N9JIG Shack for 2020

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N9JIG

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Rich,
I have seen your videos, checked the pictures, read your posts AND have googled for the Driver for the rear Serial Port on the BCT15X and BCD996P2 to USB, and can't find it. All I can find is the front port driver to USB. I need the Serial to USB so as I can run my scanners from the rear to ProScan, yes like yours. Not from the front with cables hanging. Yes, I have the Serial to USB cables purchased already but my PC is only recognizing the scanners from the front port.
Thanks
Jim

It is a standard USB-1 cable modified to replace the small Uniden serial plug with a DB-9 so the standard USB-1 driver is used.

The Green wire from the USB-1 goes to Pin 2 on the DB-9F, the Red to Pin 3 and the black to Pin 5.
 

ProScan

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It is a standard USB-1 cable modified to replace the small Uniden serial plug with a DB-9 so the standard USB-1 driver is used.

The Green wire from the USB-1 goes to Pin 2 on the DB-9F, the Red to Pin 3 and the black to Pin 5.
That's a great ideal. I never thought of that. Don't need a null modem either.
 

SABER3

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could you supply a diagram? where is pin 1 ect on the female v the connector on the radio? TY in advance.
 

ProScan

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What a minute. Is that right? I thought it was a Uniden USB-1 cable which is different from a standard USB cable.
{edit} I see now it was corrected to reflect that it is a USB-1 cable.
 
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N9JIG

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What a minute. Is that right? I thought it was a Uniden USB-1 cable which is different from a standard USB cable.
Yeah, I caught that just as you replied, I misread the question. It is indeed a standard Uniden USB-1 modified with the DB-9
 

N9JIG

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Always enjoy your updates. Just wonder how long it will stay in this arrangement... ;)

Outstanding as always.

It lasted about 4 months.

I rearranged last weekend. I added a 4th monitor to the Mac along with a eGPU and sent the smaller 27 inch monitor to the camera system. As part of this I turned the desk around to face the other wall and now have the radio cabinet behind me at a 45 degree angle. The Elfa desk is now on the opposite wall.

I had to get a 25 foot USB extender and an HDMI cable of the same length to allow me to place the camera server in the cabinet but that was not a big deal.

So far I am liking the new arrangement. It makes it easier to watch the cameras when working in the office. Pics later after I finish up some wire management issues. (Gotta hide all the wires, I hate seeing them!)
 

N9JIG

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OK, I got my wire management done!

The cabinet is basically unchanged, just cleaned up some wiring and replaced the network cables with more appropriate lengths. I moved the camera server to it to provide better WiFi coverage to some of my more distant cameras but I think I am going to have to wire them eventually anyway due to the distance. The cameras support PPOE so this winter I might get a big box of Cat6 and get that done.

I moved the desk around (again!), added a monitor, 4-screen stand and cleaned things up a bit.

The desk is an Uplift L-Shaped standing desk with casters. There are 4 32-inch monitors on a 2x2 stand as well as a separate 27 inch screen for the cameras. On the desk is a Scanner Master 4-radio desk stand with an SDS200, SDS100, 2 BCD996XT's, a TRX-2 and a PSR400. There is also a HP1 and HP2, all 8 are connected to an 8-port Stridsberg multicoupler.

The main computer is a Mac Mini-2018 with a Sonnet eGPU to allow it to work with the 4 HD displays. There is also an Intel Hades Canyon NUC that can use the top two displays using the input selector.

The cabinet is directly behind my desk position and contains 8 BCT15's. 4 BCT15X's, 4 BCD996XT's and 4 PSR600's. There are also other radios including Icom 746Pro and R8500 as well as a couple two-ways for ham and GMRS.

There are 2 large displays for watching TV or (when working) rail-cams from RailStream and Virtual Railfan. One is on the wall to the desk's right and the other directly behind the sitting position.


FAQ's:

Q1: Why so many radios?

A1: Because I can! Actually they all have purposes. Most of the scanners in the cabinet are searching out small band segments for new activity or designated for a specific purpose. The ones on the desk are for daily listening.

