Enclosure Assembly Guide¶

Step-by-step instructions for assembling the single-wide nodebox enclosure.

Parts List (Print Quantities)¶

Qty	File	Description
1	`nut-placer-in-beam-2025mar16-1.stl`	Assembly tool
16	`beam-2025apr25-1.stl`	Horizontal beams
16	`corner-tower-T2025may01-1.stl`	Corner posts
4	`bottom-panel-key.stl`	Bottom panel locks
4	`bottom-panel-stephen-2024sep05-1.stl`	Bottom panels
4	`foot-jul15-1.stl`	Rubber foot mounts
1	`battery-jan02-1.stl`	Battery holder
4	`coax-hole-53mm-25jan02-1.stl`	Coax feedthrough
1	`hinged-200mm-panel-2025may23-1.stl`	Hinged access panel
4	`ninotnc-tray-handle-2025apr28-2.stl`	TNC tray handles
4	`ninotnc-vertical-a4-tray-2025apr30-1.stl`	Vertical TNC trays
1	`control-panel-25may27-2.stl`	Main control panel
1	`ethernet-socket-july30-1.stl`	Ethernet port cutout
1	`fuse-holder-2025apr12-2.stl`	Fuse holder mount
1	`hdmi-and-usb-big-socket-hole-2025apr03-1.stl`	HDMI/USB cutout
1	`power-supply-panel-25feb01-1.stl`	Power supply panel
1	`power-supply-support-2025mar21-3.stl`	Power supply bracket
1	`right-half-with-vent-holes-25feb25-7.stl`	Vented right panel
4	`roof-corner-25jan03-1.stl`	Roof corner pieces
4	`roof-edge-beam-25jan04-2.stl`	Roof edge beams
4	`roof-quadrant-25jan05-1.stl`	Roof quadrant panels
11	`side-panel-jul09-1.stl`	Side panels
4	`ninotnc-panel-jul15-2.stl`	TNC front panels
6	`vented-53mm-jul16-1.stl`	Vented 53mm holes

Radio Mounts (Choose Based on Your Radios)¶

Qty	File	Description
4	`tait-radio-25jan03-1.stl`	Tait radio mount
-	`vertex_Mount_20250421-1.stl`	Vertex radio mount
-	`yeasu-ftm3100r-2025apr12-1.stl`	Yaesu FTM-3100R mount

Hardware Required¶

M3 x 10mm screws (qty: ~50)
M3 x 35mm screws (qty: 4)
M3 square nuts (qty: ~60)
M3 round lugs (qty: as needed)
2.5mm hex driver

Assembly Instructions¶

Step 1: Bottom Panel Assembly¶

Obtain 4 bottom-panel-keys and 4 bottom-panels
Assemble them into a square with the edges and corner posts facing up
Obtain the foot objects
Insert square nuts, 2 per foot
Use two M3 10mm screws in each bottom-panel to attach the foot
Repeat for all 4 bottom-panels

Step 2: Corner Tower and Beam Assembly¶

Obtain 4 beams and 4 corner-towers
Assemble two corner-towers on either side of a single beam such that the hook slots of each corner tower blends into the hook slots at the end of the beam
Orient the 3 parts with the two towers up and the beam setting on the table
Insert M3 square nuts into the two slots which are facing up on the corner towers where they connect to the beam
Obtain a 10mm long M3 screw and insert it into the beam on the inside of the two ends to intersect with the inserted M3 square nut
Tighten the two 10mm M3 screws using a 2.5mm driver
Make another assembly with two corner towers and one beam - including screwing the 3 parts together
Obtain two more beams and attach them (and screw them) into the two previously unused connector-legs on the corner towers of one of the assemblies
Attach the 2nd corner-tower/beam/corner-tower to the open ends of the two beams

Step 3: Join Frame to Base¶

Lay the 4 beams + 4 corner-towers assembly on the bottom-panels and snap them together
Observe the beam/tower assembly and note that there are seven hook positions on each side of the four-sided structure
If you look into each hook receiver, you will see there are slots for M3 square nuts
There are two nut-slots in the hooks at each tower and four more in the hook receivers on each beam

Step 4: Install Square Nuts¶

Slide the nuts into the slots and force them to line up on the screw hole through the face of the beam and tower by using the nut placer tool
Tip: Tilting the entire structure left (30 degrees or so) and right can give you a nice slot to slide the nuts in
Two of the slots are in unfortunate positions where canting can't help - use the supplied placement tool to aid installation of M3 square nuts in those slots
Repeat this process for all four corner towers and all four beams
Install 10mm screws in 24 locations through the bottom quadrant panels and into the corner-towers and beams

Step 5: Corner Tower Long Screws¶

Place a square nut in the inside/back of the corner tower
Use a 35mm screw partially screwed into the nut to force the nut into position on the back (inside view) of the corner tower
Unscrew the 35mm screw and then insert that screw into the outside view of the tower and thread it in
As the 35mm screw reaches the captive square nut, hold the square nut into place with a finger and slowly screw the 35mm into the nut
Remove your finger and then tighten the 35mm into the screw
Repeat for the other 3 corners

Step 6: Control Panel PCB Assembly¶

Assemble the Control Panel PCB with:
LEDs
Pushbuttons
Slide switch
Battery lugs (on back)
2x5 header (on back)

Step 7: Control Panel Installation¶

Obtain the Control Panel pieces (control panel back-shield and boost-regulator platform)
Using four slide-in nuts and four 10mm screws, install the control panel
Using two slide-in nuts and two 10mm screws, install the control panel shield

Step 8: Boost Regulator¶

Obtain the Boost regulator and boost regulator platform
Using four 2.5mm screws and nuts, mount the Boost regulator to the platform

Step 9: Power Wiring¶

Wire preparation:

2x 6" pieces of black/white wire (16-20 gauge) - strip and tin one end 1/4"
1x 18" piece of black/white wire (16-20 gauge)
1x 14" piece of red/black zip-cord wire (16-20 gauge)

Note

The 18" and 14" lengths provide extra room. Cut them to fit before attaching a lug to the other end - do that later, after the box assembly is started.

Split the red and black for 2"
Attach four Negative wires to a single round-lug
Screw the round-lug to a hole in the Control Panel platform
The lug will be on the 'top' of the platform along with the Boost regulator

Wire destinations from the negative lug: - Negative terminal on the battery - Negative bus on the fuse box - Both ends of the Boost regulator

Tip

Strip the two short negative wires to the Boost regulator about 1/4 inch and tin with solder before attaching to the Boost Regulator screw terminals.

Step 10: Continue Assembly¶

Additional steps for radio mounting, NinoTNC installation, and roof assembly to be added.

Tips¶

Keep M3 square nuts organized - you'll need many of them
The nut placer tool is essential for difficult-to-reach slots
Tilting the frame helps nuts slide into position
Don't fully tighten screws until all parts are in place
Test fit components before final assembly

Next Steps¶

After completing the enclosure: