Funny this thread would pop up , I took my Ecomm box apart the other night and have been doing some work on it. Had some connections vibrate loose , which is understandable considering it rode in the bed of my truck for about 20,000 miles .

 

ok, you first

challenge accepted.  

ar-jedi

added link to AlteredEgo build

Thanks Wolverine! Much appreciated and I consider it an honor to be added to the thread!!!

Ar-jedi

I am building a  box off of your design and i was wondering what you use for a charging circuit and what is the diode you have in line with the circuit?

unfortunately this is the 87th time someone has asked me this question and i have never properly written up the method i settled on.

in increasing order of complexity...
1. external battery tender jr
2. internal battery tender jr (see BigDaddy0004's writeup, among others, for an example of how to integrate the BTjr into the box)  ETA: link
3. dedicated charging circuit

there are many, many ways to do item 3.  there are a couple of stipulations -- maintaining a constant cyclic/standby charge voltage (see the side of your battery for the values), limiting the peak charging current (generally about 0.1C, where C is the capacity in AH of the battery), and safely dealing with short circuits that may occur.  

the solution that i settled on was using a DC/DC converter.  the input  to the converter is the ~13.8Vdc rom the Samlex 1223 supply in my EMCOMM box; the converter's output DC voltage is pre-set by a pair of resistors and a small potentiometer using the converter's datasheet for reference.  the particular DC/DC converter i selected has several unique attributes:
-- the output voltage is maintained under a widely varying load.
-- the output is current limited at 2A.
-- if the load draws more that 2A, it will turn on and off at 50% duty cycle until the load drops to 2A.  
-- it is burst proof into a short circuit, meaning it will tolerate a short forever without damage.

what i decided that i *didn't* need was a two- or three-stage charging setup typical of long term connected chargers such as the BTjr.  in my case the charge process is only intermittent, say every couple of weeks or even months.  hence, the cyclic charge voltage can be used, and there is no need for a lower, maintenance charge voltage.  

please, ignore the scorch mark below.  my most trusted technician took apart the box to make some sort of clever modification, and then that idiot put the box back together and pinched a wire between the panel mounting screw and the underside of the DC bus bar.  i wasn't amused by his ham-fisted antics and he has been reprimanded.  i of course had to fix all this stuff back up, but the scorch mark remains to remind me him to be more careful next time.  

ar-jedi

You should fire his ass.  Just my $0.02.  

this is alot of help...thanks

i wonder if we could get this thread tacked

It is, look at top in Important Threads....

I just bought one of these for my kit.

http://ki0bk.no-ip.com/~pwrgate/LLPG/Site/Welcome.html

As well as a new 55 AH AGM battery.   My older batteries are 4-1/2 years old now, so time for them to go.

so how do you like this new gear?  i may have to use one of these in my box.

I'm liking this.

I'll be putting together mine in the next week or so. Should be fun.

Hellifiknow... not here yet.  I just ordered it today.

Ordered the battery last night.  12 v 55 ah AGM.  The Jedi orange guy didn't answer my IM about battery life in a
timely fashion so I went on and ordered a new battery anyway.  

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200962020135

So, since I have that new battery ordered, and the PwrGate, above, at the same time ordered this battery monitor.

http://ki0bk.no-ip.com/~pwrgate/LLPG/Site/SLA_Batt_Mon.html

[TimTaylorgruntsound]uhn, uhn, uhn, uhn, uhn, uhn[/TimTaylorgruntsound]

And I have a 50 w solar panel ordered, too (18 v 2.8 amps).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200957552197

I already have a solar charge controller Piccolo made me buy.  

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151083804801

Dang!  You guys keep costing me money.

So wait... does the PWRgate work as a charger for the AGM?


Are you going to have no AC power supply? Just the PWRgate and battery tender? Help me understand.

I do have an AC power supply... Samlex SEC-1223.  The PWRgate will charge and float the AGM battery, as well as power the  rig.  

If AC power is interrupted, the PWRgate will instantly switch over to battery, with no interruption of power to the rig.

