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Technical Topics => Equipment => Topic started by: Fansome on June 30, 2014, 0759 UTC

Title: Handheld radio stand
Post by: Fansome on June 30, 2014, 0759 UTC
I have a number of handheld radios, and I wanted to get a stand for them so that I didn't have to just set them on the table, where they could be easily knocked over. Years ago I bought one of these: http://www.scannermaster.com/Desk_Mount_for_One_Portable_Scanner_p/01-531243.htm

It's great, sturdy, stable, and so on, but at that price I really didn't think it was worth the money. So I did a little Googling, and found a suggestion that a steel bookend would do the job. I went over to Walmart, and bought a pair for about $8. Walmart has some that are a lot cheaper, $2 to $3, but they weren't in stock. These are about 9.5 inches in height, and about 6 inches wide. They also have non-skid pads on the bottom, so they don't slip around.

I had to bend the upright backward a bit to both provide a nice viewing angle, and to put the center of gravity over the main base. It works just fine. I have an HT with a belt "alligator" type clip on it now. I suppose if you had a socket-type belt clip, you could use some tin snips to cut a notch in the top, and that would accommodate the plug part of the mount. You could also put some duct tape around the area where the alligator clip presses, in the event that the radio tends to move around, to provide a better grip for the clip.

I have heard that cookbook stands will also do the job, but my experience is that they take up a lot of room, and they are usually pretty expensive.