Case for XG2
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Can any one suggest a case for the XG2
Joe W1JGS
Joe
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I packaged the XG2 in an aluminum box. Looks and works great. Info is in the "Equipment Modifications" section of my website at www.ad5x.com. Here's the direct link:
http://www.ad5x.com/images/Presentations/Elecraft%20XG2&2TgenRevB.pdf Phil - AD5X ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by Joe G
Hey Joe,
I make a number of enclosures for Elecraft's line of mini-modules. They are made of clear polycarbonate which is about 250 times stronger than glass and they show off your hard work quite nicely. I have never advertised them, but last spring I made up a line of enclosures to cover the test bench modules (i.e. XG2, NGen, CP1 etc.). At the request of a couple of hams, I made them the same size and height so that they may be stacked on each other to reduce the amount of footprint on the bench when not in use. I externalized BNC connections and jacks where applicable and provided a sliding top for access to other controls on the various boards. The sliding top is held in the closed position with magnetic strip. I made a few of these for a few hams who all reported they like them. I can send you some pics if you like. I'd price them out at $15.95 a piece with $8.50 S&H. I can certainly put 2-3 in the same shipping box if you desire enclosures for other test modules to save on the shipping. Here is a link to my enclosure page for the other enclosures I make so you can get a feel for what they might look like: http://w8fgu.home.comcast.net/~w8fgu/enclosures.html Feel free to email me offline if you have any questions. Take care & 73, Dave W8FGU On 10/29/2010 6:17 AM, Joe G wrote: > > Can any one suggest a case for the XG2 > > Joe > W1JGS > > ----- > Joe > W1JGS ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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Like many of us, I have several of Dave's enclosures. They're nicely-made. Before getting them I stored my Elecraft mini-kits in the common amber plastic prescription bottles that are usually available from a pharmacy for the asking. 73! Ken Kopp - K0PP [hidden email] http://tinyurl.com/7lm3m5 ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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On 10/29/2010 1:36 PM, Ken Kopp wrote:
> > Like many of us, I have several of Dave's enclosures. Yes, I also have some of Dave's enclosures and love them. They are very well made and my W1 enclosure has gotten some non-ham interest when I'm out in the field on a QRP expedition and visitors want me to describe my gear. 73, Fred K6DGW - Northern California Contest Club - CU in the 2011 Cal QSO Party 1-2 Oct 2011 - www.cqp.org ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by Ken Kopp-3
If one wants to measure MDS, a metal enclosure is probably necessary.
Scott K9MA Scott Ellington Madison, Wisconsin USA ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by Joe G
Hey Steve,
I'm no engineer, but I've been told that poly carb is no problem for most HF situations. But I have always thought about that. Especially for guys who want enclosures for their QRP rigs. Would you mind telling me why it would not be good for the MDS ca$culation? 73, Dave W8FGU ------Original Message------ From: Scott Ellington Sender: [hidden email] To: [hidden email] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Case for XG2 Sent: Oct 29, 2010 6:09 PM If one wants to measure MDS, a metal enclosure is probably necessary. Scott K9MA Scott Ellington Madison, Wisconsin USA ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by Joe G
Sorry, I meant Scott,
I'm no engineer, but I've been told that poly carb is no problem for most HF situations. But I have always thought about that. Especially for guys who want enclosures for their QRP rigs. Would you mind telling me why it would not be good for the MDS ca$culation? 73, Dave W8FGU ------Original Message------ From: Scott Ellington Sender: [hidden email] To: [hidden email] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Case for XG2 Sent: Oct 29, 2010 6:09 PM If one wants to measure MDS, a metal enclosure is probably necessary. Scott K9MA Scott Ellington Madison, Wisconsin USA ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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Probably because polycarbonate is a ineffective shield against stray
RF exiting the XG2 by radiation rather than conduction. matt W6NIA On Fri, 29 Oct 2010 22:37:05 +0000, you wrote: >Sorry, I meant Scott, > >I'm no engineer, but I've been told that poly carb is no problem for most HF situations. But I have always thought about that. Especially for guys who want enclosures for their QRP rigs. Would you mind telling me why it would not be good for the MDS ca$culation? > >73, >Dave W8FGU > >------Original Message------ >From: Scott Ellington >Sender: [hidden email] >To: [hidden email] >Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Case for XG2 >Sent: Oct 29, 2010 6:09 PM > >If one wants to measure MDS, a metal enclosure is probably necessary. > >Scott K9MA > > >Scott Ellington >Madison, Wisconsin >USA > > > >______________________________________________________________ >Elecraft mailing list >Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >Post: mailto:[hidden email] > >This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > >______________________________________________________________ >Elecraft mailing list >Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >Post: mailto:[hidden email] > >This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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That's correct. To measure MDS you have to reduce the XG2 signal with an external attenuator to around -140 dBm. Leakage from the XG2 into the receiver by radiation may make that impossible. This also depends on how well the receiver itself is shielded, as well as how well the cables to it are filtered, etc.