When AC power is restored (fumble fingers over there gets the generator refueled and cranked back up, or finds out where someone
tripped over the extension cord) the PWRgate will switch back to AC power and resume recharging the battery.

The SLA Battery Monitor will let me know what's what with the battery, as well as both visual (red LED) and audible (beeeeep) warning
that the battery is getting dangerously low.

The solar panel and charge controller are for times when I would need to recharge the AGM battery and no AC available.

Did I forget a detail here?  

From the website:

" ... it will allow communications equipment to remain operative on battery power during AC power blackouts.
Power supplies and batteries can be swapped out while the equipment remains on with no glitches."

"Whenever your power supply is on, the supply feeds the load while also charging the battery, keeping the
battery healthy and ready for use when the power supply is off or loses AC power.  Switching is instantaneous."

"The Low Loss PWRgate has been designed to use Sealed Lead Acid batteries such as AGM (Absorbed Glass
Mat) or GelCell batteries from 7 Amp Hour to 70 Amp Hour capacity.  Yes, there is a built in Float Charger that
will keep your battery fully charged and ready."

Yes, the trailer you're going to carry it all around in. ;)

So is the Samlex part of the emcomm box? Or is the battery box it's own external entity?

I already had a Samlex SEC-1223 power supply, and it is incorporated into my go kit.  If I had to buy a supply for this purpose I would buy this:

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamps/3382.html  

which has the capability of the PWRgate mentioned previously.  From the Universal website:

"This special model combines the reliability of the famous SEC-1223 with the reassurance of the BBM-1225 battery module built in. This feature automatically provides uninterrupted DC power from an external backup battery (not supplied) to your critical load in the event of an AC power outage. The battery may remain connected to the battery input on the rear panel. When power is restored it will seamlessly continue to provide power to the load and provide a current limited charge to your backup battery."

The battery is not going to be built into the box.  It weighs 38 lb all by itself.  It will have 10 ga zip cord with ring terminals left connected to the battery.  I'll make that about 2' long and put 45 amp Anderson Powerpoles on the zip.  And I'll make up a jumper, probably 6' long, 10 ga with Powerpoles on each end.

This battery has built on handles for easier transport.

See I keep mixing the main box thread with the "VHF Go Box" thread. They really are two completely different animals.

For a main, major emcomm box all that makes sense. For a cheap, small box with a "surplus" VHF radio having a $120 PS, $50 powergate, $30 alarm and $100 battery..... well it doesn't add up.

Added Link:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_22/671043_My_tactical_IC_703.html

Which solar panel did you decide to go with???

Sorry, I pasted the wrong link there... I have corrected it in the post.  It should read like this:



This looks hefty enough to help keep the big 55 ah battery topped off.

do the bnc bulkhead connecters need to have isolated ground?  i have not decided what kind of material i want to use for the control panel.

The battery will not be in a box, but just carried as is from truck to wherever radio is set up.

The Samlex supply is built into the emcomm case.

Added awpicktes "AK-47 Box" thread
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_22/671310_Another_AK47_VHF_EMCOMM_Box.html

Hello all.  New to AR-15.com.
This is my EMCOMM box that I put together based on a Kenwood TS-50S in a Pelican case.  Let me know if anyone has any questions.  I only made one and have since moved so I don't have my sketches but can swap details with anyone who wants info.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdU6R5og8ug

Tom

here is a pic

These are some construction notes on this EMCOMM box.  It is housed in a Pelican 1430 top loader case with a panel kit.  I selected this case based on its ability to house the main components including a compact HF transceiver, tuner and batteries.  I selected the Kenwood TS-50S because it is a very common and capable HF radio for a reasonable price and LDG had a Kenwood compatible tuner to match.  Other small radios may also work, like IC-706 for instance.  Most of the small parts were sourced from http://www.allelectronics.com/  

The components are mounted to a slide in/slide out floor.  The floor and the front panel are made from the same material, a plastic cutting board from Walmart.  If you want to build one of these the first thing you want to do is make cardboard templates of the floor and front panel, trimming them to ensure a snug fit.  To keep the floor from moving around you’ll need to build some guide/stops to put on the bottom and sides of the case.  These can be made of small blocks of pine and glued to the inside of the Pelican case using Gorilla glue. Do not want to drill holes in the case.  When done the floor will slide right in and will be held in place by the guides and front panel.

