Radio Time

 

"Amateur radio knows no boundaries except those set by the frequency"

~Unknown 

                This morning I woke up to the news of a couple of hams I knew passing away, this made two in one week and it made me think of some of the others that I have met either in person or on the air. It made me think about when you first get your license and talk to the ham that comes back to you and how sometimes it maybe the last time you talk to someone, such as the case as my friend Rick who was killed in a car accident two summers ago. Rick was a big supporter of  the rail net I ran and the Western Maryland 1309 project. the other two were great radio friends and almost always provided a great rag chew on the local 2 meter repeaters. I sadly only had met one out of the 3 in person and that was very briefly when I first got my license back in 2018. 

         With this I just want to climb up on my soap box for a minute. Most of us get into the hobby to learn about radio and how it works but we never take the time to learn other things from hams about life experience's. Sure that older ham can't teach you how to work the latest software defined radio or maybe can't help you put up and antenna but they can teach you about a whole lot of other things. Things like how some of the hams had to stay at the national guard base here locally to help with the blizzard of 76 or the storm spotter who first hand witnessed the Xenia tornado outbreak in the 70's . Sometime we hear an older ham talking about a old tube radio and we just brush it off as a guy who won't let go of the past, or the guy who loves CW and is willing to teach it but we are interested in our SDR radios and digital contacts and we feel that this is boring. 

    

            As I climb back down off my soap box I  just want to say take the time out to learn things from older hams, as it was put to me the richest place in the world is not the bank vault but the cemetery, where there is knowledge, wisdom, and experience that never was shared or appreciated is permanently locked away and can never be recovered. So if you are a younger ham I ask that you consider listening to the older ham that was trying to tell the story of his first shack or one of his experiences. If you are a older ham keep sharing the stories and Information because someone is always listening whether or not they come back and ask questions. Which brings me to my final thing, some of our seasoned operators may not have a family nearby and who do not have the means to do anything much other than sit and talk on a radio. If you have the means invite them over to your shack, a family cookout, a holiday dinner or even take them groceries if they can't make it out and just mention it casually on the radio that they struggle. As my friend Cary  say practice a random act of kindness,          

With this I want to close with dedicating this blog to the  friends who have become silent keys those are Richard (W8DBW) Jimmy (N8SGP) Howard (W8SV) And Rick (WA8TSI) who have helped shape me into the radio operator that I am today. Until next time take care, remember God is still in control ~73 

Building the shack, Part 1: (The Design)

 

                

"People who follow the crowd usually get no further than the crowd" ~unknown 

          

            I often joke that I at one point had the smallest radio station setup ever know to ham radio, it was a  borrowed Yeasu VX-170 that I could hit about 3 repeaters within the area. It served me well for a few months until I was able to obtain my FT-8800 and the equipment list began to grow from there. I wanted a shack but with limited funds, time, and competing space with family (both sound and Physical boundaries) designing it would be a challenge to say the least.  One of the major things I had to consider was the available space I had to dedicate to building a radio room.  As I soon figured out I didn't have much room for a massive radio shack but I did have room for two smaller radio rooms/ studios. The main radio room has to currently share space with my woodworking shop and special design had to go into my desk design to limit dust getting on the equipment, it sets in a 6 foot by 12 foot  corner and at the end of the 12' section is where my coax comes into and it provides a isolated area away from my family to work late night/ early morning DX. However having it located in an outbuilding has it drawbacks and one of the major ones is heating it in the winter months. This is Why I am designing  what I call my snowbird station. Basically it is nothing more than my 2 meter go-box and a small dual band base antenna clipped to the side of the house providing me a  warm space to work local nets during the colder months.      

                The shack above would be my dream shack, it is 12' x 18' has a great bay window, dust free area and plenty of loft storage but would set me back about 8,000 bucks not including wiring and finishing. Not having the budget to get it my second alternative was to  come up with a design for my two shacks, however both of my shacks need to be intermodal so that if I acquired my dream space or ever had to move I would not wind up starting from square one and possibly not having a station for months or even years on end. As you may know from my Go-box posts I was designing something I could pack up and roll with on a whim. If you want to read more about my Go-Box you can find it here. 

