The Shack... 2022

[wa8pyr]

The lights for the zetron. Do they light up for each input? Is there a busy light? Is the busy active by COR or a VOX circuit?

1. There'a mute light and an activity light for each channel.
2. Activity light blinks when the channel is active, mute light stays on if button is pressed to mute the channel.
3. VOX.

I have to ask, did you cut your own rack panels? The appear much nicer (tighter fit) as compared to retail offerings.

I can drill holes but can't cut panels that nicely. I bought the rack panels, all from eBay if I recall correctly.

 

[Listener1440]

Good job, might borrow some ideas.

 

[peteymcsweety]

Well, it's taken awhile but I finally got my shack operational after moving it to a new room.

Shack was in the small bedroom at the top of the stairs and the mid-size bedroom was the guest room. The former was just too small for the shack (although it served me well for many years), so I decided to make the small bedroom the guest room and the mid-size bedroom into my shack.

Took the better part of a year to get everything swapped; I've got back problems, and getting the guest room functional was higher priority so when my Mom came to visit she would have a place to sleep. Once that got done I was able to really start on the new shack. And here it is...

View attachment 117760

On the main desk, there's an RSPduo and an Anytone AT-D578UVIII DMR radio on the top shelf (under the Apple Cinema Display).
On the lower shelf, there's an Icom IC-7300 and IC-R8600, with a Pro-2004 scanner next to the 8600.
Above it mounted on the wall is a 40" TV which can be used as a TV or as another monitor for the Mac Mini on the radio desk. Main computer on the other desk is an M1 Mac Mini with two 27" Dell monitors.

View attachment 117761

The scanner rack has a Zetron Model 27 receiver monitor panel at the top. The top row is an SDS200 and Pro-2035; below that, two Radio Shack Pro-197s, and below those a Uniden BCD996XT and BCD996T. Finally at the bottom, two Motorola XTL2500s, one VHF and one UHF.

Some of the scanners have separate antennas; the others are connected to a Monitenna clone through an Electroline distribution amp/splitter.

The panel below the Uniden scanners contains (left to right): DB9 connector for the OS535 in the Pro-2035; RJ45 connector to the network router (so I can connect a laptop if needed); RCA connector to the discriminator jack on the Pro-2035; BNC connector to the Electroline splitter.

Nice to finally have everything more or less situated so I can use it. Now, to reduce the pile of boxes in the back of the room and get the bits and pieces organized....

Real nice

 

[markspoo]

May I inquire how much electric noise is there in your shack?
BTW Nice set up and I clean the drool from my chin.

 

[buddrousa]

Little or none as I use a 30 Foot ST2 that gives me 40 Miles of Coverage all running off 1 antenna STRIDSBERG Combiners over 20 outputs

 

[PACNWDude]

Thank you all for posting pictures......working on racking some of my own radio gear that is currently just sitting loose. Lot's of cool ideas here, and like the use of older Zetron audio interface units, used to work for Zetron way back when.

Made some interesting gear, but recently has fallen to the "Microsoft syndrome" of hiring people that think everything can be fixed with a software update, even PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) equipment.

Now, I need to scour auction sites for some of the rack panels myself.

 

[ra7850]

Well, it's taken awhile but I finally got my shack operational after moving it to a new room.

Shack was in the small bedroom at the top of the stairs and the mid-size bedroom was the guest room. The former was just too small for the shack (although it served me well for many years), so I decided to make the small bedroom the guest room and the mid-size bedroom into my shack.

Took the better part of a year to get everything swapped; I've got back problems, and getting the guest room functional was higher priority so when my Mom came to visit she would have a place to sleep. Once that got done I was able to really start on the new shack. And here it is...

View attachment 117760

On the main desk, there's an RSPduo and an Anytone AT-D578UVIII DMR radio on the top shelf (under the Apple Cinema Display).
On the lower shelf, there's an Icom IC-7300 and IC-R8600, with a Pro-2004 scanner next to the 8600.
Above it mounted on the wall is a 40" TV which can be used as a TV or as another monitor for the Mac Mini on the radio desk. Main computer on the other desk is an M1 Mac Mini with two 27" Dell monitors.

View attachment 117761

The scanner rack has a Zetron Model 27 receiver monitor panel at the top. The top row is an SDS200 and Pro-2035; below that, two Radio Shack Pro-197s, and below those a Uniden BCD996XT and BCD996T. Finally at the bottom, two Motorola XTL2500s, one VHF and one UHF.

