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Manager - AB7RG
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Windows for Your Ham Shack

Created by Paul Signorelli, W0RW on 2022-01-20

 

Windows for Your Ham Shack

 

   My Shack got allocated to the lower level of our house. It is in a corner in the basement and there are no windows to the outside world.

 

   These days HD Color cameras from China are extremely inexpensive, So I decide to install my own “surveillance camera system.”

 

   None of these systems are ‘wireless’ because there always has to be a 12V power line to the camera. I used multiconductor cable to connect the cameras to my shack. This cable was surplus and had 16 wires and 2 coax cables in it.

 

   I used the poorly described HD Color cameras from eBay and added a 4-channel color processor and a 1 TB recorder.

 

   The Color cameras also have IR Light Emitting Diodes (IR LED’s) that gives good night time coverage. I supplemented the internal LEDs with external LED Spot Lights.

 

   I now have 7 of these cameras running and they have been operating for over 2 years through the environmental extremes of Colorado. I just hung them under the eaves of the house or mounted them inside a water proof case.

 

   These Cameras are running about $20, and the controller about $125. The controller allows split screen display. All my displays are old Computer monitors that cost about $50. The video recorder was about $125.

 

   You have to make sure that the camera has the correct format for the displays.

 

   Now I can watch the outside world from my bunker ham shack.

 

Paul   w0rw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

W4KVW2022-02-23
Windows for Your Ham Shack
We built our home in 2002 & we added a 12X12 room which is my Ham Radio Shack/Man Cave & I opted for Zero windows.It has central heat & air from the unit for the rest of the house but with all of the gear connected it got rather warm in here so just over a year ago I opted to add a window for a 6000 BTU AC Unit so it required that I put in a window for the window unit.It's behind me in my operating position & I much prefer not having it because of the extra light on the screen of every radio on either of my desks.I am considering covering the exposed glass area with aluminum foil so it 100% Blocks all of the extra glaring light.I prefer not having it so I'd guess that it's about to go away since blinds still let strips of light through.
W0RW2022-02-01
Re: Windows for Your Ham Shack
ps: To eliminate RFI, you need to use 12V DC Linear power supplies,
Not those little switching power supplies.
Use Linear supplies for all your shack accessories.
Paul w0rw
Reply to a comment by : W0RW on 2022-01-28

i use Schaffner FN2080-3-06 Power Line Filters on each camera power line and clamp-on ferrites for leaky Video coax. See article on how eliminate RFI: https://www.eham.net/article/42848 Paul w0rw
Reply to a comment by : KT4WO on 2022-01-24

"And now have a strange S-9 noise level when it used to be almost nothing. LOL " That's why mine was shut down right after install. Powering from my shack supply(RS-70) helped but didn't stop the issue. I turn it on when I leave.
W0RW2022-01-28
Re: Windows for Your Ham Shack
i use Schaffner FN2080-3-06 Power Line Filters on each
camera power line and clamp-on ferrites for leaky Video coax.
See article on how eliminate RFI: https://www.eham.net/article/42848
Paul w0rw
Reply to a comment by : KT4WO on 2022-01-24

"And now have a strange S-9 noise level when it used to be almost nothing. LOL " That's why mine was shut down right after install. Powering from my shack supply(RS-70) helped but didn't stop the issue. I turn it on when I leave.
KT4WO2022-01-24
Windows for Your Ham Shack
"And now have a strange S-9 noise level when it used to be almost nothing. LOL "

That's why mine was shut down right after install.
Powering from my shack supply(RS-70) helped
but didn't stop the issue. I turn it on when I leave.
GRUMPY20212022-01-22
Windows for Your Ham Shack
And now have a strange S-9 noise level when it used to be almost nothing. LOL