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I am thinking of buying an sBitx board and putting a rig together. I¡¯ve got some questions:
Is the board completely tested and aligned?
Is there a list of the required parts necessary to finish the fig?
Is a 3D printed case available or the printing files available?
Thanks Bob K2QPN
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Only true ready to go in my opinion is V6
A great little radio.?
Len
?K9ZZU
On Fri, Dec 29, 2023 at 6:20?PM ROBERT NELSON < K2QPN@...> wrote: I am thinking of buying an sBitx board and putting a rig together. I¡¯ve got some questions:
Is the board completely tested and aligned?
Is there a list of the required parts necessary to finish the fig?
Is a 3D printed case available or the printing files available?
Thanks Bob K2QPN
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On Fri, Dec 29, 2023 at 07:20 PM, ROBERT NELSON wrote:
I am thinking of buying an sBitx board and putting a rig together. I¡¯ve got some questions:
Is the board completely tested and aligned?
Is there a list of the required parts necessary to finish the fig?
/g/BITX20/message/106738?answers most of these points directly, before the thread wandered off topic. Feel free to ask more questions in either thread. The test procedures are described on?.?? I would say they are more about calibration rather than alignment.
Is a 3D printed case available or the printing files available?
This I too would like to know. I have ordered a V3 board and am planning to eventually figure out a case I can?make with a laser cutter just to protect it, but since I have almost no experience doing mechanical design it will probably be a while before I get that done.? I just finished my first ever design, a simple acrylic board with cutouts to hold a fan, and am glad to say it functions as designed.? A case with the proper openings for a sbitx is a much bigger task, and one I'm sure will take me many tries to get right. I don't have access to a 3D printer with a big enough bed to print a case for a sbitx, and also don't have 3D printing skills, but if someone publishes a design there are services that will print things for a fee.? That's how I got the legs for my V2 case printed, and those are really essential to have, IMO. ? -- Regards, Dave, N1AI
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The way you design a case for a board, in my case for 3D printing is well documented for Fusion 360.?
Basically you take detailed photos for the top view and side views. ?These photos are loaded into Fusion 360, scaled to size, and then used as a design template when drafting the model of the case. This ensures that the cutouts align with the physical board. ?
Once drafted, it is exported to the 3D slicer, and then printed. ?
For the uninitiated it can be a steep mountain to climb.?
73 Roy
On Fri, Dec 29, 2023 at 22:11, Dave, N1AI via groups.io < n1ai@...> wrote: On Fri, Dec 29, 2023 at 07:20 PM, ROBERT NELSON wrote:
I am thinking of buying an sBitx board and putting a rig together. I¡¯ve got some questions:
Is the board completely tested and aligned?
Is there a list of the required parts necessary to finish the fig?
/g/BITX20/message/106738?answers most of these points directly, before the thread wandered off topic.
Feel free to ask more questions in either thread.
The test procedures are described on?.??
I would say they are more about calibration rather than alignment.
Is a 3D printed case available or the printing files available?
This I too would like to know.
I have ordered a V3 board and am planning to eventually figure out a case I can?make with a laser cutter just to protect it, but since I have almost no experience doing mechanical design it will probably be a while before I get that done.? I just finished my first ever design, a simple acrylic board with cutouts to hold a fan, and am glad to say it functions as designed.? A case with the proper openings for a sbitx is a much bigger task, and one I'm sure will take me many tries to get right.
I don't have access to a 3D printer with a big enough bed to print a case for a sbitx, and also don't have 3D printing skills, but if someone publishes a design there are services that will print things for a fee.? That's how I got the legs for my V2 case printed, and those are really essential to have, IMO.
?
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Regards,
Dave, N1AI
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On Fri, Dec 29, 2023 at 11:23 PM, rdg wrote:
For the uninitiated it can be a steep mountain to climb.?
Yeah, that's me.? I am a member of a very good maker-space that provides access to F360 and two different high-quality laser cutters.? They have some 3D printers but what I am told they are not advanced ones.? I'm not exactly sure why they haven't updated the 3D printers.? ? I took the course they offered on using Inkscape and their laser cutters.? I built a board to hold a fan above my Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4.? I was able to download the CM4's mechanical specifications from the vendor.? ?They were detailed enough to provide the size of the board and the location of the through-holes used to mount the board.? All I had to do was chose the best location for the fan and its four mounting holes and that's it, job done.? Send it from Inkscape to the virtual printer that the laser software supports, make a few adjustments, hit the Go button on the laser, watch the laser do its thing. Ideally we'd have equally detailed mechanical drawings for the sbitx board, but if they aren't available we'll just have to develop some ourselves, it's not rocket science, even a software weenie like me figured it out. If F360 can make the process easier so much the better, but you are not the first one to tell me it has a big learning curve. -- Regards, Dave, N1AI
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The hard part is learning the 3D drafting so that you can both design and 3D print. ? Many things are already on the web to download and print. Unfortunately we are a niche market with the sBitx board. ?
