Final Changes To The Shack!

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N1SQB

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My shack was a work in progress for a long time! Finally made the changes / additions that I needed to make to get it the way I want. I can now monitor anything that can be legally monitored in my listening area. It took me a while and a lot of patience but this is the final product. My newest toys are the 2 HT-1550XLS portables, which replaced my older HT1250s. They are fully refurbished with brand new batteries (2014 date code) and F.P.P. permanently enabled WITHOUT the need for a special red battery. I also added an Icom IC-M504 marine radio ( mic disabled ) to monitor all the local marine traffic. The speakers are ALL 4 inch cobra brand, instead of the mixed brands I had before. The only exception is the Icom speaker for the IC-7000 which came with the radio when I purchased it. My next project now is finding a way to power this shack from an external source. 12V car battery perhaps, I havent really looked into it. I want to enjoy my shack a little bit! LOL
 
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APEXNext

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Looks good.... I have one question for you... what MIL AIr frequency are you listening to? I don't live that far from you and I would like to program one of my scanners with that stuff...
 

N1SQB

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Looks good.... I have one question for you... what MIL AIr frequency are you listening to? I don't live that far from you and I would like to program one of my scanners with that stuff...

I would have to see your military credentials first before I can share any information with you! :roll:
Seriously, send me a PM and I will be more than glad to go over what I have.

Manny
 

AZScanner

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Far too neat and tidy... :p

You guys should see my "shack". It sort of resembles a pile of junk on an endtable in my living room with some radios stacked in a corner (usally turned off). Every once in a while, a cord crawls out far enough to catch someone's foot and then some of the pile ends up on the floor. I don't know how you guys keep these desks of yours looking so neat and clean.

I should probably spend a few buck on one of those computer desks I see everytime I go to Wal Mart. That would probably help organize the mess, LOL

-AZ
 

N1SQB

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Far too neat and tidy... :p

You guys should see my "shack". It sort of resembles a pile of junk on an endtable in my living room with some radios stacked in a corner (usally turned off). Every once in a while, a cord crawls out far enough to catch someone's foot and then some of the pile ends up on the floor. I don't know how you guys keep these desks of yours looking so neat and clean.

I should probably spend a few buck on one of those computer desks I see everytime I go to Wal Mart. That would probably help organize the mess, LOL

-AZ

Ha ha ha! I understand you completely! When I was younger I used to be just like that! But with a wife, 3 kids, and a cat, I HAVE to get organized! I might lose someone in the mess! :D

Seriously though, two major events have made me this way. 9 /11 and Newtown. In both incidents I was able to monitor everything I needed to including mil air over NYC during 9 / 11. If I had been as messy as I used to be, it would have been a monitoring disaster. When the Newtown tragedy happened, I was once again at the helm in my shack listening to something else, and caught it all live. I was able to maneuver around, make calls, switch frequencies, etc. with ease because of the manner in which everything was organized.


Manny
 
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Kirk

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Look into RigRunner DC distribution panels and Anderson PowerPole connectors. With a PwrGate (charger/transfer switch) and a 12V power supply, you add a large battery and you're running when the lights go out.

I live in a very rural part of California and can monitor everything with a couple of radios (all analog conventional), but the RigRunner ties all of the 12V stuff together very nicely.
 

N1SQB

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Kirk, thanks for the suggestion, lol! Everything in the shack is running via a rigrunner 4012. All the connections are powerpole connectors! I just need to look into the power gate and some type of battery!

Manny
 

ScanWI

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Great set-up thanks for sharing. I enjoy getting different ideas for those that have been sharing photos of their setups.
 

Kirk

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I just bought a 100Ah gel cell from Amazon for $200 delivered. Good price for gel, and the reviews look good.
 

HopperD

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Now that's a nice looking shack. I'm interested in what we can't see - how organized are the wires behind the radios and the desk?

That's one of the problems I have - trying not to get them all tangled up.
 

Michael-SATX

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Seriously though, two major events have made me this way. 9 /11 and Newtown. In both incidents I was able to monitor everything I needed to including mil air over NYC during 9 / 11. Manny

Manny, on that sad day of 9/11/01, did you happen to monitor any comms from any USAF 747 E-4B's or FL11 or FL77 (no BTS 9/11 takeoff logs for both)?
Or from the North Dakota Air National Guard F-16's (Happy Houligans Squadron) going after UA93 ("to protect the house" ie the USSS monitored comms)
Or the remote controlled KC-767's from Dov Zackheim (CEO of SPC which made the notorious Flight Termination Systems?(pod seen under UA175 clone)
 
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N1SQB

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Manny, on that sad day of 9/11/01, did you happen to monitor any comms from any USAF 747 E-4B's or FL11 or FL77 (no BTS 9/11 takeoff logs for both)?
Or from the North Dakota Air National Guard F-16's (Happy Houligans Squadron) going after UA93 ("to protect the house" ie the USSS monitored comms)
Or the remote controlled KC-767's from Dov Zackheim (CEO of SPC which made the notorious Flight Termination Systems?(pod seen under UA175 clone)

What I remember was either F15s or F16s assigned to cover the NYC airspace! I remember the air to air comms about what they were seeing on the ground. I remember hearing Huntress comms as well! Lots of TOI ( targets of interest) being followed in the days that following 9 / 11.

Manny
 

N1SQB

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Now that's a nice looking shack. I'm interested in what we can't see - how organized are the wires behind the radios and the desk?

That's one of the problems I have - trying not to get them all tangled up.

As I said, Im a stickler for neatness! I have a 1/4 plywood piece behind the back board. I use large commercial grade staples to run wires neatly and directly to the rigrunner.

Manny
 
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