The above picture shows the first setup of my desk with my go box installed, I decided to build my own desk as it gives me the flexibility of putting the radios where it works best for me. One of the elements I put into designing the shack was that I wanted a happy space where I could de-compress after a long day or just relax and enjoy my hobby. To achieve this I chose Sherwin William's #6788 Capri for the walls and Ice cube white #6252  for the ceiling The desk is painted in Cyberspace grey #7076 and trimmed with golden oak oak trim. The ultimate goal is to Move the woodshop to a better building more suited for woodworking and turning this into my radio room/man shed, however once again if things don't work out or if I get my dream space I still am able to box up the shack in a few hours and be back on the air in a day or two. 

For the snow shack I still am having trouble coming up with a design for it that allows me to enjoy the hobby without disturbing the rest of the family and I will post about it in a later blog. As of this writing I am planning on going to the Dayton hamfest and cleaning up and prepping the space for use. There is plenty to do and I hope with this blog I inspired you to design or re-design your radio room. Until next time take care and remember God is still in control. ~73 

Emergency preparedness Series (Go-Bottle)

 

"The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty".

~Proverbs 27:12 NIV 

             Since I first got into ham radio, Skywarn, and ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Services) one topic has always come up on one end of the spectrum or the other and that is the Go-Bag and emergency preparedness. Whether  you are a railfan heading out on a local trip or a 5 hour cross state drive, a ham radio operator that is a storm spotter or that does disaster response or just a average everyday person who works, you need a Go-Bag.. Why do you need one? The answers simple, to sustain yourself for the day,  until help arrives or you can make it back home to safety. In the next article I will cover my EDC (Everyday Carry Bag) But in this article I want to cover a simple solution I found that can be put together for less than $200 bucks, can go anywhere you go whether it be work, a day railfanning, field day, or a trip out to the park. 

    Many years ago I just went out railfanning and didn't give much thought to what to eat drink or even if something happened how would I get home. To put it lightly I was young and dumb, sometimes I would pay attention to the weather and with the abundance of restaurants and vending machine around I was pretty set for a day of watching trains. Fast forward 20 something years and the food scene and area has changed drastically  along with my  daily needs and budget. For the most part I don't like lugging around my Go-Bag everywhere I go and some places are not bag friendly. I needed something that I could break away from my bag and if needed keep a low profile with  should the need for me to get home arise and I have to face possible dangerous encounters on my way home. This setup below also allows me a quick throw in the car and  go solution to my everyday carry bag for places close to home. 

The Go-Bottle 

                Let me introduce you to the Battle Bottle from Iron Infidel it is a 2 liter stainless steel bottle that comes with a neat camo carrier or if your savvy like me you buy the 2 cover version to switch up. Pictured above is it in the black camo pattern. As a ham radio operator most events I have done are marathons and if you have done any then you know that they only last a few hours, way too little to use your 72 hour bag. The bottle above filled with the water and gear weighs about 10 pounds, fits in between the seats of your car and provides you with a few hours of  operating without breaking out your 72 hour go bag.  Let's unload our bottle and  see what has worked well for me. 

The Contents 

 

        From top left here are the contents: 

1. Compass map reader* 

2. Water key  (to refill the bottle) 

3. Sharpie Marker 

4. Snack 

5. Snap lights (Green)* 

6. Flashlight (Mini Goose Neck)  

7. Ferro Rod 

8. Knife 

9.  Magnifying glass 

10. Bottle with cover 

* ( comes in a multi pack that will be broke into Additional  Go- Kits) 

For the most part I have everything I need should  any emergency arise or if I decide I don't want to drive I have a quick solution that I can just through into a car and go without tasking the driver with a bulky bag or taking up precious room in their car. Almost all of this stuff can be found on amazon but I have included a link to the battle bottle. How you put it together is for you to decide, I just wanted to show you what has worked well for me. If you have any questions just write in the comments below and I will cover them in another blog post. 

Link to the bottle: (and no I am not affiliated with them just a really happy customer) 

This is for the 2 cover 1 bottle set. https://ironinfidel.com/collections/battle-bottles/products/battle-bottle-ocp-and-ocp-black

Of Hams and Hoggers 2.0 (an introduction )

 The most important thing is to enjoy your life — to be happy. It's all that matters. 

~Audrey Hepburn~

Good evening friends, family and visitors, I want to welcome you to my blog and give you a little insight about myself and what my blog is all about. For many of you who know me know besides being an extra class amateur radio operator I am into trains, weather and other fun outdoor activities. For those of you who do not know my story here it is. 

CSX 911 first responders unit 

My love of trains: For many years since I was young I always have loved trains. Whether the full size steel wheels on steel rails, or the Tabletop models I always have loved trains and still do. Most of my passion is sitting next to the railroad tracks and travelling to railfan destinations in Ohio my other part of this passion is to model the Youngstown steel industry in HO Scale on my freelance model railroad. For the most part some way shape or form you will find me trackside at one point or another.  

