This guide is to give you ideas and solutions to Building up a nice containerized deployable radio kit as seen on Video Demo "green" kit  

  KIT 2A Latest April 2023 version reconfigured for WINLINK VARA FM High Speed An upgrade from older KPC3 & 1200bps packet .

KIT 2 started with black anodized aluminum 3mm panel with holes for the pelican 1450PF  panel frame. 

Starting with this is a lot faster, neater and easier to develop your own design.

KIT 2 Black anodized 3mm aluminum panel with hole for fuses, internal and external source, DC loads, AC source and use 80 mm fan.

Panel laser cut by Front Panel Express.

Back in 2010 parts were available  from Radio Shack.  Radio can be mounted to the top of the panel or remote inside the case with 

just the control head on the top and additional holes you would need to drill for the antenna and microphone if radio is mounted below deck.

  This 2010 version with KPC3+ and db9 serial port, it was revised in 4/23 photos at the very top of page

My "guide" for kit builds is to prioritize PAR (Power) (Antenna) (Radio) in that order and  these 3 parts  are packed separately 

1) Power is the first requirement (NO POWER NO COMM) you may have different kits, power should be a separate kit for many reasons

• cannot transport battery in cargo compartment of aircraft
• cannot recharge away from field radio setup such as solar panel charge. too far, too much current loss with DC
• excessive weight if in  radio kit, may need to get kit up stairs or distance from vehicle 
• power duration needs to be computed depending on radio equipment/ computer to be used for sustained operation
• if using BIOENNO batteries they have good charts on time/battery/transceivers with duration expectations.
• if operating a WINLINK station calculate computer power needed to sustain operation and voltage. most fail this step.

2) Antenna and Coax Get the highest gain and most practical for transportation and setup. 

•  Use a Coax calculator or read the manufacturer specifications. 
• Too long coax is counter productive and maybe net neutral between high gain antenna and coax loss
• The more effective the antenna system will increase both TX and RX range
• Increasing power on a Transmitter only boosts signal in one direction and doesnt increase the receive signal is why antenna system is very important.
• Antenna are outdoors which means coax/antenna should be bagged separately as it will get dirty possibly muddy.

3) Radio select a radio carefully depending on how much power you have available.

• IF you can afford it, pick a good quality radio like ICOM KENWOOD or YAESU or commercial radio such as a MOTOROLA.
• Check your STANDBY CURRENT in specification or actual current reading to calculate your operational time
• Most MOBILE radios suck power on standby unlike a HT .  You may not have battery power left just by monitoring in stby mode.

4) ARE YOU A SAVY OPERATOR ?

    POWER MINIMAL?

• Think about your situation, dont have enough power for the radio? do work around monitor use a HT on outside antenna and when traffic needs to be moved switch to mobile?
• create a contact schedule with Net control. agree to make contact with Net Control at a certain time or time interval. and power down in between
• CALCULATE how much power you will need to sustain communication over time. A lot will  FAIL this step and can only be on air a fraction of a day 

  ANTENNA MINIMAL?

• unable to put up a high antenna in the field?  can you get to a high location instead? a hand held radio on a 5/8 wave antenna from atop high floor of a building or terrain will give decent range
• are you in range of another station on simplex that can relay voice or winlink?

  RADIO MINIMAL?

• If youre planning on using a BAOFENG with a spare battery that usually puts you in a difficult place to assist in EMCOMM and should consider investing in all the above.
• you may be able to assist inside a shelter or other that does not require long range comm  or duration after a Disaster or Major Event, possibly not use amateur radio .

 TRAINING

• To be of any use in EMCOMM you should participate in training and nets. 
• never self deploy it just creates chaos without being directed to do so 
• participating in NETs  will at least give you a feel for range and others capabilities and technologies that will be used during an event.

WHY GO KITS FAIL? 

• Its not the electronics that fail.. its the design that is a failure from the start. A lot of inexperienced amateurs will build a GO KIT that is way overweight
• overweight as in too heavy to carry except out of the trunk of a car, not able to go up stairs, or grass terrain or operator space is smaller then the kit.
• Kit is too complex only the designer understands the controls /connections of the kit therefore limiting its usefulness in multiple shifts of operation
• modern radios require actually reading the manual unlike the basic radios of yesteryear whereby knob turning was the only "MENU"