During the panel upgrade I recalled an article that I read years ago in the RSGB RadComm magazine.  It was in 1973 and a diagram stuck in my mind.   This shows the expected relationship that an operator of some equipment would expect when changing the settings of the controls.  This kind of thing is worth bearing in mind when you are putting your own equipment together.  I guess they call this "Human Factors" now everything is in software with physical controls being replaced by touch sensitive screens and their software.

The front panel upgrade continues.

For my next project rather than design and drill the panel then print it to fit, I will design the panel  layout in FreeCad and produce a design that can be 3D printed so that it can be used as an erognomic test print and drilling template,  once that has been tweaked, a template can be printed that is dimensionally correct for all the holes and slots that might need drilling in the metal case.

Now we move on to the final part of the upgrade. 

Now its getting somewhere - The panel is now in place and the left hand front handle has been found again. (Yes - forgot where I put it).  The on/off switch and microphone socket are back on and connected. You can see above the two red pushbuttons the power LED.  This is a two colour LED. Red for receive and Green for Transmit.

Thanks for following the blog so far.  As usual when taking on a project like this the ideas start flowing on how to do it better and even how to approach the project in a better and more efficient way.  I'm collecting these together and will shar them in the "wash-up" final posting of this Upgrade Blog series.

And so on to the fitting out of the panel.

Then onto the Print the designs.  I re-learned a lesson that I had forgotten all over again, and that is to do a thin print of your hole positions so that you can tweak them without waiting a long time for a print only to find out that it needs a tweak.  Also that my process is a mirror image so don't forget to flip the print laterally!  Both of these can be done in the slicing software.

Here is the next part of the front panel upgrade.

Recently I decided to upgrade the front panel of my kit built QRP multiband radio.  The kit is no longer in production and is the G6LBQ Multiband.  I built this a few years ago. At the time I decided to drill out the front panel to incorporate some rotary controls for USB/LSB switching and AGC selection.  Also for the S-Meter I used a bargraph generator IC and LED Display.  Later I added the digital filter from Sota-Beams to assist with CW signal selectivity.  Adding the new rotary control for the filter bunched up all the other controls, so I decided to use some Whizz3D parts to spruce it up a bit.

During the panel upgrade I recalled an article that I read years ago in the RSGB RadComm magazine.  It was in 1973 and a diagram stuck in my mind.   This shows the expected relationship that an operator of some equipment would expect when changing the settings of the controls.  This kind of thing is worth bearing in mind when you are putting your own equipment together.  I guess they call this "Human Factors" now everything is in software with physical controls being replaced by touch sensitive screens and their software.

The front panel upgrade continues.

For my next project rather than design and drill the panel then print it to fit, I will design the panel  layout in FreeCad and produce a design that can be 3D printed so that it can be used as an erognomic test print and drilling template,  once that has been tweaked, a template can be printed that is dimensionally correct for all the holes and slots that might need drilling in the metal case.

Now we move on to the final part of the upgrade. 

Now its getting somewhere - The panel is now in place and the left hand front handle has been found again. (Yes - forgot where I put it).  The on/off switch and microphone socket are back on and connected. You can see above the two red pushbuttons the power LED.  This is a two colour LED. Red for receive and Green for Transmit.

Thanks for following the blog so far.  As usual when taking on a project like this the ideas start flowing on how to do it better and even how to approach the project in a better and more efficient way.  I'm collecting these together and will shar them in the "wash-up" final posting of this Upgrade Blog series.

And so on to the fitting out of the panel.

Then onto the Print the designs.  I re-learned a lesson that I had forgotten all over again, and that is to do a thin print of your hole positions so that you can tweak them without waiting a long time for a print only to find out that it needs a tweak.  Also that my process is a mirror image so don't forget to flip the print laterally!  Both of these can be done in the slicing software.

Here is the next part of the front panel upgrade.

Recently I decided to upgrade the front panel of my kit built QRP multiband radio.  The kit is no longer in production and is the G6LBQ Multiband.  I built this a few years ago. At the time I decided to drill out the front panel to incorporate some rotary controls for USB/LSB switching and AGC selection.  Also for the S-Meter I used a bargraph generator IC and LED Display.  Later I added the digital filter from Sota-Beams to assist with CW signal selectivity.  Adding the new rotary control for the filter bunched up all the other controls, so I decided to use some Whizz3D parts to spruce it up a bit.

