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My shack...

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my ham shack

After years of my wifes nagging, I finnaly decided to organize and rebuild my shack.
Many of you will shivver of the thought to tear down your shack, what with all the wires and connections. I tell you it is well worth it! I could not beleive the dust accumulation behind all the equipment let alone finding long lost QSL cards and parts!
After I was finished, I thanked my wife for the nagging. The shack is beautiful and very nice to operate in!
I operate mostly HF and dabble a little on 2 meters. I love to DX and talk on the Marconi Net.
Amateur Radio is a fantastic hobby and I am proud to be a part in it!
73 DE: KB2DHG
Posted by KB2DHG on 2004-08-14

My Shack

When I built my house I allocated a room in the basement. When the builders were building it, they thought "why not make it twice the size?", so it's twice the size it was designed to be, and its still too small. More than 50 Boatanchors, and tons of test gear and parts, and try and sqeeze in a Computer Server or two, with a book case = full.

Maybe in the next life ????

I am NOT moving....

Posted by VK2KTZ on 2004-08-13

My shack is in the laundry room. More kids=less shack space. I don't run boat anchors, so I don't need that much space.
Posted by AC7KZ on 2004-08-09

My Shack

I was fortunate when we built our house to end up with a 180 square foot shack in the basement. It is totally finished, complete with carpet( at my wifes' insistance).
At one time it was a mess, but again at the insistance (pesting) of my wife, I cleaned it up, and made it a breeze to operate from.
Over the last couple of years, it has seen many different rig(s)on the operating desk, but I think that I've found the final setup.My current set up is an ICOM IC765 and FT1000MP MKV Field for HF, a PII for computer things, a packet station, and an old but faithful Kenwood 2M rig. Antennas outside are an inverted vee for 40/80, a Wilson system 36 for 10/15/20, and an AEA Isopole for 2M.
Posted by VE7ABC on 2004-08-07

New Shack

I placed my shack on the second floor in a spare bedroom three months ago. Then I developed a really bad knee so I am in the process of downsizing it and moving it to the first floor in my office. I guess it proves that there are no substitutes for good health and a good XYL! Her father is a ham so she is accustomed to wires, wires, and more wires! Gives me something to do this coming winter! Also look for the sale of excess Stuff I have accumulated.
Posted by ORTHOS1 on 2004-08-07

Keeps trying to grow!

When we moved into the new house, we found a nice little computer nook in the basement. Doors, a little counter, two cabinets for books, two drawers. It works OK, though the TS-930SAT is a little big for the cramped counter space. That, and I'd really like to set up the HW-16 and HG-10B along with the HF and VHF stations.

The part of the basement where I have my work bench is much roomier and has access to the back yard and the path to the attic for feedlines, but it's too noisy with the furnace/AC and dehumidifier. I'm thinking seriously about finishing off part of that space for a shack to get more room.

As more kids move out, though, I may be able to get one of the nice bedrooms upstairs dedicated to my shack. I figure by the time the sunspots improve, my shack will too!
Posted by N0XAS on 2004-08-06

What a mess

When I look at all the pictures from all these different messiest shack contests, I have only one word going thru my mind.....
rookies!
Posted by W0TLO on 2004-08-06

KC0EJR's shack

Let's just say it's a good thing I'm a bachelor. If I weren't, my YL would kill me for having my rigs set up on the head-board.
Posted by KC0EJR on 2004-08-06

Mobile shack

All of my equipment is in my car. I mean ALL of my equipment is in my car. There are no room for passengers and even I have to "shoehorn" myself into my wonderful car. I know, I'm not normal but I love my HAM shack on wheels. 1.8 mHz to 1.2 gHz tx and 30 kHz to almost 3 gHz rx. With 28 antennas on it (no kidding) my car is my little porcupine!

