Photos

Click on any photo to see a high resolution image so you can zoom in on anything you would like to see in closer detail.

Here is a shot of the inside from the top before the internal shield was added:

This is the front panel, removed from the radio. The design is such that all internal connections to the front panel are connectorized so it can be removed without de-soldering anything.

This is the back side of the front panel:

Here is inside of the bottom cover with the PA still installed on the main PCB. Notice the two 'L' shaped heat conductors that take the heat from the TO-220's to the bottom panel. They are usually smeared with heatsink compound but I cleaned it off because I was tired af being smeared with heatsink compound.

More heatsink detail:

I used a scrap of aluminum to make an  L shaped bracket that bolts to the regulators (be careful VRG3 needs an insulator) and to the bottom of the case. The L shaped bracket is big enough to run the radio for a while. the heatsink tabs are not, the regulators go into thermal shutdown. There are two brackets one for the VRG3, VRG5 and Q10, another for the 4 PA MOSFETs which you won't need if you are building the off-board PA. VRG1 does not have a heatsink. Steel is a poor hear conductor so make the bottom panel out of aluminum.

All regulators are fastened to the L bracket with 4-40 hardware VRG3 has a mica insulator and shoulder washer. the L bracket has tapped holes that line up with through holes on the bottom of the radio. Heatsink compound is applied between the regulators and the L bracket and the L barcket and the bottom of the case.

Here is a skeleton view of the PCB that might be helpful for troubleshooting: