Finished the Shack-in-a-Box

Normally my projects take a long time to finish because I can’t find the right materials (I’ll dedicate a post on that later). But my “Shack-in-a-Box” project was done fairly quickly: only six weeks.

The box is an old German army issue box that my Junker straight key came in. Very sturdy and not too heavy.

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I padded it with foam I got from a shop selling notebook batteries; the plexiglass dividers were left-overs from old cosmetic product displays. The little basket was a dollar from the local hardware store and the only thing bought new.

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Everything but the antenna is in there: the KX3, LiPo battery (old laptop battery cells from a friend), the touch paddle and various cables. There are ear plugs and an old computer microphone with which I get very good audio reports. With this setup it takes me less than a minute to be operational and packing up is equally fast. This weekend is a long one in Taiwan because of Peace Memorial Day and I’ll be out on the coast doing my first serious stint of portable operation. If you hear me on air don’t hesitate to call me. 73.

Hans "Fong" van den Boogert, BX2ABT, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Taiwan. Contact him at [email protected].

2 Responses to “Finished the Shack-in-a-Box”

  • Jason:

    This is cool, I like it. I’ve been planning to build something similar of my own and this gives me some cool ideas. Thanks for sharing!

  • BX2ABT:

    @Jason: you are more than welcome. Good luck with it and remember that I spent less than a dollar on the whole enclosure. The content was a bit more expensive, hi hi!

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