The WX9EMS Ham Shack/Lab

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WX9EMS

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It is rough, but it does works fairly well for apartment living...for the most part I can work most repeaters on 5 watts or less. Eventually get a pic of my Impala install up.
 

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Rt169Radio

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It looks good,but what are you using for antennas since your in a apartment?
 

WX9EMS

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Simple. I have a Workman dual band antenna mounted on a aluminium camera tripod that lives in the closet and rigs run low power (Icom IC-2100H and TK-840). Performance is ok, could be better. For HF, I have a MFJ 1622 Apartment Antenna and Icom 725...considering the circumstances it works pretty good, but is a PITA...drag the works out to the patio...set it up...play on a band....change bands, change loading coil tap, re-tune...the vicious cycle continues! For monitoring, I live below the main tower in town here...I could get away without using any antennas, but I have simple wire antennas plugged into the VHF and 800 Maxtracs (since they do not TX) and use a TK-370G to scan UHF public safety for now. And if there is anything else I need to hear, grab a portable and turn it on, or tune in to live feeds elsewhere.
 

ScanWI

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Great set-up for apartment living, I can't wait until I can get out of my own apartment and set up a shack without restrictions.
 

WX9EMS

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I call it that because I experiment in there too, and WX9EMS is my Ham call. I always have either some sort of repair job, modification, or any other hair-brained scheme going at any given time. Anyhow, this thread needed a title...so it seemed to fit.
 

WX9EMS

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WX9EMS Mobile

Figured I would include some pics of the mobile install and such.

Motorola GTX 900 on top, Kenwood TK-840 in the middle, and Yaesu FT-8800R on bottom. I have the 8800 head mounted on part of an old rear mirror assembly for maneuverability...works pretty good. I gotta take it all back apart someday and paint the steel.

Maxtrac in the trunk for APRS. I have a Open Tracker USB and Byonics GPS-1 puck for that. Also have capability to run UI-View from setup as well

Antennas...APRS on the left, 900 on the glass (it works, but sucks...old Off Star mount, changing to NMO on roof soon), GMRS & public safety in trunk lid. and 2 Meter/70 cm on right.
 

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WX9EMS

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The Hustler 2 Meter wasn't that bad, fairly easy, did that right on the car...the Comet SSB7 on the other hand, not so easy since the whip sections is much thicker. I installed the antenna and gave it a eyeball guess on how much of a bend to give it. Did consider using bending brake at work to do it, but ended up clamping top part of fold-over in vice and pushing on bottom part of section with palm until I got it right. I could just see myself overdoing it in the bending brake!
 

reedeb

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Looks very good. I too live in an apartment. and use a cookie sheet on a stand by the window. I also have an Impala [2005] BUT due to the area I live in I don't have antennas nor radios in it.:[
 

WX4EMT

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Very well done for an apartment any mad scientist / ham experimenter worth his salt would be proud to create havoc in your lab.
 

WX9EMS

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Added 900 antenna (on the left) and moved GMRS up on roof too. Gonna plug the hole in trunk lid and maybe save that hole for possible 220 in the future or what ever else may come my way. GTX is much happier having this NMO mount vs the glass mount. Going to check the SWR on Sunday to be sure it is operating at its peak efficiency. Now just need to scrape that Off-Star glass mount off the window.
 

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WX4EMT

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I am seeing more 900MHz setups these days, has anyone established a de-facto simplex channel for weather types similar to 146.550?
 

WX9EMS

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Not exactly sure...I have 3 repeaters programmed into it and some ATCS frequencies, but seemed to overlook programming simplex calling frequency 927.100 into it.....
 
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