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Hello all! I just picked up a SSTRAN transmitter, and wondered what those of you who already had one (and were using it outdoors) mounted it in? I looked at the local Lowes & Home Depot, and coudn’t find anything that was weatherproof that was close to the proper size (either too small or way too big). Any suggestions as to what I should use and more importantly, where to get it would be apprecitated.
Hello all! I just picked up a SSTRAN transmitter, and wondered what those of you who already had one (and were using it outdoors) mounted it in? I looked at the local Lowes & Home Depot, and coudn’t find anything that was weatherproof that was close to the proper size (either too small or way too big). Any suggestions as to what I should use and more importantly, where to get it would be apprecitated. Thanks!!
Total posts : 45366Hi,
I don’t have them at hand, but I have seen links to enclosure suppliers where you can choose the size you want. Try a web search on “electronic enclosures” , “project boxes”, or something similar.
Neil
Total posts : 45366I ran into a similar problem, but found what I needed at a local hardware chain called McLendon’s. I didn’t look at either Ace or True Value, but most of those stores are locally owned. So, they’re more likely to stock slower moving items than the big box stores.
By the way, McLendon’s has a website at http://www.mclendons.com/. You can order from them on line. No, I don’t own stock in the company.
Total posts : 45366I had the same problem. The local Lowes wanted 45 bucks for a box that was really too large anyway. I picked up a square-ish plastic Rubbermaid bowl with a resealable top, such as you might use for leftovers. I painted it white to help reflect heat and possibly provide some UV protection. I installed binding posts for the power cables and pigtailed an RCA cable for audio. I drilled a tiny 1/8″ hole in the bottom (which is really the side) in order to allow for drainage of any condensation. The transmitter is mounted inside the bowl with Velcro to an aluminum backing plate. The plate acts as reinforcement to the plastic bowl, which mounted sideways to the mast with 2 stainless sheet metal screws.
It’s been up almost a year in the Carolina sun and is still in great shape. The SStran is dry and clean and showing no signs of distress. The snap-on top is easily removable for transmitter service. The best part? The bowl cost about 2 bucks.
1620AM Copperhead Radio,
Lucama NCI am going to be doing something of the sort myself. In fact – I’m about to run to the Ace hardware to see what they have. I’ll take photos and get the info to the board as soon as I have it. OR – if you do something before me, let us know 😀
UPDATE: I went to Ace hardware, and the guy pointed me to the $5.00 plastic toolboxes. These could easily be fitted with a metal plate that sticks out far enough to stick some U-bolts onto, painted, and a little paint. The ones they had were a tad small (by like 1/5 inch .. grrrr…) – but I’m going to keep digging around based on this idea. a five dollar toolbox is sturdy enough, looks clean enough, and makes it easy to access (a bead of silicone should be easy to break into the few times you’d need to.
Total posts : 45366I am using an 8″ x 8″ x 4″ PVC junction box which looks professional and houses the SStran perfectly with room to spare. These can be found at any electrical supply house such as Graybar.
Total posts : 45366[quote=Techie]Hello all! I just picked up a SSTRAN transmitter, and wondered what those of you who already had one (and were using it outdoors) mounted it in? I looked at the local Lowes & Home Depot, and coudn’t find anything that was weatherproof that was close to the proper size (either too small or way too big). Any suggestions as to what I should use and more importantly, where to get it would be apprecitated. Thanks!![/quote]
[img]http://robinvalley.org/images/box_inside_small.png[/img]
Greetings:
I used a 8 inch X 8 inch X 4 inch plastic junction box found at my local Menard’s hardware store for about $18 dollars. It has a rubber gasket and a brass screw in each of the four corners where the face attaches to the box. It came with two feet which I used to attach the box to my mast. This was nice in that I didn’t have to attach the box to the mast by drilling holes in the box itself.
The size of the box allows for the transmitter with a lot of room to spare. This would allow for a possible STL (studio to transmitter link), ground loop isolators, etc.
You can view a good closeup of my SSTRAN in the box with the face plate removed here: http://robinvalley.org/about-photos.shtml
For those interested in other costs associated with setting up a station based on the SSTRAN transmitter and antenna, I posted my cost sheet in the Part15.us blogs here: http://part15.us/node/878
Regards,
Scott
http://robinvalley.org/
Total posts : 45366Scott,
Thanks for your great post. I wonder if Menard’s does mail order. My local HW (not big box) has no such thing.
Neil
Total posts : 45366Thanks for all of your replies! There are some good ideas here!
Scott, the box you are using is similar to the one my current TX is in, and the type I was looking for, but couldn’t find the right size… I’d like to leave the SSTRAN in its case, though. Was it necessary to remove the case to get it in the box you are using? Excellent pictures, btw!
Marathon Don: I like the “Rubbermaid Bowl” idea. Do you have any pics of your setup?
Frank: I checked the Mclendons site, but didn’t have time to go through 20-some pages to find what you used.. Do you have a manufacturer, or better yet, a part number? Might make the search easier…
I would prefer to pick something up locally, though, but the “pro” electrical supply places aren’t open when I am not working… (!)
Thanks again to everyone for their input!
Total posts : 45366[quote=Techie]
Scott, the box you are using is similar to the one my current TX is in, and the type I was looking for, but couldn’t find the right size… I’d like to leave the SSTRAN in its case, though. Was it necessary to remove the case to get it in the box you are using? Excellent pictures, btw![/quote]
It’s not necessary to leave the case off the transmitter, however, it is recommended. You’ll need to tune the transmitter in place, and you can’t do that with the cover on it.
As long as your box is watertight, you won’t need to worry about the printed circuit being exposed.
Regards,
Scott
http://robinvalley.org/
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