During the panel upgrade I recalled an article that I read years ago in the RSGB RadComm magazine.  It was in 1973 and a diagram stuck in my mind.   This shows the expected relationship that an operator of some equipment would expect when changing the settings of the controls.  This kind of thing is worth bearing in mind when you are putting your own equipment together.  I guess they call this "Human Factors" now everything is in software with physical controls being replaced by touch sensitive screens and their software.

The front panel upgrade continues.

For my next project rather than design and drill the panel then print it to fit, I will design the panel  layout in FreeCad and produce a design that can be 3D printed so that it can be used as an erognomic test print and drilling template,  once that has been tweaked, a template can be printed that is dimensionally correct for all the holes and slots that might need drilling in the metal case.

Now we move on to the final part of the upgrade. 

Now its getting somewhere - The panel is now in place and the left hand front handle has been found again. (Yes - forgot where I put it).  The on/off switch and microphone socket are back on and connected. You can see above the two red pushbuttons the power LED.  This is a two colour LED. Red for receive and Green for Transmit.

Thanks for following the blog so far.  As usual when taking on a project like this the ideas start flowing on how to do it better and even how to approach the project in a better and more efficient way.  I'm collecting these together and will shar them in the "wash-up" final posting of this Upgrade Blog series.

And so on to the fitting out of the panel.

Then onto the Print the designs.  I re-learned a lesson that I had forgotten all over again, and that is to do a thin print of your hole positions so that you can tweak them without waiting a long time for a print only to find out that it needs a tweak.  Also that my process is a mirror image so don't forget to flip the print laterally!  Both of these can be done in the slicing software.

Here is the next part of the front panel upgrade.

Recently I decided to upgrade the front panel of my kit built QRP multiband radio.  The kit is no longer in production and is the G6LBQ Multiband.  I built this a few years ago. At the time I decided to drill out the front panel to incorporate some rotary controls for USB/LSB switching and AGC selection.  Also for the S-Meter I used a bargraph generator IC and LED Display.  Later I added the digital filter from Sota-Beams to assist with CW signal selectivity.  Adding the new rotary control for the filter bunched up all the other controls, so I decided to use some Whizz3D parts to spruce it up a bit.

During the panel upgrade I recalled an article that I read years ago in the RSGB RadComm magazine.  It was in 1973 and a diagram stuck in my mind.   This shows the expected relationship that an operator of some equipment would expect when changing the settings of the controls.  This kind of thing is worth bearing in mind when you are putting your own equipment together.  I guess they call this "Human Factors" now everything is in software with physical controls being replaced by touch sensitive screens and their software.

The front panel upgrade continues.

For my next project rather than design and drill the panel then print it to fit, I will design the panel  layout in FreeCad and produce a design that can be 3D printed so that it can be used as an erognomic test print and drilling template,  once that has been tweaked, a template can be printed that is dimensionally correct for all the holes and slots that might need drilling in the metal case.

Now we move on to the final part of the upgrade. 

Now its getting somewhere - The panel is now in place and the left hand front handle has been found again. (Yes - forgot where I put it).  The on/off switch and microphone socket are back on and connected. You can see above the two red pushbuttons the power LED.  This is a two colour LED. Red for receive and Green for Transmit.

Thanks for following the blog so far.  As usual when taking on a project like this the ideas start flowing on how to do it better and even how to approach the project in a better and more efficient way.  I'm collecting these together and will shar them in the "wash-up" final posting of this Upgrade Blog series.

And so on to the fitting out of the panel.

Then onto the Print the designs.  I re-learned a lesson that I had forgotten all over again, and that is to do a thin print of your hole positions so that you can tweak them without waiting a long time for a print only to find out that it needs a tweak.  Also that my process is a mirror image so don't forget to flip the print laterally!  Both of these can be done in the slicing software.

Here is the next part of the front panel upgrade.

Recently I decided to upgrade the front panel of my kit built QRP multiband radio.  The kit is no longer in production and is the G6LBQ Multiband.  I built this a few years ago. At the time I decided to drill out the front panel to incorporate some rotary controls for USB/LSB switching and AGC selection.  Also for the S-Meter I used a bargraph generator IC and LED Display.  Later I added the digital filter from Sota-Beams to assist with CW signal selectivity.  Adding the new rotary control for the filter bunched up all the other controls, so I decided to use some Whizz3D parts to spruce it up a bit.

