What is a clean cab radio? It is a two-way VHF radio that fits the standard AAR (American Association of Railroads) locomotive control stand. Most of the stand have a standard size opening to hold the radio.
There are a number of manufactures that have produced these radios in the past (Motorola, GE, Ritron, JEM, Wabtec, etc.) The most common feature of these radios is the standard layout design along with receptacles for handsets, power, coax and accessory.
A number of people believe these radios will only run on the the 72VDC standard that locomotives have for auxiliary devices. To the contrary, these radios can run on 12VDC power, which was needed for bench testing and static applications.
The power plugs for these radios are four pin Amphenol connectors and can be quiet expensive ($40+).
Someone asked me about powering one, so I decided to make up a power cable for one. This cable is only to receive purposes due to the gauge (transmitting draws far more power), not to mention most collectors would be transmitting illegally – unless they were say an amateur radio operator and had reprogrammed the radio to the two meter ham band.
To make the power cord I used 16 AWG wires (red and black obviously!) and connected female Molex connectors to them. I crimped, soldered and heat shrunk the connectors to make it look nice and neat.
Once the cable was done, I connected the other end of the wires to a regulated 12VDC supply and walla it powered up!
In closing, this is a prime example of making a solution for a somewhat expensive connector. Solutions to problems can often be found laying around in a parts box. All it takes is a couple minutes of thought to develop a decent outcome to a problem.
If you are in need to a cable and do not wish to order a bulk package of Molex connectors, reach out and let me know. I am sure I could throw one together quick for a very reasonable cost.
Another nice post. Thanks, Will!