sBITX V3 Display and Enclosure Considerations
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Hey everyone,
A couple of weeks ago I had a surgery on my back and it is taking a lot longer to recover from than expected. I needed two surgeries on my back, one on each side. The one on the right side i was up and walking around the next day. The one on my left side was two weeks ago and I am still recovering from it. So for now I'm STILL stuck in bed. I do know that this year I will be in better shape than what i have been in for the past decade. I'm here in bed looking out of my window and it is starting to look like Spring is arriving early. About half of my bonsai trees are starting to really bud out. My friends are starting to ride out to the local parks and do something of a city park version of POTA. I can't wait to join them.? I am lucky enough to have a sBITX v3. The more I use this radio the more I love it. With the toolbox and other stuff people have been sharing, it is now a better radio than it was when I got it. However it is still without an enclosure. I am so paranoid about it that I have it hanging on my wall so that nothing can accidentally be put on it and short it out. While I'm recovering from surgery I'm ordering components and hardware for me to build an enclosure for it.? Since I have a lot of experience with? woodworking and using a scroll saw, I have decided that it will be a wooden enclosure. Perhaps when I ever get a 3D printer or someone comes out with an aftermarket enclosure like has been done with the uBITX then I can look into other options. For now I need some help in deciding what I want the enclosure to be. I'm not an electronics wizard so I am hoping that you guys will see a problem that I am blind to. I have three different versions of enclosures and I would like to decide which one to use. I use the radio mostly at home. Once my physical condition gets better in a few months I want to be able to load it up on my recumbent trike and take it to the park. Here at the house I use a 15" display that is out of an old laptop. The display is just screwed to a board so I need to figure out an enclosure for it also. Below I will do my best in describing the different options for an enclosure that I am looking at. So if you guys see something completely boneheaded and will not work, let me know. Its why I'm posting to you guys.? Version 1`: This will use the 7" RPI display so it will be basically a full kit version of the V3 but with a homemade enclosure instead of the nice one from HF Signals. I really like this option because it is fairly small, it can fit on my trike and pretty clean. My problem is I have a little trouble seeing everything on the small display. Having this version and being able to hook up a larger display would be a big plus. Since I have an extra 7" display, I have even considered making a dual display version.? ? Version 2: Same as version 1 but build it with my 15 inch laptop display instead of the RPI display. I will lose the touch screen option but I don't ever use that anyway. It will not be as efficient or portable but it will still fit on my trike and I can see the display easier. I have thought of making a screen protector that will protect the display while in transport and it can be used as a sun screen while operating outside.? Version 3: This is the simplest design. Make it with no onboard display at all and just connect what ever external display that I have given the situation.? Personally I like version 1 and being able to use a external display would be great.? Let me know what you think or if you have any ideas of your own. If you could please post pics of what you are using for a enclosure.? -- '72 Aaron? |
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If I may suggest, occasionally read the conversations in the other topic. Why am I saying that?
Because it was discussed a few days ago that the laptop has a monitor output, meaning you can connect an external monitor to it. But you can't use your laptop's monitor as an external monitor because it doesn't have a video input (it only has an output). There are descriptions on the net that they use an adapter with hdmi input and usb output. You can also see comparison pictures of it, where it turns out that this is not a good solution. So using the laptop and VNC can be a good solution. Or you can use an external hdmi monitor connected to the output of the RPi, even two if there is no dsi screen. -- Gyula HA3HZ |
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The laptop display is no longer part of the laptop. I removed the LCD screen from an old trash laptop and got a driver for it and now it can be used as an external display.?
Here are some pics of it: Here is the driver board for the laptop display. Here is the front of the laptop display as it is being used as a display for the sBITX. Nothing fancy to it, just have everything screwed down to a board until I figure something better out.? -- '72 Aaron? |
开云体育Aaron - based on this, I would say you have answered your question on which way to go.? Good luck with your woodwork. Gerry Sherman Sent by the Windows 11 Thunderbird On 2024-02-15 16:21, Aaron K5ATG wrote:
The laptop display is no longer part of the laptop. I removed the LCD screen from an old trash laptop and got a driver for it and now it can be used as an external display.? |
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Ok so I guess that I will be the guy with the big screen sBITX. I can use this thread as a place to update the build. Actually I will ask all of my dumb questions here then when I write it up on my blog I can make it look like I know what I'm doing. lol
I plan on making it from oak and walnut. I want to use my scroll saw and cut schematic symbols into the face of the radio for decoration. Perhaps I can use part of the schematic of the sBITX. It will be easier to understand as I do it. So to kick off this project I have a question regarding regarding electrical power connections.? The display operates on 12 volts, just like the sBITX. Is there a unused 12 volt connector on the sBITX board? Or do I need to have two separate 12 volt connections? Once again I really appreciate the help and advice.? ?? -- '72 Aaron? |
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Aaron,
I understand. This way, the position of the girl is completely different when you use the laptop display as an independent unit. I also have an old laptop display, I'm still trying to figure out how I could use it for this purpose. The sBitx motherboard has only one 12V connection point. Make sure that there is a thin line plus sign on the top side of the pcb, but this is not the marking of the positive pole, but a positioning cross! So it's not the input positive. -- Gyula HA3HZ |
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Good point Gyula.
It's nice to catch this now than at a park lol.? I couldn't find the amp draw on my RPI touch display so I'm assuming that it will be less than the 15" laptop screen. I can run tests on different displays and different batteries to see if I can find a workable solution. I would rather have a smaller screen than a dead battery.? -- '72 Aaron? |
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Yeah I'm interested that thing looks sweet. With the side rails and flat black color it has a tactical look to it.?
On my recumbent trike I have a ammo can that I converted into a trunk. I painted it with some spray on truck bed liner. The stuff is a lot tougher than paint and if I had metal working skills good enough to make a metal enclosure, I think that a couple of coats of bed liner would be good for a portable rig.? -- '72 Aaron? |
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Well said Mark.
I'n my case, I think that I will try to load up your STL files and try to get the dimensions, adjust for the thickness of the material and make it with the 7" RPI display and out of wood. It will not be as rugged as 3D print or metal but it should work until something better comes along.? -- '72 Aaron? |
开云体育TinkerCad ? Sent from for Windows ? From: Aaron K5ATG
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2024 5:46 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [BITX20] sBITX V3 Display and Enclosure Considerations ? Is there a program that i can use to open the STL files? Aaron? ? |
Aaron K5ATG
HA3HZ
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