PDA

View Full Version : Putting together a BITX20



mw0uzo
05-15-2011, 02:45 PM
I bought a BITX20 kit with FLL from India on ebay for about £60 or $100. I've got most of it together, have only aligned RX and tested RX at the moment. A few components were missing/wrong so I need to wait until some more components arrive to finish it off. It has a transceiver board, a separate PSU and PA board and a small circuit board for an S-meter add on. Unfortunately my S-meter and speaker were damaged in the post, but neither were good enough anyway so no great loss. I'm going to add varactor and 10-turn pot tuning.

Gotta decide on a nice case before I can continue - does anyone know of any really nice cases for homebrew rigs? Something ... special?

Pics to follow :)

KC9ECI
05-15-2011, 04:32 PM
Check out how this guy put his kit built rig together. http://w1jsb.com/sw.html I like cases where you can see the guts.

mw0uzo
05-15-2011, 05:14 PM
Check out how this guy put his kit built rig together. http://w1jsb.com/sw.html I like cases where you can see the guts.

Ha, yeah that looks pretty cool, creative use of a 'lunch-box' :lol:

KC9ECI
05-15-2011, 07:19 PM
Scary thing is....I have one of those plastic cases sitting about 4 feet from me and I've been wondering what I could do with it.

NQ6U
05-15-2011, 07:20 PM
Scary thing is....I have one of those plastic cases sitting about 4 feet from me and I've been wondering what I could do with it.

You're doomed now...

KC9ECI
05-15-2011, 07:35 PM
Pretty much...and I'm leaving for Dayton on Wednesday evening. I'm prepared to abandon all hope at this point.

NQ6U
05-15-2011, 07:41 PM
Pretty much...and I'm leaving for Dayton on Wednesday evening. I'm prepared to abandon all hope at this point.

The organizers of the Dayton Hamfest should paraphrase Dante's Inferno and hang a sign that says "Abandon all hope for your wallets, ye who enter here" over the entrance.

W5GA
05-16-2011, 08:43 AM
Gotta decide on a nice case before I can continue - does anyone know of any really nice cases for homebrew rigs? Something ... special?

Pics to follow :)
Ten Tec has some nice boxes that they make. See the non-amateur side of their web site.

KK4AMI
05-24-2011, 08:48 PM
I have one of Dave Curry's old LOWFER 25 Watt SSB kits. I bought a giant 30 ma meter to use with it, so I would like to put it in a wood case that would sort of be period to the time low freq was used on ships.

mw0uzo
05-25-2011, 02:20 PM
I have one of Dave Curry's old LOWFER 25 Watt SSB kits. I bought a giant 30 ma meter to use with it, so I would like to put it in a wood case that would sort of be period to the time low freq was used on ships.

Would these Hammond cases be any good? They're pretty expensive, but perhaps the style is what you're looking for?

http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Fasteners-Production-Equipment/Enclosures/Instrument-Cases/Hammond-1444-series-aluminium-chassis-with-walnut-side-panels/500156/kw/

http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Fasteners-Production-Equipment/Enclosures/Instrument-Cases/Hammond-1441-series-steel-chassis-with-walnut-side-panels/500157/kw/

http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Fasteners-Production-Equipment/Enclosures/Instrument-Cases/Hammond-HWCHAS-series-walnut-chassis-with-aluminium-top-panels/500155/kw/

KK4AMI
05-25-2011, 04:07 PM
Would these Hammond cases be any good? They're pretty expensive, but perhaps the style is what you're looking for?

http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Fasteners-Production-Equipment/Enclosures/Instrument-Cases/Hammond-1444-series-aluminium-chassis-with-walnut-side-panels/500156/kw/

http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Fasteners-Production-Equipment/Enclosures/Instrument-Cases/Hammond-1441-series-steel-chassis-with-walnut-side-panels/500157/kw/

http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Fasteners-Production-Equipment/Enclosures/Instrument-Cases/Hammond-HWCHAS-series-walnut-chassis-with-aluminium-top-panels/500155/kw/

Close, those would make beautiful stereo cabinets. I'm more into wood with bakelite face, big SWR meters, vernier dial and brass trim. We are restricted on low frequency output (1 watt), so I might as well make the radio pretty. I'd like something like this.

4182