The wires are a bit of a mess and I need to neaten it up but this is my radio room so far.
As you can see, I like old HF receivers and I have a few of them. I have few more radios coming in the next week or so. I'll post more pics when it's properly set up.
I see that you have a FDC model FD-450 handie-talkie on the far left of the above picture. I have the same radio, along with it's "little sister," the FD-150 VHF radio. These little gems are amazing, costing in the area of $50, they are totally keypad programmable, with optional software / computer interface for computer programming.
I take mine practically every where I go, with 99 channels, 4-5 watt output, and their small (but rugged) case, make them perfect for most places to monitor.
These radios are NOT FCC type-accepted, so they cannot be used on commercial frequencies, however, they are perfect for the ham radio operator (FCC type-accepting not required). Only downside on these gems is that there's NO alpha-tagging, the "scan" function captures an active channel, but resumes scanning after five seconds even on an active channel, and the keyboard cannot be used for DTMF (touch-tone dialing).
Each transceiver (whether UHF or VHF) comes with an extra heavy-duty rechargeable battery, antenna, battery charging cup, and 220 Volt wall-wart, so you'll have to go to Radio Shack, Wal Mart, or Target stores to get a 110 Volt charging device. They usually go for under $10. Colors are available in two "flavors," red and black. Accessories such as speaker-mics, programming cable, software, and other items are available seperately, but reasonably priced.
I am NOT a dealer, distributor, or incentive buyer, merely a ham operator that found a great deal. Where can you go for a brand-new VHF or UHF hand-held radio for $50 (plus shipping)? Even if you use it strictly for monitoring purposes, you can't go wrong.
Here's the website:
http://homepages.slingshot.co.nz/~c_day/index.html
The vendor is in New Zealand. I've dealt with Chris Day (the distributor) and have found him responsive, and very helpful.
If you are interested in these units, I would suggest you stay away from eBAY and the FDC products shipped from Hong Kong. Chris Day, of Zales Amateur Radio Equipment Supplies in New Zealand will sell you a upgraded model with wider frequency spectrum, and a warranty which he stands behind. Delivery of my radio from Chris was less than a week. One small bit of info; You must have a valid FCC issued Amateur Radio license or Chris will not ship to you.