If I had the correct photos, I could do the 3D drafting. ?
On Fri, Dec 29, 2023 at 23:08, Dave, N1AI via groups.io < n1ai@...> wrote: On Fri, Dec 29, 2023 at 11:23 PM, rdg wrote:
For the uninitiated it can be a steep mountain to climb.?
Yeah, that's me.?
I am a member of a very good maker-space that provides access to F360 and two different high-quality laser cutters.? They have some 3D printers but what I am told they are not advanced ones.? I'm not exactly sure why they haven't updated the 3D printers.? ?
I took the course they offered on using Inkscape and their laser cutters.? I built a board to hold a fan above my Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4.? I was able to download the CM4's mechanical specifications from the vendor.? ?They were detailed enough to provide the size of the board and the location of the through-holes used to mount the board.? All I had to do was chose the best location for the fan and its four mounting holes and that's it, job done.? Send it from Inkscape to the virtual printer that the laser software supports, make a few adjustments, hit the Go button on the laser, watch the laser do its thing.
Ideally we'd have equally detailed mechanical drawings for the sbitx board, but if they aren't available we'll just have to develop some ourselves, it's not rocket science, even a software weenie like me figured it out.
If F360 can make the process easier so much the better, but you are not the first one to tell me it has a big learning curve.
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Regards,
Dave, N1AI
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If some one would point me to the mechanical dimensions for the existing v2 case, ?I would be happy to give it a try to design a 3d printed one.?
I seem to remember that it was said on one of the threads that HFSignals gets caught up on fully assembled units they would make the cases available. (Like they did with the v6). But perhaps that was just a wishful memory on my side¡
73
mark
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AJ6CU/7
KD8CEC 2.0, Nextion Screens,? and open source uBITX Raduino boards for Arduino IOT, BLE, RP2040, Teensy 4.0, and Raspberry Pi Pico
https://github.com/aj6cu
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I will be working on a 3D printed case for the V3 sBitx and have already started. (got a basic box built in F360, 10x6x2) But will have to order my V3 to get the dimensions worked out.
Have just retired and this seems to be a good challenge. The timeline to a finished case will be some time in March.?
Hope someone beats me to it.??
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On Sat, Dec 30, 2023 at 09:36 AM, kc5kwz wrote:
Hope someone beats me to it.??
LOL, I know exactly how you feel.? 100%. I have a somewhat naive question to ask this audience based on our conversation here. As mentioned I have access to a laser cutter and a small amount of training on using it with Inkscape (2D drawing/design software).?? For a different project I bought the following acrylic case from Amazon:?? My thought process was to try to design and build a case for a sbitx board patterned after this case.? I do not intend to have a touchscreen, this unit would mainly be for home R&D use.? With this approach I could work in 2D, which simplifies things tremendously.? I'd locate the positions of through-holes on the board and do the bottom first.? Use tongue-and-groove cutouts to securely position the sides and the top.? Use similar hardware for the four corners.? Maybe add additional hardware if it's too wobbly. So, my questions are, what are the advantages/disadvantages of this 2D acrylic case approach vs doing a 3D printed case?? I see disadvantages of doing a 3D printed case.? I don't have any experience doing 3D design or using a 3D printer.? I don't think I have access to a 3D printer that could do the size mentioned, 10x6x2.? I'm not sure how the end product would look or how much it would weigh.? I like the idea of a clear case, not sure if 3D can produce a clear case or even one that is translucent.? ?I like the idea that I could etch text labels and/or images onto the acrylic and give it a custom look. My main concern about the laser approach is that because it's all being done in 2D, it's going to be very hard to keep the top, bottom and all four sides in sync with each other.? It seems like 3D software would eliminate that problem, at the cost of a much steeper learning curve.? In any case, it's clear to me it'd be a long process with many, many iterations till I got something I would like. The issue is now a bit more urgent since I just got email from DHL saying my board will be delivered today! ? -- Regards, Dave, N1AI
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Dave,
?A case like that would be very cool,? ?
I'm not sure if having a metal case helps shield the sBitx or from other sources of stray RF or if the case is helping shield other electronics from it.
Maybe a combination of both there.
If that is an issue then a 3D printed case would not be a good idea either.
My idea of the 3D printed case was to keep cost down since I have retired there is more time than money for me.
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On Sat, Dec 30, 2023 at 04:21 PM, kc5kwz wrote:
A case like that would be very cool,? ?
I'm not sure if having a metal case helps shield the sBitx or from other sources of stray RF or if the case is helping shield other electronics from it.
Maybe a combination of both there.
If that is an issue then a 3D printed case would not be a good idea either.
I don't think it is an issue of RF shielding, although in time we may learn that is a concern. I received my V3 board-only kit and it came with an acrylic board that is attached to the component side of the V3 board using standoffs. I didn't expect it because I had read? /g/BITX20/message/106738?and watched the linked video which does not have an acrylic board. So, the major requirement I had, which was to keep the board off the desktop to not damage the components, has been met in the short term.
