This ammo box is actually a handy way to carry a 2-way, 2-meter radio.
I built this organizer for a friend’s radio setup.
He gave me the radio, battery and fuse block to work with.
Customer specifications said it should be tipped on its side, opened and operational from that position.
The radio was 20 centimeters too deep to fit as requested even pressed against top and bottom. Plus I wanted room to keep it from contact with the metal box.
What you see here is actually my third prototype. With the first, I ASSUMED the radio would fit in the box exactly as specified by the customer. It is not so much that ‘the customer is always right’, just that I didn’t consider the other possibility.
Completely on me.
The way the next iteration was turning out just was not pleasing me.
This one does.
I put a little finger hole in both sides. It doesn’t matter which way the radio rack goes in, there is a finger hole enabling him to easily slide it out.
His sealed, any-position battery is encased in a separate wooden frame that keeps it secure when closed, and slides out as needed. The battery frame is a snug slip fit making service or replacement easy.
The radio and Anderson Power Pole fuse panel are tied together. It arrived to me with the connectors already mounted on short leads from the radio. That was a rather clear signal to me they had to be together in the final setup.
Extra space in the radio side could hold the modem he sent along with instructions that it was not to be a designed part of the kit. It could otherwise hold the speaker mike, though I would put it in a non-conductive container just cuz I’m superstitious that way.
I made sure the electronics do not contact the metal box in case he wants to replace the rubber gasket with metallic braid, turning it into a Faraday Cage.
It is pretty good as is for an oblique, or mild EMP, and has the advantage of being very water resistant. He gets to choose which contingency is more important.
I like this iteration a lot. It is lightweight, easily portable, rugged and self-contained. Just add speaker-mike and antenna.