Posted by AF4KK on 2004-08-04

on the road again

i am always in my truck. running so much equipment in my truck sometimes i wonder if the battery and the alternater will survive. oh well i will just keep truckin
Posted by KD5CQS on 2004-08-04

My Junk Room

Back when my oldest daughter got married I finally had an opportunity to turn a bedroom into a combination den, workshop, shack, and computer room. I yanked her water bed, dresser etc. out just about the day after the wedding. I went down to the local Home Depot and bought a counter top and two bases and put in my workbench, installed a flourescent overhead light dropped down from the ceiling and put in a power strip all along the back of the counter top. I put a pegboard on the wall behind the counter top. I then went to a local "Wood-You" outlet and bought a really nice big computer ensemble that wraps around one corner of the room and finished and installed it. My rig fits in another corner next to the workbench. I picked up a big leather rolling executive chair at a yard sale, and eventually outfitted the room with display cabinets for my key collection, more shelving, etc. and now I have a real nice shack all mine. The only negative is I usually have so much "stuff" we accumulate at yard sales each weekend coming in that the room gets double duty as sort of a "throw it in there" room till I finally get it toted out to the garage. Only problem is the garage has now gotten so full of junk, it is hard to move in there too. We try and have a major yard sale for the stuff we don't keep about 3 times a year. I can't wait till November when we have our next one. 73 de KK4DW and please visit my Key Collection webpages at
http://www.goofus.org/kk4dw.html
Posted by KK4DW on 2004-08-03

My Pal Len

After 10+ years of a concrete walled, corner of a cold, dank basement shack... My ham pal Len and I finished my entire basement. Of course the shack layout was "Job 1" however the entire basement came out wonderful. It was long job and a ton of work but well worth it as my 15 x 25 foot sound insulated, super multiple circuit powered, carpeted, well lit, heated and cooled radio room is my little piece of heaven! That should motivate all of you out there to "Go for the Gusto"! best 73 KA2VTI
Posted by KA2VTI on 2004-08-03

My Ham Shack

My first was a ham area ( a corner in the bedroom) helter-skelter. However in the new house I have laid out my shack to be as efficent as possible.
Posted by CODEBASHER on 2004-08-01

My Shack

Wow after almost 26 years of hamming and being divorced for the third time. I wound up having to take a disability retirement.I moved back to my home town with my 10 year old identicle twin daughters. I bought a two bedroom retirement style house,I took the small bedroom for myself and put in a bed for myself and the rest of it was a ham-shack with room for me to also sleep.It worked great and swearing off woman forever,I figured that when my daughter grew up I would move into the big bedroom when they left and the shack would have a sole purpose.Guess what I met a woman on the internet.Guess what I,I married here! Guess what else even,we have been married almost 5 years and she isn't a ham.My daughters moved in with their mother when they got to that age and my young step son took over the shack.So what was I now to do for a shack?My wife's idea, we moved it to the other half of our bedroom and at her suggestion we hired an electrician to install seperate electrical circuits for the radios,computers,and a 220 for my Ten-Tec Centurion.4th times the charm as XYLs go and the shack, even though its still in a bedroom is great.It may still wind up back in the other bedroom in the future,but for now I have this awesome non ham XYL who made ham radio a priority.So you guys who have to hide and hope she doesn't hate your hobby to much,eat your heart out.If you want to see an older picture of it check me out on QRZ. 73 Kevin K8XQ
Posted by K8XQ on 2004-08-01

My Shack

Wow after almost 26 years of hamming and being divorced for the third time. I wound up having to take a disability retirement.I moved back to my home town with my 10 year old identicle twin daughters. I bought a two bedroom retirement style house,I took the small bedroom for myself and put in a bed for myself and the rest of it was a ham-shack with room for me to also sleep.It worked great and swearing off woman forever,I figured that when my daughter grew up I would move into the big bedroom when they left and the shack would have a sole purpose.Guess what I met a woman on the internet.Guess what I,I married here! Guess what else even,we have been married almost 5 years and she isn't a ham.My daughters moved in with their mother when they got to that age and my young step son took over the shack.So what was I now to do for a shack?My wife's idea, we moved it to the other half of our bedroom and at her suggestion we hired an electrician to install seperate electrical circuits for the radios,computers,and a 220 for my Ten-Tec Centurion.4th times the charm as XYLs go and the shack, even though its still in a bedroom is great.It may still wind up back in the other bedroom in the future,but for now I have this awesome non ham XYL who made ham radio a priority.So you guys who have to hide and hope she doesn't hate your hobby to much,eat your heart out.If you want to see an older picture of it check me out on QRZ. 73 Kevin K8XQ
Posted by K8XQ on 2004-08-01

