're doing.



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