The Nearly Universal Radio Carrier Final Chapter - A Kydex Quickie for KX-style Radios

Executive Summary (don't you feel important?)

The Radio Carrier dead horse gets its final beating with this Quickie KX Carrier.  

This post shows how quickly an effective system can be built from scrap Kydex and an off-the-shelf PALS-equivalent panel.


The Nearly Universal Radio Carrier Final Chapter - A Kydex Quickie for KX-style Radios

The blog last discussed the possibility of some "cheats" to make a radio carrier project cheaper or quicker.

This is a proof-of-concept zero to done "Kydex Quickie" project.  It took about two hours.  Might be a way for you to decide if a "shack-in-the-pack" is silly or super.

Some people don't keep their garage full of scrap metal or metal-working tools.  I shouldn't.  

My scrap metal shelf was made using a jig saw, a drill and a file.  But some people don't have even those, or don't want to fiddle with metal. Can we use scrap Kydex instead? 

Short answer is a qualified YES!

Look below. The left picture is the front of the Kydex Quickie bracket, the right the back.  It took about five minutes with a metal ruler and box cutter to score and break-off the three required pieces.

The four shiny metal objects are pop rivets.  From that same six dollar Harbor Freight rivet kit.  You could use screws, washers and nuts like Mystery Ranch did on the PRC-155 sling. But why tempt fate.  

And there is a new shiny object in the right-hand picture. This is a 1/4-20 camera mounting screw. The screw head has a semi-circular ring that flips up to help you tighten it.  You could use the knurled nut system used earlier.  This screw is much smaller, but still provides leverage needed to adequately tighten the screw. And this screw doesn't protrude into the back of the pack like the double-nutted one used to hold the bracket in place on the original shelf. 

 


I used the 5.11 Tactical Hex Grid Gear Set as the PALS-equivalent system for the Quickie.  You can see it below mounted in a 5.11 AMP 10 pack.  I'm not schilling for 5.11 Tactical, it's just that this particular pack and gear set is easily configured for different "missions" - AMP means "All Mission Pack".  Rumor - this series will be discontinued soon, big sale on-going.

The AMP 10 has mounting loops to support the Hex Grid panel, and the pack has loop material across its entire back.  This is overkill for keeping the panel in place. You would have to adapt as we've discussed previously if you had no attachment features like the suspension loops or loop material back.  The suspension loops would be easy to add to any pack, and if you had nothing else, a belt across the bottom would be a good idea.

Note that without any re-enforcement, the Hex Grid is floppy.

As you already guessed, the Quickie slides right into the Hex Grid panel, if you've followed the PALS system requirements.  The tine ends are square. Not good. I should have tapered the ends of the tines for easier insertion.  And the tines are a full one inch wide, better might be 7/8 of an inch. Again, to aid insertion.

But especially note the hydration bladder suspension loop.  This loop is located just behind the adjustable bracket. The loop secures the top end of the Quickie by passing through an aperture in the panel and then fastening to itself.  This pulls the Quickie up and back in the pack. 

Judicious use of the bladder suspension loop remediates the otherwise general floppy nature of the Quickie system.  The perspective shot below shows how that loop draws the panel to the back pack pack back. Yes, that's correct. Back pack pack back, no matter what the grammar checker says.😎


These last three pictures show the entire KX-family safely nestled in the pack.  It takes about 30 seconds to switch from one radio to the other.

I doubted that this system would handle the KX-3, but it's OK. I prefer the stiffer systems in the earlier posts, but as a proof-of-concept exercise, this works.

The Quickie might be better with stiffer (thicker) Kydex. In any event working with Kydex is a dream compared to metal. No painting or filing or sawing - just score the pieces, break them off, and drill any holes needed.
 
YMMV, OM, but have fun!  I promise we're done with this radio carrier nonsense for now, other than to post any improvements folks suggest.





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