Sun Coast Amateur
Radio Club Society

This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong.
====== VA7FI's New Desk ======

Yesterday, I finally finished installing my new desk and re-organizing the bulk of my station.  Here are a few before / after pictures.

===== Before =====
<WRAP box>
{{ :blog:2020-09-13:open.jpg?250}} {{ :blog:2020-09-13:closed.jpg?164}}
Since we moved to Roberts Creek, my station has been tucked away in a small Ikea shelving unit in the corner of our small livingroom.  It was nice because I could close the doors and keep everything hidden away, but it also means that it wasn't very comfortable to operate for extended periods. \\ \\ After much deliberation, we decided to replace the shelving unit with an adjustable sit / standup desk.
</WRAP>

===== After =====
<WRAP box>
{{ :blog:2020-09-13:desk.jpg?400}}
The desk is in the same spot but facing the side of the house instead of the front.

I took apart the old shelving unit and rebuilt it so part of it would sit on top of the desk, and part of it would be on the floor under the desk.

The cubby on the right was made to the fit my IC-7300, ID-5100, speakers, and microphones.  However it would be pretty trivial to shift the vertical piece somewhere else if needed.  I also reduced the height so that the monitor would be comfortable to use.
</WRAP>

<WRAP box>
{{ :blog:2020-09-13:radios.jpg?550}}Here's a closeup of the radio cubby.

The ID-5100 microphone cord is connected into an Ethernet patch cord to extend it to the radio.  On the left, there's a small A/B audio switch so that I can easily connect my headphones into the 5100 without reaching under the desk.
</WRAP>

<WRAP box>
{{ :blog:2020-09-13:underdesk.jpg?550}}
Under the desk is another chunk of the original shelving unit.  I made it as high as it would fit under the desk in its lowest position.
  * On top is the ID-5100 radio.
  * On the first shelf (from left to right) is the Echolink Signalink and computer, an Ethernet switch, and my packet computer and Signalink.
  * Mounted under the first shelf is the Echolink Kenwood radio, and the IC-207 for packet.  The nice thing about the IC-207 is that I've got all the channels programmed into it and it's just a matter of spinning the dial to use it as a voice radio.
  * On the second shelf is the N8XJK super booster and my pre and post booster distribution blocks.  I also have two 12VDC -> 5VDC converters in parallel to feed the computers and the switch on the first shelf.  My goal is to eventually convert all of this to powerpoles, but that's a project for another time.
  * On the bottom shelf is the power supply and a small battery pack that complements the bigger battery bank in the container.
</WRAP>

<WRAP box>
{{ :blog:2020-09-13:behind.jpg?400}}A very nice bonus is to be able to easily slide everything out a few feet to work on the wiring behind.
</WRAP>


===== Still To Do =====
  * Finish the grounding.
  * Re-run the DC wiring from the crawlspace to behind the station.
  * Move all the solar panels on top of the container.