Some of the scanners have separate antennas; the others are connected to a Monitenna clone through an Electroline distribution amp/splitter.

The panel below the Uniden scanners contains (left to right): DB9 connector for the OS535 in the Pro-2035; RJ45 connector to the network router (so I can connect a laptop if needed); RCA connector to the discriminator jack on the Pro-2035; BNC connector to the Electroline splitter.

Nice to finally have everything more or less situated so I can use it. Now, to reduce the pile of boxes in the back of the room and get the bits and pieces organized....

Care to share the wiring that you done from the Zetron? Did you make your own cable?

 

[wa8pyr]

Care to share the wiring that you done from the Zetron? Did you make your own cable?

See post #17. Model 27 manual is available online; wiring diagrams are in it.

 

[scannersnstuff]

Well, it's taken awhile but I finally got my shack operational after moving it to a new room.

Shack was in the small bedroom at the top of the stairs and the mid-size bedroom was the guest room. The former was just too small for the shack (although it served me well for many years), so I decided to make the small bedroom the guest room and the mid-size bedroom into my shack.

Took the better part of a year to get everything swapped; I've got back problems, and getting the guest room functional was higher priority so when my Mom came to visit she would have a place to sleep. Once that got done I was able to really start on the new shack. And here it is...

View attachment 117760

On the main desk, there's an RSPduo and an Anytone AT-D578UVIII DMR radio on the top shelf (under the Apple Cinema Display).
On the lower shelf, there's an Icom IC-7300 and IC-R8600, with a Pro-2004 scanner next to the 8600.
Above it mounted on the wall is a 40" TV which can be used as a TV or as another monitor for the Mac Mini on the radio desk. Main computer on the other desk is an M1 Mac Mini with two 27" Dell monitors.

View attachment 117761

The scanner rack has a Zetron Model 27 receiver monitor panel at the top. The top row is an SDS200 and Pro-2035; below that, two Radio Shack Pro-197s, and below those a Uniden BCD996XT and BCD996T. Finally at the bottom, two Motorola XTL2500s, one VHF and one UHF.

Some of the scanners have separate antennas; the others are connected to a Monitenna clone through an Electroline distribution amp/splitter.

The panel below the Uniden scanners contains (left to right): DB9 connector for the OS535 in the Pro-2035; RJ45 connector to the network router (so I can connect a laptop if needed); RCA connector to the discriminator jack on the Pro-2035; BNC connector to the Electroline splitter.

Nice to finally have everything more or less situated so I can use it. Now, to reduce the pile of boxes in the back of the room and get the bits and pieces organized....

Very nice,but wait. You forgot to mention the emerald green Harbor Freight flashlight . It's been on clearance for like 3 year's. Got one for the wife.

 

[BMDaug]

A ham that’s an Apple fan! Love it! I have an M1 mini that my work gave me and I love it! I have a Panasonic toughpad for radio programming and site work, but the shack mainly relies on the Mac and it’s great to see other amateurs using the Mac platform!!

Great work, I love the setup!!

-B

 

[markspoo]

Drool. Great set up

 

[wa8pyr]

May I inquire how much electric noise is there in your shack?

It's not too bad in the shack itself as I did away with most of the wall warts and have everything connected to clean power supplies. Most of my noise issues come from stuff in other parts of the house. Overall the noise level is not ideal, but is tolerable.

Very nice,but wait. You forgot to mention the emerald green Harbor Freight flashlight . It's been on clearance for like 3 year's. Got one for the wife.

Only one? I've got several (not sure how many); one in each radio go-bag, one in the range bag, one in each ham QRP box, one in each vehicle, one in each bedroom, one in each tool bag. You can never have too many flashlights....

 

[scannersnstuff]

It's not too bad in the shack itself as I did away with most of the wall warts and have everything connected to clean power supplies. Most of my noise issues come from stuff in other parts of the house. Overall the noise level is not ideal, but is tolerable.



Only one? I've got several (not sure how many); one in each radio go-bag, one in the range bag, one in each ham QRP box, one in each vehicle, one in each bedroom, one in each tool bag. You can never have too many flashlights....

ly
Lol. Over the year's I've bought around 10 of them. Fantastic for the price. The only gripe <not their fault>, is having to take batteries out for a charge. I run Eneloops in my car light. I bought a good quality Thrunite rechargeable 18650. That light has it's own issue's.

 

[scannersnstuff]

You can never have too many flashlights....Or radio's ! .