After a few years I have decided that the huge Rack Cabinet (February 2021 N9JIG Shack with video) is too much and needs to go. The main purpose was to search out the huge Mil-Air band and using 12 BCT15/15X’s worked great. Now that I have a good grasp on the local operations I am ready to downsize a bit. I considered selling it as a unit and had some serious offers but transportation of the thing put the kabosh on that idea.
I decided to keep the 996XT’s, the 746, my Kenwood for GMRS and my TYT DMR dual-bander. I also would like to keep the rack-mount system that I have invested in over the years. To that end I look back to the Desk Rack I put together a while back. (The Desk Rack of 2021) I bought the cabinet from AudioRax and was very impressed with the quality and appearance. I figured that 12u of space would be needed but wasn't happy with the choices of vertical cabinets and how such a beast would be set up.
In perusing their website I found several other possibilities. I found a 3-bay turret rack, each bay being 4u. This would be the perfect size to hold the radios I retain. The 746 is on a 4u panel so would fit in one bay, the scanners and two-ways are on 2u racks so two of each would fit in the other bays. So far so good.
I looked at the specs of the cabinet and it was shown as 60” wide. As it turns out I have just the perfect desk for this to live on, a 60” wide standing desk that would fit this nicely. This desk is the same black color as my regular desk and matches the aesthetic of the rack panels and everything else. The rack is available in multiple finishes and colors, I chose ebony, matching the Desk Rack, panels and both desks.
While AudioRax products are not cheap they are of high quality. The unit I chose is custom made to order so will take a few weeks to arrive. I ordered it with a flat top so I can place other radios, monitors, etc. on top. This also provides extra room for a multicoupler, power supply and other accessories. It also has pass-thru holes between the bays for wiring.
The new “3-Bay Cabinet” will arrive in another week or so, I ordered it 3 weeks ago. It will take a day or so to set up and configure. I am sure I will end up changing things around a bit but the initial layout will probably have the 746 in the center bay with 3 996XT’s and one of the two-ways in each of the others.
The Desk Rack will remain in place on the computer desk. It has the SDS200, a pair of 536’s and a 15X. The remaining radios and the large cabinet itself will be retired. I have a future use for the cabinet and will store the extra radios for now.
The new, smaller setup will be easier to manage and will reflect the current needs. The standing desk will allow me to raise and lower the desk as needed for maintenance or use. There will be sliders under it so I can pull it out to access the rear as well. It will be pretty much self-contained as the cabinet is now, with a single AC line cord and a bundle of antenna cables.
I eventually will replace some of the 996XT’s with 536’s or 996P2’s but my wife, as understanding as she is, has limits to the amount of money I can spend.
I will of course post pictures of the work, in progress and completed in the Pictures Forum when able.
I decided to keep the 996XT’s, the 746, my Kenwood for GMRS and my TYT DMR dual-bander. I also would like to keep the rack-mount system that I have invested in over the years. To that end I look back to the Desk Rack I put together a while back. (The Desk Rack of 2021) I bought the cabinet from AudioRax and was very impressed with the quality and appearance. I figured that 12u of space would be needed but wasn't happy with the choices of vertical cabinets and how such a beast would be set up.
In perusing their website I found several other possibilities. I found a 3-bay turret rack, each bay being 4u. This would be the perfect size to hold the radios I retain. The 746 is on a 4u panel so would fit in one bay, the scanners and two-ways are on 2u racks so two of each would fit in the other bays. So far so good.
I looked at the specs of the cabinet and it was shown as 60” wide. As it turns out I have just the perfect desk for this to live on, a 60” wide standing desk that would fit this nicely. This desk is the same black color as my regular desk and matches the aesthetic of the rack panels and everything else. The rack is available in multiple finishes and colors, I chose ebony, matching the Desk Rack, panels and both desks.
While AudioRax products are not cheap they are of high quality. The unit I chose is custom made to order so will take a few weeks to arrive. I ordered it with a flat top so I can place other radios, monitors, etc. on top. This also provides extra room for a multicoupler, power supply and other accessories. It also has pass-thru holes between the bays for wiring.
The new “3-Bay Cabinet” will arrive in another week or so, I ordered it 3 weeks ago. It will take a day or so to set up and configure. I am sure I will end up changing things around a bit but the initial layout will probably have the 746 in the center bay with 3 996XT’s and one of the two-ways in each of the others.
The Desk Rack will remain in place on the computer desk. It has the SDS200, a pair of 536’s and a 15X. The remaining radios and the large cabinet itself will be retired. I have a future use for the cabinet and will store the extra radios for now.
The new, smaller setup will be easier to manage and will reflect the current needs. The standing desk will allow me to raise and lower the desk as needed for maintenance or use. There will be sliders under it so I can pull it out to access the rear as well. It will be pretty much self-contained as the cabinet is now, with a single AC line cord and a bundle of antenna cables.
I eventually will replace some of the 996XT’s with 536’s or 996P2’s but my wife, as understanding as she is, has limits to the amount of money I can spend.
I will of course post pictures of the work, in progress and completed in the Pictures Forum when able.
