1U rack case

[dirkenstein]

I have the rather unusual requirement of a 1U, yes 1.75" only rack case to protect a comms base station in transit and when located on an SM's table. Up until now it's just lived on the SM's desk uncased but it's slowly getting beaten up during get-ins and strikes. It's fallen off the SM's table several times, after being knocked.

 

As the SM's table tends to be whatever's available in a venue I don't want to build a table with built-in rack mounting for the base station.

 

To live on or under the SM's desk, it needs to be only slightly higher than 1U and preferably as flat as possible, so its top surface can be used as desk space, and it has the least possible chance of overbalancing.

 

It can either be shallow- the comms station is only about 4" deep, or quite deep and flat (at which point it becomes part of the table surface, really).

 

I realy don't want a 2U rack case, beacuse the extra height means it won't fit on some of the underdesk shelves on SM desks we've been putting it on. A rack bag doesn't make for a good surface either.

 

Unfortunately nobody seems to make these from stock, and I can't really justify the £100+ a custom box would cost.

 

Have you ever seen such a thing, at a reasonable price?

 

Edited for clarification- I mean a flightcase/hardcase, either in wood or plastic, with front and back removable lids, that will hold 1 1U high rackmount device, not a prefab metal box for housing electronics that fits the 19" 1U form factor.

[blueacid]

... got any mates who are handy with carpentry? Surely a wooden surround could be built which would look after this equipment?

[jonathanhill]

If you really just require a 1U case I think that you are in the realms of bespoke or home made.

[tokm]

I'm sure I've seen some broadcast/AV kit in 1U racks before, usually a bit bigger with some foam underneath and above the 1U slot.

 

I know we've got a few for things like DMX splitters, art net distro, etc.. But AFAIK they've all been acquired via eBay or other second hand sellers, so might be worth trying places like that? EBay, Usedlighting or Gearsource?

 

Next time I get a chance I will have a look and see if any of the manufactures theyre made by are still in existence and post back accordingly, maybe you could see how much knew ones go for.

 

Or you could just do as Jon and Blueacid said and make one yourself..

[boatman]

Anything mounted in a 1U flight case will be very difficult to access for connecting and disconnecting cables. You'll need a minimum of 2U and you'll probably still have to take off your watch to get in.

[dirkenstein]

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

I spoke to my usual flightcase manufacturer and they told me they couldn't actually build a 1U case with full aluminium frame and hardware as the parts would not actually fit down the sides of the case. They'd have to leave something like a 15mm gap top and bottom, which is only about 15mm flatter than a standard 2U case overall.

 

I hadn't thought about the access issue. Obvious, really. I only need to get a power cable and XLR in there, but it would be rather tricky to connect up unless you were to put a breakout panel on the back. And then there would be no cooling access.

 

I could buy some rack rails and get our scenic carpenter to knock up a custom protector but I'm not sure it's worth it as the result is likely to be made of rather heavier materials than most flight cases. He loves using 15mm MDF for quick and dirty jobs....

 

I guess that's why you can't buy 1U cases pre-made.

Maybe a standard 2U case would actually still be the best option now, even though it won't fit everywhere.

[PeterT]

I realise it's slightly off topic but we've just invested in a new comms system and the master station is a 1U rack unit. We bought a 4U SKB-type case and put the comms unit at the top, a blank panel beneath and then a 2U rack drawer beneath that to house all the beltpacks/ cables/ instructions etc. We then bought a tool case to hold the headsets, so we now have a complete comms system in 2 cases. yes it's a lot bulkier than a 1U case but no problems getting to the back of the unit and it's all self contained.

[Stan Hope-Streeter]

<br />I have the rather unusual requirement of a 1U, yes 1.75" only rack case to protect a comms base station in transit and when located on an SM's table. Up until now it's just lived on the SM's desk uncased but it's slowly getting beaten up during get-ins and strikes. It's fallen off the SM's table several times, after being knocked.<br /><br />As the SM's table tends to be whatever's available in a venue I don't want to build a table with built-in rack mounting for the base station. <br /><br />To live on or under the SM's desk, it needs to be only slightly higher than 1U and preferably as flat as possible, so its top surface can be used as desk space, and it has the least possible chance of overbalancing. <br /><br />It can either be shallow- the comms station is only about 4" deep, or quite deep and flat (at which point it becomes part of the table surface, really). <br /><br />I realy don't want a 2U rack case, beacuse the extra height means it won't fit on some of the underdesk shelves on SM desks we've been putting it on. A rack bag doesn't make for a good surface either.<br /><br />Unfortunately nobody seems to make these from stock, and I can't really justify the £100+ a custom box would cost.<br /><br />Have you ever seen such a thing, at a reasonable price?<br /><br />Edited for clarification- I mean a flightcase/hardcase, either in wood or plastic, with front and back removable lids, that will hold 1 1U high rackmount device, not a prefab metal box for housing electronics that fits the 19" 1U form factor. <br /><br />

<br /><br /><br />

 

I think one reason they are not "off the shelf" items is due to Boatman's point. The case has to be custom made with a depth to match that of the piece of equipment, otherwise the connectors are not accessible.

 

I have seen quite a lot of 1U sleeves used for items such as BRT400 comms base stations, video switchers, etc. They normally travel in a briefcase style flight case, or fit in a compartment in a trunk housing the rest of the system.

 

A 1U sleeve is simple to make and should be relatively inexpensive, although I know it's not what you really want.

 

Moderation: Discussion of the HTML issues in this and other posts split to a new thread in Issues.

[abbotsmike]

As already said, I think a 1U sleeve would be your best bet. Made out of 12mm MDF/ply, it would be fairly light and pretty strong if made well.

[Rob_Beech]

We have a couple of single radio mics in 1u cases, they're awkward little things to get into the back off, I'll try and check who made them. They're quite shallow, but you could fit a comms psu in them and with them being shallow access to the back wouldn't be too bad. They are as other have said though, only a little shorter than a 2u case due to the hardware limitations.

 

 

Rob

[Smiffy]

I think you've pretty much been answered, but for what it's worth, if I do need to spec a 1U case, then generally I'll add a drawer unit to it and then just spec an off-the-shelf box.

 

Cheers

 

Smiffy