The need for room on my operating desk inspired me to rack mount my Collins R-390A and speaker. While searching for a suitable 19" rack cabinet I found that pricing and shipping varied quite a bit. None were exactly perfect for my needs so I decided to build one.

  I made the rack out of aluminum so it would be light and easy and move. Aluminum is also very easy to fabricate. Instead of using aluminum angle for the corners and drilling holes as needed I decided to use a 72" free standing server rack. I shortened the rails to 63" and then had them cut in half giving me the four corners complete with standard 19" mounting holes.

  The side braces are 3/16" T6061 aluminum bar cut as needed. Quarter inch bolts were used for assembly. Dimensions of the rack are: 63" tall,19" deep and 20 1/4" across the front. A 63" tall rack equals 36U. One U is equal to 1.75 inches. This is a standard measurement for rack cabinets.

  The original footing for the free standing rack was used but was narrowed. The wide footing is not necessary. The pictures tell the rest of the story. Make your measurements precise and use a good square during assembly.

  Total cost was close to $175.00 USD and required about 16 hours labor. In the last photo of the rack you will see I added a crowning touch by putting my KC5LDO callsign on the top panel. Now all that remains to do is deciding what other equipment to add to the rack.

  73, James - KC5LDO

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