Portable Aircraft HF Radio Build (Going to Be Long) Multiple Posts....

Hello, Usenet, Jay, Marry, Montblack, And Friends!!!

Since Comcast is so lame and Lost the HF thread will start my own.

HF-Box build project, Goal is to simplify next flight T182T to Qatar next
week!!! and return airline flight home with equipment not broken.

Most all you know what I do for a living fun, fun, fun, :-) yep mostly
Single Engine Piston Aircraft Over Oceans it some times requires an HF
Radio!

Well I got tired of always fumbling with HF wiring Special Flight Permit
Allows!! A Power Drop For HF When Tanked!! So I decided to package it all in
to one small portable airline carry on size case case. I used a Pelican case
just incase I may be harassed and asked to check it as I have in the past
(Thanks!! Delta, Virgin, and TSA A-holes)

This Case Will Not Be Water Tight It Requires Drilling Holes!!!! Pelican
Unconditional Warranty Still Applies Leaving Holes To Min. MADE IN USA WITH
GREAT WARRANTY!!!

Supply List,

Pelican 1450 Case About $75.00 Shipped (No Foam)
HF Radio ICOM 706MKIIG 100 Watt $949.00 On Sale Ham Radio Outlet (Remote
Mount Kit Required It's UsuallyFree + a $50 to $100 Rebate) Look Here
http://www.icomamerica.com/amateur/hf/index.html#706
Automatic Antenna Tuner SGC 237 100 Watt (or 239) $359.00
Astron 24 to 12V Converter 20 Amp 24 Peak About $150.00
2 Nice Size Pieces Of Aluminum ($ Varies Mine Was Donated By Horizon Air
Trash Can! Yea, I Dumpster Diving Again!!)
A Bunch Of Mics. Items Don't feel like Listing them All Use Your Brain!!!
(Jacks PL235 1000UF 25V Cap And 10K Resister, 1 or 2 Computer Fans Etc.)
MCM, Norvac, Etc. ($$ Varies)
Tools, Tin Snips Left, Right, Straight, Soldering Iron, Solder, Drill And
Assorted Bits, Rivet's And Rivnuts...Lots of Heat Shrink, Epoxy, Your Brain,
and Harbor Freight If you have a local one!!! (My Case Friends Snap-On Truck
& My Own Good Tool Collection)

You will need Soldering Skills, An Adult Beverage I Like Whiskey, Kitchen
(Aka, Workshop) And AN Understanding Wife!!! For making a Big Mess!!!

This Pelican Case will give you enough Space to Pack The Radio, Long Wire
Antenna, Tools, And Universal Mounting Hardware Cessna, Piper, Grumman,
Etc... Single And Multi All Connections Antenna's. Power, Ground And Control
head will be External Mount Quick Connect.

Photos Will Be Out Of Numerical Order,
The Case, Pelican 1450 Perfect Size About $70.00 No Foam
http://www.internationalferryflights...X/S4010546.JPG
http://www.internationalferryflights...X/S4010544.JPG

Take You Sheet Of Aluminum Cut it To Fit The Bottom Of the Pelican Case.
Don't Cut your Fingers....I did not want to use my CNC mill for this to much
work to clean the Garage to get to the dam thing. Ok, Mount the Radio Mount
To This!!! I Used 1/8" Pop Rivets...
http://www.internationalferryflights...X/S4010541.JPG
http://www.internationalferryflights...X/S4010542.JPG

Verify Fit In Case, Looks Ok!
http://www.internationalferryflights...X/S4010545.JPG

Remove Frome Case and Mount Radio
http://www.internationalferryflights...X/S4010547.JPG
http://www.internationalferryflights...X/S4010548.JPG

Verify Fit In Case, You want About 1/2 Inch for Cable Clearance On Front
Remote Mount Cable.
http://www.internationalferryflights...X/S4010549.JPG
http://www.internationalferryflights...X/S4010550.JPG

Time To Mount The Antenna Tuner, Ok I used scotch bright pads with a right
angel die grinder to remove the paint off the bottom of the SGC-237 (No
Photo) because if you have not guessed it by now we are using the aluminum
sheet as a ground for this project. A good ground with a wire antenna is key
for this set up.

