Building shack in the roof

[scan_madison]

Hello all. Apologize if this topic has already been discussed.
Due to space constraints, I am thinking about using the space in my roof as a listening station. Space available is around 12 ft X 15 ft. I will obviously need to create a weatherproof room. Since it will be located up high, I won't need long feed line from antenna. And I am hoping interference from things like LED drivers etc will be minimal. Any of you have similar setup? Thanks.

 

[ka3aaa]

have fun cooking in the summertime and freezing in the winter. Secondly the roof truses or roof framing inst designed for something like that. Also you will be trapped if your house catches on fire because you will never know it until its too late.
you would be smart to look at other options like a shed in the back yard.

 

[poltergeisty]

I have always wanted to do that in a loft in a house. My plan is the have a dipole hanging from the ceiling going North-South and another going East-West.

As to the fire thing, those statistics are sometime between midnight and 3 AM if I can remember. But if you want to get to the nitty gritty, then don't run the clothes dryer while you're away, EVER. That's a number one cause of fire right there.

There are services out there like Simplisafe, etc that have smoke alarms that will alert you on your phone. So that's an option if you're really concerned about it.

Is the OP single and not marred? Are there no other souls in the house? I mean, if the house does catch fire someone alert him and/or use a fire extinguisher. Everyone has at least two in the house, right? I do.

Anyway, I'd do it. I know my mom has friends that turn their attic, etc into their sewing room or crafting room. So it's like no one uses an attic for anything.

Oh! As to heat, etc. Just buy some good R rated foam board at Home Depot or Lowes and staple to the ceiling. That should help if it isn't already insulated.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Hoping for no interference from LED drivers is like hoping that you will Win the lottery.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

 

[Fast1eddie]

Just jump in case of fire. Don't forget to take your radios on the down drop. Airborne!

 

[bob550]

I will obviously need to create a weatherproof room.

Are you planning to use existing attic space, or build an addition on the surface of your roof?

 

[iMONITOR]

Hoping for no interference from LED drivers is like hoping that you will Win the lottery.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

My entire home including my radio room is packed with tons of LED lights, no problem. Mostly CREE and Phillips.

 

[iMONITOR]

Hello all. Apologize if this topic has already been discussed.
Due to space constraints, I am thinking about using the space in my roof as a listening station. Space available is around 12 ft X 15 ft. I will obviously need to create a weatherproof room. Since it will be located up high, I won't need long feed line from antenna. And I am hoping interference from things like LED drivers etc will be minimal. Any of you have similar setup? Thanks.

If needed in addition to partitioning the area with walls and insulation of some type you could use an electric portable heater in the winter if needed and a portable AC unit in the summer. You could vent the warm discharge from the AC out a roof vent. If it's a one story home, for emergencies install a hatch or skylight that would allow you to exit through the roof (for antenna maintenance to and maybe a gun turret! ).

Millions of people build offices and spare bedrooms in their attics!

 

[bharvey2]

I think the OP needs to clarify whether he trying to finish an attic space or build a new enclosure on his room. The former has been done a lot of times. As far as the LED light interference goes, it's hit or miss depending upon what lights are being used.

 

[a417]

You will also have to consider what average ambient temperatures of your attic will be, as well as humidity with temperature changes. My attic (similar latitude to yours, but in the north east), just the act of opening up my attic door to get something up there in the winter will actually cause condensing water to form on cold metal (like the nails thru the roof, structural connectors, and tie plates, BX cabling and switch plate screws - very much like the cold spacecraft scenes in Apollo 13) which will invariably cause water to condense on metal cases and components in your electronics. My attic is R60 insulated, and stays several degrees above ambient in the winter and gets as high as 120 in the summer months...which makes it not that desirable to be.

Unless your attic is fully tricked out for year round occupancy and takes insulation, heating, cooling and ventilation into consideration, you might be barking up the wrong tree. Remember that condensation/dew points change with air temp, and then the cost of insulating the space against heat loss or saturation, and you might see that it's not worth the cost of implementation.

 

[bob550]

Judging by the OP's equipment, he'll be listening to anything from HF through 800 MHz. In either case, an efficient outdoor antenna with a well-shielded, low-loss coax feed line will be most effective in reducing RF.

 

[scan_madison]

Thanks for all the replies. Was away so couldn't respond. Based on the answers, I think I am better off not go with my original plan. Keeping the shack warm during "polar vortex" was something I didn't even consider! The last thing I want is to have my radios damaged due to condensation as "a417" warned.

Yes, I am married and that's one reason why I wanted to have a man's cave on the top of the house. Good day all.