RRC1258 - IC-7100 - Pelican Case 1120 RemoteRig Control Box

thingiverse

Update.. 30-10-2019 Added updated extension frame for better fit. still not 100% good so be aware if printing it. Ok so I'm satisfied with the beta testing and now to sum it all up.. This is my latest design of a RemoteRig (http://www.remoterig.com) control box. I never liked the cumbersome setups most people use with wires and boxes in a bag or over sized cases needing to be packed up/assembled/connected every time before use. So what I did was to put it all together in a small and easy format always set up and ready to use! I carry this with me at "all times" and wan't it fast and easily accessible! (kinda' like the POTUS football :P) My early (pre-3D printer-era) versions were mostly made of metal parts and hefty to haul around (even though they were small enough for EDC) so now after i got this awesome printer I wanted something lighter and prettier.. :P I am using the Pelican 1120 Case as this is the smallest case that I have found that fit the RemoteRig RRC1258 PCB perfectly. I needed some more space height wise to fit the power-bank / 18650 batteries inside so I have extended it about 15mm. My version need to accomodate connections/holder for a streamer that connects to my hearing aid and CI implant processor for me to be able to hear anything so I don't really need or use a speaker. I am not sure the audio from the FP internal speaker is good enough for a normal user so I have added a bracket for an external speaker that fits on top of the case that I ocasionally use at work/home when other people want to listen in as well. I have to be able to see the RRC 1258 status LED from the front of the unit (PWR button LED) my earlier versions didn't and it was a pain! So i added a optocoupler setup to prevent any possible damage to the expemsive RRC board. I also wanted the lid removeable but still easy to attach and close when you go or in case of rain. (No it is not waterproof but should at least withstand/hold out some rain when carrying it to/from the car/work/home.) Internal PTT and attached microphone on the case to save up on space the microphone and coiled cord takes. Adjustable backlighting of the button LED's for driving at night. Long battery life! (I have 4 x 18650 at around 3000mAh each inside now and they keep me running for well over a work day with comute (10+ hours). My cells are old and used so im sure with fresh new cells it could run much longer. 12V powerpole charge input and passthrough charging so I can run it 24/7 without interuption if wanted. (Most powerbanks today only have USB connections for in and out and rarely have passthrough functionallity) The powerbank i use have both USB and 9/12V output and can be used while charging. Bult in GPS connected to the radios main unit via the RRC 1258 to get better functionality of the D-Star functions. I have assembled hardware to get bluetooth data functionality as well to be able to use the D-Star data functions and to connetc the radio to my andriod phone using Icoms RS-MS1A app but haven't really needed it yet so it's not installed in the case yet. Buttons for antenna controll - I am using the I/O ports on the RRC 1258 to control and get feedback to/from a relay module on the radio side, this way I can via buttons on the front panel switch antennas at will or controll other functions at the radio site and the button LED's are controlled with the return signal from the radio side so I can see if the relays are actually engaged properly. I am working on an combined antenna rotor and 6/8 way antenna switch via rs232 idea but i haven't had the time or parts needed to complete this project at the moment. Maybe for a future version of the case.. :D Since this project is tailored to my needs any one that wants to do something similar would need to figure out and hook it up / build to suit theirs, so I won't go much deeper than this here. Feel free to ask if you have any questions, ideas or requests. Due to the user tailored nature of this project, differences in part dimensions, junk box contents etc don't expect all the parts to just fit whatever hardware you have, consider it a work in progress or Beta version and go from there. All parts are made in and available on Tinkercad just search my name/callsign (SM6WGG - same as my name here) or RRC1258 and you should find them - to be modified to fit your project. I hope you liked the project and my ideas behind it. 73 Battery holder, borrowed and modified Bortsov's design: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3330273 The extended lever latch to close the lid of the case is from Ratt's https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2676153 Just had to extend them in the middle to fit the extension frame. Parts List... So far.. * PELI/PELICAN - 1120 Case * Icom IC-7100 (front panel) * Remoterig RRC1258 MKII Control Box (box removed only PCB and WiFi module used) * Powerbank - XTPower MP-10000 (not the same brand name as the one i used but identical and only one i have found with 12v in/output and pass-through while charging) * Basic RS232 GPS module connected via RRC serial port to the radio to get auto time and location as well as D-Star location functionality * 5 Latching and 2 momentary 16mm diameter buttons (no-name-china-brand from Aliexpress) * 1 10k stepped potentiometer and knob used as a primitive dimmer for the button LED's when in low-light scenarios (like driving at night) * 2-4 18650 Li-Ion Cells (the original cells in the power-bank were old, to low cap and wrong format for the current design so replaced them with these - easy to replace when needed. * 1 Cheap 2S Li-Ion (8.4volt) battery protection module if unprotected cells are used. * 1 Peltor headset boom microphone * 155mm x 3mm steel rod to replace the hinge pins and have the lid removeable - Fasten in lid * Various screws, nuts, knobs, washers, wires, connectors, sheet metal etc to assemble it all. I'll leave some old status updates below for future reference. 2019-10-27 Updated Summary text, file names and separated parts in comon STL's, removed old not used/needed parts and added more internal view pictures of the assembled unit. Added a lid "hanger" to hang the removeable lid on the back of the case when the unit is in use. 2019-10-14 Added a speaker mount for when one want a bit more audio. Fits the comon multi brand speakers seen in picture one. Made a case lid eyecatcher "shield" not the greatest paint job I've done but good enough from a meter or two away.. HI I double taped a pice of sheet metal to the back of the case and it now attaches to a RAM mount with neodym magnets in my car. I was utterly impressed how god of a fit it was in my little Polo just in front of the stick shifter (see picture) Added a Peltor "boom" microphone from the junk box to the right side, it swivels out nicely and is plugged in on the side RJ45 connector that goes straight to the IC-7100 mic connector inside the case so now i dont need to carry around an extra microphone for every day use. Moved the Wi-Fi antenna to the inside of the case, to fragile and ugly on the outside, besides it works just as good from the inside. 2019-10-08 Added charge Powerpole port to the left side of the case. Printed v10 front panel and aside from the text for the powerbank ports i would say it is near perfect! I will use this for now and call that part release candidate! 2019-10-07 . Some modifications to the front panel/battery holder. Added hidden access to the power-bank ports from the front (under the Call-sign badge) Added Button and port text Still in beta so some parts might not fit or work for your setup. I will add more details and files as the project continues. Just putting it up here to keep me reminded and motivated to finish and improve the design. All thoughts, ideas and feedback are welcome. Like i said this is in BETA state don't just print and think it will all go together without modifications..