Q2: Why do you rearrange things all the time?

A2: First off, it is fun to try it different ways. Especially now when we are pretty much confined to home rearranging allows me to do something other than sit around and get fat. Each time I change things I learn something new. It also allows me to clean up wiring or reposition something for easier reach or view.

Q3: What do you do with all those screens?

A3: I work from home so multiple screens are a must. Having 4 allows me to put our company's POS system on one screen, communications system on another, Phone system on a third and my personal stuff on the fourth.

The newest video:

The latest pics:

Here is the overview of the desk and cabinet. The desk is at the lowered (sitting position.
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Here the desk is at the higher (standing) position. The 4 displays are attached to the Mac Mini via an eGPU, the top two can be connected to the NUC using the input switch. If the Mac fails for some reason the whole show can be connected to the NUC with 2 cables as they both support TB3. Behind the skirts under the desk are the the power supplies, UPS, a POE switch, USB hub and cable management.
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The rear desk with a display for railcams, some model aircraft, portable radios, the radio cabinets and a couple honor boxes from my police and fire career.
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My side view from the desk. During work hours these displays have webcams on most of the time, my favorites are Horseshoe Curve PA, Flagstaff AZ, Chesterton IN and Kearney NE. Sometimes I will watch the news on CNN or something on Hulu or NetFlix.
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Ubbe

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I have 14 WiFi cameras and the ones furthest away sometimes loose it's connection. I then got a Wavelink hipower extender to get a better overall coverage and it seems to have helped. It's probably not a hipower amplifier but instead bigger antennas with more gain and the 1000mW power they claim are the ERP emitted from the antenna. I believe more or less all cameras use the 2.4GHz band, but the extender also comes in a dual band version.

Each camera only use a 1MB data rate at most. The WiFi channel uses 52 timeslots at 1MB each and an extender receives one slot and transmits on another slot, so it's down to 26 timelsots that can be used at the same time. If capacity are a problem then the routers own low power WiFi can be disabled and the extender connected to it using a ethernet cable. I try to use as much WiFi connedtions as possible, to TV, multimedia box, Xbox, scanner, cameras, computers, and connect small WiFi dongles to things that only have RJ45 connectors for internet. Ethernet cables have a tendency to interfere at radio frequencies so I try to avoid them, even if the max shielded cat7 ones doesn't radiate much, but are extremly expensive.


/Ubbe
 

P25Radio

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I like your through the wall multi antenna mount, Did you custom make it, if not where did you source it from?
 

N9JIG

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I like your through the wall multi antenna mount, Did you custom make it, if not where did you source it from?
I had it custom made from Front Panel Express (https://www.frontpanelexpress.com/). This panel cost about $100.

They have a downloadable tool that you can use to design your panel and then send it to them for manufacturing. It was really simple to use and the price was right. The tool allows you to chose the size, corner cuts, hole placement and size, labels and overall color. They can even do flat sided holes.

I sized the panel to fit onto two studs with the first and last columns inside enough to clear the studs. I bought some threaded inserts so if the holes used with the wood screws get too big I can drill them out and put in the inserts and use stove bolts. So far it has not been a problem, I have only had it off a couple times since I installed it.

The next time I buy a house I will have a tower and will use a similar panel with all N connectors and sized to support Polyphazers. I won't need as many ports so it might end up being about the same size. It would be mounted on an outside wall and act as a feedthru.

The only thing I might have done different would have been to label the holes on both sides. I ended up putting stick-on labels on the inside panel for a reference when I was connecting cables.
 
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WatnNY

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This room set up is just beyond words to give compliments, too! I am sooo jealous I can't have something like that!
 

waynedc

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Rich, is the Astron 25-amp power supply you are using to power the cabinet a linear or switching power supply? I have a similar setup but smaller of course and several of my devices have recommendations for a linear power supply source of power. I am hoping to also get rid of all of the wall warts and move to using a powerpole junction box.
 
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