With impeccable timing I took delivery of an Icom 705 last week on the very day the UK entered lockdown. I’ve managed to have a play with it at home but I can’t see me getting it onto a hill for some time. Which is probably a useful pause because it gives me time to solve an outstanding challenge - how to carry it undamaged to the top of a hill?
Icom do make a ruinously expensive backpack for this radio but it is too small for my uses, especially in the winter so I plan to use a larger conventional rucksack. The radio is, including the sticking out bits, approximately 8" * 4" * 4" or 200 * 100 * 100mm.
What do people use for protecting their radios? I could wrap it in a towel or a sheet of foam but some sort of box would be better. I guess the ideal is a box which would allow me to use the radio while it is still protected but the foam lined boxes I’ve found so far are all a bit big. What about a large padded bag of the sort used for photographic lenses?
All suggestions, other than buying a smaller radio will be appreciated.
I have a rucksack with padding for my back and an inside pocket against that padding. My 857 fits into it with space to spare. I’m not sure that this would be good for the 705 as it is front-facing but there would be enough room. I think perhaps a Tupperware box might do the trick.
I hadn’t thought of a Tupperware box but I think one could be ideal, light in weight and available in different sizes. They are not very robust but they can be easily replaced if it gets damaged. Thank you, a very useful suggestion.
being waterproof (important in Scotland) so I use an oversize tupperware box for my FT817 (Sistema brand?) with waterproof foam lining from an old karrimatt. I previously used bubblewrap inside which was easy to renew and replace. My packed lunch goes in a separate box!
I also have a Peli case for my KX2 which is bombproof and I am sure they will have something suitable for your IC-705
I use a ( probably too heavy case ) from Clas Ohlson which so far has been bombproof - they did have a shop in Newcastle but they now seem to be on Amazon. Mine is quite big so has an Ft817, Microphone, Amp, battery and Speech processor and ( linked to another thread ) reduces the chances of forgetting anything - either on the way up or down!
73
Paul
I got one of these for my 705. Space for the rig, some extra padding and a few extra bits. Not sure it will be my long term solution, but will do for now.
As an interim solution, I am using a LowePro Edit 140 Camcorder bag. The IC-705 fits nicely, including room in the main compartment for the microphone and DC lead. It also has 3 pockets on the outside which I am not yet putting to use.
Thank you, there was just one of those left in stock on Amazon UK and at only £11 it seems a bargain - so I’ve ordered it. Probably a Peli case is the long-term answer but they come in a bewildering range of sizes and with the lockdown set to remain in place for some time there is no rush.
I use a tupperware type container for my current KX3 and past FT-817, and then wrap the KX3 in some bubblewrap. The trick is obviously finding a container just slightly larger than your radio.
I too use a plastic lunch box. I have done this for several small rigs such as the RS918. I line the sides, bottom and lid with cork. It’s extra weight but good insurance against damage. It would be possible to operate the 705 in the box if a couple of holes were made in the box but it may overheat.
I can add stuff like tent pegs to the pack and not worry about scratching my toy.
Most of our household food containers have found their way into my SOTA repertoire, whilst most of our food container needs are met by empty ice cream boxes…I think some kind of Brownian motion is at play :o)
(Ice cream boxes are less useful for SOTA than the clip lock type, because the lids can come off in the rough and tumble of a rucksack)
These ABS boxes intended for electrical use are good too, and can be found on eBay etc for little money. The lids are designed to be screwed on, but I use (in this case) the elastic draw string out of an old fleece. This is my 23cm transverter mounted in the box with all leads attached, but I guess there is one to fit a 705
for my ft817 i just slide it in the puch the back of my rucksack(inside) that houses a frame for the rucksack back. As its the ft817 its pretty hard wearing. Not that i do many activations mind.
I’ve reduced the number of boxes I use but still have a few self-sealing locking food boxes used to space out one compartment of my bag. It has a stand-off back and has no straight lines inside and boxes waste too much space. I’ve switched to stuff sacks to keep items separated inside. The 817 has been moved around for hundreds of activations inside a bubble wrap bag similar to these.
Being a tight-wad magpie, I noticed when we had new phones delivered to the office, the bubble wrap bag looked to be about twice 817 size so I took all I could find from the rubbish bin. That was in 2008 and I haven’t run out yet. 817 goes in the bag and as it’s about double size, the excess wraps over to add more protection. Water proof and you can operate the 817 from in the bag in bad weather. Once it gets torn or the bubbles burst I get another from the bubble wrap cupboard.
When packing the back, I place the items inside then pull the compression straps to stop everything moving about too much.
Having a bag with a decent fit you can stuff a rig in at all times that will stop water ingress should be considered compulsory, it is much preferable to attempting to fashion something half-assed at the last minute, which I have found myself doing recently!
Hi John, If you are using a larger (standard) rucksack, it will most likely have a separated bottom section. I found on my large rucksack that an over the shoulder camera bag (I think they are called “messenger bags”) fits nicely in that compartment and that should still be large enough for the IC705 to go inside the camera bag, with its movable “walls” able to hold it safely while in transit. Of course, the other pockets and partitions in the camera bag are useful for accessories. This can keep all the fragile items safely in one place, while the top of the rucksack can hold, the mast, antennas, tent, food and drinks etc. That are somewhat less fragile.
73 Ed.
Something like one of these: (They’re around £20-30 on eBay).
It is also a common packing material, so it generally costs nothing. As for a container for the IC-705, I would probably just use a lunch box.
73 de OE6FEG
Matt
This is a plastic ammo can designed to carry 4 boxes of shot gun shells so it is very shallow. The radio is held in using a bolt screwed into the camera mount on the bottom of the radio. The radio is sitting flush on the bottom of the case. It is shown with a 3 ah LiFePo battery. I also have a 6 ah battery that fits in the same space. There is a right angle BNC adapter on the radio to help clear the larger 6 ah battery. This is connected to a short piece of coax that goes to a BNC bulkhead connector on the end of the box with the latch. The larger battery also needed to be raised on a small wood block to clear the right angle BNC. The foam in the lid holds the microphone down so it does not come out and scratch the screen. I also unsnapped the clip from the rear of the microphone. There is also space to coil the USB cable while connected and store it in the box. There is a 4 position Anderson power pole block that allows me to connect my 23cm radio and USB charger to the battery. I also made up a shorter power cable and single fuse. The ammo box plastic is heavier than Tupper ware but much lighter than a Pelican Case. I use the lid as a place to put my phone and other small items while operating to keep them out of the dirt or from being lost. With the radio protected it is safe to just throw it into my pack with antennas or coax and not worry.
Hi,
Here is my current solution. A simple inexpensive toiletry bag padded with packing polyethylene material.
Included inside: IC-705, DC cable, speaker/microphone, spare fuses and even a second BP-272 battery pack.
It fits inside my backpack and I can operate the IC-705 without taking it outside the protective bag.
