rlrenz
Explorer
Back before I became an ambulance fan, I had decided to modify a military radio shelter into a unit that could be stuffed into a trailer, or into the rear of a pickup truck. Shelters come in many sizes, with the S-250 about the best for what I wanted to do. The 250 was designed to slide into a standard 8 ft pickup box, and I could also slide it into my handy-dandy utility trailer. They only weigh about 750 Lbs empty since they are a composite structure built from aluminum extrusions and foamed urethane panels. They have a layer of 1/8" wood bonded to the structure to provide a thermal isolation. The skins are thin, though - about 0.040", so you don't drill & tap for a screw, you use a Riv-Nut.
They are found in many versions - some have air conditioning, some are used with radio equipment, some are used for telephone systems, some have been modified into aircraft control towers - but all of them are solidly built, and can be powered with 120 VAC and 28 VDC. Power inlets are filtered to prevent radio interference as well.
They also come with a peep hole so the user can verify the identity of a visitor before the door is opened (more important in Vietnam than is North Dakota, probably...), and they normally also come with a rifle holder and a helmet hook.
I was able to scare an S-250 shelter up that a friend of mine had purchased and wanted to sell. Like many of the shelters, it was originally used to house radio teletype equipment (RTTY). Nearly all the equipment was gone when I got it, other than an elderly teletypwriter and some support racks. The military had also de-militarized it with a sledge hammer, so light fixtures and other things had to be replaced. Somewhere along the line, a gorilla driving a forklift had harpooned the side as well.
Once I got it emptied out, I tracked down copies of the appropriate manuals to see what I could learn. I found out that a side puncture was a common occurrence, and the manual explained exactly how to repair it. The light fixtures were replaced with a couple of trouble lights for a short term answer.
They are found in many versions - some have air conditioning, some are used with radio equipment, some are used for telephone systems, some have been modified into aircraft control towers - but all of them are solidly built, and can be powered with 120 VAC and 28 VDC. Power inlets are filtered to prevent radio interference as well.
They also come with a peep hole so the user can verify the identity of a visitor before the door is opened (more important in Vietnam than is North Dakota, probably...), and they normally also come with a rifle holder and a helmet hook.
I was able to scare an S-250 shelter up that a friend of mine had purchased and wanted to sell. Like many of the shelters, it was originally used to house radio teletype equipment (RTTY). Nearly all the equipment was gone when I got it, other than an elderly teletypwriter and some support racks. The military had also de-militarized it with a sledge hammer, so light fixtures and other things had to be replaced. Somewhere along the line, a gorilla driving a forklift had harpooned the side as well.
Once I got it emptied out, I tracked down copies of the appropriate manuals to see what I could learn. I found out that a side puncture was a common occurrence, and the manual explained exactly how to repair it. The light fixtures were replaced with a couple of trouble lights for a short term answer.
