My station and test benches

[KE0ZU]

Here are a couple pics of my shack.

The radio bench with a few rigs, and the test bench. The two face each other with about 4 feet between them.

I completed the test bench a couple weeks ago and am still working on getting the radio bench finished up. I figure that will take a couple of weeks to complete.

 

[Marconi]

Here are a couple pics of my shack.

The radio bench with a few rigs, and the test bench. The two face each other with about 4 feet between them.

I completed the test bench a couple weeks ago and am still working on getting the radio bench finished up. I figure that will take a couple of weeks to complete.

Very nice setup. I wish my stuff was so neatly situated.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I remember seeing this on QRZ. Steve, WB2WIK, and I had a discussion about using the front panels as rack mounts. He disagreed and as usual had a better solution. Nice work and I really like the "crane" for the heavy stuff even if Steve did like the idea of rack slides better.

Welcome to the forum BTW.

 

[mr_fx]

SEXY!!!!

 

[2RT307]

Very cool. My attention is always drawn to the little things... like the D104 head on the office lamp base. Pretty slick! My current mic boom came from a denture maker's old office lamp. Had to take one of the springs off, or it would have launched my mic to the moon!

Thanks for sharing!

73,
RT307

 

[Grinder74]

What is the black thing on the wall to the right of the weather station? Looks like it has a wire coming out of it.

 

[KE0ZU]

Yep, it does have a wire coming out of it, Its called a telephone. Its an old rotary dial type, standard issue from MaBell when I was a kid.

Here is a little better picture of it.

 

[Grinder74]

Haven't used one of those in 20+ years. I knew what is, you still use it I guess.

 

[KE0ZU]

...you still use it I guess.

Yep, thats the shack phone. In the 60s there was a lot of talk about the new Central Office (CO) switches not being compatible with rotary phones and that rotary was dead, then they brought out "hook flash" to allow called party switching between two conversations on a single twisted pair.

Over the years the rumors about rotary dieing persisted, but nothing ever came of it. Today you can use a Rotary fone anywhere, but pressing "1" for english or "0" for operator just doesn't seem to work.

 

[Grinder74]

One nice thing about it, it will still work when the power goes out. Maybe I will pick one up at a yard sale for nothing.

 

[loosecannon]

in the pic with the weather station and the phone, it looks like they are sitting on slate pieces for a pool table. is that right?

if so, and your plan is to build a bench out of them, i had the same idea years ago and did actually build a small bench in my garage out of one piece.

after moving it twice, i threw it out. LOL man those things are heavy!



remember when we used to say "THE phone" instead of "MY phone", and you hated people who had lots of 9's in their numbers?
LC

 

[Eastside]

Most impressive.

 

[Road Squawker]

Yep, thats the shack phone. .. pressing "1" for english or "0" for operator just doesn't seem to work.

actually, you should be able to "dial" any number w/o using the rotor at all, just briefly push the buttons in the handset cradle,.... 1 push is the number 1 , 2 pushes is the number 2,.... ect... all the rotary dialer really does is generate clicks.

 

[KE0ZU]

actually, you should be able to "dial" any number w/o using the rotor at all,

Yes you can, but you have to do it at about 8 PPS or better, and if you get one of the dreaded numbers with a few 8s or 9s, your success rate drops dramatically.

The Dial actually makes and breaks the line connection (just like the hook switch does) but it mutes the handset receiver so your ear drums don't clap together from the otherwise VERY LOUD clicks.