Having the best radio and test equipment enclosure requires a combination of ingenuity and art. Appearance and practicality are as important as the actual function performed by the equipment. We are looking for big & small, artwork, robustness, embedded functions, old, modern, classic, generic, jiffy, portability and more. There are prizes for the Best Display by popular vote, and best story, as determined by the nominated judge.

Many interesting displays and stories again this evening.

Full table again!
3D printed power supply from Simon VK2YU
QRP and don’t be fooled, this is not a cassette player … from Carmel VK2CAR

Red QRP Rig – Carmel’s homebrew 80m transceiver where she also designed the front artwork, and designed the case in Solid Works, and had specially made and powder coated. Information on the kit https://www.radio-kits.co.uk/mkars80page.html

Inside the QRP
Inside the QRP

Also a cassette player turned into a handbag and OPAL card in the cassette https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-vHyz-U0cM

Watch handbag in action!
Richard VK2ARH’s display

Want a professionally looking project enclosure? Richard VK2ARH showed us his technique to make front screens made from laser printed design on paper, once happy with the layout, a quick lamination turned the paperwork into a factory looking front panel. Can even have a rectangular window for LCD display and overlay standard push switches to replicate expensive touch screens.

The club’s IC-7300 go box. It includes a sun shade when used outside.
Des VK2TGJ’s CREST repeaters in Bunnings and Gastech boxes … repeater on wheels.
Yves VK2AUJ Menshed woodwork collection.
Clifford VK2CLF How to make an aluminium extrusion for a square tube.
Nick VK2FS winning entry
  • IC-705 + AH-705 tuner
  • SotaBeams “Tactical Mast” – 7m plus guy ropes and pegs
  • Tablet (Android) to allow the use of the FT8CN program for FT8, browsing, spotting, equipment manuals, logging contacts etc
  • Morse paddles
  • Various antenna combinations including long wire, 40m dipole and VHF/UHF antenna
  • Various lengths of coax and AH-705 control cable
  • Arborists throwing bag and cord to allow an antenna to be hung from a suitable tree branch
  • MWRS “business” cards to be given to interested spectators
  • 12 volt battery to raise the IC-705 to output to 10W
  • Spare battery for the IC-705
  • Paper and pen for logging, note taking etc
Nick VK2FS for best display, Carmel VK2CAR for the best story.

Carmel’s story… “I didn’t use the case that came with the kit but designed my own and drawn up in Solid Works and added my own design s-meter and battery pack making it a more complete unit.

“When I bought the kit I paid less as I didn’t need the original case. They sent me a case anyway. I put the case aside for a few weeks until the power steering pump in my old 4wd decided to leak. It leaked onto my alternator and took that out. I got a replacement alternator but had to wait several weeks for a new power steering pump part. I decided to bend and fold my unused mkars80 transceiver case and bolt it under the pump to deflect the steering fluid drips away from the alternator underneath. Worked a treat. Thanks to Milton Keynes ARS!

“My homebrew junk cassette deck bag conversion had its own srory but wasnt very exciting, just comments such as, “Can you play my Elvis tapes?” It appeared on Instructables.

“The portable aprs I made up and took on a Port Macquarie trip went sour when going home the bus driver thought it was a bomb (it was an open tracker kit in a pelican case with switch and antenna and battery that looked a bit like semtex). He didnt like my homebrew chess clock either so silly me I joked it was a trigger timer for the bomb (the circuit was in a tranaparent case). He then hauled my luggage out of the bus and kicked me off. Stupid bastard.“

103 points collected for the evening, thank you all.