When you have your floor cut to size from the cutting board material, mount your HF rig mobile bracket upside down and mount the transceiver as low as possible.  This will define the rig’s height above the floor.  The tuner is very light and can be held to the radio with heavy tie wraps.  This will define its height above the radio.  You can then spot your battery location on the remaining floor space.  I used two 7AH lead acid batteries.  These were selected because they are common, cheap and the voltages are compatible with autos and auto chargers.  I stacked my batteries and held them down with heavy tie wraps.  I initially wanted to use metal straps to hold the batteries down but there is a possibility of shorting the battery terminals in the event of severe jostling of the case (like a car wreck or the like) so I went with the heavy plastic tie wraps.  The tie wraps also weigh less, are plenty strong and can be cinched up.
So now you have the radio, tuner and batteries spotted, you can locate all the smaller stuff on the front panel cardboard template.  Draw up the locations for the speaker, fan, switches, ground and antenna connector on your template.  The BATT and AUX DC switches will need room for the heavy gauge wire so be sure to leave ample space for that.  Place the actual components on the back of the template to make sure they will all fit when connected and make adjustments.  Once you are convinced it is right go ahead and make the panel cuts.  I used a jig saw for the radio openings, and hole saw and drill for the round holes.  I sanded the plastic to roughen it up so the paint would stick, washed it with soap and water and painted it black.  
Electrically it is pretty basic.  The batteries are connected to the radio through a 20A switch.  The AUX DC switch is also 20A; the fan and voltmeter switches may be low current. I used an Icom HF rig power cord as a source of wire.  It’s either 10 or 12 gauge.   It is imperative that you have a fuse on the batteries mounted as close to the batteries as possible.  Do not use cheapy CB radio fuse holders.  I used Motorola land mobile fuses but would recommend auto blade fuses as an alternate.  The AUX DC input is in parallel with the batteries and is also fused.  The connector is the same as that on the Battery Tender Junior that I use for charging but the wire is the heavy gauge to be able to carry hefty current.  One can power the radio with BATT, AUX  DC or both.  I made an auto cigar lighter cord for mine so I can charge the batteries from the car, or simply run it from the car (I would limit power to 50W through the car cord).  You can probably run 100W from the internal batteries and the car cord together but I have not tried that yet).  The voltmeter and fan are connected with small gauge wire and are switched.  The fan blows in.  Make sure to have exit clearance for the air around the radio. The area of the exit slots needs to be at least the area of the fan so don’t cut it too close.  You will need RF bypass capacitors on the fan and speaker to prevent RF problems.  
The antenna connection is a through-panel barrel connector hooked up to the tuner with a short double PL-259 patch cord.  You’ll need a right angle coax adapter for the TS-50S ant connection.  The ground lug is connected by copper braid to the radio and tuner.  
Make all your connections and test everything.  Use your best soldering technique so the wiring can handle 100W and not create any problems.  Use lots of shrink tubing to protect the connections (black tape will not last the life of this box so don’t use it).  Route the ground braid under the floor to avoid the battery/switch area and shorting possibilities.  Insulate your switch connections with shrink tubing.
The Pelican box has some strength ribs in it that come to the same level that the front panel will occupy so you’ll have to trim those with a Dremel tool or file.  You’ll see what I mean when you examine the Pelican case.  
Once you have it all ready to go, slide the floor into the box and mount the front panel with the Pelican panel kit.  The front panel will prevent the floor from sliding out.  I installed a small block of soft pine to backstop the heat sink of the TS50S against the bottom in case of a hard landing.  
I made labels using MILSPEC 33558 font.  I installed a UTC clock in the lid and carry a small ARRL mini log book.  
I took this box down to a fishing pier on the Gulf of Mexico, threw a wire over the side, hooked up a short counterpoise wire and worked Belgium on the first contact.  It is great fun to take the thing out to low noise areas and just listen.  Much better receive than at the home QTH with all the noise.
What would I do differently?  Possibly a LCD voltmeter.  If you want to run only 10 W you could make it lighter by having less battery capacity than 14aH, or possible use more advanced battery technology than lead acid (but you may lose the automobile compatibility if you do).  It weighs about 27 lbs give or take with two batteries.
I hope someone will build one of these and refine the design to make it better.
Cheers
Tom  

Looks great, R7000!  Welcome to the forum!  

