Faraday comms case

Long on my ToDo list,

PROBLEM: More often than not heading out without key components of my communications plan.
RELATED PROBLEM: Want some protection from an EMP for my comms gear.

I have tried less expensive solutions, but they always fail to satisfy form, function, utility and aesthetics. I finally recognized that I had to spend a little more to achieve satisfaction.

The $140 T.Z Molded Aluminum Attache Case is an excellent choice. Real Aluminum – not plastic with a spray-on aluminum-colored coating. I looked above and below that price point with nothing competitive showing up.

The other component that has had several false starts in my projects was THE FOAM. I finally found Case Club Closed Cell Military Grade Rifle Case Foam. Yeah! That’s the stuff I wanted.

I will not say it was easy, nor quick. BUT I did get the results I wanted.

I would tell you about this wonder stick that burns shapes through the foam, but I ended up preferring the serrated blade on my Leatherman Wave and a sharp chisel for gouging the cutouts out… that and hand strength, which I pretty-much used up for the next few days.

So what did I stuff in my case?

Uniden scanner – you should not tie up your radio doing inefficient scans when a specialized tool can handle that task better. Also good to catch radio traffic in your neighborhood while you are blabbing away on your primary radio(s).

I have enjoyed my ICOM handheld 2-meter (HAM licensed use only) for a few years now. It is an integral part of my comms plan that I rarely do not take along. Electronics has progressed so fast that I cannot recommend one radio over another. Check out the reviews on the day you decide to buy one.

Case in point is my Chinese GMRS Tyterra 390 radio parked right next to my high-end ICOM. I don’t like it any less, and the reviewers with more than a little expertise in two-way radio agree.

Sadly, I have had an awesome Kenwood TH-F6A for a couple of years, but way too much stuff has been on my plate during that period pushing my learning to utilize this tool onto the back burner. With the reorganization of my comms plan, and creation of my comms case the Kenwood tri-band radio finally has a specific mission: digital radio messaging. Hopefully that will inspire me to RTFB (USAF for “read the book”) and get up to speed with it.

Which brings up more components now residing in my comms case. Right next to it is the SignaLink box which translates between computers running messaging digitizing software like FLDIGI and radio airwaves. The necessary pair of cables also rides around in the case.

Each of the radios requires a spare battery to assure functionality. They all fit in a row behind the SignaLink box and a laser rangefinder that needed a good home (in a Faraday cage, while being convenient).

My dumb cell phone. Sigh. I never use it. My wife wants me to use it. I never remember to take it along. Now it is in my comms case, in case I want to access that technology for my own purposes, or just to make her smile. I suspect that having it available might inspire use thereof.

My darling Canon PowerShot SX710 HS is more often than not somewhere besides available when I wanna take a photograph. It now has a home in my take-it-with-me aluminum case.

Mostly hidden from view, but hugely important in this setup is my ASUS Sonic Master Linux computer. Quite intelligent to have my backup computer in a Faraday Cage. Better still to have it available anytime I am inspired to set up for digital messaging.

I think I have it all together. This comms kit will be my companion wherever I am. That is a BIG STEP UP.