YouTube video at:
https://youtu.be/ljptAd2ONVA
Here is the latest iteration of my shack. I retired the tall cabinet as my needs changed and I no longer needed as many scanners as I had in the past. I have reduced the radio portion of the shack to a more manageable collection of Uniden scanners and a few other radios.
There are 2 radio cabinets, the small and the larger. Starting with the larger, it is a 3-bay 12u horizontal cabinet from AudioRax (www.audiorax.com). Each of the 3 bays is 4u high, enough for two 2u panels. In the center bay sits my Icom IC746Pro with the custom made rack from NovexComm. On the outer bays are 3 BCD996XT scanners each and each side has a 2-way, The left is a TYT DMR dual bander for ham and GMRS and the right has a Kenwood TK-880 for GMRS.
The scanners and two-ways are in Scanner Master DIN panels, the 2-ways have JottoDesk sleeve that I bolted to these panels. The Icom power supply for the 746 is behind the monitors atop the cabinet, the scanners and 2-ways are powered by an Astron 25A supply also atop the cabinet.
Inside the cabinet is an 8-port Stridsberg multicoupler and my AirNav Radarbox ADSB receiver as well as a PowerPole strip for the radios and a USB hub used to connect the radios to the Hades Canyon NUC (also set on top of the cabinet behind the monitors). There is also a M1 Mac Mini. The two monitors can be used on either computer. The Mac is used as a backup to my main work computer to the right, the NUC is used to program and control the radios.
The desk itself is a 60-inch motorized standing desk that allows me to raise it up and down. I mostly do this for maintenance, usually the desk is kept at the same level as the adjacent fixed height desk. The power and antenna leads are set up to allow me to slide the desk away from the wall as a unit to get at the back for work.
To the right of that desk is an Elfa free-standing modular desk with drawers. On the left side of this desk is a 4u turret cabinet with a flat top, also from AudioRax. In the cabinet are 2 BCD536HP’s and a pair of BCT15X’s. On top of the cabinet is an SDS200 and an Icom R8500 as well as a PL decoder from CSI. At the base of the cabinet is an HP1 and an HP2. Inside the cabinet is a 6A power supply and another 8-port Stridsberg. Behind the HomePatrols are 4 external speakers for the scanners rack-mounted in the cabinet. These also use Scanner Master DIN panels. My SDS100 lives here as well in a desk stand provided by a fan of my Youtube show.
To the right of the small cabinet on that desk is my work phone and the UPS for the Computer Desk. Above the cabinet is the parking place for my MacBook Pro.
The Computer Desk is made by Uplift, is is their largest L-shaped desk. The monitors include a Samsung Odyssey 49-inch curved monitor and a 32-inch Asus above. These are connected to my Intel Mac Mini, which is my main computer for work, internet and radio programming.
The right side of this desk is kept open so I can see the wall monitors or work on projects. My wife also uses it when we work together on projects.
On the far wall are 2 50-inch 4K TV’s used mostly for watching live-streamed rail or airport cameras, CNN or occasional entertainment. Since I rarely watch broadcast TV (I don’t even have a TV package) I use AppleTV’s on each. I also have a Roku for the top one and a small NUC for the bottom. I can cast one of the other computers, my phone or iPad to these via the AppleTV units.
To the left of the large cabinet is a bookshelf that houses my collection of portables, these include a 436, 325, 125, a couple HT’s and other receivers and transceivers. The big blue clock on the top can be seen from the next county and also serves as an effective nightlight. On the bottom shelf is the networking equipment for my home network along with a UPS.
On the back wall is the monitor for my home security system, placed for easy viewing from this office and the living room. My wife’s desk is there too along with her M1 iMac.
The scanners in the large cabinet is used mostly for searching and data collection via Pro96Com, ProScan, ARC-XT and other applications. The small cabinet is used for my day to day monitoring activities.
All the antennas are in the attic as I live in an HOA but they seem to work pretty well. The scanners are connected to ST-2’s and the 746 to a couple wire dipoles for HF and a Diamond dual band antenna for 2M. The TYT is connected to a Comet dual band, the Kenwood to a commercial UHF antenna. I have a commercial ADSB antenna for the AirNav box. The antenna patch panel is behind the desk with the large cabinet.
https://youtu.be/ljptAd2ONVA
Here is the latest iteration of my shack. I retired the tall cabinet as my needs changed and I no longer needed as many scanners as I had in the past. I have reduced the radio portion of the shack to a more manageable collection of Uniden scanners and a few other radios.