more room for more mess

Yes, I used to have all my ham gear on one of those military type desks, with the wood top and gray drawers. I had my computer on a borrowed desk. I got fed up with the cramped space and gave the desk away to a ham club that needed it worse than I did and the free price was right for them. I got it free and so did they. I went to Office Max and saw a nice unit they had on sale and after spending about $3500.00 I now have more desk space for my mess. I've aquired bigger and better radios and they fit on one of the large desk units and with the corner units I have two computers set up. All in all I have more room now to put my mess in a specific area..I know what's where and it is all where it is supposed to be. My wife, a non-ham supports me and my hobby and when she is watching her shows I put on my Heil head set so I don't bother her and she doesn't bother me. I have a 2/440 mobile rig by my recliner so if I am in the living room and someone calls me I don't have to get up and hobble to the radio/computer room. I am disabled. When I bought my home in 2000 my laundry room downstairs is so large that I was going to put everything in it, but my health took a nasty dump on me and I got worse, so some ham friends moved everything back upstairs for me. I just can't go up and down the stairs like I wanted to anymore so only go downstairs to do laundry and that's it. I am very happy with my setup.

73's Mike, n0mud
Posted by N0MUD on 2004-08-01

Pretty lucky (for now!)

My shack is currently in the second bedroom of a two BR duplex my wife and I shared before we were married earlier this month. I try fairly hard to keep the HB desk at which I operate tidy, but the rest of the room is usually a mess -- the Dremel press and seat usually have bits of whatever I've been hacking at in a 3' radius flung in all directions, there are usually tools lying about, there's a DSS dish mounted on a hardwood barstool parked to one side (for erstwhile AO-40 downlink, :>P) and shelves for books and odds/ends all around. And can't forget that cactus of an Arrow II tilted against the junk box that's begging to have me get too close and bend an element. However, the shack also tends to creep around quite a bit, as I often operate in the backyard beside the canal, or from the screen porch beyond the kitchen. There's even a borrowed IC-735 set up on the kitchen table! The new XYL has relocated to Jacksonville, 8-9hrs away, with me hopefully not far behind, so that's of course the only way I could get away with all of this!! -- 73, Ray
Posted by KA8SYX on 2004-07-29

Ham Shack

Well, I just sort of started mine on a office desk, first with a computer, then a radio off to the left side.
It seems the radio had babies lately and I now have three, two Yeasu's(FT-770 and 5100) and a radio shack(HTX-252) 2 meter mobile . I also had recently propogated a scanner(RS PRO 95) and have two power supplies, one 25 amp and a 10 amp, and a really large wooden speaker(for playing rock music back in the day), that I use for the FT-5100.
I also have two MFJ cleartone mobile speakers attached the other two mobiles and just run the wires behind the desk to the outlet where a UPS back-up and a APC multi outlet strip with surge protection.
My shack, while not perfect, is far from a mess usually, with lots of drawer space to throw parts and pieces in.
It is filling quickly though, and occasionally I will now pick up the wrong microphone(one out of three), which are convienienty mounted in mic holders on the front strip of the two drawer desk.
The Yeasus are stacked on top of each other by the way, with the 252 in its own mobile mount bracket.So I classify my shack as a 2-440-2/440.
73 all,
Bob , KG4RRN
www.kg4rrn.us


Posted by KG4RRN on 2004-07-29

living room

My shack is a card table in the corner of the living room, with mostly all things other than are in current use stowed in a four-drawer unit from Target. If necessary, I can strike everything down into the hold (the basement,) if we beat to quarters (have company,) but otherwise, when I'm in the shack, I'm still within communicating distance from my family. Works, mostly.
Posted by K3ESE on 2004-07-28

Shack

What I really want is for my shack to resemble the bridge of the U.S.S. enterprise!

