Just Something To Listen To...

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YUKKURi

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I wouldn't really call this a shack per se, but it's just a little something I have on a bookshelf next to my computer desk:

Setup is a BCD396XT with an RH77CA and a cheap iPod dock that was on clearance at Walmart for $30, as well as a $5 phone stand off eBay.
Scanner is monitoring the Greater Victoria CREST system in BC.

yg51.jpg


lz04.jpg

(I have a fairly decent amount of accent lighting... It's really not that bright in-person.)

Quick intro:

I've never really been into amateur radio that much, to be honest, so I might seem a little out of place here. I'm in charge of radio communications for a local event that we run, and I have a UHF-R2 XTS 2500 that I like to play with. The thought of getting a scanner never really crossed my mind until I discovered the ScanBC online feeds about a month ago, and started listening. I was instantly hooked, and it ended up becoming routine for me to fire up the stream first thing once I got on the computer after coming home from work. The online stream was decent enough for what it was, but I still wanted better quality and to take the computer out of the equation altogether, enough that I was willing to do some research and throw down good money for some good hardware, hence why I ended up with the 396XT I have now.

What appeals to me the most about the scanner feeds is that you learn so much about what happens in your city that you wouldn't otherwise know or hear about, unless it was some major event. Even then, you'd end up knowing about it long before it even gets reported in the media. There wasn't really much I knew at first about my 396XT and I still have a lot of learning to do, but a CREST file for FreeSCAN that's floating around this site, and a bit of quick reading, had me up and running in less than 5 minutes. So far, I'm really enjoying the setup.

Anyway, that's my story. Nice to meet all of you!
 

KB1UAM

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Nice setup thanks for sharing. PS nice cat. Also a great time to scare the crap outta him/her lol ;) nice setup though.
 

NE1C4NSC4N

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Hey YUKKURi,

Welcome to RR, and the world of scanning. Nice setup, very clean.

Lots of room for expansion as well :D

NE1
 

N1SQB

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KRK Rockit 5 speakers? Loving them! I have the Rockit 8s in my set up! You can tell who has a cat when you look at the mini-blinds! LOL mine are exactly the same in the downstairs bathroom where his food and pooping station are. LOL...Listen, you could do a LOT worse than to have a 396XT as your sole radio. A shack is made up of what you need and what works for you, period!


Manny
 
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Ed6698

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YUKKURI,
Out of curiosity what is the make and model of the iPod dock? I would not mind running my PSR 500 thru one. How is the sound quality of the scanner coming through it. I always wanted a external speaker for scanner, but never really found a decent one. I have tried a couple and the sound is really not that good if it is not a powered speaker.
 

russellmaher

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I believe that a shack can have one unit or a hundred and one, if you sit there and listen to the scanner and get a good deal of enjoyment from it, then it qualifies as a "shack".

If you add the cute feline (that enjoys being in there as much as you do) then it's a definite shack.

My cat would lay on the desk next to the scanner and sleep....I think hearing the chatter was relaxing and helped her to nap for hours. Cats and radios just seem to go together. :)

Thanks for sharing with us.

Russell
 

YUKKURi

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KRK Rockit 5 speakers? Loving them! I have the Rockit 8s in my set up!
RoKit 6's actually, with a KRKS10 sub down below. ;)

Nice and neat. I'm sure Victoria Police are encrypted. Love the blue lights.
Not encrypted, just trunked. CREST - ScanBC

YUKKURI,
Out of curiosity what is the make and model of the iPod dock? I would not mind running my PSR 500 thru one. How is the sound quality of the scanner coming through it. I always wanted a external speaker for scanner, but never really found a decent one. I have tried a couple and the sound is really not that good if it is not a powered speaker.
It's an Onn Dual Docking Speaker For iPod/iPhone. They're on clearance at our local Walmart for around $30, but I forget how much they used to be on for, regularly. A couple months ago, they were on clearance for $60. They may or may not be on display on the main shelves, so you might need to ask if they have any in the back room. The sound quality is okay. There's quite a bit of low-end since it does have a central subwoofer, but that might also be the wooden shelf I have it sitting on. It's more than enough for listening to scanner feeds, and should be plenty loud enough for wherever you plan on putting it.

Love it! Need to fix your blinds, tho. haha.
If I did, our cats would just wreck them again. :p


Thanks for all the great feedback, guys!
 

YUKKURi

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very nice setup, I do like the accent lighting :)
Thanks!

hahahaha yeah, cats will do that. :-D Is that a Siamese mix?
Yep! Lynxpoint Siamese. We have one boy and one girl. The one in the pic is the girl.

Nice shack, I like the accent lighting. And leave it to the cat to stake out the listening chair. I have a similar problem...they usually win. ;)
She's a hyper kitty and loves trying to play with wires, but soon as I get out of the chair, she usually gets in it. :p
 

YUKKURi

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Nice and tidy.Are those Auralex pads beneath your speakers? I use one for my 4 x 10 bass cabinet and find it works great.Do you find them beneficial?

Yep! Mopads. They seem to do the job fairly well, as I haven't had any significant resonance through my desk since I set them up.
 
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