My idea of the 3D printed case was to keep cost down since I have retired there is more time than money for me.
I am also retired and the only way I have access to 3D printers or laser cutters is because there is a local maker-space that is affordable and has these things. I suppose if that wasn't available, I might make the first "woody sbitx" by hollowing out a log....? Just kidding, I don't have the skills or the patience for that! ? -- Regards, Dave, N1AI
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I probably will not get to work on this until Feb at the earliest. I have made several 3d printed cases for ?various ham projects. Even with fusion 360 it seems to take a couple days per piece to get everything exactly aligned up.?
I have a large 3d printer so have no issues with the actual printing (except of course the turnaround time for each piece). Will check in before I start and hopefully someone else has beat me to it!
btw: there are plenty of companies that will print your cases. Sometime libraries even have printers. Jclpcb even offers a printing service! ?
73
mark
--
AJ6CU/7
KD8CEC 2.0, Nextion Screens,? and open source uBITX Raduino boards for Arduino IOT, BLE, RP2040, Teensy 4.0, and Raspberry Pi Pico
https://github.com/aj6cu
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If RF shielding is a concern, is it feasible (relatively simple?) to line the 3d printed plastic case with heavy duty aluminum foil, probably glued to the case??? Spray glue maybe.
73 Roy
On Saturday, December 30th, 2023 at 17:06, Mark Hatch via groups.io <mark2382@...> wrote:
I probably will not get to work on this until Feb at the earliest. I have made several 3d printed cases for ?various ham projects. Even with fusion 360 it seems to take a couple days per piece to get everything exactly aligned up.?
I have a large 3d printer so have no issues with the actual printing (except of course the turnaround time for each piece). Will check in before I start and hopefully someone else has beat me to it!
btw: there are plenty of companies that will print your cases. Sometime libraries even have printers. Jclpcb even offers a printing service! ?
73
mark
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AJ6CU/7
KD8CEC 2.0, Nextion Screens,? and open source uBITX Raduino boards for Arduino IOT, BLE, RP2040, Teensy 4.0, and Raspberry Pi Pico
https://github.com/aj6cu
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I have used wide aluminum tape on electronics cases.
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73
??? Bob? KD8CGH
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Adhesive copper foil is readily available online. A bigger problem is that 3D printer plastics soften when they get too warm. Otherwise the filaments couldn¡¯t be printed. Proper ventilation and fans might help but I would fear the worst.
Jack, N6LN
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Yes, true?duct tape. ?
Use either ASA or PETG. ?Hope I picked the proper filaments as I didn¡¯t check my temperature?reference document.?
My radio doesn¡¯t get anywhere near hot enough to soften these filaments. ?
73 Roy
On Sat, Dec 30, 2023 at 18:46, John Terrell, N6LN via groups.io < N6LN@...> wrote: Adhesive copper foil is readily available online. A bigger problem is that 3D printer plastics soften when they get too warm. Otherwise the filaments couldn¡¯t be printed. Proper ventilation and fans might help but I would fear the worst.
Jack, N6LN
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On Sat, Dec 30, 2023 at 05:36 PM, Dave, N1AI wrote:
I received my V3 board-only kit and it came with an acrylic board that is attached to the component side of the V3 board using standoffs.
Following up my own post to say that if people do design cases, a big area to address is the BNC antenna connector.? I think I've seen it mentioned in this group already, but the BNC connector feels like it will not cope with much strain at all in the board-only setup.? I may have to cook up some support even before I ever consider making a full-blown case.? ?I have some early ideas already on how to address it. ? -- Regards, Dave, N1AI
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On Sat, Dec 30, 2023 at 07:00 PM, Bob Benedict, KD8CGH wrote:
I have used wide aluminum tape on electronics cases.
There's always aluminum project boxes, or 'bend your own' sheet metal approaches.? I've also seen projects use PCB material for panels soldered together on the inside to make a good Faraday cage.? I imagine that gets costly these days, it was done in the old days when PCBs were huge and material was cheap.? It does provide some nice lettering if you use the big outfits to make the PCB panels.? sbitx is a bit unusual in that we need holes on three out of four sides so a standard clam shell box with front and back panels doesn't work too well.
Another thing i want to make is a small enclosure for the two encoders with a round cable instead of a ribbon cable to connect to the radio.? Think of it as a sbitx mouse.? I guess I'll never run out of things to make.
?
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Regards,
Dave, N1AI
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Bob,
I have started making a wooden case for mine, its about 85% done, I will post pictures of it soon, plan on working on it a bunch more tomorrow.?
for the RF shielding, the inside of the wood will be lined with copper tape
Brian
KJ4OOS
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Dave, N1AI
Bob Benedict, KD8CGH
John Terrell, N6LN