I have used 3/4 inch veneer plywood and/or  1X12 clear pine for shelving and risers.
The risers have dado cuts and the shelves are glued and screwed.
Along the front and back I use 1X2's on edge for support.
Add edge moulding, fill all holes, sand.
I like natural wood, so I stain and polyurathane.
If you have some basic woodworking skills the end product is good looking, sturdy and easy to keep clean.

Jim

It is called "thru-put" and the use of standardized abbreviations began with land line telegraphy.
Western Union and wireless carriers charged by the letter.
The use of abbreviations or coded messages (there were standard code books)would save considerable expense.

Jim

I used a bug for years and really liked it, but an electronic keyer is easier on the hand.
With either one practice, practice, practice!!!!(off the air)

The CQWW contest was last weekend.  Saturday night 40CW was very noisy with weather related QRN.  Sunday night the band was quiet and chock full  of DX.

Jim

Yes, DX’ing is fun and QSL’ing is expensive.
Just because a DX station does not ask for postage does not mean he does not need/want it to return your card.  Postage is expensive for the DX station too.
Try using the QSL bureaus (BURO).  They are cheap but slow.  Expect to wait a year or so for a reply.

It works like this; you bundle up your cards and send them to the ARRL, they send them to the foreign QSL Bureaus.  The DX station does the same on his end and you receive them through your local QSL bureau.

Most “garden variety” QSL’s are handled by the ARRL Bureau, see ARRL.ORG for cost and mailing addresses.  You should also look into the ARRL LOTW for electronic QSL’s.

Gud DXing
Jim

Yes, if the feedline is a multiple of a 1/4 wavelength.
See the various Handbooks for specific information.
The easiest way to couple a dip meter to a PL-259 is with an SO-239.
Make a small loop, the size of the dip-meter coil, and solder it to the SO-239.
Use just enough coupling to get an indication.

Jim

There is an AC line filter built into the Collins R-390.
This is a known problem with the radio.
Its not easy, but you can remove the filter, most fellows remove the GFI.

Jim

A solid door makes a great table and I used one for years.  During the last shack rebuild I was looking for something more furniture like. (read,  the wife insisted I clean up the shack)
Bush furniture makes desk modules in a variety of shapes and sizes.  They are very strong, have a Formica top and come in various colors.  As a bonus they have cutouts for wires and cable trays on the back apron.
My configuration is a large “U” that holds two radio stations, computer, printer, etc. and a second, non-radio, computer  position.
The tables can be fitted with drawers and keyboard slides.  Bush has top shelving options, but I built shelves to fit and stained them to match the Formica tops (cherry)
Staples and Office Max carry the line.

Jim

I'll add one to the "DOH" list.
I refurbed my old Heath HO-10 monitor scope.  It worked like a charm with the new parts. A three wire cord and an internal fuse block were added.
I placed it back in the operating position and in about 15 minutes it blew the fuse.
Back on the bench, everything is fine, back in the operating position, the fuse blows.
I go throught this several more times.

Finally, a friend suggests placing the scope right side up on the workbench (we all turn the rigs over to work on them)

Everything is fine and while I am staring at the scope the solution hits me, DOH!!!

I placed the new fuse holder right over one of those nice hot compactron tubes.  It took about 15 minutes for the tube heat to stress the fuse. (upside down it worked fine on the bench)

A small heat deflector solved the problem.

Jim

I can help with the Johnson-R-390A and Viking question.
What do you want to know?

Jim

The carpet is installed with tackless strips around the border of the room.  They just whack'em into the concrete. (they might have used adhesive in a few areas)
The padding is laid and the carpet stretched. Just like you would install it on a wood floor.

The first carpet in the playroom was down for 15 years. The second and shack carpet about five years.  It has been subject to all the usual spills and dirt any carpet is subject to.
A wet/dry vacuum is handy for the occasional water problem.

Jim

The carpet and padding is the insulation.  A basement floor is below the frost line in many places.

With the outside temperature 35 degrees. The room is 69 and the carpeted floor is 62.  In the workshop the concrete floor is 55.

Jim

HD has some plastic "inspection ports" They are about 4X6 inches and make a clean hole in sheetrock for coax runs.  (mine is near the floor)

Why a sub-floor? I use carpet sold for wet areas with a water resistant padding.  It is installed righton the concrete.

For lighting I use high-hats with incandescent lamps.  Great overhead lights and no noise.

The ceiling is acoustical tile with an inch or so clearance to the beams. (tight, but can be done)

For desks I went to office/depot/Max and bought modular office furniture.  Sturdy with attractive laminate tops.  I added drawers and under shelves for power supplies, etc.

I have never found commercial "computer or office" shelves adequate for Ham Radio, so I built my own and stained and finished them to match the laminate tops.

Run a copper pipe along the underside of the desk(s) for a ground terminal.

Lots of AC outlets!  I used a few in the wall for the heavy loads (110 and 220VAC) and made my own junction boxes with brute force RF filters.  The junction boxes are attached to the underside back of the modular desks.

any questions?

Jim

Sorry, but after hanging on to them for years I ditched all my old callbooks a few weeks ago. It figures.....

Jim

I use Logic for daily logging and N1MM for contesting.  In my opinion there is no daily logger that satisfies contest contest logging requirements and no daily logger that is useful for contesting.
At the end of a contest I import the contest log into the daily logger and maintain one one logger for all QSO's.

Jim