ARRLWeb: Don't Throw That Out! I Can Put A Radio In There!

A PTT foot switch made from two tuna cans, a 6 ounce size and a 10 ounce size, with a momentary push button switch mounted between them. It has worked fine for almost four years now. [Geoff Haines, N1GY, photo]

I used a PVC plumbing cap to build a PTT switch for a particular use. It works dandy. [Geoff Haines, N1GY, photo]

My "ON AIR" sign in place at my operating position. It lights up whenever the power is turned on for the radios. It is made from a VHS tape box and a few scraps from around the workshop. [Geoff Haines, N1GY, photo]

Another use for 35 mm film canisters — another PTT switch. [Geoff Haines, N1GY, photo]

The infamous Pot Handle Desk Mike. Still working just fine; rewired for a different radio these days, but still in A-1 shape. [Geoff Haines, N1GY, photo]

This little adapter was made using a small pill container, a giveaway at a health fair. Now it allows the use of a cell phone “earset” with my PC. [Geoff Haines, N1GY, photo]

This is a different version of the “ON AIR” sign, made from a clear VHS tape cassette box. Just in black and white here, but color could be added by using colored light bulbs or a colored plastic sheet behind the paper with the words “ON AIR” on it. [Geoff Haines, N1GY, photo]

As I have progressed as a builder of various widgets and gadgets for my ham radio experience, sometimes painfully, I might add, I have put various bits of flotsam to good use in many ways. The object of this article is to point you, the reader, in the right direction so that you also can save a few bucks on your next project.

There are two ways to look at a new ham radio project. Take the list of parts from wherever you got the project to the electronic store and pay what the retailer asks for all of those parts, enclosures, etc. Or, you can look at the list of parts as a starting point for a little game of alternative usage. For example, I once built a foot switch out of two tuna cans of different sizes, a bit of foam padding and some electrical tape. Well, I did have to buy the electrical switch itself, but I saved at least $20 on the enclosure. Now tuna tins are old hat. Hams have been using them for radio chassis for years and years. As the world keeps turning, things that were high-tech just a few months ago are rapidly becoming obsolete.

Take the VHS video tape for example. A few years ago, everyone wanted a VCR. The tapes were usually stored in some kind of plastic box. Now, everyone wants a DVD player and even those are being supplanted by Blue-ray and TiVo. Those old VHS tape boxes make great enclosures for all kinds of ham radio widgets. The plastic is easy to cut and drill, the size is just right and they can be stacked together so that whatever you build into them can be connected easily. I used one to make an “ON AIR” sign for my radio room. A window cut in the bottom was easily filled with a scrap of red plastic; a little aluminum foil was glued to the opposite inside cover. My computer printer provided the words “ON AIR” printed on regular copy paper, and a little hot glue held it all together. Illumination is provided by two 12 V Grain of Wheat bulbs wired in parallel and fed by the same power supply that feeds the radios. That way, anytime I power-up the radios, the “ON AIR” sign lights. Total cost: about 50 cents for the bulbs and the rest was free.

Another project that used a VHS tape box was a device I designed to allow me to check the hookup of my trailer’s lights without the need of a second party to stand behind the trailer. The tape box sits perfectly on my dashboard with a long cable running to the back of the rig, allowing me to verify that the turn signals, brake lights and running lights all light up as they are supposed to. Three little LEDs mounted through the edge of the box light up when the appropriate vehicle wiring is activated, and I can check it all out from the driver’s seat.

It’s not just enclosures that can be fashioned from stuff that has no connection to Amateur Radio. When I needed to create a larger, more comfortable switch to use as a PTT switch on a computer mike conversion, all I had on hand was one of those little tiny push-button switches from RadioShack. The protective cover from a ladies deodorant container was screwed onto the base of the mike, covering the tiny switch and making the button into a large paddle-like surface that was easy to use.

The very first article I ever wrote for QST was about a desk mike made from an old discarded pot handle. Apart from the electronics involved, it took only a few scraps of wood and plastic to turn the handle of a pot into a very usable desk mike. Readers have since told me they have done similar conversions since seeing the article. One gentleman even used the branch of a pine tree to create a very neat desk mike with just a little work.

In order to adapt a Heil Headset to one of my radios, I built this little adapter from a 35 mm film canister. [Geoff Haines, N1GY, photo]

A water resistant enclosure for an LDG autotuner made from a plastic food container. [Geoff Haines, N1GY, photo]

The concept I am describing also applies to other aspects of our hobby. Cleaned and discarded baby-food containers (the rectangular plastic kind) make excellent parts containers. They can be stacked at least three high to make maximum use of shelf space. Fishing lure boxes also work well and can also be stacked to make the best use of space.

Every Christmas, somebody sells a lot of fancy chocolates wrapped in gold colored foil and contained in a square, flat plastic box. I have at least two of these boxes. I don’t know what I will build into them yet, but I guarantee that I will use them for something in the near future. The box is clear, so it can be painted on the inside and still has a great finish on the outside. It is square, about 9 inches on a side and about 1 inch high. The plastic appears to be the ideal thickness for mounting jacks and switches through, so I just cannot throw them away.

The trick to all of this recycling is to keep an open mind. Every time you look at anything, think “can I use this for one of my ham radio projects without a lot of work?” If the answer is No, then by all means continue to the trash barrel. But, if the answer is Yes or Maybe, file the stuff away someplace in the radio room. When you do find a perfect use for it, it’ll be there waiting and you will probably save a few bucks in the bargain.

Geoff Haines, N1GY, has been licensed since 1992 and is an Amateur Extra class licensee. He retired after a career in intensive respiratory care. He currently holds several ARRL appointments in the West Central Florida Section, including Assistant Section Manager, Technical Coordinator, Technical Specialist, Official Bulletin Station, Net Manager, Official Emergency Station and Official Relay Station. He is the President of the Manatee Amateur Radio Club, a member of the Manatee ARES group and member of the Bradenton Amateur Radio Club, the Yale University Amateur Radio Club and the Meriden (Connecticut) Amateur Radio Club. Geoff also has a ham radio Web site at mysite.verizon.net/cpthaines/ . In his spare time, he enjoys homebrewing antennas and accessories for his Amateur Radio operations. Geoff can be reached at 708 52nd Avenue Lane West, Bradenton, FL 34207.