During the panel upgrade I recalled an article that I read years ago in the RSGB RadComm magazine.  It was in 1973 and a diagram stuck in my mind.   This shows the expected relationship that an operator of some equipment would expect when changing the settings of the controls.  This kind of thing is worth bearing in mind when you are putting your own equipment together.  I guess they call this "Human Factors" now everything is in software with physical controls being replaced by touch sensitive screens and their software.

The front panel upgrade continues.

For my next project rather than design and drill the panel then print it to fit, I will design the panel  layout in FreeCad and produce a design that can be 3D printed so that it can be used as an erognomic test print and drilling template,  once that has been tweaked, a template can be printed that is dimensionally correct for all the holes and slots that might need drilling in the metal case.

Now we move on to the final part of the upgrade. 

Now its getting somewhere - The panel is now in place and the left hand front handle has been found again. (Yes - forgot where I put it).  The on/off switch and microphone socket are back on and connected. You can see above the two red pushbuttons the power LED.  This is a two colour LED. Red for receive and Green for Transmit.

Thanks for following the blog so far.  As usual when taking on a project like this the ideas start flowing on how to do it better and even how to approach the project in a better and more efficient way.  I'm collecting these together and will shar them in the "wash-up" final posting of this Upgrade Blog series.

And so on to the fitting out of the panel.

Then onto the Print the designs.  I re-learned a lesson that I had forgotten all over again, and that is to do a thin print of your hole positions so that you can tweak them without waiting a long time for a print only to find out that it needs a tweak.  Also that my process is a mirror image so don't forget to flip the print laterally!  Both of these can be done in the slicing software.

Here is the next part of the front panel upgrade.

Recently I decided to upgrade the front panel of my kit built QRP multiband radio.  The kit is no longer in production and is the G6LBQ Multiband.  I built this a few years ago. At the time I decided to drill out the front panel to incorporate some rotary controls for USB/LSB switching and AGC selection.  Also for the S-Meter I used a bargraph generator IC and LED Display.  Later I added the digital filter from Sota-Beams to assist with CW signal selectivity.  Adding the new rotary control for the filter bunched up all the other controls, so I decided to use some Whizz3D parts to spruce it up a bit.

The PYE PFX was a UK 2-way radio from the 1980's.  These found their way into Amateur Radio on the 4m, 2m and 70cm bands.  As per this generation of radio the battery pack was NiCd - and surviving radios might be working, but the batteries definitely won't.  

Whizz3dparts mini-table at the Red Rose Rally on 21st August 2022.

Looking around for ways to improve print quality I stumbled on this on the WWW.  Haven't tried it yet but it does look quite promising for the control knobs which are all based on circles.  The link to github is: https://github.com/FormerLurker/ArcWelderPlugin

Sprat Issue No 190 Spring 2022.  Has an article by me, Bezels and Knobs. I wrote this before deciding to set up whizz3dparts.  For those not familiar, the GQRP Club is a friendly lot and have a quarterly magazine that is packed with interesting and useful tribal knowlege.

As there was some interest in the Philips/ Simoco PRP Handheld radio battery case, I promised a fellow ham a print in return for a favour.  The print wasn't up to the standard that I work to these days.... It wasn't parametric so that a change to a key dimension meant a lot of changes around the design.  A bit of a pain.

As usually happens when you read someone's blog, you see links to other blogs which then helps you to uncover more interesting information.  This one came from Tom's Blog about 3d Printing, and links to a very interesting software suite that generates GCode for printing. As usual there is a learning curve.  Something to read while waiting for some long 3d prints to run I think.  FullControl GCode Designer.

There are many approaches to levelling the printing bed on a cartesian printer. 

Onward with design.  As a maker hobbyist (Ham Radio and/or Electronics) sooner or later you will end up with a box of cables. Some can stay in the box (but never thrown away), others are needed often and some less often. These days it is USB, network, audio and RF leads that need to be to hand.

Any electronics hobbyist will come across the issue of tangled cables in a box.

The PYE PFX was a UK 2-way radio from the 1980's.  These found their way into Amateur Radio on the 4m, 2m and 70cm bands.  As per this generation of radio the battery pack was NiCd - and surviving radios might be working, but the batteries definitely won't.  