Ham Radio: The one thing that lead me to becoming a ham radio was the trains. For many years I helped a associate run a small hobby shop in Akron here and he was a veteran radio operator. I followed him to a ham fest to help sell items and wound up getting hooked into this hobby. In August of 2017 I became KE8HNK and in February of 2018 I passed my extra class and the rest is history. One more thing I would like top clear up is yes my real name is Elmer and yes I know the history LOL if you don't know then just look up what an Elmer in ham radio is. 

Supercell over Akron 

Storm Spotting and Skywarn: What better thing to get into than storm spotting. It was a natural, plus the Skywarn logo in my opinion is one of the coolest logos out there. Add this in with my love of outdoors, ham Radio, Trains and  my travels it was seamless addition to my two great hobbies I already enjoy plus I get to help save lives by getting weather warnings out quicker using a hobby I already enjoy. 

Outdoor Activities and Preparedness: For the most part through the channels of ham radio I have found other great activities to get into such as archery, and disaster prep. For the most part I volunteer on several groups and try my best to help others know the importance of preparedness whether you are trackside or outside at home storms and disasters can strike and I want others to know how to survive and get home safe or help keep some sense of normalcy in their life. 

What to expect from this blog: For the most part you will find my stories and journey into new things and if I can teach something and share knowledge then I have accomplished my mission here. I hope you will come back and enjoy my blog and if you do don't be afraid to drop a comment below. I look forward to bringing you what I feel to be great content and hope you hang around and subscribe. Also follow us on social media  (links posted below) Remember God is in control, He loves you and so do I until next time friends 73

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Alliance Ohio (Go Ohio Series part 1)

 

"I never regret the thing I did, but I do regret the things 

I didn't take the opportunity to do" ~ET 

 An NS Train Rolls past the Amtrak Station in Alliance  

      Overview:    If your looking for a good one day trip to watch trains and enjoy ham radio then look no further than Alliance Ohio. Alliance is situated approximately 18 miles NE of Canton Ohio and about 30 Miles SE of Akron. The history of the city of Alliance, begins in 1850 when two major railroad lines, the Ohio & Pennsylvania and Cleveland & Wellsville Railroads intersected in Liberty, once known as “The Crossing”. Three small communities, Williamsport (founded 1827), Freedom (founded 1830), and Liberty (founded 1850) merged at this time. Four years later in 1854, the village incorporated as Alliance. In 1889, the village of Mount Union (founded 1833) was annexed into the city Alliance.

     Through the years the railroads merged became the Pennsylvania railroad, then Penn Central, Conrail and now Norfolk Southern. There are two major lines  that interconnect and that is the Pittsburgh line and the Cleveland line that provide most of the traffic along with the two smaller secondary's the Bayard line and the Fort Wayne Line. One can expect to see about a train an hour or so on the Cleveland- Pittsburgh line and possibly a few on the other secondary lines however, don't be disappointed  if there is no trains on these as they have been downgraded in the past few years. 

    

    There is a picnic table that is there to provide a place to sit if you so desire however a lot of rail fans choose to bring their own lawn chairs, just make sure they are back far enough not to get in anybody's way. In rainy or cold weather some take the 1500 ft trip down to the Amshack or the Amtrak station shelter however this also could warrant a visit from Alliance Police depending on ones behavior or a pissed off train crew. Another point to remember is this is an active Amtrak station and the trains usually  come early in the morning  so overnight or late night stays can also arouse suspicion along with drawing attention from the night club across the street from the station.

Ham Radio:

There is plenty of ham radio opportunities Alliance, One of the staples is the Alliance Amateur Radio club (W8LKY) and they maintain a 2 meter and 70cm repeater that from the Amtrak station can be reached easily with a good handheld and antenna set up using less than 5 watts

On Tuesday evening at 7 pm they host a Homeland Security net on simplex frequency of 147.510 Mhz

They also host on Thursday evening a 10 meter net at 8 PM Eastern, on 28.420 Mhz.

They sometimes shift frequency due to QRM, but are never far off of 420.

Also on Thursday might at 9 pm they host the 2 meter net on the club repeater (Frequencies listed below) so there is plenty of weekday QSO opportunities. However if you are accused of causing interference just be courteous and stop.

