Rack Mount 6300

Jay -- N0FB

Has anyone successfully Rack Mounted a 6300? I have acquired a Gator 4U wit a couple shelf plates. I'm thinking that this might be my single answer but would love to learn from the community if there is a better answer or some best practices based from real world experience. Tim...please speak up if you have customer experiences in this type of endeavor... c'est vous plait!

Jim Gilliam

On my 6500, I just set in a rack-mounted self and set it on top. It's heavy enough it's not going any where unless the San Andreas Fault decides to let loose.

Jim, K6QE

William Hein

I have a 6700 and use the FlexRadio factory option rack mount ears, they work and look great.

73
Bill AA7XT

Jay -- N0FB

Hi Jim and Bill thanks for the comments. For the 6500 & 6700, the FRS mounting kits are THE answer. For the 6300, the solution is not so clear. The dimensions of the 6300 is much different than the 6500/6700.

Jay -- N0FB

Here is what I'm going to mount the 6300 in. This will allow me to transport my 6300, power supply, external antenna tuner and even my Maestro in safety to Field Day, Special Events, and disaster response sites related to my work with our county's Emergency Communications Service. It will be important that the 6300 is well secured to the 1U x 19" shelves I purchased to go into this rack mount case.

HCampbell WB4IVF

My 6700 and accessories are mounted in a Gator 6U shallow case:

https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/go-box-for-flex-maestro

Everything except the 6700 is secured to shelves with small strips of Industrial Strength Velcro (cut from a 15’x2” roll).   I don’t believe Flex has any requirements for bottom clearance for the 6000 series.  If that is the case you could remove the 6300’s feet and apply a few strips of the IS Velcro to the case bottom, which would easily keep the Flex from sliding around on the shelf (assuming you don’t throw it into the trunk upside down, etc.).  Removing the feet would also give you a little more top clearance. 

The IS Velcro is quite strong and a little goes a long ways.  When I first started using it I overdid it and found it was difficult to pry the accessories off the shelves – now I just apply the Velcro to the bottom of the accessories’ feet instead of removing the feet, since the accessories (including the switching PS) are much lighter than the rig and are easily held in place that way.

In any case, since the Velcro stays on the 6300 case bottom and on the shelf, in the future to go portable again all you have to do is remove the feet and set it on the shelf. 

Howard

Rick WN2C

I too would like to see rack mounts for the 6300. Can't figure out why Flex has them for the 6500 / 6700 but not the 6300 ????

VE2MBT

i use to have a 6300 and a 6500 but... i sold the 6300 because it lack and i find no way to rack-mount it

Steve K9ZW

It isn't all that hard to have straps added to a shelf to hold gear that isn't rack sized.

Roadies often secure the gear this way, even if they also build a cosmetic set of 'ears' or a filler plate to give the appearance of a faceplate rack mount.

I've seen a neat audio setup that used fabricated "pockets"  around a non-standard sized processor, which the roadie used a sort of glove-box for accessories. 

73

Steve  K9ZW

HB9DTZ

Hi all Even if the 6500 has a good option for rackmount, I have done something diy: Flexradio, lightning protection, Fiberoptic LAN connection etc. in one box.

Jay -- N0FB

Well, I finished my project. I think it turned pretty good. Everything including the Maestro and a 802.11ac WiFi router fits inside.

VE2MBT

Rackmount work fine, here is one of my flex in a GO BOX too