http://www.internationalferryflights...X/S4010552.JPG

Verify Fit In Case, Make Another Adult Beverage!!!
http://www.internationalferryflights...X/S4010553.JPG
http://www.internationalferryflights...X/S4010554.JPG

Find A Spot For Cooling Fan Placement, (I Do Have A Guard For The Fan)
http://www.internationalferryflights...X/S4010555.JPG

Remove Lid Re Clock 180 Degrees Add Auto Tune Cap & Resister To the Inside
Of Tuner At The Terminal Connector.
http://www.internationalferryflights...X/S4010559.JPG

More Inside the SGC237
http://www.internationalferryflights...X/S4010560.JPG

Preview Of Mounting Astron Voltage Converter to lid Of SGC-237 Antenna
Tuner,
http://www.internationalferryflights...X/S4010557.JPG
http://www.internationalferryflights...X/S4010558.JPG


Tomorrow!!! Mounting Voltage Converter, And Selector Switch 14v or 28v
Systems, Adding External Fuse's, Cutting Top Plate, Adding Antenna And Power
Connectors, Airflow Cooling Tests, Etc...

You, Want to use Nylon Screws When Mounting the Astron Voltage Converter
dure to the High Voltage In The Antenna Tuner.

This box is nowhere done I may find problems and Issues along the way and
correct...will post trial and error. I will try and be strait fwd as
possible.. All input will be accepted. Used??

BBL!!!

Photo's Of Diesel 182 Coming Soon Trip to Tanzania is Delayed Due to FAA
B.S. Supplemental Type Cert Update From SMA!!! Oops!!!

OH!! Jay, You Will get To see the Tanzinia Bird, Tanked and all when I stop
by for a night at my favorite hotel..... What room do I wanna stay in this
time? Lets See if I can sleep in them all by 2009 hahaha !!

When the TSA gobs see this at the airline terminal, you are going to
be sooo strip searched...

It seems like you have a good grasp on the basics, but let me mumble
on a bit here anyway... Don't depend on the negative battery lead as
your RF return... Have a short (relatively speaking) lead from your
grounding plate with a clamp on the end, to clamp to bare metal on the
airframe - a small gauge automobile jumper cable with the clamp, will
work nicely...

How are you going to lead the antenna wire out of the cabin?
It will be RF hot from the connector on the tuner, outwards... I
assume it will be a drag wire off a reel or some such...
Or will there be an ADF wire from fuselage to fin?

In my nefarious past I have been in industrial electronics and I have
been an active ham for nearly 50 years, so always glad to obsfucate
anything you might want to discuss...
You can drop me an email at



cheers ... denny - k8do

On Fri, 25 Jan 2008 01:41:58 -0800, "NW_Pilot"
wrote in
:

Airflow Cooling Tests


Interesting write-up. Thanks.

Personally, I would mount the cooling fan at the bottom of the case
(dependent on how you intend to orient it during use), so that it
pulled outside air into the case. Then I would provide a hot air
exhaust port/register at the top of the case. This arrangement will
take advantage of convection to enhance airflow, and may even work in
the event that the fan becomes inoperative. But you've probably
already considered this.

Denny wrote:
When the TSA gobs see this at the airline terminal, you are going to
be sooo strip searched...

NW_ You really need to take some KY with you when you pass that thing
through TSA. It will make the cavity search much more comfortable.

On Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:43:54 -0600, Gig 601XL Builder
wrote in
:

Denny wrote:
When the TSA gobs see this at the airline terminal, you are going to
be sooo strip searched...

NW_ You really need to take some KY with you when you pass that thing
through TSA. It will make the cavity search much more comfortable.

Perhaps it would be better to establish a contact within the FAA who
can be contacted at check-in time by the airline/TSA to verify
Steven's legitimate right to transport such an "interesting" piece of
"luggage".

