Ham & Scanner Shack

[W9WSS]

This will be a new experience for me. I'm going to try to load a few pics of the radio room I took several months ago. Many things have changed, but this is a good place to start. I just hope I'm doing this correctly. I surmise I can go back and edit some of the text!

Hmmmm. Guess I didn't upload my images; thought that part was entered when I clicked on the "manage attachments" tab? Looking closer, I guess my images are too large. I'll have to edit them into smaller file sizes. Sorry....

 

[W9WSS]

Ham & Scanner Shack (Take 2)

Let me try this again. Sorry for the wasted bandwidth!

 

[rhicks6000]

wow thats alot of equipment

 

[W9WSS]

Ham & Scanner Shack (Take 3)

OK, I'm on a roll. Let's see if some of the antenna pics came out. Again, I'll re-edit and post descriptions once I get this process down somewhat efficiently.

 

[W9WSS]

wow thats alot of equipment

These pics were taken in April '06. Although the antennas haven't changed (except for the addition of 80 through 10 meter dipole which isn't in the original photos), I've actually added another radio, an automatic antenna tuner, and two more microphones!

 

[mancow]

How do you like that scantenna? I'm thinking of getting one.

 

[W9WSS]

How do you like that scantenna? I'm thinking of getting one.

Excellent! Too bad I didn't get in on the Radio Shack "close out" sale a few years ago. They were selling the Scantenna for FIVE BUCKS each! With the fifty feet of coax and connectors, matching transformer, and all hardware! One of the guys in our radio club bought four!

The discone which is on the side-arm attachment of my tower works great, too!

I have two Stridsberg MCA204M amplified multicouplers on each feedline. Because I must be close to some paging transmitters, I also use PAR notch filters inline with the coax just before it goes into the couplers. An absolute necessity, otherwise I listen to the "boing boing boing" paging trash data on all my VHF channels; about drove me crazy 'til I got the filters.

 

[mancow]

Yea, 5 bucks would have been great. With all I have read before and what you said I think I'm set on getting one now. They look like they would do fairly well on lowband too.


Nice setup!

 

[W9WSS]

Yea, 5 bucks would have been great. With all I have read before and what you said I think I'm set on getting one now. They look like they would do fairly well on lowband too.

Nice setup!

Thanks for the complement! Just be aware the Scantenna is not the most rugged or well-built. It's mostly the same material like radio shack TV antenna stock. Although I assembled in less than 30 seconds, I had it up on the roof at the old place, took it down, put it back up, took it down (we moved), and now it's back up. I would strongly suggest that you use a good grade of non-conductive silicon on the feedline connections before you toss it up on your roof. It's the oddest antenna I've ever seen; Some people call them "pitchfork" antennas. One thing for sure, they work great! Just make sure you use the RG-59 (72 Ohm) feedline. Unlike a discone, you cannot transmit on a Scantenna.

 

[scannerpro]

Nice set up.....Wish I had alot of radio stuff so I could make a set up. Take care

 

[trunker0205]

Awsome photos,looks like a fun place to be on a rainy day..

 

[pathalogical]

Nice setup ! Your thread title sounds like something you might hear in a deli shop, "I'll have the Ham & Scanner on rye, pickle on the side "...lol...

 

[dentman69]

Looking Good

Great set-up, I really like my Scantenna. It's has seen alot of high winds and is holding up well after 2 years. Looks like I need to post some new pics of the shack after adding my ham gear. 73 To All,

 

[W9WSS]

Ham 'N Swiss On Rye

Nice setup ! Your thread title sounds like something you might hear in a deli shop, "I'll have the Ham & Scanner on rye, pickle on the side "...lol...

What impresses me about many of the members' pix is the fact that they have some real high-end quality scanners. I just about broke the bank when I bought my BCD396T! I'd love to get a 996, but at the moment that's not possible. I know I could sell some of the radio's that I don't use constantly everyday, but each and every one has a purpose.

I'm planning on uploading some pix of my car. I personally don't want to be called a "whacker," (a term I never heard of before I joined this thread), but I am a full-time law enforcement officer, and belong to a car club where some of the members are public safety, ems, and fire personnel. Then again, there are several who are NOT government-employed, but enjoy building, restoring, and displaying all sorts of vehicles, from antique fire engines, ambulances, current and past police cars, and more.

We have an emergency vehicle show that is 2nd to none from any other exposition in the US. It is held on the grounds of a huge dairy distribution center (no cows or other "livestock"), and it's attended by thousands of folks.

