N9JIG Shack Update for April 2019

[N9JIG]

I run 2 13-port powered USB hubs, each has 9 radios with USB-1 or GRE style USB cables, these two hubs go into a 7-port USB hub which also handles the AirNav box, a USB for the networking stuff and occasionally programming cables for the other radios. I have had no issues at all with latency or anything else with this. ProScan, ARC-XT/ARC-15/ARC-500 and PRO96Com all work just fine.

The only real reason I have not combined all this into just the two 13-ports is that I don't want to have to go in and renumber all the ComPort numbers.

Only 4 scanners is a cakewalk. Just use a decent powered USB hub.

 

[iMONITOR]

I run 2 13-port powered USB hubs, each has 9 radios with USB-1 or GRE style USB cables, these two hubs go into a 7-port USB hub which also handles the AirNav box, a USB for the networking stuff and occasionally programming cables for the other radios. I have had no issues at all with latency or anything else with this. ProScan, ARC-XT/ARC-15/ARC-500 and PRO96Com all work just fine.

The only real reason I have not combined all this into just the two 13-ports is that I don't want to have to go in and renumber all the ComPort numbers.

Only 4 scanners is a cakewalk. Just use a decent powered USB hub.

Thank you sir! Does all that equipment heat up your room?

 

[N9JIG]

Not really, the cabinet does not get warm, I get more heat from the computer. Where I live 120 degree temps are not unusual so the AC and ceiling fans are running most of the time anyway.

 

[N4DJC]

Wow....just wow

Roger that...I’ve not seen anything like it

 

[wa8pyr]

The radio equipment is pretty much the same as before, the 42u Networking cabinet for the majority of the radios, the MiniStack and a bunch of handhelds. (I will list the radios below). The big cabinet contains 3 Stridsberg multicouplers, 2 8-port and a 4-port. The MiniStack has its own 8-port Stridsberg. The cabinet has 2 25A power supplies, one for the receivers and another for the 2-ways. The 746 has its own 35A supply. Also in the cabinet are 3 USB hubs, 2 13 port and a 7-port. The 13-port hubs each cover the right or left side of the cabinet and plug into the 7-port, There are a couple other devices plugged directly into the 7-port as well, the RadarBox and UPS included.

Nice, but stand by for an e-mail with beaucoup questions. . . .

Tom

 

[mancow]

I can't think of that much to listen to.

 

[phask]

Rich - I know you used some foot long or so BNC jumpers on one of your projects. Source? I see several on Amazon, but no idea of the quality.

- going from a muticoupler to 4 radios, similar setup to the one you did.

 

[wa8pyr]

Rich - I know you used some foot long or so BNC jumpers on one of your projects. Source? I see several on Amazon, but no idea of the quality.

- going from a muticoupler to 4 radios, similar setup to the one you did.

I've got a similar setup except using a good quality Electroline EDA2400 cable TV drop amp with F connectors; using F to BNC adapters at the multicoupler and generic 3 foot BNC jumpers from eBay I'm getting excellent results. Antenna in the attic is a Radio Shack clone of the tried-and-true Channel Master Monitenna, scanners (two 996, a Pro-197 and a 796d) are mounted in a desktop rack.

I also looked at using RG316 jumpers (smaller), but the attenuation was at least 50% higher than RG58, so I stuck with what was familiar.

Giving credit where credit is due, I got the idea from looking at Rich's posts about his bi-annual shack redesigns.

 

[N9JIG]

I too have been using generic jumpers, mostly RG58. Since I stink at putting on connectors I bought pre-made jumpers and over the years finally accumulated enough short ones for my cabinet. Last month at Dayton I bought a dozen and completely re-cabled the cabinet with proper length cables.

I would like to go to a higher quality jumpers but they are expensive. I try to avoid adapters when I can, I figure RG58 cable with BNC's at each end is going to be less lossy than RG6 with F-connectors and BNC adapters at the same length.

 

[wa8pyr]

I too have been using generic jumpers, mostly RG58. Since I stink at putting on connectors I bought pre-made jumpers and over the years finally accumulated enough short ones for my cabinet. Last month at Dayton I bought a dozen and completely re-cabled the cabinet with proper length cables.

I would like to go to a higher quality jumpers but they are expensive. I try to avoid adapters when I can, I figure RG58 cable with BNC's at each end is going to be less lossy than RG6 with F-connectors and BNC adapters at the same length.

I prefer to avoid adapters as well. But, the EDA2400 has F connectors and RG58 doesn't play well with F connectors. I suppose I could have used double shielded RG6 which F connectors are intended for, but BNC connectors don't play particularly well with RG6, especially if you're a bit rusty at putting on connectors (like me).

Being a big fan of the KISS principle, I bit the bullet and went with adapters at the multicoupler end. So far, it hasn't been a problem.

 

[pawsrock]

Very nice!

 

[safetyobc]

You set the gold standard on listening shacks!

 

[JimD56]

Rich, What brand/model for your AirNav box?
Thanks
Jim

 

[N9JIG]

It is an AirNav RadarBox.

 

[pointman1177]

Well done! I would like to see a write up how you routed the coax to the attic and photos of how you have those antennas in your attic. I would love to come up with something like this in my basement one day. Again, excellent work sir.

 

[allend]

Yes. Would love to see the Antenna farm up in the attic.

 

[N9JIG]

For the coax runs to the attic we (and by "we" I mean the pros) drilled a hole in the wall cap and then back-filled it with flameproof expanding foam after running the coax thru it. We took out the wallboard and drilled holes in the fire-stops and again back-filled them with the same foam.