Larry Dighera wrote in
:

On Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:43:54 -0600, Gig 601XL Builder
wrote in
:

Denny wrote:
When the TSA gobs see this at the airline terminal, you are going to
be sooo strip searched...

NW_ You really need to take some KY with you when you pass that thing
through TSA. It will make the cavity search much more comfortable.

Perhaps it would be better to establish a contact within the FAA who
can be contacted at check-in time by the airline/TSA to verify
Steven's legitimate right to transport such an "interesting" piece of
"luggage".


His right to transport?



Good grief.


Bertie

Larry Dighera wrote:
On Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:43:54 -0600, Gig 601XL Builder
wrote in
:

Denny wrote:
When the TSA gobs see this at the airline terminal, you are going to
be sooo strip searched...
NW_ You really need to take some KY with you when you pass that thing
through TSA. It will make the cavity search much more comfortable.

Perhaps it would be better to establish a contact within the FAA who
can be contacted at check-in time by the airline/TSA to verify
Steven's legitimate right to transport such an "interesting" piece of
"luggage".


It would probably be better to go visit the boss of the TSA at the
closest large airport before he needs to travel and see if he could get
a letter or something from him. I don't think the TSA gives much of a
damn what the FAA thinks.

"Gig 601XL Builder" wrote in message
...
Denny wrote:
When the TSA gobs see this at the airline terminal, you are going to
be sooo strip searched...

NW_ You really need to take some KY with you when you pass that thing
through TSA. It will make the cavity search much more comfortable.

KY is a gel and not allowed! But I already get looks showing up with a bag
full of electronics and lots of wires and tools.

"Denny" wrote in message
...

When the TSA gobs see this at the airline terminal, you are going to
be sooo strip searched...

It seems like you have a good grasp on the basics, but let me mumble
on a bit here anyway... Don't depend on the negative battery lead as
your RF return... Have a short (relatively speaking) lead from your
grounding plate with a clamp on the end, to clamp to bare metal on the
airframe - a small gauge automobile jumper cable with the clamp, will
work nicely...

How are you going to lead the antenna wire out of the cabin?
It will be RF hot from the connector on the tuner, outwards... I
assume it will be a drag wire off a reel or some such...
Or will there be an ADF wire from fuselage to fin?

In my nefarious past I have been in industrial electronics and I have
been an active ham for nearly 50 years, so always glad to obsfucate
anything you might want to discuss...
You can drop me an email at



cheers ... denny - k8do

Yea, there will be a nice heavy ground from the case to the airframe in
addition to the battery ground.

As for an antenna I belive I posted some photos of mounting on a cessna and
piper.

Here is the cessna 172 Antenna is 3 strands of magnet wire twisted and
inserted in to a yellow heatshrink and 1" red was added about every 2'for
visibility (hurts to walk in to a wire. With my radio set up it will tune
3-5mhz good on as little as 14'

http://www.aircraftdelivery.net/me/HF1ANT.JPG
http://www.aircraftdelivery.net/me/HF2ANT.JPG
http://www.aircraftdelivery.net/me/HF3ANT.JPG
http://www.aircraftdelivery.net/me/HF4ANT.JPG


The lead out is high voltage automotive spark plug wire connected to the
antenna.

On Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:02:12 -0800, "NW_Pilot"
wrote in
:


Here is the cessna 172 Antenna is 3 strands of magnet wire twisted and
inserted in to a yellow heatshrink and 1" red was added about every 2'for
visibility (hurts to walk in to a wire. With my radio set up it will tune
3-5mhz good on as little as 14'

http://www.aircraftdelivery.net/me/HF1ANT.JPG
http://www.aircraftdelivery.net/me/HF2ANT.JPG
http://www.aircraftdelivery.net/me/HF3ANT.JPG
http://www.aircraftdelivery.net/me/HF4ANT.JPG


What method do you use to prevent the trim screws from backing
themselves out? I don't see any safety wire or other obvious means in
the photographs.

The lead out is high voltage automotive spark plug wire connected to the
antenna.

Of course, that high-tension lead has a copper conductor in it, not
the noise-suppression type with graphite impregnated cotton cord (or
whatever it is), right?