One easy way to tell if you have a leakage problem is to actually listen to the receiver as you increase the attenuation. The signal should quite abruptly drop below the noise and become completely inaudible. I found that with the K3, the leakage from the unshielded XG2 was too high, though it worked fine with another transceiver. This, of course, is no shortcoming of the K3; that other transceiver outweighs it about 6 to 1. Scott K9MA On Oct 29, 2010, at 5:46 PM, Matt Zilmer wrote: > Probably because polycarbonate is a ineffective shield against stray > RF exiting the XG2 by radiation rather than conduction. Scott Ellington Madison, Wisconsin USA ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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Scott,
Despite the leakage, the XG1 is quite useful for MDS measurements. The calculation given in the manual using readings made at the 1 uV level will come within a dB or two of MDS measurements made using the traditional method of a well shielded, calibrated low level generator followed by a step attenuator. If you wish to use the XG2 for that traditional MDS measurement method, it must be placed in a shielded enclosure, and I believe you should also change the BNC connector because its plastic case would allow sufficient leakage to skew the measurement data. 73, Don W3FPR On 10/29/2010 7:02 PM, Scott Ellington wrote: > That's correct. To measure MDS you have to reduce the XG2 signal with an external attenuator to around -140 dBm. Leakage from the XG2 into the receiver by radiation may make that impossible. This also depends on how well the receiver itself is shielded, as well as how well the cables to it are filtered, etc. > > One easy way to tell if you have a leakage problem is to actually listen to the receiver as you increase the attenuation. The signal should quite abruptly drop below the noise and become completely inaudible. > > I found that with the K3, the leakage from the unshielded XG2 was too high, though it worked fine with another transceiver. This, of course, is no shortcoming of the K3; that other transceiver outweighs it about 6 to 1. > > Scott K9MA > > > > On Oct 29, 2010, at 5:46 PM, Matt Zilmer wrote: > >> Probably because polycarbonate is a ineffective shield against stray >> RF exiting the XG2 by radiation rather than conduction. > Scott Ellington > Madison, Wisconsin > USA > > > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by Scott Ellington
Thank you for a very concise reply. If I were to put some kind of sheildng in the case like aluminum tape or something like it. Would that work?
What would you like to see for something like this? Always learning sonething cool from this list - Dave W8FGU -----Original Message----- From: Scott Ellington <[hidden email]> Sender: [hidden email] Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2010 18:02:08 To: <[hidden email]> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Case for XG2 That's correct. To measure MDS you have to reduce the XG2 signal with an external attenuator to around -140 dBm. Leakage from the XG2 into the receiver by radiation may make that impossible. This also depends on how well the receiver itself is shielded, as well as how well the cables to it are filtered, etc. One easy way to tell if you have a leakage problem is to actually listen to the receiver as you increase the attenuation. The signal should quite abruptly drop below the noise and become completely inaudible. I found that with the K3, the leakage from the unshielded XG2 was too high, though it worked fine with another transceiver. This, of course, is no shortcoming of the K3; that other transceiver outweighs it about 6 to 1. Scott K9MA On Oct 29, 2010, at 5:46 PM, Matt Zilmer wrote: > Probably because polycarbonate is a ineffective shield against stray > RF exiting the XG2 by radiation rather than conduction. Scott Ellington Madison, Wisconsin USA ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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Dave,
My first (untested) opinion. I don't think tape will get the shielding job done adequately. I have had problems with leakage on some low level generators I have built through the power connections. I would believe a die-cast enclosure with as few penetrations as practical is one of the few answers - another answer is an enclosure fabricated of PC board and a soldered on cover with a feed-thru bypass cap for the power. Take a look at one of Wes Hayward's low level generators on page 7.18 of Experimental Methods in RF Design. Levels in the -130 to -140 dBm range are VERY low, and even a small amount of leakage getting into the receiver under test will cause skewed readings. 73, Don W3FPR On 10/29/2010 7:17 PM, Dave Van Wallaghen wrote: > Thank you for a very concise reply. If I were to put some kind of sheildng in the case like aluminum tape or something like it. Would that work? > > What would you like to see for something like this? > > Always learning sonething cool from this list - > Dave W8FGU > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by Dave Van Wallaghen
I agree with Don, that the foil tape probably wouldn't be good enough. The box described by AD5X looks good to me. If you don't want to bother moving the switches to the bottom of the board, you could probably just leave the screws out of the cover, and remove it to manipulate the switches. I would, however, replace the BNC connector with a metal one grounded to the box.