Of course, the only modification to this would be a Heil mic extending from the captains chair.

"Open a CQ hailing frequency and put that ATV transmission on the main viewer!"

:)

73

Posted by KC8VWM on 2004-07-28

Handheld = base

Well, right now I am living in a travel trailer in a friends backyard, so my HTX-202 is currently my base, mobile, and portible station.

That said, I'll tell you when I find it

Rod KD7ZRO
Posted by KD7ZRO on 2004-07-28

The Shack? Where?

My shack occupies half of a reletively unused den. I have a tech bench, storage units, three tiered operating table, L wing for the computer, a sound system, file cabinents, window and several comfortable chairs. It is great when everything is put together and cleaned up. Unfortunately it looks like a project in progress most of the time.

I have a friend who took the time to build a custom console for his station. A cut out for each piece of equipment and channels for the wireing behind the console. Great looking but a real pain when he wanted to get something out of it or put something new into it. These are for stations that do not change.

When we had 5 kids in the house and space was at a premium, I had a custom shed built, carpeted, insulated, ceilinged, windows and paneled.

Put in electric service, and heat, was planning air conditioning but never got to that point because of the in house demand for the "unused" space in the building. It filled up to the point where I could almost not physically get to the station and had to tough it out operating a very small station from the bedroom. (not a real good idea)

I really envy the hams who have a shack that looks like those in the ads.

73
George
K3UD
Posted by K3UD on 2004-07-27

My Shack

Well I guess I am very lucky that I have a wife who is also a ham. We just built a NEW house. In doing so I took advantage of this NEW construction and designed my RADIO SHACK from the ground up. 3" PVC runs thru the walls to handle wires in/out, seperate AC circuit to power the room, metal screen wire behind the sheetrock to aid in rf shielding. Also had a custom counter built that wraps around one corner. More info and lots of photos can be seen on my website. Visit it today... http://www.w4lgh.com

73 and Happy DX'ing de W4LGH
Alan

Posted by W4LGH on 2004-07-27

My shack is in the process of changing QTH's. Bought a new house and am getting married. The furure XYL picked out my "office" in the new house and did a fine job.
Posted by N0RKX on 2004-07-27

It's gotten more compact

The shack used to be the whole room. Too much and unfair to the other occupant of the home. So I have found ways to reduce it's size and complexity. Now it's a 2 foot wide rolling cabinet with an IC746Pro(yuck), an SB221 (Yaaaay!), and an MFJ989C tuner (again ... yuck). The Astron is tucked underneath on a shelf and a cantenna sits on top of it to reduce the hum. The whole thing has one power switch, can be disconnected in about 30 seconds, and can roll around if I push it. All the coaxial (HF dipole, HF Quad, 6m, and 2m) goes out one 2" PVC tube through the wall.

Much better for a small house.

Cheers,

H
Posted by VE7AZC on 2004-07-27

Shack Attack!!

Yep I have been "bitten" by things in my shack! "Safety first" seems to be lost on most hams! Leaving high voltage out in the open where the unexpecting visitor can get the "feel" for all things shocking! Not to mention that "DONT TOUCH THAT" Or "DONT SIT THERE" command! And no one is allowed to sweep or vacume the floors without first inspecting the floor with a microscope, to find that micro part I dropped last year! Between computers, radios and the occasional unfinished "Super Project" We all are complety afraid that someday someone will enter "OUR SHACK" and clean it without our permisson! If my shack wasnt so cluttered, I wouldnt know how to find anything!
Posted by K7BFD on 2004-07-27

My shack

My shack is located in what used to be a closed in porch. It's 4 foot wide and 12 feet long and my wife says I can have anything I'd like as long as it fits in there. I'll send a picture of the operating position sometime. I have a computer for everything, a Kenwood TS-520 (up for trade for 6 meter stuff) a Versa Tuner II, an Icom IC-229A, my battery backup and another computer on the top for the weather radar.
Posted by N2TMC on 2004-07-27

My Shack

It takes about 2 or 3 days until I am not able to reach the knobs or spin in my chair.
But when it is clean it is great.

