I'm pretty temporary with my setup too, lasting until we move, or have a kid 
and I lose my computer room but whatever, hopefully we'll move sooner rather 
than later.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "colin McDonald" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2011 3:10 PM
Subject: Re: GI4OPH Station


> Well, my shack is nothing special at all.
> It's set up in the second bedroom.
> When you enter, there is a closet on the left along the same wall as the
> door.  As soon as you enter, on the right wall there is a long table bench
> with a shelving unit on top.  This holds all the various bits and pieces 
> of
> connecters, drill bits, some tools, sprays, oil and so on.
> The dog has his shack bed under this table.
> Right in front of this bench, or on the left wall as you come through the
> door, is a raise bunk bed type bed, but with only the top bed on it.  My
> shack desk is located underneath this top bunk.  On the desk from right to
> left is the TS2000 with the tw1 on top, then my computer keyboard with 
> HT's
> and charger plugs behind it, and then my 4 channel behringer mixer that
> takes the sources from the radio and a microphone into the computer.  In
> front of the mixer is usually a desk stand that holds the audio technica
> AT2020 for skype and voice recording on the computer.
> The rest of the left side of the desk is taken up with various bits and
> pieces again, such as a magnetic bowl for screws and other metal parts I
> don't want to lose.  The shack is severely stripped down compared to
> previous shacks due to room and apartment size constraints.  I also have
> several guitar amps, extension cabinets and guitar stands in the area
> between the left side of the desk which is near the end of the bunk bed
> frame, and the closet.
> Under the desk, on the left, is the PC tower and a couple power strips, 
> and
> the 23A power supply sitting on the floor.  not the best spot for it, but
> there is no where else really at the moment.
> I plan to get a better desk with a hutch/shelving to arrange things a bit
> better.
> The computer speakers are a 2.1 logitech system with the main speakers
> suspended from the bottom frame of the bed above.
>
> It's all a bit temporary and disorganized at the moment hi.
> Antennas are a tram 5/8's over 5/8's dual bander mounted on the balcony
> railing, and a 20M and 40M hamtenna that can go on to another mount on the
> balcony railing.  Coax feeds through the sliding balcony door, and I have
> water pipe tube foam insulation around the ends of both sliding doors, and
> around the door frame so that when the doors are closed, the two pieces of
> tubing butt up against each other and prevent wind, rain and snow from
> coming in.
>
> 73
> Colin, V A6BKX
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Tim Crawford (GI4OPH)" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2011 5:20 AM
> Subject: GI4OPH Station
>
>
>> The shack here is housed in a 10 by 12 foot timber shed, attached to the 
>> =
>> rear of my garage.
>>
>> It's double skined, with a 2 inch layer of good quality insulation in =
>> between.  the roof, floor and walls are insulated, and I've installed a =
>> large double convector radiator making it quite comfortable, even in =
>> winter.
>>
>> The entrance door faces east, with the 12 foot walls running east west.
>>
>> The door is in the middle of the east wall, with the corners helping to =
>> form a cupboard on each side.
>>
>> These cupboards contain various items, such as shoe boxes of qsl cards, =
>> boxes of connectors, leads and cables and peices of unused equipment.  I 
>> =
>> have also=20
>> several photo albums, at least one for each band, containing a qsl for =
>> each confirmed dxcc entity.
>>
>> A fairly substancial 30 inch wide bench runs along the remainder of the =
>> north side, continuing at a right angle along the west wall to form an l 
>> =
>> shape.
>>
>> Heading right to left along the north facing bench, there is a Rotel cd =
>> player, and a Nad hi-fi amp on top, these are 20 and 15 years old =
>> respectively, but still sound quite good.
>> Left of the hifi gear,  sits the shack computer, an old pentium 2.8 =
>> which is beginning to show it's age,a 17" monitor, with a set of small =
>> pc speakers either side purely for speech, and an external hd.
>>
>> Above the bench are a pair of bookshelf KEF speakers mounted on wall =
>> brackets.  Between which there is a display cabinet containing my =
>> collection of 1/50th scale diecast model trucks.
>>
>> Under the bench I have a chest of drawers, storing around 650 cd albums. 
>> =
>> These are prity much unused since I've converted the whole lot to flac, =
>> and are stored on pc now.
>>
>> The bench forming the other leg of the right angle runs along the west =
>> facing wall, and accommodates the radio equipment.
>> right to left, is a Palstar 1km atu, Acom 1000 linear used mainly for 6 =
>> metres, my Alpha 91b which is the main HF amp, and the FT1000MP.
>> Left of the MP is my ft847 which I use on 6 metres, and a 4 metre =
>> transverter awaiting an antenna one of these days.  There is also a =
>> Kenwood tr751e with a dodgy af gain control, needing repair.
>>
>> Above the main bench runs a shelf on which lives the rotator controller, 
>> =
>> P2000 swr/power meter, the ldg tw1 and 2 meters, and the control box for 
>> =
>> my Steppir Yagi.
>>
>> There are a couple of low pass filters for HF and 50 mhz, a 4 way =
>> antenna switch, and the senser for the p2000 screwed to the wall =
>> underneath the operating bench.  A 30 amp psu also sits under here as =
>> well.
>>
>> The shack  has  it's own ring main, with a master switch.  in addition I 
>> =
>> have 4 8 way surge protected units, providing plenty of mains sockets.
>>
>> Above the radio gear, on the wall are a few plaques and pictures =
>> pertaining to Liverpool football, or if you prefer, "soccer" club,=20
>> of which I've been a fan since childhood.
>>
>> Along the south facing wall there are a couple of salvaged chests of =
>> drawers which store all sorts of stuff, like blank cds, stationery, and =
>> other assorted junk!  My trusty Perkins sits on top of here.
>>
>> This wall also has a double glazed window.
>>
>> Finally scattered around the place are various sundry curiousities, such 
>> =
>> as a peice of the timber mast of a fishing boat I once owned, and bits =
>> and peices of stuff made by my kids in school.
>>
>> The antenna system at present consists of a 3 element Steppir Yagi, with 
>> =
>> the 40/30 metre driven element dipole kit, on a 60ft crank-up tower.
>>
>> I plan to reduce this to a 2 element, to make room for probably a 6 =
>> element Yagi for 6 metres, and a 5 Element for the 4 metre or 70 mhz =
>> bands.  I was hoping to make these changes this year, but due to lack of 
>> =
>> available  help, it will probably be next spring.
>>
>> My next chalenge is to get some sort of antenna up for 80 metres, is =
>> I've really not done anything on that band to date.
>>
>> This will probably be an inverted l, however given that a sizable area =
>> of my garden is paved, an effecient radial system is going to prove =
>> difficult.
>>
>> Apologies for what has turned out to be a rather lengthy post, and hope =
>> it hasn't sent too many of you to sleep smile!
>>
>> Best 73,
>>
>> Tim.
>>
>> Bangor, N. Ireland.
>>
>> Skype:  tim-crawford