My living room shack

[emd001]

Its funny how 2 guys can post up the same accessory to their radios in concurrent threads. That is a really cool looking input device and definitely on my list. Is it controlled by software that interfaces the radio from the pc or does that keypad plug directly into the radio?

 

[Token]

Its funny how 2 guys can post up the same accessory to their radios in concurrent threads. That is a really cool looking input device and definitely on my list. Is it controlled by software that interfaces the radio from the pc or does that keypad plug directly into the radio?

I have been using the PI Engineering XKeys Jog and Shuttle Pro for a few months now. It is a very useful accessory that puts a "face" with knobs and switches to an SDR.

The unit plugs into the PC via USB. It has software that allows you to program any button to do any task that can be controlled via a key stroke. For the WinRadio Excalibur essentially every function has an associated hotkey, so that means you can program pretty much everything you want the radio to do to a button.

The XKeys also has dual layer programming. That means every button can have two functions, one when the unit is in the green layer and one when it is in the red layer. So, 92 programmable buttons plus the Jog and the Shuttle. To be honest I only use one layer, and as you can see from my pictures I still have 4 buttons not programmed. I could find things to program on those, but as it is now I have all of the basic radio functions covered in, what is for me, a very usable manor.

T!

 

[Token]

Youngest grandson decided he wanted to crawl up there and see what this stuff was that grandpa is messing with. I guess you could call this the latest addition to the listening post.

T!

 

[ka3jjz]

Hmmm...power on in shack and grandkid - not a good combo...

You'd better watch out - if the grandkid grabs the mike and starts calling CQ, you might have a new ham on your hands...cute pic

best regards..Mike

 

[R1VINCE]

I dont know how I missed this thread, but Great shack pics, Token. Fabulous setup , indeed.

 

[mrbama97]

Great shack. That is a lot of equipment.

 

[Token]

Hmmm...power on in shack and grandkid - not a good combo...

You'd better watch out - if the grandkid grabs the mike and starts calling CQ, you might have a new ham on your hands...cute pic

best regards..Mike

Notice that the desk mic is unplugged. We have no kids left in the house but most of the time the microphones on the radios in this living room operating location are left unplugged, just in case the grandkids come over. Although in general they know better than to touch without asking. The mics in the radio room (converted bedroom) are left plugged in all the time, but then the door to that room is always closed unless I am in there also.

This is old enough I would not have dug it up and revisited, but I decided to add some pictures of one of my mobile installs to go with it (next post).

T!

 

[Token]

Did another one of my mobiles a couple months back, the beater 1999 Chevrolet Blazer ZR2. Just got around to taking pictures of it though

Put in a Kenwood TS2000x with the RC2000 head, and the old Realistic PRO-2025 16 channel scanner that has served me so well for so long. I have a similar setup in my 1987 Bronco II also.

All HF bands, 160 to 10M, plus general coverage RX (I often monitor numbers stations and pirate radio while mobile), 6M, 2M, 70cm, and 1.2 GHz. The scanner gives me all local public service. Out here in the desert everyone is simple FM, no digital and no trunking.

In this pic you see 5 antennas, at the passenger rear corner is a 102" whip that with tuner I can load on almost any band. Drivers rear corner is a glass mount scanner antenna. On passenger side over door is a Diamond 770RHB dual bander, 2M/70cm, on the driver side over door is a monobander on 6M. Both of these antennas are on powered Diamond mounts, so they can be laid down for parking garages. The center mag mount antenna is a colinear on 1.2 GHz. The who thing, with everything laid down and the spare tire up top, comes in at under 7' 9", so I can get through most drive throughs and parking garages.

These two pics are of the overhead center console with the RC2000 remote head for the TS2000x.

This last picture is of the Realistic PRO-2025. It fit nearly perfectly when I removed the cassette deck that was in this location. Who listens to cassette anymore anyway? Above the scanner and towards the front of the console is the switch for raising and lowering the motorized mounts.

T!