When I first began printing I was happy to download and print existing 3D models, but my ultimate goal was always to design my own. The problem was, I didn't have any idea what I wanted to design. But that changed this summer when my HAM radio station (KD9ZDY) started growing bigger and more sophisticated. Suddenly, I needed storage for radio equipment, brackets for radios, cable management devices, antenna structures, temperature management devices and other little things all unique to my own set-up. My two seemingly different hobbies began to merge and dovetailed to great effect!
For many HAM radio enthusiasts, part of the fun is designing and building rigs and kits; whether it's a mobile transceiver perfectly tucked under the dash of their car, a weather-proof travel box for POTA (Parks On The Air) excursions or the perfect low-profile antenna for a basement apartment with a stingy landlord, HAM operators are nothing if not creative and resourceful. I discovered my first opportunity for design work while looking for a mounting bracket online for my ICOM-2730 radio. The accessories available online were just too expensive, so I decided to design my own bracket to neatly connect the head and control panel to the radio body, and mount to put the radio neatly in place on my shelf.
Before this past year my only experience was using SelfCad Pro to add detailing to a mostly-created 3D image. The process was difficult and time consuming, and for the most part I didn't have many ideas for what to design on my own. Most of the things I enjoyed printing, ancient landmarks, Star Trek ships, car and aircraft models were already designed and available to print -often for free. So paying for SelfCad Pro at $14.99 per month just wasn't worth investment. Though the free trial was useful in learning a bit more about pre-slice design work.
My design on Rhino 8 |
So far, my investment has paid off. Not only do I have a bracket and mount for my ICOM radio, I also have a storage box perfectly sized for my NanoVNA network analyzer, a dummy load, and various coaxial adapters and a mini ARRL logbook -all must-have HAM accessories.
Custom cooling tray in-use |
As I continue with both my amateur radio and CAD/3D printing hobbies, I should have plenty more opportunities to design new and useful tools and devices. While I can always use more storage and cable management in the HAM shack, I may venture into mobile radio and take part in POTA events as well as field days in future, and I can already think of different shapes and designs that will help in packing equipment, and setting up a mobile HF station/antenna. HAM equipment is expensive as it is, and accessories, even for storage, can be an additional financial burden and may not fit my set-up exactly how I want it. So, I'll absolutely continue working with Rhino 8 and my Creality printers to create and test new equipment as the need arises. I may even create something others will find useful as well!
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