Posted by KC0KBH on 2004-07-27

Bedroom Closet

My shack takes up about 1/3 of my brother's and my closet. I really enjoy operating in there. I picked the closet because then I can operate at night without bothering my older brothers too much. I've been really fortunate of the great hams who have given me their rigs so I can operate. I really appreciate it guys.
73,
Tim
Posted by W8LBO on 2004-07-27

My shack....

I do a lot of Homemade stuff.
I'm not very well organized. Four old laptops for different digimodes (all dedicated, soldering iron lying around.
Somtimes can't find the mike....
What a mess, but still I enjoy myself here and it works for me.
Posted by PE1NPG on 2004-07-26

Pretty ugly

How's that for an oxymoron?
My shack looks awful. Unfinished basement (so messes aren't a fiasco), gear on tables (easy to get to back panels that way), power suppies and newer rigs on plastic 3' high backless seats from Ace Hardware under the tables. Some stuff has the covers off, something is always breaking and needing to be hauled off a table for repair and wires are everywhere with tags on them so I can tell which is which. Some day I'll have one of those showpiece magazine shacks..varnished wood furniture, track lights, carpet, rigs recessed in wood so only the front panels are seen (how do you get to the back panels? why do hams like that?)...I'll have all that in about 30 years.
Posted by K5UJ on 2004-07-26

In the Garage

10 years ago, the shack was in a den with paneling, floor to ceiling bookcases, and large windows looking out the back to a large lawn and woods. Today its a dusty corner of the garage. Thankfully its a great hobby no matter what the circumstances we might encounter.
Posted by KX1G on 2004-07-26

I'd say that im lucky. With the exception of having a girlfriend, im not married and I dont have kids. So I have my own radio room with all my desks, computers, and radios. I can go and lock myself in the radio room when the lady watches her chick flicks on the tube in another room. She hates the radio, I hate chick flicks. It works out good. When the room looks like its been blown apart, nobody cares but me. I love it.
Posted by K4UAD on 2004-07-26

Each to access and cool to look at

Its not fun if its hard to reach, so my setup is easy to access and cool to look at!


KI4CFS, Martin
Posted by KI4CFS on 2004-07-25

KS4MT

I am certain that at some point in time and unbeknownst to me, my shack was used as a weapons test site because there has obviously been a large nuclear device detonated in it!!!
Posted by KS4MT on 2004-07-25

internal combustion hamshack

I get more contacts on 20m while mobile than at the QTH. Go figure. That bugcatcher is a DARNED good antenna, and thanks to Frank KM4IE for the April 2000 QST article.
Posted by WA4UF on 2004-07-25

The hole

My geek room is a spare bedroom. My girlfriend refers to it as "the hole." She has no interest in radio, but does not mind a bit that I do. Think I will marry this one!
Posted by N5PHW on 2004-07-25

Shack is where the heart is

It doesn't matter, much. I've had shacks in basements, attics, garages and spare bedrooms -- and once, in the cabana off the edge of the swimming pool, across the patio. It doesn't matter. What does matter is how much you enjoy it!

I must admit: If the "shack" is too uncomfortable (too cold, or too hot), then that's the true sign of a die-hard ham....operating, anyway, in spite of local conditions.

Hamming is where the heart is.

WB2WIK/6
Posted by WB2WIK on 2004-07-25

W2IRT's Radio Room

My home-office is also my shack, tinkering corner, sanctuary and home of All Things Geek -- except for the THX home theatre in the living room and the various and sundry bits on the dining room table. Yes, I'm also happily married, believe it or not!

Everything that can be controlled in the shack is connected to one of five networked PCs in the apartment. This includes my TS-570D/RigBlaster Plus combination and several scanners. Every system is either gigabit Ethernet or 802.11g connected, which in turn is connected to my router and T1-speed connection.

