Radio Rack Mount Construction

Our radio racks are manufactured using state-of-the-art CAD drawings, which results in precision machined panels.

EIA Standards

All of our rack mounts are standard EIA 19-inch relay rack size unless specially requested - for example the telephone industry uses 23-inch wide racks as needed. One customer ordered 36-inch wide panels for a special project, and we have no problem in fulfilling those special orders. Rack panel height is usually specified in "rack units", one unit equals 1 ¾ inches in height. You will see a large percentage of our rack panels are 2U, meaning they are 3 ½ inches high. Some larger radios, like the Icom 756 and 746, are 4U or 7 inches (17.78 cm) high.

• 2U = 3.5 inches (8.89 cm)
• 3U = 5.25 inches (13.34 cm)
• 4U = 7 inches (17.78 cm)

Since we make 2U, 3U and 4U products we can cover over 90% of all radios made today but if your radio is larger contact us to discuss how we can make it the way YOU need it.

Front panels

Front panels are made from .125 (⅛") aluminum and painted or powder coated to a hard-baked finish. The standard color is semi-gloss black, which is complimentary to most radios. The one color exception is the Collins rack mount kits, which is Collins Gray.

Trays

Trays, also known as shelves, for the RM7000 and RM7100 rack mounts are made of .090" aluminum. The RM75, RM746, RM756 and Collins trays are made of 0625" Paintlok ® steel and will support up to 75 pounds (34.02 kg).

Speakers

The speakers we use have a 3" Mylar ® cone that won’t distort in humid weather or high heat environments. These speakers will handle 5-Watt continuous or 8-Watt peak power, and normally come with a 6’ cord terminated with a standard 1/8 inch (3.5 mm) two-contact plug that matches 90% of all radios. We have sold hundreds of these speakers and have never had one reported failure. And we can change the speaker plug if you need it.