With the unshielded XG2, I think I got down to around -120 dBm with the K3 before the leakage was apparent. Another 30 dB shouldn't require an air-tight enclosure, so the above should suffice. That might be different with a less well shielded receiver, but I would guess that any transceiver that works in a high power multi-multi operation, as the K3 clearly does, would be fine. Scott K9MA On Oct 29, 2010, at 6:17 PM, Dave Van Wallaghen wrote: > If I were to put some kind of sheildng in the case like aluminum tape or something like it. Would that work? Scott Ellington Madison, Wisconsin USA ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by Dave Van Wallaghen
This might work and allows you to have some fun building your own
enclosure. Get some PCB material and build a box. Plan the whole thing with a drawing that fits the XG2, then cut out the pieces with a nibbling tool or a band saw or whatever. Clean up the cut edges with a file. Drill out the BNC hole to size on the one end piece, and any bottom mounting holes. Solder the inside joints at the corners, for long sides and the shorter one with the BNC hole. Mount the XG2 however you've planned and make sure it's secure. Secure the BNC nut and washer. Solder the top and hole-less end pieces together at the inside joint. Get some brass finger stock and carefully plan how to place it on the top assembly so that it carries through to the bottom assembly and provides a good shield. Once you have it placed, tack solder the finger stock to the top assembly in a couple places and try it for fit. You might have to adjust it a little, but get it right before soldering down the whole strip on each face. The finger stock on the top part allows you to remove it, but also provides a reasonable carry-through of the RF shielding from bottom to top. Make the box big enough that removing the XG2, or getting to its power and band switches is easy for you. You also want to make it large enough that you can easily remove the XG2 (to change the battery). Use a fairly high wattage solder gun (100W) to solder the joints. The joints don't have to be a continuous bead of solder, but that's your choice. Whatever you choose, good luck. I used the above approach to shield the XG2 here and it seems to work fine. It's a good rainy-day project... 73, matt W6NIA K3 #24 On Fri, 29 Oct 2010 23:17:40 +0000, you wrote: >Thank you for a very concise reply. If I were to put some kind of sheildng in the case like aluminum tape or something like it. Would that work? > >What would you like to see for something like this? > >Always learning sonething cool from this list - >Dave W8FGU > >-----Original Message----- >From: Scott Ellington <[hidden email]> >Sender: [hidden email] >Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2010 18:02:08 >To: <[hidden email]> >Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Case for XG2 > >That's correct. To measure MDS you have to reduce the XG2 signal with an external attenuator to around -140 dBm. Leakage from the XG2 into the receiver by radiation may make that impossible. This also depends on how well the receiver itself is shielded, as well as how well the cables to it are filtered, etc. > >One easy way to tell if you have a leakage problem is to actually listen to the receiver as you increase the attenuation. The signal should quite abruptly drop below the noise and become completely inaudible. > >I found that with the K3, the leakage from the unshielded XG2 was too high, though it worked fine with another transceiver. This, of course, is no shortcoming of the K3; that other transceiver outweighs it about 6 to 1. > >Scott K9MA > > > >On Oct 29, 2010, at 5:46 PM, Matt Zilmer wrote: > >> Probably because polycarbonate is a ineffective shield against stray >> RF exiting the XG2 by radiation rather than conduction. > >Scott Ellington >Madison, Wisconsin >USA > > > >______________________________________________________________ >Elecraft mailing list >Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >Post: mailto:[hidden email] > >This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >______________________________________________________________ >Elecraft mailing list >Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >Post: mailto:[hidden email] > >This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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