So Pelican cases are pricey. I guess you could say it’s relatively cheap insurance when you are chucking a radio in there that’s worth a bag of sand or a monkey.
That said, I came across this offering from Amazon that looks competitively priced compared to its equivalent Peli 1200. Not forgetting Pelican wants the best part of €35 for pre-scored foam inserts!
Has anyone tried these cases for, say, a KX2 or FT891 etc? I’m looking for a watertight case to put my radio in and take with me on a SUP or kayak, as well as for any SOTA or POTA where the weather is pure misery.
I use the Lowe bag and put in a Sea to Summit Big River dry bag. I also had one of the amazon type cases that fitted the 817 and a 50w amp, but it is much bigger and heavier. It still occasionally gets used for a shorter walk when I’m happy with the increased weight and bulk. I have tested (not submerged but heavy rain etc) both the not-a-peli case and the Lowe/Dry bag combination with water, snow and and the odd rucksack bashed test and the radios have survived.
As to the question which its best - both. The not-a-peli case is bomb proof, but my back isn’t so I usually use the Lowe / dry bag combination. (PS should say the Big River bag is heavy duty and is much more robust / waterproof than the lightweight dry bags I used previously)
Mine has been out in heavy rain, but not dropped into a river or anything, so I can’t say whether it would be totally waterproof. It does have a rubber seal around it, so in principal it should be somewhat waterproof.
73 Ed.
Thanks for the insight folks. Much appreciated. I have a couple dry bags (Lomo and Osprey that I use in my running pack for ultras) and already have the CS80 Hardside so should be boxed off for most activities.
The Pelican cases are supposedly buoyant so could be handy for SUP and kayak stuff. I ended up ordering a couple of 1200’s with foam that I found dirt cheap (for Pelican cases) on Amazon. Going to give them a look over, see can I spec them out as 891 and KX2 go cases
If they’re a load of old pony I’ll send them back for a refund. Picked up a couple of Pelican 1060’s while I was at it. See if those are any use for chucking a QMX in and some cables, a paddle and such like. Same rule applies, if they’re a load of pony they’re getting sent back.
The 1200’s were about 15 quid more than a Pelamazonican knock-off so for the marginal difference I figured they were worth a try.
We’ll soon see if they’re a load of cobblers. I’ll post snaps here at some point if it helps anyone else interested in these cases.
I’ve hiked with a Pelican case for a year or so, holding my TM-V71 kit. Your rig is safe there, nice and tidy, it really looks like you are more on an RF site survey task The problem I’ve faced was the case size which was difficult to fit into my backpack and overall bulkiness. I’ve ended up with a simple camera bag, where I’ve managed to fit everything in. Not looking back at the Pelicans for SOTA (at least for now) Although it could be usefull in certain applications, like kayaking maybe?
I use a Lykus HC-3310 to house my FT-857D and FC-50 tuner for motorbike use. Although I haven’t attempted to submerge it I have had no issues using it on the motorbike in rainy weather.
That looks similar to what I’m hoping to accomplish with the FT-891. Looks well, though I also thought similar about fitting, say, a Peli 1200 in to a backpack. It’s not really going to work out. Definitely looks to be a winner for sticking in a kayak or strapping to a SUP, which is what I was thinking about such a case for.
Is that foam alright against ESD? Hadn’t really considered it until now.
EDIT: Seems Pelican has it covered but I don’t think the ‘pluckable’ foam is the same as ESD pink foam (I used to use such foam for PCB storage in the past)
Being as cheap as chips myself, I’ve never bothered with such elaborate cases, preferring instead a decent-sized and strong plastic sandwich-box type of container. These can be had from any decent supermarket or online store for a few pounds/euros/dollars, and are easily strong enough to keep a radio from getting battered or damaged, as long as you put in some foam strips, or wrap bubble-wrap or a dry towel around the radio.
Last year, I took a big fall and 20-meter tumble, flying head-over-heels down steep rocks and damaged my self (cuts, bruises, broken rib - I was lucky!), but the radio, in bubble-wrap and in the plastic box was completely unscathed. Unfortunately my fall meant the end of SOTA activations for me, but my radio (a G90) is still functional - go figure. Most of these boxes fit easily into even a smaller rucksack, and are waterproof as well, or as near as makes no odds.
I use those cheap but very watertight containers sold as sandwich / food boxes.
One for the radio, and one for the morse key. Each is 'padded out with soft foam cut to accommodate any tuning/operating dials or switches. They are soft and don’t break. They are waterproof and have never let me down.
To get the right size just take your radio or whatever else you want to put in them into the shop and try them for fit.
The problem I’ve faced was the case size which was difficult to fit into my backpack and overall bulkiness. I’ve ended up with a simple camera bag, where I’ve managed to fit everything in. Not looking back at the Pelicans for SOTA (at least for now) Although it could be usefull in certain applications, like kayaking maybe?