Food and dining:

There a ton of food places in Alliance up on State street however it is best to bring a lunch, and snacks with you, otherwise it is circle K and a few other Gas stations. However if you want one of the best trackside greasy spoons check out the Burger hut located a few blocks away form the Amtrak station. They are located right next to the Cleveland line so you won't have to miss out on the action. This place has been threatened by closing so give it a try before they are gone. 

Listening in and other Frequencies :

Railroad operations:

161.070 ARR ch 64 Road and Dispatcher Channel

Berea and Pittsburgh (ex-Conrail/NYC/PRR)

Alliance and Crestline (ex-Conrail/PRR)

Cleveland and Parma (ex-C0nrail/NYC)

Toledo terminal area (ex-Conrail lines)

160.800 ARR Ch 46 Road and Dispatcher Channel

Toledo and Chicago (ex-Conrail/NYC)

Toledo and Detroit (ex-Conrail/NYC)

Youngstown and Ashtabula (ex-Conrail)

Youngstown and Warren Secondary lines

Meadville, Pa., line (ex-Conrail/Erie)

Ham radio:

 2 meter repeater

145.370 (- offset)

W8LKY

Tones

• Transmit: 110.9 hz

• Receive: 110.9 hz

---

70cm Repeater

442.350 (+ offset)

W8LKY

Tones

• Transmit: 131.8 hz

• Receive: 131.8 hz

So if you are looking for a place to watch trains and enjoy ham radio this is one place that wont let you down either way. I hope you enjoyed this segment of my go Ohio series and look for a video later this year, As always remember God is still in control, stay safe and blessed 73 my friends until next time. 

Directions to Alliance

From Canton/Massillon and West:

Follow US 62 East to the first exit for Alliance. US 62 is State Street in Alliance.

From Minerva and South:

Follow SR 183 North. This route is Union Avenue in Alliance.

From Salem and East

Follow US 62 West. This route is State Street in Alliance.

From Interstate 76 and North:

From Akron or Cleveland: Follow I-76 East and take the exit for SR 14 South (Alliance exit). Turn right on SR 183 South and follow this route to Alliance. SR 183 is Union Avenue in Alliance.

From Youngstown: Follow I-76 East and take the exit for SR 225 South (Alliance exit). This route ends at SR 183 which is Union Avenue in Alliance.

The Go-Box Chronicles (The Incident Command)

 

“All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move.” -Benjamin Franklin

   Recently I was over by a friend of our families house and the apartment up the street had a kitchen fire.  I was milling around  the scene taking pictures  of the firetrucks and the scene when I noticed the back of the battalion chiefs SUV had a mobile incident command center.  The center was small enough to fit into the back of the SUV and contained a small desk, a base type radio along with other stationary items needed to provide a safe command station to the responding fire companies. Unfortunately I was unable to get close to get pictures as it was a very busy scene.

A box similar to Akron's (Image from the internet for reference) 

To say I was intrigued would be an understatement, not only did it have the radios but also storage areas, and a marker board  with a integrated desk. The idea for one when I go trackside, or when I do a public service events came to mind, however I just couldn't find something that  I liked and that would work with my new go box so I decided to set out on my own and build it myself. 

I had a general idea of what I wanted but there were several features that I felt could be incorporated into my design and some items that could be eliminated. One of the things that was not needed was all of that storage,  so I narrowed it down to a single deep divided drawer and a tuck under shelf for my clip boards and other paper work.  This allowed me to make the one half of the unit to fit my Go-Box in which from my previous blog allows it to be modular to be taken from the shack to the car quickly and efficiently. So lets take a tour of my Ham Command Center. 

A perfect fit  

   

     The dimensions are 15" Deep by 48" Wide by 15" high at the radio bay and is a custom fit for my go box. From left to right there is a nook to store my headphones and any other small cases between the wheel well and tailgate area. Next is the Go-Box bay, it is open in the back to allow venting and power cable routing along with a battery tray to make the whole setup independent of the vehicles power system. Next is the desk and drawer that keeps small items such as charts, papers, forms, spare antennas, HT's, and other miscellaneous items needed at bay. Finally on the top of the drawer is the small desk for writing, it is angled about 5 degrees and has a strip across the bottom to keep items from sliding off. 