There are 2 radio cabinets, the small and the larger. Starting with the larger, it is a 3-bay 12u horizontal cabinet from AudioRax (www.audiorax.com). Each of the 3 bays is 4u high, enough for two 2u panels. In the center bay sits my Icom IC746Pro with the custom made rack from NovexComm. On the outer bays are 3 BCD996XT scanners each and each side has a 2-way, The left is a TYT DMR dual bander for ham and GMRS and the right has a Kenwood TK-880 for GMRS.
The scanners and two-ways are in Scanner Master DIN panels, the 2-ways have JottoDesk sleeve that I bolted to these panels. The Icom power supply for the 746 is behind the monitors atop the cabinet, the scanners and 2-ways are powered by an Astron 25A supply also atop the cabinet.
Inside the cabinet is an 8-port Stridsberg multicoupler and my AirNav Radarbox ADSB receiver as well as a PowerPole strip for the radios and a USB hub used to connect the radios to the Hades Canyon NUC (also set on top of the cabinet behind the monitors). There is also a M1 Mac Mini. The two monitors can be used on either computer. The Mac is used as a backup to my main work computer to the right, the NUC is used to program and control the radios.
The desk itself is a 60-inch motorized standing desk that allows me to raise it up and down. I mostly do this for maintenance, usually the desk is kept at the same level as the adjacent fixed height desk. The power and antenna leads are set up to allow me to slide the desk away from the wall as a unit to get at the back for work.
To the right of that desk is an Elfa free-standing modular desk with drawers. On the left side of this desk is a 4u turret cabinet with a flat top, also from AudioRax. In the cabinet are 2 BCD536HP’s and a pair of BCT15X’s. On top of the cabinet is an SDS200 and an Icom R8500 as well as a PL decoder from CSI. At the base of the cabinet is an HP1 and an HP2. Inside the cabinet is a 6A power supply and another 8-port Stridsberg. Behind the HomePatrols are 4 external speakers for the scanners rack-mounted in the cabinet. These also use Scanner Master DIN panels. My SDS100 lives here as well in a desk stand provided by a fan of my Youtube show.
To the right of the small cabinet on that desk is my work phone and the UPS for the Computer Desk. Above the cabinet is the parking place for my MacBook Pro.
The Computer Desk is made by Uplift, is is their largest L-shaped desk. The monitors include a Samsung Odyssey 49-inch curved monitor and a 32-inch Asus above. These are connected to my Intel Mac Mini, which is my main computer for work, internet and radio programming.
The right side of this desk is kept open so I can see the wall monitors or work on projects. My wife also uses it when we work together on projects.
On the far wall are 2 50-inch 4K TV’s used mostly for watching live-streamed rail or airport cameras, CNN or occasional entertainment. Since I rarely watch broadcast TV (I don’t even have a TV package) I use AppleTV’s on each. I also have a Roku for the top one and a small NUC for the bottom. I can cast one of the other computers, my phone or iPad to these via the AppleTV units.
To the left of the large cabinet is a bookshelf that houses my collection of portables, these include a 436, 325, 125, a couple HT’s and other receivers and transceivers. The big blue clock on the top can be seen from the next county and also serves as an effective nightlight. On the bottom shelf is the networking equipment for my home network along with a UPS.
On the back wall is the monitor for my home security system, placed for easy viewing from this office and the living room. My wife’s desk is there too along with her M1 iMac.
The scanners in the large cabinet is used mostly for searching and data collection via Pro96Com, ProScan, ARC-XT and other applications. The small cabinet is used for my day to day monitoring activities.
All the antennas are in the attic as I live in an HOA but they seem to work pretty well. The scanners are connected to ST-2’s and the 746 to a couple wire dipoles for HF and a Diamond dual band antenna for 2M. The TYT is connected to a Comet dual band, the Kenwood to a commercial UHF antenna. I have a commercial ADSB antenna for the AirNav box. The antenna patch panel is behind the desk with the large cabinet.