‰ NOW 40 WPM ‰ THE LEVEL OF RF ATTENUATION AT THE INPUT. THE KIT PROVIDES THREE DIFFERENT SETS OF RESISTORS DEPENDING ON WHETHER YOU WANT 3, 6, OR 10 DB ATTENUATION. I WAS PLANNING TO USE THE AMP WITH A 1 W TRANSCEIVER, SO I CHOSE THE 10 DB SET. THE GOAL IS TO REDUCE THE RF INPUT LEVEL TO BETWEEN 100 AND 300 MW TO DRIVE THE AMPLIFIER. INSTALLING THE MRF475 TRANSISTOR REQUIRES SOME CARE BECAUSE YOU MUST MAKE SURE THE COLLECTOR TAB DOESNT CREATE A SHORT CIRCUIT TO THE HEATSINK. IN ADDITION, THE DESIG ITS HEAVY DUTY TUBULAR NYLON WEBBING HANDLE. LOVED IT. THE BASIC CARRIER IS MADE FROM 0R090 INCH THICK ALUMINUM WITH A DURABLE POWDER COAT FINISH. IT HAS COLLAPSIBLE STEEL SIDE RAILS THAT ADJUST FOR HEIGHT BY LOOSENING SCREWS, SLIDING THE SIDES UP OR DOWN, AND THEN RETIGHTENING THE SCREWS. THE IDEA IS TO PROTECT, ORGANIZE, TRANSPORT, AND USE YOUR RADIO AND PERIPHERALS IN POTENTIALLY DEMANDING FIELD LOCATIONS. THE TRC 1 CARRIER INCLUDES A TILT BAIL, AND HOLES PUNCHED AT THE FOUR TOP CORNERS WILL ACCEPT THE RUBBER FEET OF ANOTHER TRC 1 FOR STACKING. THE INTERNAL FULLY OPENED DIMENSIONS ARE 4R8 INCHES HIGH, 7R5 INCHES WIDE, AND 10R5 INCHES DEEP. WITH THE ADJUSTABLE SIDE RAILS, THE INTERNAL HEIGHT CAN BE REDUCED TO 2R5 INCHES, PERFECT FOR MY SS 30, WHICH FIT LIKE A GLOVE. THE OPTIONAL TOP COVER IS SECURED TO THE TOP OF THE CARRIER WITH EIGHT MATCHING BLACK PAN HEAD SCREWS, WHICH ARE PROVIDED. SLOTS PROVIDE FOR VENTILATION, MOUNTING OF SPEAKERS, LIGHTS, RADIOS WHICH IS WHAT I MOUNTED ON IT, AND VIRTUALLY ANY OTHER SMALL PERIPHERAL IMAGINABLE A TNC, FOR EXAMPLE. ANOTHER OPTION IS THE HTH 1 HANDHELD RADIO HOLDER/FRONT COVER, WHICH MOUNTS TO THE TOP COVER BY LOOSENING TWO OF THE TOP COVER SCREWS, POSITIONING IT USING THE HOLES, AND THEN SLIDING IT INTO PLACE SEE FIGURE 17. WITH THE SLOTS, THE POSITION IS ADJUSTABLE. THE FUNCTIONS OF THIS BRACKET ARE TWO FOLD. FIRST, AS ITS NAME SUGGESTS, THE BRACKET CAN BE INSTALLED IN THE UPRIGHT L POSITION SO THAT THE BELT CLIP OF A HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER SLIPS EASILY OVER THE VERTICAL PART OF THE BRACKET TO PROVIDE A SECURE POSITION. THAT ALLOWS FOR SINGLE HAND OPERATION WHEN USING A SPEAKER/MIC, WHICH CAN ALSO SLIDE ONTO THE BRACKET WHEN NOT IN USE. THE BRACKET HELPS PREVENT THE HANDHELD RADIO FROM BEING KNOCKED OVER. SECONDLY, THE BRACKET CAN SERVE AS A FRONT COVER WHEN MOUNTED WITH THE VERTICAL PART OF THE L DIRECTED DOWN WARD ACROSS THE FRONT OPENING OF THE CARRIER FOR EXTRA PROTECTION OF THE ENCLOSED EQUIPMENT DURING TRANSIT. ALL OF THE ABOVE WORKED VERY WELL IN MY EXPERIENCE. I EVEN PURCHASED AN OTHER CARRIER AND TOP COVER, DRILLED A 5/8 INCH HOLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TOP COVER, AND MOUNTED AN NMO MOUNT FOR MY MOTOROLA STYLE WHIP ANTENNA/ COIL, AS SHOWN IN FIGURE 18. THAT WORKED WELL, TOO, ALTHOUGH ITS ADVISED TO KEEP THE UNIT/ANTENNA AWAY FROM THE OPERATOR OR OTHER PEOPLE. ANOTHER ELEGANT SOLUTION, AT LEAST AS I SAW IT. FOR MY PERSONAL, MORE PERMANENT APPLICATION OF THE TRC 1, I ENDED UP REMOVING THE TOP COVER AND TILT BAIL, THEN INSTALLING THE STRAPS THROUGH ‰ END OF 40 WPM TEXT ‰ QST DE W1AW ƒ