N9JIG Mini Shack

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N9JIG

Sheriff
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I prefer self-contained stations that allow quick moving around, hence my Radio Cabinet and vehicular installs of recent months. I have specific uses for the Radio Cabinet but still like to keep a few radios on the desk for quick access and testing. Recently they have just been arranged on the desk so that they fit under a monitor but I decided to try something a little different.

What I have on the desk includes an SDS200, 2 BCD996XT's, an HP-1 and an HP-2. Doing the math and this adds up to 5 radios so a 4-port Multicoupler will not work hence the 8-port. This also allows me to add other radios down the road as needed.

I saw another guy (whom I can't recall right now...) having used a Scanner Master 4-radio Desk Mount and liked that. Since I kind of have an in there I requested one be sent out to me and it arrived yesterday. I had originally intended to use a 996P2 instead of one of the HomePatrols and I still might down the road.

I was concerned the SDS200 might be too tall for the mount but as it turns out there is enough room to support it. I mounted that at the bottom, below the 2 996XT's. I velcroed the HP1 to a cut piece of 2x4 and shimmed that into place leaving enough room at the top to get to the buttons. I used a right-angle adapter on the SMA connector so route the cable to the back.

I placed the multicoupler on the top 996 with a bit of velcro and a 12v 6a power supply velcroed to the top of the inside of the rack. This little power supply has worked great for me, very quiet RF wise and it runs with no noticeable warmth running 3 radios and the multicoupler. The HP1 has its own wall-wart and the HP2 is plugged into the nearby monitor's charge port.

When first imagined I intended on using a 2-outlet tap with a pair of USB power ports I had. I used it on the bench for testing but when placing the rack I found that it wasn't needed.

I might replace the HP1 with either my PSR410 or another 996 down the road, or perhaps a 536 or another SDS200. If I end up with a couple I could fill the current HP1 slot with another SDS/996 type radio and place a 5th one on top of the rack but I would have to relocate the multicoupler and power supply.

IMG_2914.jpeg
Here is the back of the rack.

IMG_2916.jpeg
Here is the front. powered up and running on the desk.
 

iMONITOR

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As always Rich, great job, looks great! You mentioned you had a PSR-410, where did you find that? They weren't on the market very long, did they disappear when GRE got out of the scanner business? How do you like it. Are you using it for aircraft?

Is that stand steel or aluminum, and does it come with rubber feet? What kind of finish is on it, I'm guessing it's powder coated, but in your pictures it almost looks like it has a black crinkle paint? Is it stable enough you can use the keypads without having to hold it to steady it? I've almost bought one so many times but can't make up my mind on how many spaces do I need. It wouldn't look right with an empty space but if I get one smaller I just know a week later I'll want to add another radio to it!

Thank you for posting and sharing the pictures!

Bill
 

N9JIG

Sheriff
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As always Rich, great job, looks great! You mentioned you had a PSR-410, where did you find that? They weren't on the market very long, did they disappear when GRE got out of the scanner business? How do you like it. Are you using it for aircraft?

Is that stand steel or aluminum, and does it come with rubber feet? What kind of finish is on it, I'm guessing it's powder coated, but in your pictures it almost looks like it has a black crinkle paint? Is it stable enough you can use the keypads without having to hold it to steady it? I've almost bought one so many times but can't make up my mind on how many spaces do I need. It wouldn't look right with an empty space but if I get one smaller I just know a week later I'll want to add another radio to it!

Thank you for posting and sharing the pictures!

Bill


I got the 410 when it first came out in return for a review that I wrote. It works great on analog stuff like aviation and railroads which is what I have used it for most of the time.

As for the stand it must be aluminum as it is not magnetic, it does seem to have crinkle paint. It does not come with rubber feet but I used a set of them from my hardware stock, combined with the weight of the radios it becomes extremely stable and does not move or shake when buttons are mashed.

If you get the 3-radio rack and want to add a 4th radio just place it on top.
 

N9JIG

Sheriff
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Excellent as always. By any chance a link or model number of the power supply? Thanks for sharing.

The power supply is an LX1206 I found at one of the larger booths at the last hamfest. I found it on AliExpress (but have never ordered from them): US $7.52 6% OFF|12V6A DC 12V 6A AC 110 240V LED light power adapter LED Power Supply Adapter Transformer for LED strip 5050 2835 DC 5.5*2.5mm-in Lighting Transformers from Lights & Lighting on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group
 

iMONITOR

Silent Key
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I got the 410 when it first came out in return for a review that I wrote. It works great on analog stuff like aviation and railroads which is what I have used it for most of the time.

As for the stand it must be aluminum as it is not magnetic, it does seem to have crinkle paint. It does not come with rubber feet but I used a set of them from my hardware stock, combined with the weight of the radios it becomes extremely stable and does not move or shake when buttons are mashed.

If you get the 3-radio rack and want to add a 4th radio just place it on top.

Thanks for the info and suggestion. The other consideration is my AOR AR-DV1 has similar dimensions of the 996's, with the exception of being 2-1/2" longer and has two mounting holes on each side instead of one. So I'm thinking I would just sit it on the desk with the stand straddling over the top of it.
 

allend

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As usual Rich your shack always seems to amaze us. Not only being your hobby but your job that you get to do on a daily basis. Keep it up and keep the pictures coming. Its always neat to see all of those radios.

(y)
 

mule1075

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Thanks I am assuming you use a pigtail to go to the scanners and coupler. Thanks again for sharing the photos.
 

scannersnstuff

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Fantastic as always Rich. Once again, can you please do photo's of just your handheld radio's, please.
 

N9JIG

Sheriff
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Fantastic as always Rich. Once again, can you please do photo's of just your handheld radio's, please.

Here are the handhelds:
IMG_2929.jpeg

They include Uniden BCD396XT, BCD436HP, SDS100, BCD325P2, BC125AT, RS PRO651, Whistler TRX-1, GRE PSR120, AOR AR-Mini, Icom R5, Unication G5v, Alinco DJ-S11 and DJ-C7, Moto HT1250 and HT1550, AntyTone D868, Kenwood TH-F6A and TK-3140, and a couple HH freq counters.
 

N9JIG

Sheriff
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It was actually both. I saw KA1NJL's a while back which gave me the idea about the multicoupler, I might end up copying his method of using a scanner bracket to mount it on the rear. More recently I saw NYRHKY94's pics and that prompted me to go forth now.

As my shacks are always a work in progress I suspect that I will be making changes. I am already thinking that I will pop in that PSR410 this afternoon and dedicate it to the local rail and air freqs that it works so well on.
 

03msc

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Stellar! You could probably fashion a handle out of a bracket or something and use the open holes at the top to afix it to make it easier to pick up and move...if so desired. Looks great!
 

NYRHKY94

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Rich, also glad to see you confirmed the SDS200 will fit nicely in the desk mount we have. I really don't need one (another scanner that is), but you know how that goes ;-)
 
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