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Author Topic: Table or desk for the station  (Read 914 times)

NO9E

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Table or desk for the station
« on: November 01, 2020, 08:00:52 AM »

Do you buy/table desk for your station? Or do you homebrew?

Now I use a cheap cosco 72 x 30 table. But I need a table that will allow attaching monitors and allow installatioin of a board in the back for junction box etc.

Ignacy NO9E
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NN4RH

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Re: Table or desk for the station
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2020, 09:16:09 AM »

If you have a used office furniture store near you, that's a good place to look for large, sturdy desks, chairs, shelving and so on, for cheap. I find most of the affordable new office furniture like what they sell as "computer desks" way too fragile and unstable to stand up to a lot of radio gear weight. I have a 30 inch x 48 inch wood desk. Kind of beat up and I refinished the top but it's very solid and plenty of room. Chair is an surplus ergonomic office chair. Modern design, only a few years old, these cost about $500 new. Got it for $80.

Also have several old wood microfilm reader tables, surplus from a library. Very stable, heavy. $30 each.  I added wheels to them.

So. I would start with the used office furniture store if you have one in the area. If not consider building something.

For an electronics/radio workbench, I built that out of 2x4 lumber. You can find plans for workbenches and tables online.


I worked on plastic top folding tables from Office Depot for a few years, supposedly rated to support 300 pounds. After a couple years were sagging in the middle from no more than 50 pounds of gear.
« Last Edit: November 01, 2020, 09:20:19 AM by NN4RH »
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W6MK

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Re: Table or desk for the station
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2020, 09:30:23 AM »

I would start with the used office furniture store if you have one in the area. If not consider building something.

I worked on plastic top folding tables from Office Depot for a few years, supposedly rated to support 300 pounds. After a couple years were sagging in the middle from no more than 50 pounds of gear.
Any used furniture or "antique" shop could have a sturdy desk or worktable that would be a good basis for a radio setup.

In the past I've found relatively inexpensive ($200-$300) contemporary design solid wood dining tables for use as radio tables or for similar uses. Often these kinds of tables go on sale seasonally or as former display items.

Many work tables built in the past few decades have tops constructed of particle board with veneer or plastic coverings. They will sag with light loads if not reinforced. My current radio table is of this type and holds about 100 lbs of radio gear. I installed a length of (hardware store) steel angle in the middle of the underside along the full length of the top. I used wood screws every few inches to attach the angle to the top. There is about 1/32 in. sag in the middle of a six foot table top; measurable but not visible.
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W1VT

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Re: Table or desk for the station
« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2020, 09:51:56 AM »

I use a solid wood desk with sliding keyboard tray.  It has small pieces of wood glued together.
I found a 24" Dell monitor that has a stand that will elevate it above the rig to the proper height.
But, I'm short, so you may need something different if you are tall.  It  still looks great after six years. 50 lbs on top of it.
I also use a small Herman Miller Aeron --this premium office chair is significantly more expensive now than when I bought it.
The chair is great for contesting. The longer you can stay in the chair, the better your score!

Zak W1VT
« Last Edit: November 01, 2020, 09:55:36 AM by W1VT »
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KC9QBY

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Re: Table or desk for the station
« Reply #4 on: November 01, 2020, 12:03:24 PM »

Hello,

Support the desk from used office furniture store.  Also encourage thinking access behind the desk.  In this forum, take a look at https://www.eham.net/community/smf/index.php/topic,130754.0.html
about rewiring the jungle behind desk.  KE0ZU has a picture and well done to this OP!

I’m currently doing a rewire which is working out well using thoughtful approach to:
0) “dry fit” rigs and accessories....measure thrice, cut once.
0.5) potential future equipment like amps, tuners, switches.
1) operating ergonomics, including under desktop sliding keyboard tray
2) service loops of cables/coax long enough pull rigs away from wall to which desktop is permanently attached. In my case, I cannot get to desktop from behind.
3) cable management using chases or guides; see pix noted above.
4) cable routing and turn radius flexibility. I elected to use RG-8X shorter length patch coax cables behind rigs which transition to RG213 or LMR400 longer feedlines.
Think grounding cable runs, ground bus bars, SPGP use, too.
5) get those ferrites on computer peripheral e.g USB cables.  Length more than you think
to make loops around ferrites.  Same deal for coax patch cables for any chokes needing loops.
6) if shelves are wall mounted, consider modular shelving system for current and future flexibility.  I used StoreWall; there are other options of course.
7) assume future changes will occur.

Beg indulgence for ad nauseum response.  Good luck.

73,  Chuck KC9QBY


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73,  Chuck  KC9QBY

KE0ZU

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Re: Table or desk for the station
« Reply #5 on: November 01, 2020, 02:12:27 PM »

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Regards, Mike
https://mikeharrison.smugmug.com/
Pics and bold print are usually links.

