Paul Butzi |||

Portable Repeater Project - Shelf Weights

I’m in the process of putting all the bits into the SKB roto-molded 4U rack case I’ve got. Mostly that has consisted of arranging things on the two rackmount shelves I’ve got to see how I can arrange things for space efficiency as well as ease of making connections, replacing the micro-SD card in the controller, and so on.

Picking up one of the steel 10″ deep shelves I got I was struck by how heavy they are. So I popped one on the scale and was staggered to find each shelf weighs just over four pounds.

I want this thing to be light enough to be portable. My original goal was to have it weigh around 15 pounds, but with the case itself weighing more than six pounds that’s out the window. But if the shelves themselves weigh 4 pounds, the case and shelves alone weigh nearly as much as my goal weight, and then we have to throw the radios, duplexers and everything else inside.

I can cut the shelf weight by mounting the radios on top of one shelf, and the duplexers to the bottom, so that a shelf is shared. I could cut the weight further by getting an aluminum shelf (although so far sourcing an aluminum shelf has been futile). Or I can build a lighter shelf, perhaps by cutting all but the perimeter of the shelf away and replacing the interior with something like 5mm foamed PVC sheet.

Probably the best plan is to ignore the weight problem until I’ve got a working repeater, and then work the packaging problem independently when I know more about exactly what I need. In the meantime I’ll arrange things without regard for weight or space, and concentrate on making progress on getting it working.

Up next Merlin Bird ID Living in the forest has been a nonstop lesson in birds. Recently, though, I’ve hit on a tool which has really increased my enjoyment - an iPhone Hill Repeats
Latest posts The N3JCJ(sk) Memorial POTA rove K-1732 Brandywine Creek State Park Activation Wallypark Stupidity Across the Years 2024-2024 Race Report Learning CW POTA Activation #1 K-3216 Parks on the air Antenna Lessons Part Three - Antenna Rigging Lessons from Antenna Hanging Part Two - Hardware Lessons from Antenna Hanging Part One Antenna Suspension Maintenance Improving NMO antenna magmount Get Home Bag/EDC Bag Mt. Si 50k 2023 Losing Weight -- Part Two: Mid Effort Results Losing Weight Part One Auto Mechanics, Tech Support, Doctors An Open Letter to Web Designers Going too far Doing Hard Things Starlink part II Cold Showers Running Headlamps Batteries and Preparedness SpaceX Starlink Flashlights First Aid Kits Statistics and Preparedness Aphorism for 2022 You Better Find Somebody to Love Lightweight Chainsaw Bars