ouR escaPOD mods

I just finished a mod to get access to that space by the door. In the 2021 179, they gave us a 7 cubic foot fridge/freezer. It works great.  A pleasant surprise! The convection/microwave was installed under the counter in the space by the door under the cooktop. There was almost a 12" high space, roughly 24" by 30" left unused under the conv/microwave.. A rubber gas line ran vertically through the space  and some wires ran across the back. I relocated the gas line to better use the space.

The big problem was how to make a door. The cabinetry around the access to the space was like a picture frame. There was a panel stapled to the back of the face frame that was easy to knock loose. How to make that panel into an easy to use door?  The answer is magnets.  First I added a 5mm baltic birch to the back of the panel. I mounted a drawer handle on the panel. I drilled some tiny location holes through the cabinet face frame and the panel. I drilled out the location holes to 1/2" and deep enough so the magnets would fit flush. . I glued some 1/2" diameter magnets in the 1/2" holes careful of the polarity. 

So far we have small folding chairs, foot stools, side tables and extra water hose in that space. This freed up space in the forward storage area under the bed.

One problem with ham radio is in running cables for antennas and if needed, an antenna tuner. I had resorted to trying to fit the cables in the space between the slide-out and the wall through the space with the rubber seal or through the window. I was concerned with damaging the rubber seal and through the window is an issue that there is then a gap  that can let insects in. I could have made a plug to fit in the window, but I decided to do something that would work and not block the view from any window. I decided to make a pass-through that would go into the wall below the slide-out and the cables would be inside the front ottoman. 

Because I use an Icom IC-7100, which supports HF, VHF, and UHF operations, I needed to run two antenna cables and a cable for the AH-4 antenna tuner for the Eagle One antenna I use when portable operation. So, now I will just need to move the radio in its carrier and the head unit from the truck to the RPod when I want to switch from mobile to portable operations. I till make it nicer for Field Day.

Outside view:

Inside view:

I sealed it with Lexel clear sealant. It should provide excellent protection without the down-sides of silicone. It is also can be painted if necessary or desired. The black sealant is liquid electrical tape.

The last part modified was to add a notch to the side of the ottoman in order to pass the wires through. That way, they can be coiled up out of the way when not being used, but fed though while still allowing use of the ottoman.

If wanted, one could use SO-239 connectors, but I decided on BNC connectors because they are waterproof while connected and the cover makes them waterproof while not being used.