    I feel I accomplished what I wanted, and once I get a chance later this coming year to  fully test my setup and see how it operates I will either be tweaking things or will be going full ham (Pun intended). This concludes part 2 of my Go-Box chronicles and hopefully I have inspired you to build something for your vehicle. Until Next time my friends, take care, be blessed and remember God is still in control. ~73 

    

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Prying Eyes Part 1 (a primer on ham shack security)

 

Good evening fellow hams and railfans,

In tonight's blog I want to touch on ham shack security. As amateur radio operators we go to great lengths to try to make our shacks safe from hazards such as lightning, stray voltages, and bad RF, however one thing I have noticed is the lack of security in our ham shacks. Now I want to make the disclaimer that this is not a full nuts and bolts out of the box security system, but a few simple tips and tricks to make your ham shack more secure.

Target hardening:  You can't always prevent someone from breaking in, however one of the most simple things you can do is slow the rate one can either gain access to, or remove equipment. This is especially true if you have a stand alone shack. Here are 7 things you can do begin target hardening  

1. Install a double deadbolt lock on your door,  this is one of the simplest things you can do, they require a key in and a key out and another benefit is that they prevent smash and turn entry by requiring the key to open the door and since the shack is not  considered a livable structure they get around most building codes. 

2.  Screw it down..... Most radios come with a mobile bracket or one is available, by screwing it down this slows up the removal process allowing more time for law enforcement to arrive and catch the suspect in the act. 

3.  Light it up!!!!!  Most shacks have some source of power, by installing lights you deter crime because of the easiness of getting caught. Adding lights weather solar, battery or utility adds to the overall safety  and security of the shack.

4. Install cameras.... By installing a camera system with a DVR you not only highly discourage theft and trespassing but you have a set of digital eyes watching 24 hours a day ( make sure the DVR is not visible or place it in another location) 

5.  Keep a low profile... This is a essential thing if you live in a moderate to high crime area (just about anywhere now) adding antennas is easy but it also makes a obvious sign that you have expensive radio equipment. If you can, use the smallest antenna needed. 

6. Add shutters with locks, while this maybe an old fashioned way of doing things it still slows one down without the unattractive bars on the outside of the windows and requires a pair of bolt cutters or making noise to access the window. 

7. Limit how far windows can be opened, installing a bolt drilled into the side of the window can significantly slow one down but allow you to remove the bolt and the window to be fully opened when you are in your shack 

After you do all this what else can you do to make your ham shack more secure? Here are 4 more tips that don't require any money and can make the difference in how easy you are targeted. 

1.  Know your neighbors!!!! You don't have to be the social butterfly, but simply by casually observing your neighbors you can learn a lot about what they really are up to and assign a threat level to them based upon whether or not you observe criminal activity. 

2. Practice light discipline, by knowing where to place monitors and TV Screens you can prevent wandering eyes from knowing what you have, also consider light blocking blinds or curtains to keep light from spilling out at night. 

3. Keep quiet, while it is one of our favorite things to do is to show off our ham shack it could be one move that invites trouble. This also includes family members as we all have a few that are always up to no good. Just be wise to who you show your toy room too is all that I am saying.

4. Finally the most important thing to do is to be vigilant, do a quarterly review of your shack. Ask yourself if I was a criminal how would I get in and what could I easily remove? By asking these things you can help keep yourself, your family and toys safe from the perils of life's ruthlessness. 

I hope you enjoyed my blog and have found a lot of this useful, as a ham and a  security professional these are things I have learned to implement at home and in my vehicles in which I will cover in another blog in the future. Until next time remember God is still in control and stay safe and happy ~73 

Broken Rail

 

" you have to embrace the pain in order for it to have the desired effect"

~Drew Brees 

   

The Westbound coal drag 

        

    In 2019 I had to make a hard choice and leave my employer of over 5 years that afforded me the wonderful mornings of trains and ham radio, it wasn't a easy choice and it put a serious dent in my trackside mobile operation. For 3 out of 5 years I was a staple on the barometer net and trackside in Akron. Soon afterward I began spiraling away from trains, ham radio and rail-fanning altogether and went only on a handful of excursions with my lady with little to no excitement. In December 2019 I chose to change careers again only to find myself still unable to get the desire to go back trackside or even fully enjoy ham radio. 

Coal Cars roll by 

     The pandemic of 2020 put another big damper and it didn't help my feeling  of being uninterested in my hobbies. What caused my dismal feeling? Was it I was growing out of the hobby? Did I lose my passion? Was I bullied out? and the answer was I had been bullied out of my passion. For the most of 2018-2019 I helped a fellow ham (The one who introduced me to ham radio) at his shop and at ham-fests. While I was there helping him it seemed I was not smart enough or good enough and I gave up even trying to  even show any interests in my hobbies as I was punished for trying to do anything that wouldn't benefit him, after leaving him and taking on a new job, I just didn't have the time  or the desire to divulge myself into my hobbies. My lady tried to encourage me to get back to what I loved however the only thing I seemed interested in was storm spotting, not realizing I was in the middle of my own storm and was losing direction. 