Each piece of gear is laid out logically for ease of operation, so I can monitor everything critical in New York City as well as operate HF simultaneously. Needless to say, all logging is electronic and databases are backed up twice a day, and weekly off-site. While I look forward to moving within the next year (that tower and 4 element SteppIR will look SO nice in my back yard!), I'll feel sad taking everything apart knowing it will be another 4 to 6 months to get it all back the way it was.
Posted by W2IRT on 2004-07-24

My shack

My shack is in a spare bedroom dedicatted to all things geeky. Married with no kids, the new house was built closer to the towers and has 3 ground points, eight feet apart directly below op position in crawlspace. Also ran 220v for the amp, and 4 20 amp circuits for 110v. XYL has HER OWN hobby room. Vince KA8FFM
Posted by KA8FFM on 2004-07-24

My shack

My shack is in a spare bedroom dedicatted to all things geeky. Married with no kids, the new house was built closer to the towers and has 3 ground points, eight feet apart directly below op position in crawlspace. Also ran 220v for the amp, and 4 20 amp circuits for 110v. XYL has HER OWN hobby room. Vince KA8FFM
Posted by KA8FFM on 2004-07-24

My shack

... is an excellent example of the age-old theory that nature abhors any empty spaces.
Posted by SM0AOM on 2004-07-24

20 MPG??

I would have also checked the mobile option but my mobile diesel doesn't get that kind of MPG. The new EPA rules killed that! But I do have a neat corner in our computer room that serves well. It is bigger then the backpack I have for HF Packing too.
73
Frank
KL7IPV
Posted by KL7IPV on 2004-07-24

Messy shack

I'll tell you when I find mine! Last time I saw it there was a pile of QSL cards on the desk in front of the radio, and I could barely get to the knobs to turn them... (two days ago) :-). A clean ham shack is a sign of a -VERY- warped mind!!!

-KR4WM
Posted by WY3X on 2004-07-24

Too Hot or Too Cold

With my shack being located in the garage, I always seem to find the temperature to not be conducive to operating. In this summer weather, my little portable, console style air conditioner can get the temp down frm the low 90's to the mid 80's, if I am lucky. In the winter, two space heaters can get it to the point where I don's see my breath anymore. If I ever win the lottery, my shack will be suitable for inclusion in Architectural Digest. Until then, I guess I just have to suffer through it all.

P.S. I have started to operate 'driveway mobile' from the car these days.
Posted by KG4RUL on 2004-07-24

Never survived FD

Let's see. Took the HF, PS, antenna, and antenna tuner to Field Day. PS went down, so it's on the bench taken apart. Picked up a TS440 from a friend that needs repairs, so it's on the bench too. Plus, we sold the house we live in and will be moving next month, so no use to put back up antennas. My shack will soon be boxed up for moving.
Posted by KE4MOB on 2004-07-23

My Shack

My shack is located in our basement. The operating position consists of an old door and wood from an old picnic table I salvaged from my mother's home. I added electrical wiring and some other things including masonite to cover the door to give it a good appearance and to be functional. I do have a picture posted on my web-site: www.geocities.com/ae1x
I hope to return some of my station to my vacant bedroom which was occupied by my daughter until last Nov. I hope to set up a digital station and an experimental laboratory work area so I don't have to go into the cellar and leave my wife to feel forgotten.
Posted by AE1X on 2004-07-23

Surface Tension

My shack (and computer room) is a good analog of the surface tension of liquids. It has a short hallway leading to the room, and the stuff in the room seems to creep out along the sides of the hallway.

But I love it. I have two adjoining windows at the corner of the room, and my operating position is there, looking out over the neighborhood from the second story.
Posted by AB5XZ on 2004-07-23

Radio Room

I've been a ham for 53 years and my shack has always been in the basement or somewhere out of the way. In my retirement QTH, I picked the room with the best view and the most light for my radio room, and I love it. (Visitor's (especially female) don't like it however!)
I wanted one radio and one amplifier and one PC on the desk, but it's not going to happen. I do high speed CW and most modern rigs just will not run CW in full QSK much over 50 wpm, so if I want to continue with that part of the hobby, more (older) radios are required!
But it is very nice to have a room that is convenient to everything and has a great view!

Tom - W4BQF
Posted by W4BQF on 2004-07-23