Scan Cape Cod Shack 8/2006

[KC1UA]

Here are a few pics of the latest incarnation of the Scan Cape Cod Radio Room.

Picture 1: Main Monitoring Station, includes Icom IC-R2500 with Optoelectronics DC440 tone decoder, Icom IC-R8500 with CSI CD-1 tone decoder, AOR ARD-25 P25 decoder, and SDR-14 spectrum display "SDR" (software running on computer screen), AOR AR8600MKIIB with P25 decoder installed, and aux laptop for decoding trunked radio systems. Upper shelves include the R2500 "black box", a Uniden BCD996T, the SDR-14, weather monitor, AC power monitor, BC700A used for monitoring local FD, and Motorola Maxtrac used for monitoring local PD.

Picture 2: A closer in shot showing some of the above.

Picture 3: "Auxiliary" search station using Probe 7.0 software and a PRO-2042 with OS535 board. A PRO-93 with discriminator tap is also available for Trunker. Old Toshiba Pentium laptop runs both Probe and Trunker from DOS.

Picture 4: Main scanner feed computer on the right, remote controlled receiver computer in the center, and aux computer on the left. All are controlled through a KVM switch from the monitor/keyboard/mouse shown in the first picture.

 

[scanman9]

Nice shack

wow nice setup.i see you have a pair of altec lancing computer speakers. I have a set as well very good speakers.

 

[blantonl]

Scott, let's see some pics of your antenna setup...

Man, you sure have a nice setup.... either you are married, with the shack in the basement, or you are single.

 

[KC1UA]

Thanks guys.....married and in the basement. My wife actually enjoys the hobby because it keeps me home at night! . She grew up in St. Louis. I often hear Missouri State Police from here when Mother Nature provides skip. She sat down here with me one night for a few hours and marveled at the fact that I could hear them so clearly, and that she could hear many of the names of communities right where she grew up.

I'll take some shots of the mess on my tower tomorrow and post them.

 

[JohnnyGalaga]

Excellent setup. You've got some nice high-end radios there.

 

[Woodstock]

A little crazy with all the wires all over the place, but it is a nice setup.

 

[K0AZV]

Very nice setup you have there...

My wife actually enjoys the hobby because it keeps me home at night! . She grew up in St. Louis. .

Ask her this for me and tell me if she busts out laughing...

"So where did you go to high school?"

Max...

 

[KC1UA]

A little crazy with all the wires all over the place, but it is a nice setup.

I agree, but I have spent more time trying to neaten up wiring, only to "un-neaten" it when it's time to pull something out. I've tried tie wraps, split loom, etc. Once I stop letting it bug me it wasn't an issue anymore.

Ask her this for me and tell me if she busts out laughing..."So where did you go to high school?"

She went to Ursuline Academy.

Thanks for the comments. As stated earlier I'm going to try to add some tower pics this evening if time allows.

 

[gcgrotz]

I love the old Motorola speaker. It was one of the first pieces of "police radio" gear I ever owned.

 

[nh7cy]

looking at one of the responses reguarding the wires..

ever try braiding the cords together? it looks pretty sharp, but everytime you want to take out a radio yes, unbraiding and redoing several clumps of wires it gets to be a little monotonous.

also, you've gotta love those little twist ties that they used to give you with garbage bags etc. they're pretty darn useful for keeping wires together if you ask me..

of course i dont even bother anymore, as long as they're behind my desk where nobody can trip over them im not going to rearrange anything.

 

[Woodstock]

I agree, but I have spent more time trying to neaten up wiring, only to "un-neaten" it when it's time to pull something out. I've tried tie wraps, split loom, etc. Once I stop letting it bug me it wasn't an issue anymore.

I'm the same way. Most of my wires drop behind my desk, so out of sight, out of mind. I use twist ties like nh7cy said for keeping my wires neat for storage when not in use.

 

[KC1UA]

Tower and Patch Panel

The tower is in need of a bit of cleanup, but here it is for what it's worth. The cleanup will begin with the Comet GP-9 at the top, which was damaged in a winter storm. I think the wind was so intense it snapped inside. Anyone who has put one of these together will probably deduce what I'm thinking. Unfortunate as it's a great performer, not only on the amateur bands but also on the adjacent public safety bands; great for DX'ing. There is also a Comet GP-3, 6 various incarnations of the Scantenna, a UHF Yagi, an 800 MHz yagi, an 896 MHz antenna, a Par Electronics End Fed Z SWL wire, and a Milsat antenna. Many of the antennas are side mounted as you can see, using mast sections fed through u-bolt assemblies that clamp to the tower and allow for said mast sections to slide in for easy antenna access. I'm looking at bringing down the GP-9 in the early fall, and likely putting up a Diamond Discone in its place. For coax, most of the antennas are fed with 75 ohm RG-11 cable. I was lucky to find a spool of 500' for free, and another 500' at a hamfest for $20. The GP-3 and GP-9 are fed with LMR400. The discone will be fed with LMR400 as well.

The patch panel, also a mess in this picture, allows for any radio to be connected to any antenna. I also use a Stridsberg Multicoupler and an Electroline UGA-2802 8 port distribution device so multiple receivers can connect to the same antenna if necessary.

 

[motomeso]

I use a Comet GP-6 and would agree that it is a great antenna, I would personally replace it with another one before I threw up another discone.

 

[scannerpro]

I'm in Southern MA/RI Line visiting leaving Sunday August 20 or 21st. I listen to Cape Cod. That's cool that your close and the webmaster of that web page. very nice

 

[mpg0515]

I use a Comet GP-6 and would agree that it is a great antenna, I would personally replace it with another one before I threw up another discone.

Yeah, don't get rid of the GP-9!! That is a great antenna! See if you can repair it. I really don't think that there are to many antennas out there that are better than the GP-9.