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This week, instead of thinking outside of the box, we think about how to get a radio inside the box.

Andy Palm, N1KSN, is a member of Winnebago County ARES/RACES in Wisconsin and an occasional net control station for public service events with the Fox Cities Amateur Radio Club in Appleton, WI. As a result of his public service radio activity, Andy decided to build a portable VHF station.

Andy admits, "Although it isn't that hard to transport all the necessary parts loose in a toolbox and then assemble the station onsite, there is a big 'convenience factor' in having a station pre-assembled and ready for transport."

Learn how to build a radio station inside a box at the Wisconsin ARES/RACES Emergency Operations Portable VHF Station Web page.

The Emergency Operations Portable VHF Station page of the Wisconsin ARES/RACES Web site documents Andy's project, i.e., building a portable 2-meter FM radio station in a box, specifically a sportsman's utility dry box. His radio station in a box includes: 2-meter FM mobile transceiver, ac power supply, provisions for battery power with metering to measure the supply voltage, power/SWR meter, speaker, headphones and lamp.

In his description of the project, Andy refers to The Box: Portable Emergency Communications Station Ideas Web page. That page is part of the Web site of Steve, KB1DIG, and Kim KB1GTR, Merrill, which I featured in an earlier installment of Surfin'. Anyways, The Box page documents the Merrills' version of a radio in a box and includes interesting and useful comments from other boxed radio builders.

Until next time, keep on surfin'.

Editor's note: Once upon a time, Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, boxed everything he needed to interface his ham radio station to a behemoth of a teletype machine, a Model 28 ASR. To discuss boxes, radios, Model 28ASRs, and other cool stuff with Stan, e-mail him or add comments to his blog.

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