Whizz3dparts mini-table at the Red Rose Rally on 21st August 2022.

Looking around for ways to improve print quality I stumbled on this on the WWW.  Haven't tried it yet but it does look quite promising for the control knobs which are all based on circles.  The link to github is: https://github.com/FormerLurker/ArcWelderPlugin

Sprat Issue No 190 Spring 2022.  Has an article by me, Bezels and Knobs. I wrote this before deciding to set up whizz3dparts.  For those not familiar, the GQRP Club is a friendly lot and have a quarterly magazine that is packed with interesting and useful tribal knowlege.

As there was some interest in the Philips/ Simoco PRP Handheld radio battery case, I promised a fellow ham a print in return for a favour.  The print wasn't up to the standard that I work to these days.... It wasn't parametric so that a change to a key dimension meant a lot of changes around the design.  A bit of a pain.

As usually happens when you read someone's blog, you see links to other blogs which then helps you to uncover more interesting information.  This one came from Tom's Blog about 3d Printing, and links to a very interesting software suite that generates GCode for printing. As usual there is a learning curve.  Something to read while waiting for some long 3d prints to run I think.  FullControl GCode Designer.

There are many approaches to levelling the printing bed on a cartesian printer. 

The PYE PFX was a UK 2-way radio from the 1980's.  These found their way into Amateur Radio on the 4m, 2m and 70cm bands.  As per this generation of radio the battery pack was NiCd - and surviving radios might be working, but the batteries definitely won't.  

Whizz3dparts mini-table at the Red Rose Rally on 21st August 2022.

Looking around for ways to improve print quality I stumbled on this on the WWW.  Haven't tried it yet but it does look quite promising for the control knobs which are all based on circles.  The link to github is: https://github.com/FormerLurker/ArcWelderPlugin

Sprat Issue No 190 Spring 2022.  Has an article by me, Bezels and Knobs. I wrote this before deciding to set up whizz3dparts.  For those not familiar, the GQRP Club is a friendly lot and have a quarterly magazine that is packed with interesting and useful tribal knowlege.

As there was some interest in the Philips/ Simoco PRP Handheld radio battery case, I promised a fellow ham a print in return for a favour.  The print wasn't up to the standard that I work to these days.... It wasn't parametric so that a change to a key dimension meant a lot of changes around the design.  A bit of a pain.

As usually happens when you read someone's blog, you see links to other blogs which then helps you to uncover more interesting information.  This one came from Tom's Blog about 3d Printing, and links to a very interesting software suite that generates GCode for printing. As usual there is a learning curve.  Something to read while waiting for some long 3d prints to run I think.  FullControl GCode Designer.

There are many approaches to levelling the printing bed on a cartesian printer. 

In development: Speaker Grille.

Here is a new Bezel design to give your project an enhanced finished look.

Something else out of the works.

The PYE PFX was a UK 2-way radio from the 1980's.  These found their way into Amateur Radio on the 4m, 2m and 70cm bands.  As per this generation of radio the battery pack was NiCd - and surviving radios might be working, but the batteries definitely won't.  

Whizz3dparts mini-table at the Red Rose Rally on 21st August 2022.

Looking around for ways to improve print quality I stumbled on this on the WWW.  Haven't tried it yet but it does look quite promising for the control knobs which are all based on circles.  The link to github is: https://github.com/FormerLurker/ArcWelderPlugin

Sprat Issue No 190 Spring 2022.  Has an article by me, Bezels and Knobs. I wrote this before deciding to set up whizz3dparts.  For those not familiar, the GQRP Club is a friendly lot and have a quarterly magazine that is packed with interesting and useful tribal knowlege.

As there was some interest in the Philips/ Simoco PRP Handheld radio battery case, I promised a fellow ham a print in return for a favour.  The print wasn't up to the standard that I work to these days.... It wasn't parametric so that a change to a key dimension meant a lot of changes around the design.  A bit of a pain.

As usually happens when you read someone's blog, you see links to other blogs which then helps you to uncover more interesting information.  This one came from Tom's Blog about 3d Printing, and links to a very interesting software suite that generates GCode for printing. As usual there is a learning curve.  Something to read while waiting for some long 3d prints to run I think.  FullControl GCode Designer.

There are many approaches to levelling the printing bed on a cartesian printer. 

