Radio Incident Command Kit (RICK)
Pelican 1450 1450PF panel frame Astron SS-18 & KPC3 only one fan used Drill 2 holes to mount KPC to PS cover
Drill 3 holes in SS18 to line up to fan holes to mount to front panel .25" spade type fuse holders & Switches for quick connect.
solder DB9 SS18 to front panel with STAINLESS STEEL screws and NYLON STAINLESS lock nuts.
WIRING DIAGRAM FOR THIS KIT.
MOUNTING NOTES:
I chose to use existing holes in front panel at the 2 lower holes of the unused fan mount and one corner of the active fan. This was in effort to minimize any additional holes drilled in panel as I plan on changing out the radio in the future but also plan on using the front panel for a lifetime. I didn't want to see a lot of bullet holes from a previous installation when reinstalling for a different radio at a later date.
Astron Power Supply model SS18 is held by 3 stainless steel screws with Nylon SS lock nuts for a solid mount to the panel. Solid Styrofoam can be placed in the the case between the KPC3+ and the inside bottom of the of the Pelican case to compensate for any torque on the opposite side of the SS18 that is not mounted to the panel unless you (drill additional holes).
If you plan to ship your Radio Kit I would suggest you put the hard foam in the case such as from the exercise section of a Sporting goods store sold as work out blocks for exercise, it will appear as a solid foam block painted with a nice color paint. I would take the one my wife uses for exercise but I think she would figure it out pretty fast. I can't turn everything in the house to a ham project but it sure seems that way ...
Radio bracket was trimmed down using a jig saw to fit on top of face plate to interior of pelican top lid. additional holes drilled in radio bracket to lower the radio to the surface of the face plate.
8/32" stainless hardware used for Power supply and radio to face plate mounting. 6/32" stainless hardware used for KPC3 to Astron Cover mounting.
Pelican 1450 case used in this project with a Pelican 1450PF panel frame kit which mounts to the walls of the case and allows you to mount the face plate to the frame.
WIRING NOTES:
An AC computer power cord was cut short and used as a pig tail to plug to the back of the power supply then to the AC power switch through a AC fuse holder on to the IEC C14 AC chassis jack. You can then use the power cord for the power supply and plug it into the AC jack on the panel.
An old computer mouse plug was used as the Data plug to the back of the ICOM radio and wired to the TNC DB connector
A DB9 connector panel mount was used for the Computer port to the TNC wired to a plug in the back of the radio (all radios are different check your manual on how to hook up a TNC).
The Fan power was wired to the fused end of the DC Radio Fuse, I put some heat shrink over the wires and used a Tywrap with a hole mount to secure it from getting close to the fan blades. An option for another $1 would be to put a second fan grill inside the case to prevent wiring from getting to the blades.
Anderson power pole RED/BLACK connector on a pig tail was used for External power input to the kit which is selected by "EXTERNAL" DC load switch on the panel using 14AWG red/black wire you see in the yellow sleeve in picture.
Anderson power pole RED/BLACK connector on a pig tail was used for "AUX" power output in case you want to power other equipment with the Astron SS18 power supply besides the Radio in the kit. 14AWG red/black in yellow sleeve in picture( must not overload the total load for the power supply)
All wiring used female spade lugs .25 inch type for quick wiring and replacement if needed.
Used 2 standard Yellow butt splices typically found in Electronics shops in the crimp section, or Hardware & automotive parts stores for connecting a lot of the DC plus and minus connections. (see wiring diagram)
"Do as you did, get what you got" Lets all strive to be professionals in Communications..... 73 Rick KH7O