Ham Radio Manufacturer/Products Spotlight: Modular Radio Mounting Frames from Armoloq

Posted by Wayne KE8JFW on July 18, 2025 at 1:58 pm

Armoloq’s Tactical Protective Armor (TPA) Makes a Great Choice to Safeguard Your Transceiver Investment

Anyone who has broken a transceiver knob—or worse—during a Parks On The Air®(POTA) or other outdoor activation understands that costly accidents can happen, usually at the most inopportune times.

Enter Armoloq.

DX Engineering is excited to welcome Armoloq to the more than 180 manufacturers whose products are available at DXEngineering.com.

The Tennessee-based company makes tough-as-nails modular manpack solutions for amateur radio, LMR (Land Mobile Radio), and GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service). Developed from real-world military and amateur radio experience, the company’s premium mounting frames enhance the deployment and protection of radio equipment in any operating environment.

Armoloq’s Tactical Protective Armor (TPA)—a rugged, two-piece frame made from CNC laser-cut 1/8-inch 5052 aluminum—securely mounts to the radio’s chassis. Finished with a matte black powdercoat, the TPA offers a wraparound design that shields both the radio body and control head while maintaining full access to controls and ports

protective metal cage components for a radio — Two-piece TPA for the **Icom IC-705** and **IC-905**. (Image/Armoloq)

Each TPA is tailored to fit specific radios from leading brands, including popular models from Alinco, AnyTone, Icom, and Yaesu. After years of field testing and refinement, the TPA has become the cornerstone of Armoloq’s mission to deliver durable, functional, and affordable radio mounting solutions.

Here’s a list of Armoloq mounting frames currently being carried by DX Engineering. Look for more to be added to DXEngineering.com as they become available.

ham radio in a protective metal cage — The LOQ-IC73009700BK model works with the **IC-7300** (shown here) as well as the **IC-9700** and **IC-R8600** transceivers. (Image/Armoloq)

ham radio standing in a metal cage — Another view of the IC-7300 in its Armoloq frame. (Image/Armoloq)

ham radio head in a portable mounting bracket — Front view of the Armoloq cage fitted on the IC-705. (Image/Armoloq)

portable metal mount for a ham radio head — Back view of the Armoloq cage on the IC-705. (Image/Armoloq)

Yaesu FT-891 HF/50 MHz Mobile Transceiver

ham radio inside a portable bag — Armoloq’s frame for the FT-891 is its most popular model, according to Ryan Jones of Armoloq. (Image/Armoloq)

Yaesu FT-991A HF/VHF/UHF Multi-Mode Transceiver

metal case parts for a ham radio — Armoloq two-piece rails for the Yaesu FT-991A. (Image Armoloq)

side view of a metal case for a ham radio — The Yaesu FT-991A protected by the Armoloq frame. TPAs are custom designed by Armoloq to fit each specific radio. (Image/Armoloq)

portable ham radio in a protective metal case — Yaesu FTDX10 secured in Armoloq armor. Note how its compatibility with the M-LOK system allows the mounting of multiple connectors in the frame’s grooves. (Image/Armoloq)

Also choose from these Armoloq accessories:

Anderson Powerpole Mounts for 15/30/45A Connectors: These 3D-printed mounts attachd directly to the Armoloq TPA using provided hardware for a reliable and tidy solution for relocating and securely mounting Powerpoles^® and other similar-sized components.

close up of a powerpole connector in bracket — Powerpole Mounts for Armoloq frames. (Image/Armoloq)

RF Cable Relocation Kits: These kits simplify the process of relocating the RF connection to a more accessible and convenient position when the radio is secured within the TPA frame. They include one-foot coax cable jumper (RG58C/U), bulkhead connector, and mounting hardware. As noted above, the TPA’s compatibility with the M-LOK system also allows for mounting of other components, such as connections for USB, keys, external speakers, and more.

bnc wire jumper cable — RF Cable Relocation Kit for Armoloq frame. (Image/Armoloq)

Choose from three kits:

Cable connectors: BNC male straight and BNC male right angle for Yaesu FT-817/818, BNC bulkhead connector (LOQ-BNCRA-BNCPKG)
Cable connectors: PL-259 straight, SO-239 bulkhead connector (LOQ-PL-PLSTRTPKG)
Cable connectors: PL-259 right angle to PL-259 straight, SO-239 bulkhead connector (LOQ-PL-PLRA-PKG)

Catching up with Armoloq

OnAllBands visited with Ryan Jones of Armoloq at 2025 Dayton Hamvention^® to talk about the company and its transceiver frames. The company had never presented at the annual May event, but this year they set up shop there after being invited by the folks from POTA, who were located in the adjacent POTA Pavilion.

“They approached us and said, ‘POTA operators are your customers,’ and I said, ‘Yes, you’re right,’” Jones told us. “I’ve gotten to know them. They’ve been great people. They’ve been very helpful, and we’ve been enjoying being out here.”

man standing in trade show booth — OnAllBands talked with Ryan Jones of Armoloq about the company and its products. (Image/DX Engineering)

Jones said Armoloq grew out of trying to find better solutions for taking sensitive and expensive amateur radios where they were never really intended to go. After the company built a frame for the FT-817 that would allow operation without removal from a backpack, the idea behind the TPAs exploded. Eventually, people “would send their radios to us and we’d make a TPA for it,” Jones explained.

“We wanted to take an amateur radio and put it in what essentially would be a hostile environment,” he added. “If you take a radio that’s not meant to be in a backpack going into the woods, it’s a hostile environment.”

a pair of ham radios in portable field bags — (Image/Armoloq)

He said Armoloq’s customers include POTA and SOTA operators, preppers, and hams “who just think it’s cool.” For operators who may be afraid to take their rigs into the wild for fear of harm, ruggedizing them can provide the confidence to get out more and get on the air—peace of mind that’s well worth the investment in armor for your transceiver.

“You could end up with a broken knob on your camping trip, your POTA operation, wherever it is you’re doing,” Jones said. “You’ve got to remember that you’re taking an amateur product into a hostile environment that it’s not made for.”

radios on display in trade show booth — Jones displayed Armoloq’s modular radio mounting frames at DX Engineering’s booth during vendor night at **2025 Four Days in May**. (Image/DX Engineering)

In addition to the comfort of knowing your radio is well-protected, Jones said there are other benefits:

“Another thing about it that’s not as obvious is that having this TPA on your radio, you’re not bound to the standard mounting position. All those grooves on the TPA take standard M-LOKs. You can M-LOK anything to it. It offers you the ability to mount anything to the radio or mount the radio anywhere. You can mount it to the roll cage of your Jeep…whatever you want to do with it.”