KS2G

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Re: Table or desk for the station
« Reply #6 on: November 01, 2020, 02:59:11 PM »

Whatever you do --desk/table/homebrew/store-bought-- don't set it up against your wall.
If possible position 24" (or more) away from the wall, so that you can walk behind it to get to cables, equipment rear panels, etc.
OR...
Put it on heavy-duty casters (with enough cable slack) so that you can pull it away from the wall.
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W9FIB

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Re: Table or desk for the station
« Reply #7 on: November 02, 2020, 04:06:59 AM »

Put it on heavy-duty casters (with enough cable slack) so that you can pull it away from the wall.

One of the tricks I learned was to route all the cabling to 1 end. That way you can swing out the other end and work on the backside with no tangled cables or have to worry about slack to pull it out. Acts kinda like a hinge.
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73, Stan
Travelling the world one signal at a time.

LA9XNA

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Re: Table or desk for the station
« Reply #8 on: November 02, 2020, 12:23:13 PM »

I used a IKEA kitchen top fiber board plate for my shack.
The plate is about 40mm thick (1,5").
For legs IKEA got plenty of different types of legs (Normal, adjustable and with wheels)
I needed some cupboards and also got them at IKEA.
Prices at IKEA is decent and quality is good.

If you have an IKEA or a similar company selling kitchen have a look and see what can be repurposed for the shack.
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KE0ZU

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Re: Table or desk for the station
« Reply #9 on: November 06, 2020, 06:24:23 AM »

As to cabling and casters, I also put my tables on casters, and for cabling, I use 1" slices of 1-1/2" PVC pipe that I split with a hack saw.   Doesn't eliminate tangles but certainly makes them manageable, and having the rings split often makes maintenance easier.





Two large holes at 90* for the screw heads to slip through, two smaller holes on the "opposite side" for the shank of the screw to go through, and a split for convenience of maintenance.



Note the little extended rear caster mount.   These allow me to push the bench "against the wall" without worrying about crushing the power cords and connectors.


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Regards, Mike
https://mikeharrison.smugmug.com/
Pics and bold print are usually links.

PU2OZT

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Re: Table or desk for the station
« Reply #10 on: November 06, 2020, 09:22:15 AM »

Code: [Select]
RACK
;)
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G8FXC

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Re: Table or desk for the station
« Reply #11 on: November 20, 2020, 08:49:59 AM »

I used a IKEA kitchen top fiber board plate for my shack.
The plate is about 40mm thick (1,5").
For legs IKEA got plenty of different types of legs (Normal, adjustable and with wheels)
I needed some cupboards and also got them at IKEA.
Prices at IKEA is decent and quality is good.

If you have an IKEA or a similar company selling kitchen have a look and see what can be repurposed for the shack.

I'll second IKEA! I have one of their Jerker desks which is absolutely fantastic, but is no longer in production. The current equivalent is the Fredde (https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/fredde-desk-white-10451068/) which is also very versatile, but not built to quite the same standard as the old Jerkers.

Martin (G8FXC)
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KL7CW

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Re: Table or desk for the station
« Reply #12 on: November 20, 2020, 09:12:51 AM »

A few years ago I saw a workshop desk on casters which I believe was around 6 feet long and possibly deep enough for a station at either Lowes or Home Depot. It was heavy duty and had a crank to adjust the height.  I also found it at one of these on line.  My old Costco plastic table is sagging as I pile more equipment on top, so after Covid, I will investigate further and see if it will do what I want.  Possibly even other models of that work desk (probably in the tool or hardware section).  It was a little expensive, perhaps $200 or $300 and I am not recommending it yet, but just wanted to mention it to you for investigation.  Rick  KL7CW
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KD0VE

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Re: Table or desk for the station
« Reply #13 on: November 22, 2020, 07:39:57 AM »

I made one.  Used very heavy duty 4" hard rubber (not pneumatic) tires.  Countertop is 34" deep which allows for keyboard and mouse space in front of gear.  Rear of structure has 6' 2x4's on 16" centers as supports for double row steel shelf brackets so I have the countertop plus 2 shelves.  middle shelf is 16" deep, upper is 12".  both are stout enough for heavy items like power supplies and amps.

construction was modular as the completed structure is too large for a doorway.

hard rollers allow moving the whole set up (which is several hundred pounds) easily to or away from the wall for access to wiring.

Countertop is quartz as I own a granite countertop shop.  However, almost anyone could get a similar top cheap if they went to a local shop and picked from remnants.

I wish it had drawers.

If I was doing it over I probably would've made it "L" shaped and added built-in cable raceways.
I would investigate buying a stout old wood desk and incorporating it into a structure with the caster and shelf supports.  Probably will do that eventually as a winter project.

my 2 cents.
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N1RND

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Re: Table or desk for the station
« Reply #14 on: November 25, 2020, 09:55:47 AM »

My radio desk is an old 60's style steel office desk that someone was throwing out. 
I repainted and laminated a new surface on it.  Built like a battleship.  These and the solid oak ones show up on Craigslist for  free all the time. As do filing cabinets too.
My workbench is homebrew, 4×8 3/4" plywood and 2×6's.  1 can leave a 100 lb. object on it for weeks and no sag.
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