Please do us a thread with some details!

TS-50 FTW!

Tagging this for future Ecommbox.

as requested I edited the above TS-50S box with construction notes.  Write if you have questions. Tom

You guys are pissing me off.  
Actually, I am pissing me off because I have most of what I need to build an EMCOMM box but have not started.

Bill

Bill.....Bill.....Bill....

ya gotta build a box and post lots of pics in your own build thread to obtain Enshrinement!

well, i understand this completely, it's so nice and warm outside, and it stays light so long into the evening, that it's difficult to find the time to do ham radio projects...

ar-jedi  

98% done with my box. just have to mount the panel.

... Wow! - a lot of good info packed into one four-page thread. Thanks ar-jedi

So you're saying it is your fault that I have not started?

Yes, the balmy single digit days are too nice to sit inside by the pellet stove!

Bill

Has anyone used the TenTec shoulder bag or something similar?

http://www.tentec.com/products/Shoulder-Bag.html

Is it big enough to hold an 817 or 703/706? Plus a 7ah battery and an end fed?

I'm looking at not just portable for QRP, but easy to carry without going full on man pack.

Well, after many years of waiting and money involved, I finally mange to get my EMCOMM/Base setup...

I have to admit that I did copy some folks over the internet but customize it for my need.
I wanted to have something more portable  or as a camping set up with the KISS in mind!

It consist of a Pelican hard case 1495
Icom IC-7200
The new Alinco DM-330FX with 2 usb port
IT-100 auto tuner from LDG
And a simple Baofeng UV5RA+ for VHF/UHF and scan option.
The main antenna for now is the Promaster from Alpha antennas.
I also have Alpha JR for NVIS setup at home and of course my Icon IC-2820 in my X-Terra. About to forgwet a second UV-5RA+ for my BOB/GHB.

Here is some pics... I am so proud lolll




Final weight is about 38 pounds.

No love for my go-gear?







Dual IC-7000's in a 3 bay roll-around SKB rack case.
SCS Pactor 3 modem
Signalink USB unit
Iota Smart Charger
SG-230 in Seahorse case
12 volt deep cycle marine battery in a battery case (connects with Anderson Power Lock connectors)

Damn photobucket to hell.

Attached File

added new build links in list just above "for future study" in OP

I finished my new "go box".

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_22/675680_.html&page=1&anc=11554342#i11554342

Referring to my posts on page 3 in this thread, I ended up using the Samlex SEC-1223bbm power supply,
which has the battery backup module built in, rather than using the outboard powergate.

bump for new add
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_22/678593_Forget_Shack_in_a_Box__I_present___.html

Here is my Go Box in progress, I am using a Pelican case, with my Kenwood TM-281A.  Currently I am trying to figure out what batteries to put under the radio and then how wire it all up, currently I am using my Samlex power supply to power radio.  So I have the 281, Powerwerx volt meter, a radio shack pc fan to move some air in what will be the battery area.  Included on the lid area are some needed ARFCOM accessories. When I get the time to do a write up of mine I will post that, but just wanted to get a photo in here.  You guys are light years above me but I am still working to upgrade to general so this will all change then possibly.  

I think we want specs on Pelican case model, where you got/made the panel, thickness, and how you measured out the holes.



Most of us know Pelican make panel bezels but fall short on the panels themselves.



Why re-invent the wheel I say.



 

I will look at case when I get home don't remember the number off top of my head, it is the normal Pelican Panel bezel, the mounting area is plastic found a guy on ebay that made the panel for me with hole pre drilled for securing to bezel, but now that my buddy works at a place with CNC (possibly flowjet machine) that may change to metal as the plastic is way to flimsy.  All the other holes I cut myself.