The PYE PFX was a UK 2-way radio from the 1980's.  These found their way into Amateur Radio on the 4m, 2m and 70cm bands.  As per this generation of radio the battery pack was NiCd - and surviving radios might be working, but the batteries definitely won't.  

Whizz3dparts mini-table at the Red Rose Rally on 21st August 2022.

Looking around for ways to improve print quality I stumbled on this on the WWW.  Haven't tried it yet but it does look quite promising for the control knobs which are all based on circles.  The link to github is: https://github.com/FormerLurker/ArcWelderPlugin

Sprat Issue No 190 Spring 2022.  Has an article by me, Bezels and Knobs. I wrote this before deciding to set up whizz3dparts.  For those not familiar, the GQRP Club is a friendly lot and have a quarterly magazine that is packed with interesting and useful tribal knowlege.

As there was some interest in the Philips/ Simoco PRP Handheld radio battery case, I promised a fellow ham a print in return for a favour.  The print wasn't up to the standard that I work to these days.... It wasn't parametric so that a change to a key dimension meant a lot of changes around the design.  A bit of a pain.

As usually happens when you read someone's blog, you see links to other blogs which then helps you to uncover more interesting information.  This one came from Tom's Blog about 3d Printing, and links to a very interesting software suite that generates GCode for printing. As usual there is a learning curve.  Something to read while waiting for some long 3d prints to run I think.  FullControl GCode Designer.

There are many approaches to levelling the printing bed on a cartesian printer. 

The PYE PFX was a UK 2-way radio from the 1980's.  These found their way into Amateur Radio on the 4m, 2m and 70cm bands.  As per this generation of radio the battery pack was NiCd - and surviving radios might be working, but the batteries definitely won't.  

Whizz3dparts mini-table at the Red Rose Rally on 21st August 2022.

Looking around for ways to improve print quality I stumbled on this on the WWW.  Haven't tried it yet but it does look quite promising for the control knobs which are all based on circles.  The link to github is: https://github.com/FormerLurker/ArcWelderPlugin

Sprat Issue No 190 Spring 2022.  Has an article by me, Bezels and Knobs. I wrote this before deciding to set up whizz3dparts.  For those not familiar, the GQRP Club is a friendly lot and have a quarterly magazine that is packed with interesting and useful tribal knowlege.

As there was some interest in the Philips/ Simoco PRP Handheld radio battery case, I promised a fellow ham a print in return for a favour.  The print wasn't up to the standard that I work to these days.... It wasn't parametric so that a change to a key dimension meant a lot of changes around the design.  A bit of a pain.

As usually happens when you read someone's blog, you see links to other blogs which then helps you to uncover more interesting information.  This one came from Tom's Blog about 3d Printing, and links to a very interesting software suite that generates GCode for printing. As usual there is a learning curve.  Something to read while waiting for some long 3d prints to run I think.  FullControl GCode Designer.

There are many approaches to levelling the printing bed on a cartesian printer. 

The PYE PFX was a UK 2-way radio from the 1980's.  These found their way into Amateur Radio on the 4m, 2m and 70cm bands.  As per this generation of radio the battery pack was NiCd - and surviving radios might be working, but the batteries definitely won't.  

Whizz3dparts mini-table at the Red Rose Rally on 21st August 2022.

Looking around for ways to improve print quality I stumbled on this on the WWW.  Haven't tried it yet but it does look quite promising for the control knobs which are all based on circles.  The link to github is: https://github.com/FormerLurker/ArcWelderPlugin

Sprat Issue No 190 Spring 2022.  Has an article by me, Bezels and Knobs. I wrote this before deciding to set up whizz3dparts.  For those not familiar, the GQRP Club is a friendly lot and have a quarterly magazine that is packed with interesting and useful tribal knowlege.

As there was some interest in the Philips/ Simoco PRP Handheld radio battery case, I promised a fellow ham a print in return for a favour.  The print wasn't up to the standard that I work to these days.... It wasn't parametric so that a change to a key dimension meant a lot of changes around the design.  A bit of a pain.

As usually happens when you read someone's blog, you see links to other blogs which then helps you to uncover more interesting information.  This one came from Tom's Blog about 3d Printing, and links to a very interesting software suite that generates GCode for printing. As usual there is a learning curve.  Something to read while waiting for some long 3d prints to run I think.  FullControl GCode Designer.

There are many approaches to levelling the printing bed on a cartesian printer.