The Eastbound auto carrier 

What changed to get me back on track? (Pun intended) Well over the course of the summer my lady and I would go and sit trackside along with a few snacks and try to enjoy the day, however it just still didn't work.  Beginning this fall I decided to begin to start remodeling the shack and building a Go Box and as fate would have it my small propane heater ran out of fuel during one of the coldest weeks of this month. So  instead of trying to heat and work in my shack before I go to work I decided to go trackside mobile at a spot I normally  would go on the weekends. It had just freshly snowed the night before and I went trackside similar to what I had at my old job. It was cold out, I had my coffee, a great sunrise, the barometer net on the radio and a fresh snowfall and it seemed like a already beautiful morning, could it get any better?  Yes it did!!! On my scanner the Q216 cracked the silence and called a signal two signals away from me while the other railroad was giving out track warrants a westbound coal drag snuck up on me I looked up and saw the westbound coal drag with a UP leader. Two trains at once? It was!!! It almost was instant my feeling of  being uninterested left and my passion began to come back flooding in. Now I still have a long way to go to get back to where I was but now I am back on track and slowly rolling toward my destiny once again. Sometimes all it takes is a moment  And God  to change your circumstances, so if you are feeling like I was take the time to reflect on why you feel that way, and then embrace the pain and the rest will fall into place. Until Next time my friends, remember God id still in control, Take care and Be Blessed  ~73

The Go Box Chronicles (part 1 an introduction)

   

                    "Good evening fellow hams and railfans" 

     I want to thank you for visiting my blog. Today is the first in a 5 part series how I built my Go Box .   Being a ham radio operator who is a railfan has it's perks but has it's share of problems as well.  One problem that has plagued me for years is always wanting to be a gear-head, always wanting gear and not always having a place for it. Another problem is a lot of times I am on the go, whether it is watching trains, storm spotting, being over at my lady's house or taking a family member fishing I always wanted to have a radio. Now the easy solution in which I already have is a mobile rig in the van and an HT, but there was something lacking.  I wanted something that could be modular and still perform in a manor of a fixed station, but also could be moved easily if I wanted to take a day trip or even a week long trip trackside. With this years events and of course the dreaded pandemic going on I had to add a self- isolation factor in as well. In this blog we are going to cover how I made my Go Box.

    The biggest challenge I faced was, do I build it myself?  Do I buy a pre-made module such as the Pod Runner?  Or do I go hybrid and do a mixture of both? I chose the latter and decided to go hybrid, and since I am a woodworker by trade this would not only allow me to  have  an excuse to make something custom that I can enjoy but also something that is durable and practical as well. The first step was to find something I could put the radios in,  close and lock them up when I am not using them, I saw one of these things at a ham fest a couple of years ago and instantly I found the prefect candidate for the radio storage area of my inter-modular station setup. 

My Go Box currently with one radio and SWR meter 

Pictured above is the I-portable 2 IP-6-U Available from DX engineering, it boasts a hard plastic case, built in speakers and light. along with 2 circuits for radios and plenty of room for other items. One of the features I like the most is it's almost linear size the cases rough dimensions  are 24x24x18 inches making ideal for my purpose. The first of two boxes I am building is going to be the most used one with my VHF/UHF setup in it (this will be covered in another blog) The only two qualms I have with this box are the first is the power cord (input) is not long enough for my taste as I prefer to have a little extra wire should the need to arise to put a connector on and the second is on 2 meters there is a slight whine from the dimmer switch that dims the LED light, however this usually is solvable with a ground wire. 

My Go-Box with the UHF 90 Degree connector 

If you are looking to get one or two of these I would like to suggest a few parts to get as well. the First part is pick up the DX Engineering bulkhead kits part #  DXE-UHF-FDFB-KIT along with a UHF 90 Degree connector part # Amphenol RF 83-1AP UHF Right Angle Coax Adapters 83-1AP-2   to act as a strain relief and prevent the bulkhead from unnecessary wear and damage. This concludes part 1 of the Go Box build. I know that the way I am going is not the cheapest but it is what is going to work for me and hopefully you can find some inspiration out of it as well. Until next time ~73 and Remember God is still in control