The antennas themselves are spread out as much as possible to provide separation. Most of the receiving antennas are hung with fishing line from the rafters, the HF dipoles are stapled to the joists and the transmitting antennas are mounted to the joists as needed.

Most of the coax runs are either RG6QS, RG8X, LMR400 or LMR214. There are a couple RG58's for the HF stuff. If we decide on staying in this house I will probably get a large roll of RG214 or similar and cut the cables to length. If we end up building a house that allows me a tower I will probably do the same but with outside rated coax. If the next house has an HOA then the antennas will again go in the attic with custom cut cable. The places we have considered all have cathedral attics these days so antenna management would be much easier, I just have to specify non-metallic insulation barriers.

I don't have antenna pictures since they are spread around the attic so much that there is no way to see them all without a dozen or more pics. The attic has about a 10 foot clearance in the peak but the house is large and spread out so there is plenty of room.

 

[allend]

My suggestions is that we are people that love our radio equipment. HOA communities are a thorn in the side all the time. Their fee's are out the roof and its a big scam to keep taking your money and not allowing you to live the life you really want. I live in an HOA where its a complete nightmare and our HOA dues went up 50 bucks a month forever now.

I know in my future that I will never buy or build a house that has an HOA. I want to be-able to work on my roof and put up some antenna's and not be bullied around for doing it since this is part of my enjoyment in life.

I have had to figure out ways to hide antenna's behind my chimney and bury discone antennas up in the top of tree's and run antennas thru my attic. It's not fun since I want my antenna's high in the sky as possible but look neat. Put up a nice discone with maybe high gain low band antenna and a couple of Yagi's pointing in certain directions and not be hassled ever. It's just almost impossible anymore to move without this corrupt HOA communities. I know California and Arizona are really big into them since its a big money maker and it pad's people's pockets.

With N9JIG with all of his bad A$$ equipment and radio's and antenna's I bet your feel a little cheated since you have to bury antenna's in the attic. Don't get me wrong they work better than telescopic antenna's in the house but having an open sky without wood beams and insulation and roofs and tiles it does take away quite a lot. Also, living either in a townhouse you have attic's that tie into other people's house which blocks signals coming from different directions that is needed.

Trust me I do notice a big difference from a discone in the attic and a discone out on the chimney buried away so nobody can see it. You do get loss and cheated. Plus in Arizona there is alot to listen to with Public Safety and Fire and Railways and especially Military Air.

 

[N9JIG]

These days, especially in this area, most desirable new-build developments have HOA's. I knew what I was getting into when we bought here and weighed the advantages and disadvantages. Our HOA is strict about appearance, maintenance and other conditions and that goes two ways. I live in a beautiful community where I can rest assured my neighbor won't be filling his yard with wrecked cars and junk but I cannot have a tower or roof full of antennas. I chose this over a custom house specifically for this reason but made sure to check the attic before I bought (realtor thought I was slightly crazy, she didn't know the half of it...) The HOA fees here are reasonable and pay for amenities one can't get elsewhere. They aren't for everyone but if you bought a home there you should have known what you were getting into before you did.

I did not feel cheated at all, we knew well what we were getting into and looked for two years before buying here. We looked at a couple non-HOA areas but didn't like them. I would have no problem staying here even with the restrictions. While outside antennas would be great I have lived in HOA's all my adult life and I am OK with it. I live in the foothills at a decent elevation, almost 1000 feet higher than Phoenix itself but separated by a mountain range so most of my reception of the city is blocked anyway.

One place we are looking at now has no HOA but has some design standards. The houses are all custom built but have a couple standards such as the garage/shop cannot be higher than the house, standardized entry/mailbox and lot size but no restrictions on towers and antennas other than heights due to the adjacent GA airport. If we end up building here I can design my office and tower access. I already have an idea about this involving a fenced in utility area with the WHG, pool equipment, HVAC and tower.

We are also looking at another HOA community but at least the homes there have even better attics then this one. My problem is that the wife has two votes to my one ;-).

One thing I got a kick out of when I bought here was a form I had to sign when we closed acknowledging that we live within a MOA and that there are periods of intense low flying jet aircraft activity in the area. The closer thought I was nuts when I asked if we had to pay extra for that and said "Cool!" when she said no. It is kind of neat to be floating around the pool and watching F16's and F-35's buzzing around all afternoon. Most of my CloseCall hits here are in the Mil-Air band...

 

[iMONITOR]

That sounds great Rich! The ability to see the jets you're listening too must be awesome! Maybe you should mount some cameras looking up and out from that new tower if you build it!

I live in a nice sub also that had an informal HOA. The guy that used to manage it moved away and no one replaced him, so basically we no longer have one. The original one did allow "TV" antennas on a up to 6' mast with a 6' boom. No one ever put one up as everyone has either Comcast cable or Direct TV. I plant to mount a DPD Productions Miltenna-OMNI with a small 800MHz Yagi under it and if anyone ask I'll tell them it's the latest in 4K HD antennas...

I'm about 10 miles N-W line of-site from Selfridge Air National Guard Base and even with these antennas mounted on a 9' light stand in my office I can receive their base land communications and tower and a considerable amount of air traffic. My house is right in the flight path of a lot of their day-to-day operations. They have A10's, refuelers and helicopters. Sometimes I can actually see the guys sitting by open doors on the Chinooks which is really cool. The U.S.C.G. seems to like buzzing my house time to time. All this traffic is quite low.