Storing Transmitters?

[Wayne_H]

I'm certain we each have more than "just a few" TX's Some of our more prolific builders/restorers/collectors must have many, many more! Where & how do you store them? When you go flying or take them to a meeting (for example) do you use their "storage boxe(s)" to transport them?

We've seen pictures of Ron's custom made cardboard boxes resplendent with their reproduction labels. Do others do similar? Ron, do you use those boxes (which are themselves works of art) for transport as well as storage? If so, how do you minimise wear & tear?

I've got a collection of the "usual" ali cases for my modern(?) TX's (typically having come with the case) which provide storage and transport as well as protection from the savage Aussie sun. However, given my expanding collection of retro TX's, I'd need to buy a lot of ali cases - very expensive - and not really in character with the retro TX's anyway I'm currently leaning towards making custom timber cases with foam inserts, sized to each take 3 or 4 TX's. That way I could have a Reed TX case, a S/C TX case, etc. By making the cases a consistent size, I could stack them readily for storage.

What are others doing?

[RON]

Hi Wayne

Great question.
I now always take my cardboard boxes to the flying field with the tx inside. This definitely protects them against the dust and stuff. As for wear and tear, I’m fairly careful with them but when they get tatty I just make another
Also they are a great talking point at the field and basically make the tranny look brand new(old) lol.
For very little effort I think they make all the difference, after all, we spend so much time and effort into making theses little tx masterpieces that I think it’s criminal not to make it a little home to store it in

A few of my boxes are made of 16th balsa and covered in brown paper to look like cardboard

Ron

[Mike_K]

Hi Wayne

My every-day transmitters (converted Skyleader SLX and OS Cougar MK2) travel to the field in a standard Turnigy flight case. I'm not at all precious about them, they get treated the same as I have treated all my transmitters over the years, from the Skyleaders in the 70's and 80's to my more modern Futaba T9C (now on the shelf in my collection). When I use my Graupner Grundig Variophon or RCS Guidance, they usually go in the flight case in the place of the OS.

But I have quite a lot more sets in my collection, a few awaiting conversion, but most will be kept original and I'm slowly getting many of these back to working condition. The first thing I do with all transmitters is to remove their batteries, I have had one too many leak after I've stored it. And I know it's not original, but I replace most battery connectors with standard Futaba connectors so that I only need keep a few 9.6V NiMH batteries for testing or demonstrating. Any that aren't 9.6V get a red connector fitted to remind me that they are not "standard" voltage.

My favourites transmitters are kept on a shelf besides my desk in my office, but the others are put into 40L stackable storage boxes from Argos:

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8755625 ... 1wQAvD_BwE

I then use Correx interlocking dividers (the same plastic sheets that estate agent signs are made from) to stop the transmitters rubbing against each other and any gaps I use foam rubber. Each has a dehumidifying egg to keep the damp away, I just have to remember to check the colour indicator once in a while and regenerate if full:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PORTABLE-DEH ... :rk:3:pf:0

The boxes are kept in an insulated garage, which is also used as my workshop, so gets some heating, but it's usually fairly cool, but they don't seem to suffer.

Cheers

Mike

[tiptipflyer]

Like Mike, I am not precious at all about my transmitters. I am a bad boy, have always been.
I do not use any flightboxes or transmitter bags or even ali cases like most other people.
My transmitters experience the same wear and tear than myself. If they have scratches and dents, no problem, I do also have them, if they look to bad, I will build a new one or rework them.
Wear and tear make my replica- and converted transmitters even look more realistic.
At home, I store my most beautiful trannys in a showcase in my home-office, the others in a cabinet in my workshop. All transmitters with integrated lipos are stored in a metal case for safety reasons.

Cheers
Frank