My Home Shack

[btlacer]

Well here is my set up i have in my apartment. I have my Yaesu FT-2800, 2 meter Mobile rig with a Hustler 5/8 antenna hung up in my attic with a garbage can lid attached to the bottom. I can open repeters a good 70 to 80 miles away. "As the crow flies" I then have my Bearcat 780XLT which I have local and area emergency services programmed in it. I also have aircraft and military stations here in Kentucky programed it also. The antenna on the 780 is a Radio Shack base scanner antenna model. I have a TV signal amp. in line with the antenna. It works very well. I then have my Radio Shack DX-394 General Communications Receiver. For the antenna I use my apartments rain gutters! You would not imagine how well it works. I was picking up Cuba Radio last night with a 5db on my signal meter. And finally I have my Motorola HT-1250 "not pictured" I use for my local Fire Department. I have my local Ham Repeater programed into it so if our local 911 center lost radio communications I would have our ham repeater for back up! Got to think a head!

Thanks for looking

 

[snikliw87]

Very nice! Any antenna pictures?

 

[btlacer]

no sure don't but I guess I can take some and post them.

 

[RDCat]

how is your ant used on your rain getter?

 

[btlacer]

I have 12 gauge wire attached to it. My gutters are metal and I scraped the paint off one small spot and attached the 12 gauge wire to the gutter with a tek screw. I then ran the wire down to my DX-394. I use alligator clip to attach the wire to the radios telescopic antenna. It REALLY WORKS GREAT!

 

[CharlesDom]

Hey btlacer. Nice set up, I never thought about using the rain gutters. One question though; is the gutter grounded? That could be a little dangerous if struck by lightening.

 

[btlacer]

No I don't have them grounded. I do have a ground rod in the ground next to the gutter. I guess I need to run the wire up to it and get it grounded.

 

[hoser147]

Nice shack.............Hoser

 

[Grog]

Hey btlacer. Nice set up, I never thought about using the rain gutters. One question though; is the gutter grounded? That could be a little dangerous if struck by lightening.

While grounding any antenna is a good idea, if that gutter takes a direct hit, ain't nothing but luck is going to protect that radio.


I lost an all-mode HF receiver to a lighting strike that hit about 200 feet away while just sitting on a desk, no antenna hooked up (or extended) and no AC power used. It was just sitting on a table when the magic smoke was let out


I need to check if my apartment's gutters are metal, I could try that with my RS-398.

 

[RESCUE4NFD]

Nice shack...

 

[scannerpro]

Good Shack Set up! I like it!

 

[hippieman556]

i like you setup

 

[spiritwolfpr]

Hello Friends:

No bad...No bad at all...

 

[rfrf]

Nice setup btlacer

Hey nice neat setup there. Great idea using the rain gutter as a receiving antenna. I've heard of others using it for transmitting off as well.

 

[ShawnInPaso]

Looks good!