For further on the show, go to: www.emergencyvehicleshow.com

Granted, there are some kooks and nut jobs who put together make-shift police car look-alikes, but you'll get those kind of people no matter where you go or who you see.

 

[crazyboy]

Very nice I especially like the handhelds and maxtracs/spectra. What kind of tower is that?

 

[tonsoffun]

Hi Will,
Great pics and very nice install on the antennas. Got to love antenna pics!

 

[pathalogical]

What impresses me about many of the members' pix is the fact that they have some real high-end quality scanners. I just about broke the bank when I bought my BCD396T! I'd love to get a 996, but at the moment that's not possible. I know I could sell some of the radio's that I don't use constantly everyday, but each and every one has a purpose.

I'm planning on uploading some pix of my car. I personally don't want to be called a "whacker," (a term I never heard of before I joined this thread), but I am a full-time law enforcement officer, and belong to a car club where some of the members are public safety, ems, and fire personnel. Then again, there are several who are NOT government-employed, but enjoy building, restoring, and displaying all sorts of vehicles, from antique fire engines, ambulances, current and past police cars, and more.

We have an emergency vehicle show that is 2nd to none from any other exposition in the US. It is held on the grounds of a huge dairy distribution center (no cows or other "livestock"), and it's attended by thousands of folks.

For further on the show, go to: www.emergencyvehicleshow.com

Granted, there are some kooks and nut jobs who put together make-shift police car look-alikes, but you'll get those kind of people no matter where you go or who you see.

There is a place of business close to home that I often drive by. For quite some time they had an old fire truck parked in a make-shift garage covered by a tarp. Not sure of the year, guessing at late 50's early 60's, single cherry on top of the cab. Haven't seen it in a few years, possibly moved to another location or sold. Another time, I was driving southbound in the centre lane during rush hour traffic and in the oncoming lane there was and old station wagon style ambulance coming towards me. We slowly inched toward each other and eventually stopped next to each other. It was summer and both had our windows down. I asked him what year and he said it was a 1954. Nicely restored, painted white and single cherry on top. I asked him if the siren worked and he said 'yes'. I asked him if I could hear but he said "I can't", I insisted but again he said he couldn't. Traffic started to crawl and we slowly inched away from each other. Nice link you provided.

 

[W9WSS]

Very nice I especially like the handhelds and maxtracs/spectra. What kind of tower is that?

Thanks for the kind comments!

It's a Glen Martin RT-832 8 foot tower. Glad you asked about it! I was wavering in my purchase of an antenna structure between a 10 foot tubular tripod, or one of the Glen Martin "quad-pods." After much consideration, I spent the extra bucks, and purchased the Glen Martin quad-pod. And, I'm certainly glad that I did. Shipping charges from their location to my QTH was under $20, because it's fully unassembled. The actual assembly took me less than 1 hour, and I had it up on the roof quickly. Only downside, is that I had to build a matrix of support lumber on the inside of my attic along the roof line. Otherwise, it wouldn't be stable and solid as a rock, as it currently stands.

Check out Glen Martin towers at www.glenmartin.com - don't forget to click on amateur towers and accessories, then roof top towers & mounts. Lastly, click on Typical Roof & Ground Installations on the bottom of the page for a picture of the attic "matrix," as I call it.

I can convert the tower from the present configuration, to a rotatable set-up using an antenna rotor inside the tower, and a thrust bearing at the top of the tower.

 

[W9WSS]

I'm planning on uploading some pix of my car.

Here's one for right now. The goofy-looking "Christmas Tree" antenna on the trunk lid is a Diamond D-220 Mobile Discone Scanner antenna. It works wonders when I hook my BCD396T to in close-call mode.

 

[W9WSS]

Earlier Pics of My 1994 CVPI

I've experimented with numerous antennas through the years on the '94 CVPI; Here's a few from about a year and a half ago. Note the vanity "ISPERN" license plate; Special legislation was never enacted to keep these Washington, DC "Presidential Inauguration" commemorative plates permanent. They were permitted for a short period of time, then not renewable.

The funny-looking "tubular" looking antennas on the roof are Antenex brand transit-style Phantom low-profile. Check them out on www.antenex.com - The CVPI has 800 Mhz closest to the front of the car, UHF, then VHF, which is the largest. They perform satisfactorily for two-way comms on commercial and amateur radio, but not as well as whips if you're planning on using them strictly for scanning or monitoring. Low profile is especially advantageous, especially if you have to pull your vehicle in the garage!