Since the KX1's controls stick out the top, it's been pretty much imperative
that it be carried in a hard padded case. It will fit in a smaller, soft
camera case though, so a couple years ago, I decided to make a protective
cover using one of those fiberglass repair kits you can buy just about
anywhere for about $10 and it's worked real well. Although it's fairly cheap
& easy to do, it's not for the faint of heart or someone who's careless!
First, I made a round sleeve to protect the tuning knob and a U-shaped piece
for over the other knobs out of thin cardboard, taping them into place with
that blue tape that painters use. Then I cut holes for the switches in a
thicker piece and taped it over them. Next, I carefully, but not tightly,
wrapped two layers of plastic wrap around the rig & taped it together on the
bottom. I applied a paper towel over that, taping it on the bottom, and
snuggly wrapped the whole thing in aluminum foil with the seams at the
bottom.
Next, following the kit's directions, I applied two layers of fiberglass to
the top & down the sides, holding it tight, especially in the corners, with
about a dozen rubber bands. I let it hang straight down from the antenna
connector, though. After it dried, I carefully removed everything, pulling
excess foil from inside the cover (I actually used etchant to remove all the
foil, but it's not necessary), and trimmed it so it would extend about ¾ way
down the sides. I trimmed it up around where the earphone plug would be
though, so I could leave the phones plugged in, if desired. The trimming
left some rough edges, so I mixed up another small amount of epoxy and
sealed everything.
After the cover was completely dry, I cut out & applied pieces of stick-on
felt to the inside corners & several other spots, which keeps the rig from
being scratched & creates a snug fit. The end result - I'm able to carry my
KX1 in about anything it will fit in, and the only abuse the controls get is
from me using them.
Denny Payton N9JXY
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