[hpsdr] Case for experimental version of HPSDR

[John Koster]

Well, it caught my interest.  I have tools I can use for that kind 
contruction.  The only tricky part is the openings for the connectors.  
Did you just do rectangular openings for the D-sub connectors?  

On Sat, 4 Oct 2008, Steve Ireland wrote:

> Hi John
> 
> The case is entirely made from aluminium sheet (from a hardware store) and a
> few pieces of aluminium angle, some aluminium pop-rivets and a load of M3
> screws (for which the sheets of aluminium/angle iron have been tapped). The
> tray part (on which Atlas is mounted) is mounted about 5cm up from the
> bottom.
> 
> Really the idea of talking about the case was to show that to encourage
> those who possess the old-tyme radio skill of 'sheet aluminium bashing' (or
> who like to read old copies of the ARRL or RSGB handbooks and fancied giving
> this a go) that they can make a pretty respectable case for their
> new-fangled SDR.
> 
> Vy 73
> 
> Steve, VK6VZ
> 
>    
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: w9ddd at localhost.localdomain [mailto:w9ddd at localhost.localdomain] On
> Behalf Of John Koster
> Sent: Saturday, 4 October 2008 9:40 PM
> To: Steve Ireland
> Subject: RE: [hpsdr] Case for experimental version of HPSDR
> 
> OK, that gives a better idea.  The bottom then is the off the shelf radio 
> chassis (or perhaps you fashioned your own?) with sides, top etc 
> constructed out of standard sheet and angle.  I suspect one could purchase 
> the parts at one of the better stocked hardware stores.  At least I 
> remember seeing Al angle, not sure whether they had sheet in any 
> reasonable size.  
> 
> On Sat, 4 Oct 2008, Steve Ireland wrote:
> 
> > Hi John
> > 
> > Well, I do happen to have this photograph, which you may find interesting.
> > Spent the afternoon with a Dymotape Letrogram labeling the sockets on the
> > back of it...
> > 
> > Vy 73
> > 
> > Steve, VK6VZ
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: w9ddd at localhost.localdomain [mailto:w9ddd at localhost.localdomain] On
> > Behalf Of John Koster
> > Sent: Saturday, 4 October 2008 8:37 PM
> > To: Steve Ireland
> > Cc: HPSDR Reflector
> > Subject: Re: [hpsdr] Case for experimental version of HPSDR
> > 
> > Photographs?  Please, you can't tease us like that and give us nothing!  
> > Scan the back of the envelope?  
> > 
> > 
> > On Sat, 4 Oct 2008, Steve Ireland wrote:
> > 
> > > ***** High Performance Software Defined Radio Discussion List *****
> > > 
> > > 
> > G'day
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > It has been interesting to read some of the comments about potential cases
> > for the HPSDR.
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > One of the important things to consider is ultimately whether you wish to
> > make a stand-alone HPSDR that contains not only Ozy, Mercury and Penelope
> > boards mounted on the Atlas backplane but also items such as a 100W PA,
> Alex
> > filter boards, a 12V fan to cool everything and, potentially, maybe
> > Gibraltar when it comes along.
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > I wanted to do all of the latter, with the intention of running the HPSDR
> > from old-fashioned linear power supplies (one switch-mode power supply in
> my
> > Pentium IV pc is quite enough 'switch-modeing' for me - more is not worth
> > the potential RFI problems).
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > As a result, I did a back-of-an envelope sketch of an old-fashioned
> > box/radio chassis 18cm high by 29.5cm wide by 30.5cm deep, with a
> tray-type
> > chassis fixed to the front panel on which the Atlas backplane plus
> Mercury,
> > Ozy and Penelope could be mounted on top (along with a 50 to 100W PA board
> > out of an old commercial HF radio) and the Alex Tx LPF/Rx HPF boards could
> > be mounted underneath.  The various USB/DB9/DB25/BNC sockets protrude
> > through the back panel, so the back of the unit is a kind patch
> > panel/external connection panel.
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > My friend Bob VK6CG turned my dodgy back-of-an-envelope sketch into a
> clever
> > and practical design, which Phil VK6APH and myself plan to use in a series
> > of articles next year on how to practically put together a HPSDR in the
> > RSGB's RadCom magazine and that will hopefully find its way into a book
> > about practical SDR in the next year or so.  The only problem is finding
> > time to actually do this.
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > This design currently exists in prototype form and there are no drawings
> > available (and, yes, no time to produce them either  ;-)  ).  However,
> those
> > old-timers who are used to building chassis for valve or old fashioned
> > transistor designs will know what sort of chassis I am talking about - the
> > kind of thing that can be turned out on a garage work bench with a decent
> > vice, drill and pop-riveter.
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Hopefully this gives some would-be HPSDR case builders food for thought.  
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Vy 73
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Steve, VK6VZ
> > 
> > 
> 
> 

-- 
73,
John, W9DDD


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