I must thank my buddy John (AE5X) for this excellent tip.
I was watching one of his YouTube videos some time ago and noticed that he added fold-out feet to his Penntek TR-35.
Like John, I appreciate my radios sitting at a bit of an angle as I operate and these fold-out feet looked like the perfect addition to my TR-35.
These feet are designed for laptops which are much heavier than the TR-35 or pretty much any similar field radio.
They arrive in a small package with an alcohol wipe to clean the bottom of the radio. The adhesive pads on the feet are made by 3M and high quality. I doubt they’ll ever fail. Since they’re designed to allow airflow under a hot laptop, I believe the adhesive should withstand hot summer days in the field as well.
What I really like about them is that the have non-slip pads on the end of the feet that work both when they’re folded out or folded in. It keeps the radio from sliding around on a smooth surface like my shack table.
The operating angle is perfect for me.
Thank you, again, John for the tip. These retail for about $10 US on Amazon.com. I’m sure there are many other types of stick-on, fold-out feet out there (feel free to note others you’ve used in the comments) but I’ll admit I do like the quality of these and think they’re worth the price.
Click here to check them out on Amazon.com (affiliate link).
Nice idea, and inexpensive!
Thomas,
Overall, what is your opinion of the Penntek TR-35. I have a fully loaded KX3 and the Venus SW-3B for field ops but always curious about new (for me) rigs. I do like the way the Tr-35 has that touch of old school factored into the design via knobs for direct function control.
Anyway I can see how the fold out feet adds a nice touch to operating the rig.
Warm Regards, Gary KE2YK
Oh it’s a brilliant radio! Check out my full review: https://qrper.com/2022/06/a-comprehensive-review-of-the-penntek-tr-35-four-band-qrp-transceiver/
Perfect timing, Thomas! Accessorizing now as I wait for my TR-35 kit to arrive. Going to be a fun build with my brother as we visit him down in Mexico.
Inspired by the original mods and the benefits of a single leg for field stability as per the KX2, I did a similar mod albeit using the a wider foot about 4 cm wide. This one has a non-slip surface when folded.
JaneYi 2 Pieces Mini Laptop Stand… https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09LYSXL1H?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
The second foot in the pack has been attached to my QCX-mini!
My thanks to John for the original suggestion.
Richard M0RGM
Clever idea! I never thought about just using one wider foot. I see where that might work nicely.
I have used similar adjustable feet in years past for many of my QRP rigs but they were from Radio Shack, the Giga brand. They had two levels of flip up feet. We’re also for raising laptops for cooling. Occasionally I see a pair on eBay and quickly purchase them. This one is available right now so it is on the way. Thanks to both of you for finding these neat “must have” parts.
Dave K8WPE since 1960
Be careful with the non-slip pads! Mine came off and I can only find one of them. Flip up still works fine but might slip a little.
Max – WG4Z
I’ve got the exact same feet on my TR-35, and yes, the rubber bumpers on them started to come off. A little crazy glue fixed it right up.
A brillant idea which I have used. I have found that only ONE stick on foot supports the radio, cutting the cost in half!