The production prototype case arrived last week while I was out of town for a conference. It was actually a bit frustrating knowing that it was sitting on my desk at home – I’ve been looking forward to seeing it ever since we finalized the design. When I got home late last Thursday but took a few minutes to unpack, take a look at the build quality, and do a quick fitting. The result: almost perfect on the first try. Here it is assembled:

The Pi fits perfectly, with the power connector and audio jack exposed. It screws to the “bosses” – the standoffs with integrated nuts – perfectly using ordinary 1/4 #4 screws. I might add a lock washer and go up to 3/8″ to avoid the screws backing out due to vibration. The SDRs and GPS fit just fine, with the GPS being locked in place by the far-end wall of the case. The SMA pigtails hold the SDRs in place and exit the case on the opposite end. The fan, which bolts to the top, also fits very cleanly.

The one adjustment that’s required is a small notch in one mounting cleat on the top. It’s just a bit too thick to slide in beside the Edimax wifi module, so it needs to be trimmed. This actually works out perfectly as it then prevents the module from backing out. The fabricator will be able to make the adjustment at no additional charge (yay!) and without it impacting the delivery date. Here are a few shots of the inside of the case:

I’m duly impressed with the quality of both the build and the material. The case looks great and the Boltaron is very strong. It fits together very tightly – to the point where it feels like a solid block, rather than a plastic box with parts inside. Perhaps that’s a cliche, but it’s also true. The one minor disappointment I have is with the color. I picked “light gray” and this is it… very light. The next option is “medium gray” which is much darker. I may offer buyers the option of light or medium. I need to order a medium gray and make sure it doesn’t have any heat issues.

A final note: several people have asked about future upgrades. Here’s a shot of the FlightBox with a development shield installed:

The shield (or is it a HAT?) fits perfectly inside the case, but it will require a new top as the fan will need to be moved up to make room for the board and any components mounted on it. We will probably offer two options for the upgrade: one is just the card and it will require you to move the fan to the outside of the case; the other is a new top that makes room for the board and the fan inside.

One other detail to point out: note the holes at the end of the case right by the SDRs. Those are lined up perfectly with the MCX connectors so that you can connect an MCX cable directly with the module should you wish. Most people will prefer to use the SMA jacks – they provide a much more solid connection – in which case the holes offer a direct source of airflow over the SDRs.

Question: do you the fabricator to add holes in the bottom for permanent mounting? Let me know what you think.